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Victoria Ekstrom

Vicki Ekstrom is a graduate student majoring in print journalism in Boston University's Graduate School of Communications. She is spending her last full semester in Washington, D.C., interning for Stateline.org and working as a correspondent for the Bangor Daily News. Vicki graduated with a degree in
communications from Boston College in 2006. While at BC, she interned for WBZ-TV and radio, Boston's CBS affiliate, and was a reporter for The Height, BC's independent student newspaper. She hopes to remain involved in politics after leaving the Washington program.

STORIES WRITTEN:

Manufacturing industry jobs being replaced by service jobs

WASHINGTON, May 2 — Lisa Northup never thought she would be changing careers at age 41. But after more than 20 years at Moosehead Manufacturing, the furniture factory shut its doors, changed owners, consolidated and left Northup jobless last June. Rather than find work at a different mill, Northup, who lives in Guilford, chose a more stable path and in September began classes at Bangor’s Beal College to become a medical assistant.

Collins seeks to have Iraq shoulder more financial burdens

WASHINGTON, April 18 – Sen. Susan Collins, R-Maine, is urging Senate leaders to take steps to require Iraq to shoulder more of the financial burden of rebuilding their own country.

Martha Stewart calls for better care for senior citizens

WASHINGTON, April 17 –Martha Stewart, who is already there, told a Senate panel Wednesday that as the first of the nation’s 78 million baby boomers reach their 60s, their health needs will grow but not the number of trained professionals needed to care for them.

Collins, Michaud attend Mass with the pope

WASHINGTON, April 17 – Sen. Susan Collins, R-Maine, and Rep. Mike Michaud, D-Maine, were among the 46,000 to crowd the new Nationals Park on Thursday for a Mass with Pope Benedict XVI. Collins called the Mass one of the most memorable experiences of her life and found the pope’s homily to be exactly the right message for American Catholics.

Collins says pope's message 'inspiring and filled with hope'

WASHINGTON, April 16– Pope Benedict XVI was greeted Wednesday morning at the White House by President and Mrs. Bush and thousands of invited guests, including a child holding a “Welcome Pope Hope” sign. Among the crowd of more than 9,000 on the South Lawn were Boy Scouts and Girl Scouts, minutemen in colonial garb, military personnel, Roman Catholic cardinals from throughout the nation and U.S. senators, including Susan Collins, R-Maine.

Government leftovers would go to the poor

WASHINGTON, April 10 – Despite millions of Americans who go hungry every day, government leftovers have been going straight to the trash because of strict liability laws. Those rules may soon change thanks to legislation cosponsored by Sen. Susan Collins, R-Maine, that would encourage the government and its food contractors to donate their extra food to soup kitchens and food banks.

Renewable energy tax credits pass in Senate

WASHINGTON, April 10 – The Senate Thursday approved energy tax credits proposed by Maine’s two senators and aimed at helping businesses and homeowners struggling to pay their bills in the sluggish housing market. The credits were part of a broader bill directed at the current home foreclosure crisis. The bill, which cleared the Senate overwhelmingly, 84-12, now goes to the House, which has some different ideas for easing the housing crisis.

Reed, an early example of Maine’s progressive politics

WASHINGTON, April 9 —Tucked in the southwest corner of the nation’s capital near the Potomac River is the home of Maine’s oldest living former governor, John Hathaway Reed, who served in the early 1960s. The third-floor condo is much the way it was when his wife of 60 years died four years ago, with a grand piano, 2 step-stool-sized Vietnamese elephant figures and bronze-gilded French décor.

Trading 'pork' for lobsters in Maine

WASHINGTON, April 3 – Some of Maine’s leaders were accused this week of trading “pork” for lobsters by Citizens Against Government Waste, a non-partisan watchdog group that monitors government pork-barrel spending.

Snowe’s health insurance bill aims to benefit small businesses

WASHINGTON, April 2 – Small businesses are the intended beneficiaries of health insurance legislation introduced on Wednesday by Sen. Olympia Snowe, R-Maine, senior Republican member of the Small Business and Entrepreneurship Committee.

Allen ocean observing bill improves fishing and port safety

WASHINGTON, April 2 – Legislation sponsored by Rep. Tom Allen, D-Maine, that would strengthen ocean observation techniques and improve understanding of the nation’s bodies of water passed in the House on Monday.

Under the bill air, land and sea observations, which have been carried out by many government agencies and private organizations with different techniques and goals, would be coordinated under one integrated system allowing the nation to make better use of the information.

Homeland Security responds to Baldacci’s request

WASHINGTON, March 26 – The Department of Homeland Security said Wednesday it is working with Maine and is encouraged by the efforts of the state’s leaders to move forward with procedures called for within the Real ID Act.

Internet phishing tops the IRS’s ‘Dirty Dozen’ scam list  

WASHINGTON, March 21 – Internet phishing – the name given to scams that trick people into revealing personal information through emails – topped the Internal Revenue Service’s “Dirty Dozen” list released last week of the 12 most common and costly tax scams.

Advocates push to expand freight rail infrastructure

WASHINGTON, March 20 – Advocating for legislation to increase freight rail infrastructure, State Sen. Dennis Damon, D-Hancock County, co-chairman of Maine’s joint legislative Committee on Transportation, traveled to Washington last week to meet with Maine’s congressional delegation.

Election Commission Computer Error Results in Wrong Figures     

WASHINGTON, March 19 — The Federal Election Commission early this month reported on its Web site incorrect campaign contribution numbers for all Senate candidates after making an error when transferring the candidates’ paper filings to an electronic version. The numbers have now been corrected.

Allen's bill calls for more cost accountability in electric industry

WASHINGTON, March 14 – Legislation that would force Maine’s electricity grid overseer, ISO New England, to provide reliable service at the lowest cost to consumers was introduced in the House March 6 by Rep. Tom Allen, D-Maine.

Sources of funds signal national importance of Collins-Allen race

WASHINGTON, March 13 – Republican Sen. Susan Collins’ match-up against Democratic Rep. Tom Allen in Maine’s U.S. Senate race is drawing large amounts of money from out of state donors, a sign that the race is national in scope and competitive, said scholars, analysts and officials from both parties.

Members express gratitude troops, opposition to prolonged war

WASHINGTON, March 12 – With almost 4,000 American lives lost, countless others physically and mentally wounded and half a trillion dollars spent, Maine’s members of Congress said that after five years of fighting in Iraq a change in course is necessary. But they said their support for the troops remains strong.

Bill provides help for Consumer Product Safety Commission 

WASHINGTON, March 7 – Last summer, Downeast Concepts, Inc., a Yarmouth-based company, imported toy rakes containing dangerous levels of lead and distributed 400 of them to stores throughout the nation. The toys were manufactured in China and entered through Boston. The company discovered the problem on its own after it stepped up testing because of a series of recalls from big-name manufacturers, like Mattel.

Study says hunger among elderly is on the rise

WASHINGTON, March 5 — More than five million elderly citizens suffer from hunger in the United States, a number that is on the rise, according to a new study. T he study, produced by Meals on Wheels, a program that provides hot food to low income elderly and disabled citizens, spurred Democratic Gov. John Baldacci to announce Wednesday a new “March for Meals” campaign at the State House.

Collins urges Baldacci to request Real ID extension

WASHINGTON, Feb. 29 – In a letter Friday, Sen. Susan Collins, R-Maine, urged Gov. John Baldacci to request an extension for the state’s complying with the federal Real ID Act, which establishes national standards for state-issued driver’s licenses.

From Fenway Park to the South Lawn 

WASHINGTON, Feb. 27 —A Marine Corps band’s rendition of “Sweet Caroline” set the tone as baseball’s 2007 World Champs reunited on Wednesday. It was no Fenway Park, but the team smiled just as proud as President Bush greeted them at the White House.

Senate passes bill to improve American Indian health care

WASHINGTON, Feb. 26 — The Senate Tuesday passed an act aimed at improving health care programs and facilities for American Indians, bringing help to more than 7,000 in Maine alone.

Baldacci tackles education issues at national governors meeting

WASHINGTON, Feb. 24 — Gov. John Baldacci, D-Maine, along with governors from throughout the country, tackled education issues at a national meeting of governors on Sunday.

New law to help veterans maintain their small businesses

WASHINGTON, Feb. 15 – President Bush signed into law Thursday a bill sponsored by Sen. Olympia Snowe, R-Maine, that aims to aid National Guard and reserve veterans who own small businesses.

Snowe seeks to stop fraudulent health insurance agents

WASHINGTON, Feb. 14-- The federal government isn’t doing enough to protect Medicare recipients from aggressive and fraudulent marketing strategies by sales agents for Medicare Advantage plans, Sen. Olympia Snowe, R-Maine, said at a Senate Finance Committee hearing on Wednesday.

Born in Maine, Living in Exile: Mainers meet for Capitol breakfast

WASHINGTON, Feb. 13-- In the seaside town of Bar Harbor and along Acadia’s mountain roads, politics is a side note to life, but in Washington, D.C., life is a side note to politics. Mainers exiled to the beltway can escape to the Maine State Society for a touch of home.

Collins questions role of military during potential domestic crises

WASHINGTON, Feb. 13 – A lack of coordination between National Guard units under state command and regular military units could pose a threat to national response in the case of a domestic crisis, Sen. Susan Collins, R- Maine, said Wednesday.

Senate expected to vote Tuesday on surveillance bill

 WASHINGTON, Feb. 8 – The Senate is expected to vote Tuesday on whether to grant retroactive immunity to telecommunications companies that assisted in illegal surveillance of suspected terrorists when it wraps up voting on the updated intelligence surveillance bill, according to the office of Sen. Olympia Snowe, R-Maine.

Collins supports National Guard report

WASHINGTON, Feb. 7 – With more than 95,000 National Guard and Reservists currently serving overseas, Sen. Susan Collins, R- Maine, says there is a gap in the country’s capability to respond to national disasters or attacks at home.

Snowe criticizes budget cuts for Medicaid 

WASHINGTON, Feb. 6 – Sen. Olympia Snowe, R-Maine, exchanged sharp words with Health and Human Services Secretary Mike Leavitt Wednesday over proposed changes to Medicaid rules that would  reduce federal Medicaid spending by $1.28 billion over five years, severely hurting state Medicaid programs.

Maine State Society offers scholarships

WASHINGTON, Feb. 6 – Students who have completed at least one year at a four-year Maine college or university and have a grade-point average of 3.0 or higher are eligible to apply for scholarships offered by the Maine State Society of Washington, D.C.  Applications for the scholarships, which are awarded in amounts of at least $1,000, are due April 1.

Senate to Vote This Week on Economic Stimulus Plan

WASHINGTON, Feb. 2 – Senate Democrats may scale back on the $157 billion economic stimulus package passed Wednesday by the Finance Committee as they struggle to gain the 60 votes needed to bring the bill to a full Senate vote.

Senators Negotiate Electronic Surveillance Bill

WASHINGTON, Feb. 1 – Senate leaders continue to negotiate the terms of an updated intelligence surveillance bill, deadlocked on whether to grant immunity to telecommunication companies facing lawsuits after assisting federal agencies in surveillance of potential terrorists.

Collins and Snowe support additional funds for home heating

WASHINGTON, Jan. 30 —Sen. Susan Collins, R-Maine, is leading the fight in the Senate to amend the economic stimulus package, passed by the House Tuesday, to include up to $1.5 billion to help low-income people pay their home heating bills.