INSIDER
How Trump credits an immigration chart for saving his life and what the graphic is missing
Read full article: How Trump credits an immigration chart for saving his life and what the graphic is missingDonald Trump is fond of a data chart that shows the stark contrast of the U.S.-Mexico border crossings between his time in the White House and President Joe Biden’s tenure.
Democrats and Republicans descend on western Wisconsin with high stakes up and down the ballot
Read full article: Democrats and Republicans descend on western Wisconsin with high stakes up and down the ballotVice President Kamala Harris’ first campaign stop in Wisconsin with her new running mate this week put her in a critical part of a swing state.
US Coast Guard boss says she is not trying to hide the branch’s failure to handle sex assault cases
Read full article: US Coast Guard boss says she is not trying to hide the branch’s failure to handle sex assault casesThe commandant of the U.S. Coast Guard has tried to assure frustrated senators she is not attempting to cover up the branch’s failure to adequately handle cases of sexual assault and harassment at the service academy in Connecticut.
Stalled US aid for Ukraine underscores GOP's shift away from confronting Russia
Read full article: Stalled US aid for Ukraine underscores GOP's shift away from confronting RussiaRepublicans have been softening their stance on Russia ever since Donald Trump won the 2016 presidential election following Russian hacking of his Democratic opponents.
A COVID-era program is awash in fraud. Congress aims to wind it down and expand the child tax credit
Read full article: A COVID-era program is awash in fraud. Congress aims to wind it down and expand the child tax creditCongress is racing to wind down a tax break meant to encourage businesses to keep workers on the payroll during the COVID-19 pandemic.
PGA Tour is sending 2 executives to a Senate hearing as LIV cites conflicts
Read full article: PGA Tour is sending 2 executives to a Senate hearing as LIV cites conflictsThe PGA Tour is sending two leading figures to next week's Senate panel reviewing its surprise business agreement with the Saudi backers of LIV Golf.
Biden warns of GOP plans for Medicare, Social Security cuts
Read full article: Biden warns of GOP plans for Medicare, Social Security cutsWhen President Joe Biden suggested that Republicans want to slash Medicare and Social Security it brought howls of protests from the GOP side of the aisle during the State of the Union address.
New documents detail Sen. Ron Johnson asking about electors
Read full article: New documents detail Sen. Ron Johnson asking about electorsNewly released documents from the House Jan. 6 committee show that the former Wisconsin Republican Party chairman testified that U.S. Sen. Ron Johnson spoke to him weeks before Joe Biden assumed the presidency about having the state’s GOP-controlled Legislature, rather than voters, choose Wisconsin’s presidential electors.
Doubts about candidates tipped the scales in tightest races
Read full article: Doubts about candidates tipped the scales in tightest racesVoters deciding to split their tickets or buck their party altogether may have helped Democrats mount a stronger-than-expected performance in the recent midterm elections.
Same-sex marriage legislation clears key Senate hurdle
Read full article: Same-sex marriage legislation clears key Senate hurdleLegislation to protect same-sex and interracial marriages has crossed a major Senate hurdle, putting Congress on track to take the historic step of ensuring that such unions are enshrined in federal law.
AP VoteCast: Midterm races a patchwork, not a national vote
Read full article: AP VoteCast: Midterm races a patchwork, not a national voteIf Tuesday’s vote defied the durable history of presidential parties taking heavy losses in a midterm election, it also reinforced an often-forgotten fact: These campaigns are a patchwork of thousands of races, not a nationwide contest.
Johnson, Barnes go on attack in US Senate race in Wisconsin
Read full article: Johnson, Barnes go on attack in US Senate race in WisconsinRepublican Sen. Ron Johnson and Democrat Mandela Barnes are honing closing arguments in a Wisconsin race that could be critical in which party controls the U.S. Senate.
Barnes' Senate bid may ride on Milwaukee's Black turnout
Read full article: Barnes' Senate bid may ride on Milwaukee's Black turnoutIn Wisconsin's tight U.S. Senate race, Democrat Mandela Barnes' chances to unseat two-term Sen. Ron Johnson may rest with how well he turns out Black voters who don't always show up in big numbers.
Wisconsin ballot spoiling is a no-go after court upholds ban
Read full article: Wisconsin ballot spoiling is a no-go after court upholds banA Wisconsin appeals court is refusing to block a lower court’s ruling prohibiting voters who already submitted an absentee ballot from voiding it and voting again, a rarely used practice known as ballot spoiling.
Democrats cautiously campaign on Jan. 6, democracy threats
Read full article: Democrats cautiously campaign on Jan. 6, democracy threatsDemocrats running for office this year in Republican-leaning areas or swing states are grappling with how much they should talk about the Jan. 6 insurrection, if at all.
Obama, campaigning in Georgia, warns of threats to democracy
Read full article: Obama, campaigning in Georgia, warns of threats to democracyFormer President Barack Obama has returned to the campaign trail in Georgia, framing the 2022 midterm elections as a referendum on democracy and urging voters not to see Republicans as an answer to their economic woes.
Early in-person voting starts in Wisconsin amid lawsuits
Read full article: Early in-person voting starts in Wisconsin amid lawsuitsIn-person early voting has begun in swing state Wisconsin amid ongoing lawsuits affecting which ballots can be counted or tossed, recently ordered bans on drop boxes, and restrictions on who can return ballots.
Obama headed to Georgia, Michigan, Wisconsin as vote nears
Read full article: Obama headed to Georgia, Michigan, Wisconsin as vote nearsFormer President Barack Obama is headed to Georgia, Michigan and Wisconsin in the closing days of the 2022 campaign to give a boost to Democrats running for governor, senator and on down the ballot.
Social Security boost seen as unlikely to help Dems at polls
Read full article: Social Security boost seen as unlikely to help Dems at pollsThe news that 70 million people will see an 8.7% boost in their Social Security checks next year came just weeks before Election Day, but it's unlikely to give Democrats the edge they're desperately seeking at the polls.
Sen. Johnson, Barnes get personal in final Wisconsin debate
Read full article: Sen. Johnson, Barnes get personal in final Wisconsin debateRepublican U.S. Sen. Ron Johnson and Democratic challenger Mandela Barnes have gotten personal in their final debate before the Nov. 8 election, with each candidate attacking the other as being radical and out of touch with the average Wisconsin voter.
Johnson, Barnes polished in 1st Wisconsin Senate debate
Read full article: Johnson, Barnes polished in 1st Wisconsin Senate debateRepublican Sen. Ron Johnson and his Democratic challenger Lt. Gov. Mandela Barnes stuck to their scripts as they met for a debate Friday evening in a hotly contested race that could determine party control of the U.S. Senate.
Senators push new oversight to combat federal prison crises
Read full article: Senators push new oversight to combat federal prison crisesA bipartisan group of U.S. senators introduced legislation Wednesday to overhaul oversight and bring greater transparency to the crisis-plagued federal Bureau of Prisons.
Biden's mixed record forces some Dems into odd balancing act
Read full article: Biden's mixed record forces some Dems into odd balancing actSome Democrats facing tough midterm races are praising many of the Biden administration's top policy achievements even while distancing themselves from the president himself.
In-person voting starts in Minnesota, 3 other early states
Read full article: In-person voting starts in Minnesota, 3 other early statesIn-person voting for the midterm elections has started in Minnesota, South Dakota, Virginia and Wyoming, in a landscape that has changed since the pandemic drove a shift to mail balloting in the 2020 presidential contest.
Kamala Harris talks abortion, appeals to voters in Milwaukee
Read full article: Kamala Harris talks abortion, appeals to voters in MilwaukeeVice President Kamala Harris has met with college students and Latino leaders in Milwaukee during a visit meant to energize voters weeks before an election in which Wisconsin's Democratic governor, Tony Evers, and Republican U.S. senator, Ron Johnson, are on the ballot.
Democrats punt same-sex marriage vote until after election
Read full article: Democrats punt same-sex marriage vote until after electionDemocrats are punting a vote to protect same-sex and interracial marriages until after the November midterm elections, a blow for the legislation that comes days after Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer vowed to put the Senate on the record on the issue “in the coming weeks.”.
Senate to vote on same-sex marriage in coming weeks
Read full article: Senate to vote on same-sex marriage in coming weeksMajority Leader Chuck Schumer says the Senate will vote on legislation to protect same-sex marriage “in the coming weeks” as a bipartisan group backing the bill is tweaking it to gain Republican support.
Panel: Trump staffers pushed unproven COVID treatment at FDA
Read full article: Panel: Trump staffers pushed unproven COVID treatment at FDAA special House panel looking into the government's coronavirus response says the Trump White House tried to pressure U.S. health experts into reauthorizing the drug hydroxychloroquine that had been discredited as a COVID-19 treatment.
Trump ties may come back to haunt in swing state Wisconsin
Read full article: Trump ties may come back to haunt in swing state WisconsinDonald Trump reasserted his grip on Republicans in Wisconsin’s primary, but both Democrats and Republicans say that the former president’s involvement in the state’s key races for governor and U.S. Senate could come back to hurt them in the swing state.
Takeaways: Trump tightens grip on GOP, narrow Squad victory
Read full article: Takeaways: Trump tightens grip on GOP, narrow Squad victoryAfter an uneven start, Donald Trump’s tour of revenge ousted Republican members of Congress, unleashed an army of Trump-backed “America First” candidates to beat back the establishment and strengthened his grip on the party.
Kleefisch downplays Trump endorsement on final swing
Read full article: Kleefisch downplays Trump endorsement on final swingRepublican candidate for governor Rebecca Kleefisch is downplaying Donald Trump’s endorsement and rally for her opponent on a final campaign push across Wisconsin, declining to respond to the former president’s criticisms.
What to watch in Wis., 3 other states in Tuesday's primaries
Read full article: What to watch in Wis., 3 other states in Tuesday's primariesThe Republican matchup in the Wisconsin gubernatorial race in Tuesday's primary elections features competing candidates endorsed by former President Donald Trump and his estranged vice president, Mike Pence.
Dems look ahead to Barnes in fall race against Ron Johnson
Read full article: Dems look ahead to Barnes in fall race against Ron JohnsonSupport has coalesced around Wisconsin Lt. Gov. Mandela Barnes to be the Democratic choice to take on Republican Sen. Ron Johnson in the state's closely watched U.S. Senate race.
Democrat Barnes emerges as favorite in Wisconsin Senate race
Read full article: Democrat Barnes emerges as favorite in Wisconsin Senate raceWisconsin Lt. Gov. Mandela Barnes has emerged as the clear favorite in what had been a crowded Democratic field seeking to unseat Republican U.S. Sen. Ron Johnson, as his nearest rival dropped out and threw his support behind Barnes.
Prisons chief deflects blame for failures, angering senators
Read full article: Prisons chief deflects blame for failures, angering senatorsWith just days left in his tenure, the embattled director of the federal prison system faced a bipartisan onslaught Tuesday as he refused to accept responsibility for a culture of corruption and misconduct that has plagued his agency for years.
Wisconsin Supreme Court disallows absentee ballot drop boxes
Read full article: Wisconsin Supreme Court disallows absentee ballot drop boxesWisconsin’s conservative-controlled Supreme Court has ruled that absentee ballot drop boxes may be placed only in election offices and that no one other than the voter can return a ballot in person.
Wisconsin Democrats focus ire on Republican Sen. Johnson
Read full article: Wisconsin Democrats focus ire on Republican Sen. JohnsonWisconsin Democrats looking to unseat Republican Sen. Ron Johnson are focusing their attacks on him, and not each other, as each of the eight candidates make their case to party activists at the state convention held six weeks before the primary.
Wisconsin's Evers looks for boost from anger over abortion
Read full article: Wisconsin's Evers looks for boost from anger over abortionWisconsin’s Democratic Gov. Tony Evers hopes to translate anger over the U.S. Supreme Court’s overturning of Roe v. Wade into votes this fall as he vows to fight a 173-year-old state abortion ban in any way he can.
Wisconsin Democrats face hard road in Senate, governor races
Read full article: Wisconsin Democrats face hard road in Senate, governor racesWisconsin Democrats gathering for their annual state convention this weekend are focused on reelecting Gov. Tony Evers and defeating Republican Sen. Ron Johnson.
Wisconsin's Johnson under heat for fake elector revelation
Read full article: Wisconsin's Johnson under heat for fake elector revelationEvidence revealed at the House select committee investigating the Jan. 6, 2021, insurrection shows that an aide for U.S. Sen. Ron Johnson told former Vice President Mike Pence’s staff that the Republican from Wisconsin wanted to hand-deliver fake elector votes from Wisconsin and Michigan.
Vulnerable Dems run against Washington — and their party
Read full article: Vulnerable Dems run against Washington — and their partyMany of the nation’s most vulnerable Democrats are actively trying to distance themselves from Washington — and their party — as the midterm season enters its next phase.
Wisconsin Supreme Court justices question ballot drop boxes
Read full article: Wisconsin Supreme Court justices question ballot drop boxesSkeptical Wisconsin Supreme Court justices are questioning whether state law allows for voters to give their absentee ballot to someone else to return or whether drop boxes can be placed outside municipal clerk offices.
Biscuits or bratwurst: GOP weighs its convention choices
Read full article: Biscuits or bratwurst: GOP weighs its convention choicesRepublicans are deciding whether to hold their presidential nominating convention in 2024 in Milwaukee, the largest Democratic stronghold in battleground Wisconsin, or in Nashville, Tennessee, a Democratic city in a GOP-controlled state.
Wisconsin Democrats vie for edge in crowded Senate race
Read full article: Wisconsin Democrats vie for edge in crowded Senate raceDemocrats in the crowded primary race for U.S. Senate in Wisconsin are trying to distinguish themselves through traditional campaign tactics, like million-dollar television ad buys and policy papers.
Opposition from GOP senator threatens Biden judicial pick
Read full article: Opposition from GOP senator threatens Biden judicial pickRepublican Sen. Ron Johnson's opposition to President Joe Biden's judicial nominee in Wisconsin has surprised Democrats and is providing the latest test to the Senate tradition of letting home state senators block district court judges from advancing.
Biden's pick to combat antisemitism finally gets hearing
Read full article: Biden's pick to combat antisemitism finally gets hearingPresident Joe Biden’s pick to monitor and combat prejudice against Jews around the world finally got her day before the Senate committee that will evaluate her nomination.
GOP targets Wisconsin elections system, nonpartisan director
Read full article: GOP targets Wisconsin elections system, nonpartisan directorWisconsin Republicans are working to discredit the bipartisan system they created to run elections in the state after President Joe Biden narrowly won last year's presidential race.
Lawsuit: NRA illegally funded Trump, other GOP candidates
Read full article: Lawsuit: NRA illegally funded Trump, other GOP candidatesA federal lawsuit accuses the National Rifle Association of violating campaign finance laws by using shell companies to illegally funnel up to $35 million to Republican candidates, including former President Donald Trump, Sen. Josh Hawley of Missouri and others.
GOP seeks to convince vaccine skeptics within its own ranks
Read full article: GOP seeks to convince vaccine skeptics within its own ranksWith vaccination rates lagging in red states, Republican leaders have begun stepping up efforts to persuade their supporters to get the shot, at times combating misinformation spread by some of their own.
Sen. Johnson on others getting shots: 'What do you care?'
Read full article: Sen. Johnson on others getting shots: 'What do you care?'Republican Sen_ Ron Johnson, of Wisconsin, questioned the need for widespread COVID-19 vaccinations, saying in a radio interview “what do you care if your neighbor has one or not?”.
Jan. 6 commission stalls, for now, amid partisan dissension
Read full article: Jan. 6 commission stalls, for now, amid partisan dissensionHouse Speaker Nancy Pelosi has pushed for the commission, which would be modeled after the panel that investigated the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks on New York and Washington. “The problem is the scope,” Pelosi said Wednesday. But Republicans swiftly decried the broad latitude that the commission would have to investigate the causes of the insurrection. Senate Republicans cast doubt that there was enough support for the commission. 2 Republican, said he doesn’t think the commission will happen if the legislation isn’t changed.
Critics call Sen. Ron Johnson's insurrection comments racist
Read full article: Critics call Sen. Ron Johnson's insurrection comments racistThe insurrection also caused widespread damage and led to National Guard troops being called in to restore order. Johnson's comments sparked outrage among Wisconsin Democrats, including state Sen. LaTonya Johnson, of Milwaukee. “For him to say something as racist as that — it’s ridiculous,” said the state senator, who is Black. Ad“Ron Johnson is a racist and is unfit to serve the people of Wisconsin. Tom Nelson, the Outagamie County executive who is also seeking the Democratic nomination, said Johnson has reached “a new despicable low” with his comments.
Congress OKs $1.9T virus relief bill in win for Biden, Dems
Read full article: Congress OKs $1.9T virus relief bill in win for Biden, Dems“Help is here,” Biden tweeted moments after the roll call, which ended with applause from Democratic lawmakers. AdThe measure addresses Democrats’ campaign promises and Biden’s top initial priority of easing a one-two punch that first hit the country a year ago. According to a CNN poll released Wednesday, the relief bill is backed by 61% of Americans, including nearly all Democrats, 58% of independents and 26% of Republicans. Democrats control the Senate, split 50-50, only because Vice President Kamala Harris gives them the winning vote in tied roll calls. On the relief bill, progressives had to swallow big concessions to solidify moderate support.
Wave of retirements signals battles ahead for Republicans
Read full article: Wave of retirements signals battles ahead for RepublicansBut officials in both parties agree that the surge of GOP departures will make the Republicans' challenge more difficult in the Senate. Several Missouri Republicans are expected to seek the nomination to replace Blunt, but none will be more divisive than former Gov. Ahead of Greitens' announcement, some Republicans worried that he could jeopardize the Senate seat if he emerges as the party's nominee. The former president won by the same margin in Iowa, where 87-year-old Republican Sen. Chuck Grassley is considering retirement. AdMeanwhile, Blunt predicted political success for Republicans in Missouri and beyond during a Monday news conference.
Fighting Biden virus aid, GOP rekindles Obama-era strategy
Read full article: Fighting Biden virus aid, GOP rekindles Obama-era strategyAmericans are experiencing flickers of optimism at the one-year anniversary of the deadly outbreak as more people are vaccinated. But new strains of the virus and a still shaky economy could unleash another devastating cycle of infections, lockdowns and deaths. Biden and Democrats warn that now is not the time to let up on aid, and that it's better to risk doing too much than too little. McConnell expressed similar optimism last spring when he hit “pause” on new spending after approval of the initial round of aid. GOP Sen. Mike Braun of Indiana said by the time they're done they hope to turn public opinion around.
Biden, Dems prevail as Senate OKs $1.9T virus relief bill
Read full article: Biden, Dems prevail as Senate OKs $1.9T virus relief billIn this image from video, the vote total of 50-49 on Senate passage of the COVID-19 relief bill, is displayed on screen in the Senate at the U.S. Capitol in Washington, Saturday, March 6, 2021. Ad“This nation has suffered too much for much too long,” Biden told reporters at the White House after the vote. He said Democrats' “top priority wasn't pandemic relief. The House relief bill, largely similar to the Senate's, provided $400 weekly benefits through August. That amount would be gradually reduced until, under the Senate bill, it reaches zero for people earning $80,000 and couples making $160,000.
Fighting Biden virus aid, GOP rekindles Obama-era strategy
Read full article: Fighting Biden virus aid, GOP rekindles Obama-era strategyAdIt’s a tested strategy but comes at an uncertain, volatile time for the nation. Americans are experiencing flickers of optimism at the one-year anniversary of the deadly outbreak as more people are vaccinated. But new strains of the virus and a still shaky economy could unleash another devastating cycle of infections, lockdowns and deaths. Biden and the Democrats backing him warn that now is not the time to let up on aid — better to risk doing too much, than too little. GOP Sen. Mike Braun of Indiana said by the time they're done they hope to turn public opinion around.
Senate Dems strike jobless aid deal, relief bill OK in sight
Read full article: Senate Dems strike jobless aid deal, relief bill OK in sightScott Applewhite)WASHINGTON – Senate leaders and moderate Democratic Sen. Joe Manchin struck a deal late Friday over emergency jobless benefits, breaking a logjam that had stalled the party's showpiece $1.9 trillion COVID-19 relief bill. AdMore significantly, the jobless benefits agreement suggested it was just a matter of time until the Senate passes the bill. The House approved a relief bill last weekend that included $400 weekly jobless benefits — on top of regular state payments — through August. Republicans criticized the overall relief bill as a liberal spend-fest that ignores that growing numbers of vaccinations and signs of a stirring economy suggest that the twin crises are easing. AdIn another late bargain that satisfied moderates, Biden and Senate Democrats agreed Wednesday to make some higher earners ineligible for the direct checks to individuals.
Takeaways from Congress' first hearing on Capitol riot
Read full article: Takeaways from Congress' first hearing on Capitol riotFormer U.S. Capitol Police Chief Steven Sund appears before a Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs & Senate Rules and Administration joint hearing on Capitol Hill, Washington, Tuesday, Feb. 23, 2021, to examine the January 6th attack on the Capitol. (AP Photo/Andrew Harnik, Pool)WASHINGTON – Security officials testifying at Congress' first hearing on the deadly siege of the Capitol cast blame and pointed fingers on Tuesday but also acknowledged they were woefully unprepared for the violence. The security officials lost their jobs, and Trump was impeached by the House on a charge of inciting the insurrection, the deadliest attack on Congress in 200 years. But then-Capitol Police Chief Steven Sund testified that he only learned about it the day before Tuesday's hearing. But in closing, Klobuchar restated the testimony: “There was clear agreement this was a planned insurrection.”ONE OFFICER'S PERSONAL STORYThe hearing opened with Capitol Police Capt.
GOP source: Priebus mulling run for Wisconsin governor
Read full article: GOP source: Priebus mulling run for Wisconsin governorPriebus would only consider running for Senate if incumbent Republican Ron Johnson did not seek a third term, the strategist said. Some began reaching out to Priebus after conservative talk radio host Jay Weber floated Priebus' name, the strategist said. Priebus served as Trump's chief of staff for the first six months of Trump's term in 2017 before being fired. Priebus last voted in Wisconsin in the 2016 presidential election, when Trump narrowly won the state. AdPriebus, a native of Kenosha, was head of the Wisconsin Republican Party between 2007 and 2009 before spending the next six years as chairman of the Republican National Committee.