Political

Biden Budget Aims To Cut Deficits Nearly $3T Over 10 Years

WASHINGTON (AP) — President Joe Biden’s upcoming budget proposal aims to cut deficits by nearly $3 trillion over the next decade, the White House said Wednesday. That deficit reduction goal is significantly higher than the $2 trillion that Biden had promised in his State of the Union address last month. It also is a sharp contrast with House Republicans, who have called for a…

Joe Biden Plans New Taxes On The Rich To Help Save Medicare

WASHINGTON (AP) — President Joe Biden on Tuesday proposed new taxes on the rich to help fund Medicare, saying the plan would help to extend the insurance program’s solvency by 25 years and provide a degree of middle-class stability to millions of older adults. In his plan, Biden is overtly declaring that the wealthy ought to shoulder a heavier tax burden. His budget would…

Special Coverage: The Death Of Duluth Judge Sally Tarnowski

Tarnowski died Monday after being struck by a vehicle while out running in Venice, Florida, according to the Star Tribune

DULUTH, Minn. — Click the video above to watch FOX 21’s 5:30 p.m. newscast Tuesday with special coverage on the death of Duluth Judge Sally Tarnowski.   We’ll have more tonight at 9 p.m.   Categories: Minnesota, News, News – Latest News, Political, Public Safety

Former Duluth Advocate, City Councilor Barb Russ Remembered As ‘Exemplary Public Servant’

DULUTH, Minn. – Duluth City Councilor Arik Forsman is one of many city leaders reflecting on the life of Barb Russ, a longtime Duluth advocate and former city councilor. “She didn’t get high or low, and she wasn’t going to be baited by sort of the circus element of it. I always enjoyed it, especially out of certain other councilors…

Doctor: Lesion Removed From Biden’s Chest Was Cancerous

WASHINGTON (AP) — A skin lesion removed from President Joe Biden’s chest last month was a basal cell carcinoma — a common form of skin cancer — his doctor said Friday, adding that no further treatment was required. Dr. Kevin O’Connor, the White House doctor who has served as Biden’s longtime physician, said “all cancerous tissue was successfully removed” during…

Trump Can Be Sued For Jan. 6 Riot Harm, Justice Dept. Says

WASHINGTON (AP) — Former President Donald Trump can be sued by injured Capitol Police officers and Democratic lawmakers over the Jan. 6, 2021, insurrection at the U.S. Capitol, the Justice Department said Thursday in a federal court case testing Trump’s legal vulnerability for his speech before the riot. In court papers, the Justice Department urged a federal appeals court in Washington to…

Biden Pushes For $1.6B Funding For Pandemic Fraud Measures

(AP) — President Joe Biden’s administration is asking Congress to approve more than $1.6 billion to help clean up the mess of fraud against the massive government coronavirus pandemic relief programs. In a strategy announced Thursday, the administration called for money and more time to prosecute cases, to put into place new ways to prevent identity theft and to help…

Supreme Court Weighs Biden Student Loan Plan Worth Billions

WASHINGTON (AP) — The Supreme Court has begun hearing arguments in a partisan legal fight over President Joe Biden’s plan to wipe away or reduce student loans held by millions of Americans. The high court, with its 6-3 conservative majority, heard arguments on Tuesday on two challenges to the plan, which has so far been blocked by Republican-appointed judges on lower courts. Arguments were scheduled to last…

Raimondo Seeks To Rally US Behind $52 Billion Chip Program

WASHINGTON (AP) — Commerce Secretary Gina Raimondo on Thursday called on the country to unite around a $52 billion effort to restore the U.S. as the world leader in advanced computer chips, saying it will require training of tens of thousands of workers. “The research, innovation and manufacturing sparked by this law will enable us to be the technological superpower, securing our…

Former Wisconsin Governor “Tony” Earl Dies At 86

The state's 41st Governor had a stroke last weekend and passed away today.

Former Wisconsin Governor Anthony “Tony” Earl died today after suffering a stroke over the weekend. The announcement came from current Governor, Tony Evers. Evers said Earl had been hospitalized since the stroke, and had been surrounded by his close family. Earl was 86. Earl was governor from 1983 to 1987. You can read Evers full statement and background on Earl…

Biden In Poland Says US And Allies ‘Have Ukraine’s Back’

WARSAW, Poland (AP) — President Joe Biden, returning on Tuesday to the Polish castle where he spoke shortly after the Russian invasion of Ukraine last year, said the war had hardened Western resolve to defend democracy around the globe. He warned that there were “hard and bitter days ahead,” but pledged that the United States and its allies would “have Ukraine’s…

Biden Declares ‘Kyiv Stands’ In Surprise Visit To Ukraine

KYIV, Ukraine (AP) — President Joe Biden paid an unannounced visit to Ukraine on Monday to meet with President Volodymyr Zelenskyy in a defiant display of Western solidarity with a country still fighting what he called “a brutal and unjust war” days before the one-year anniversary of Russia’s invasion. “One year later, Kyiv stands,” Biden declared after meeting Zelenskyy at…

Abortion Among Major Issues At Stake In Wisconsin Court Race

MADISON, Wis. (AP) — A conservative tilt on the Wisconsin Supreme Court has given Republicans victories on voting restrictions, gerrymandered legislative districts and other high-stakes cases in recent years. Voters now have a chance to tip that balance toward the left, with implications for abortion rights and perhaps the outcome of the 2024 presidential election in one of the nation’s most closely divided political battlegrounds. Tuesday’s primary…

Biden’s Trump-Focused Campaign Could Be Risky If GOP Shifts

WASHINGTON (AP) — President Joe Biden built his 2020 White House run around promises to beat Donald Trump “like a drum.” As Biden gears up for an expected reelection campaign, he insists he can do it again. But what if Trump isn’t next year’s Republican nominee? Though the GOP primary race is only just beginning, a general election pitting Biden against any other Republican could look very…

Biden Wants ‘Sharper Rules’ On Unknown Aerial Objects

WASHINGTON (AP) — President Joe Biden said Thursday that the U.S. is developing “sharper rules” to track, monitor and potentially shoot down unknown aerial objects, following three weeks of high-stakes drama sparked by the discovery of a suspected Chinese spy balloon transiting much of the country. The president has directed national security adviser Jake Sullivan to lead an “interagency team” to review…

Klobuchar Applauds 148th Fighter Wing In Object Shootdown, Releases New Details

U.S. Sen. Amy Klobuchar (D-MN) provided new details Tuesday from the U.S. Military involving the 148th Fighter Wing’s involvement in shooting down one of three mysterious objects recently spotted up above. “Today at our classified briefing, the Joint Chiefs and other military members specifically acknowledged the Minnesota National Guard and the Duluth airman who shot down the object over Lake…

Two Harbors Residents Vote For 2 Mayoral Candidates On April Ballot

TWO HARBORS, Minn. – Residents voted Tuesday in a special primary election for mayor of Two Harbors. Former mayor and current council vice president, Robin Glaser, got the most votes at 289. Lew Conner came in second with 194 votes. Jay Cole got 15 votes and Jillouise Simonson got 10. Glasser and Conner will not head to a special election…

Nikki Haley Announces Run For President, Challenging Trump

CHARLESTON, S.C. (AP) — Nikki Haley, the former South Carolina governor and United Nations ambassador, announced her candidacy for president on Tuesday, becoming the first major challenger to former President Donald Trump for the 2024 Republican nomination. The announcement, delivered in a tweeted video, marks an about-face for the ex-Trump Cabinet official, who said two years ago that she wouldn’t challenge her former boss for the…

US Defends Decision To Shoot Down 3 Unidentified Objects

WASHINGTON (AP) — The White House on Monday defended the shootdowns of three unidentified objects in as many days even as it acknowledged that officials had no indication the objects were intended for surveillance in the same manner as the high-altitude Chinese balloon that traversed American airspace earlier this month. The three objects, including one shot down Sunday over Lake Huron, were traveling at…

US Rep. Angie Craig Assaulted In DC Elevator

WASHINGTON, D.C. (FOX 9) – U.S. Rep. Angie Craig was assaulted in a Washington, D.C. elevator, her chief of staff said in a statement Thursday. The Minnesota Democrat was assaulted in the elevator of her apartment building around 7:15 a.m. on Thursday, Nick Coe, Craig’s chief of staff, said in a statement. “Craig defended herself from the attacker and suffered bruising, but is…

Biden In State Of Union Exhorts Congress: ‘Finish The Job’

WASHINGTON (AP) — President Joe Biden exhorted Congress Tuesday night to work with him to “finish the job” of rebuilding the economy and uniting the nation as he delivered a State of the Union address aimed at reassuring a country beset by pessimism and fraught political divisions. In his 73-minute speech, Biden sought to portray a nation dramatically improved from the one…

Biden Aims To Deliver Reassurance In State Of Union Address

WASHINGTON (AP) — President Joe Biden is ready to offer a reassuring assessment of the nation’s condition rather than roll out flashy policy proposals as he delivers his second State of the Union address on Tuesday night, seeking to overcome pessimism in the country and concerns about his own leadership. His speech before a politically divided Congress comes as the nation struggles to make sense…

House GOP Votes To Oust Democrat Omar From Major Committee

WASHINGTON (AP) — The Republican-led House voted after raucous debate Thursday to oust Democratic Rep. Ilhan Omar from the chamber’s Foreign Affairs Committee, citing her anti-Israel comments, in a dramatic response after Democrats last session booted far-right GOP lawmakers over incendiary remarks. House Speaker Kevin McCarthy was able to solidify Republican support against the Somali-born Muslim woman in the new Congress although some…

Hobbs, Anderson Won’t Seek Reelection To Duluth City Council

DULUTH, Minn. — Two Duluth city councilors are not running for reelection in 2023. First District Councilor Gary Anderson announced Tuesday he is proud of the work he’s been able to accomplish over the past eight years. At one point, Anderson served as council president. He started in politics in 2012 as an organizer for the Minnesotans United For All…

Biden, McCarthy, Once Breakfast Mates, Wrangle Over US Debt

WASHINGTON (AP) — Not so long ago, Joe Biden and Republican leader Kevin McCarthy used to talk things over at breakfast in Biden’s vice presidential home at the Naval Observatory. Biden was intent in those days on “keeping up relations with the opposition party,” as he writes in his memoir, and the new House majority leader often arrived with fellow GOP lawmakers in tow….

Durenberger, Former US Senator From Minnesota, Dies At 88

(AP) — Former U.S. Senator David Durenberger, a Minnesota Republican who espoused a progressive brand of politics and criticized the GOP after his political career, died Tuesday at age 88. Durenberger’s health had declined in recent months, his longtime spokesperson Tom Horner said. Horner told The Associated Press that Durenberger died Tuesday morning of natural causes. He was at his…

Abortion Bill Passes Minnesota Senate

Duluth, Minn. —  After 15 hours of debate, the Minnesota Senate passed the Protect Reproduction Options bill, known as the PRO bill. It wasn’t until about 3 AM Saturday morning that the Senate voted. The vote went straight along party lines, DFLers 34, Republicans 33. Democrats had fast tracked the bill to codify the abortion rights in the state. Proponents…

Minnesota Senate Debates More Protection For Abortion Rights

ST. PAUL, Minn. (AP) — The Minnesota Senate began debate Friday on a bill to write broad protections for abortion rights into state statutes, which would make it difficult for future courts to roll back. Democratic legislative leaders have fast-tracked the bill as one of their top priorities for the 2023 session — in reaction to the U.S. Supreme Court’s decision last summer to reverse Roe…

Video Shows Struggle For Hammer During Pelosi Attack

(AP) — Video released publicly Friday shows the husband of former U.S. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi fighting with his assailant for control of a hammer moments before he was struck in the head during a brutal attack in the couple’s San Francisco home last year. The body-camera footage shows suspect David DePape wrest the tool from Paul Pelosi, 82, and…

Stauber Talks About U.S. Connection To Congo Child Labor For Mining After Order To Protect BWCAW

WASHINGTON, D.C. — Republican Representative Pete Stauber (MN-08) said on Thursday that the Biden administration’s decision to section off 350-square miles of the Superior National Forest from mining projects for 20 years means that the U.S. could rely on child labor overseas. The decision was made due to environmental concerns of potential mining near the Rainy River Watershed close to…

Abortion Front And Center In Wisconsin Supreme Court Race

MADISON, Wis. (AP) — A liberal judge running in a pivotal race to determine majority control of the Wisconsin Supreme Court touts her support for abortion rights in the first two television ads of the closely watched race launched Thursday. The winner of the April 4 election will determine whether the court remains under control of conservative justices or flips to a…

Classified Documents At Pence’s Home, Too, His Lawyer Says

NEW YORK (AP) — Documents with classified markings were discovered in former Vice President Mike Pence’s Indiana home last week, his lawyer told the National Archives in a letter — the latest in a string of discoveries of confidential information in private residences. The records “appear to be a small number of documents bearing classified markings that were inadvertently boxed…

Question To Duluth City Councilors: Are You Running For Mayor?

DULUTH, Minn. – As a third candidate says he’s running for Duluth’s next mayor, FOX 21 is confirming if anyone on the Duluth city council – current and former – is up for the challenge. Over the past week, we’ve heard back from all but one city councilor on whether they are running or thinking of running for mayor this…

Four Oath Keepers Convicted Of Jan. 6 Seditious Conspiracy

WASHINGTON (AP) — Four members of the Oath Keepers were convicted Monday of seditious conspiracy in the Jan. 6, 2021, Capitol attack in the second major trial of far-right extremists accused of plotting to forcibly keep President Donald Trump in power. The verdict against Joseph Hackett of Sarasota, Florida; Roberto Minuta of Prosper, Texas; David Moerschel of Punta Gorda, Florida; and Edward…

FBI Searched Biden Home, Found Items Marked Classified

WASHINGTON (AP) — The FBI searched President Joe Biden’s home in Wilmington, Delaware, on Friday and located additional documents with classified markings and also took possession of some of his handwritten notes, the president’s lawyer said Saturday. The president voluntarily allowed the FBI into his home, but the lack of a search warrant did not dim the extraordinary nature of…

Minnesota House Passes Abortion Rights Bill, Sending It To Senate

ST. PAUL, Minn. (FOX 9) – Minnesota House Democrats passed an abortion bill during a floor vote Thursday night as the U.S. health and human services secretary visited the state to promote the move. The bill was passed on a 69-65 vote, with all Republicans and one Democrat (Gene Pelowski of Winona) voting no. The measure would guarantee abortion access in state law….

Supreme Court Says It Hasn’t Found Abortion Opinion Leaker

WASHINGTON (AP) — The Supreme Court said Thursday it has not determined who leaked a draft of the court’s opinion overturning abortion rights, but that the investigation continues. Eight months after Politico published its explosive leak detailing the draft of Justice Samuel Alito’s opinion that overturned Roe v. Wade, the court said its investigative team “has to date been unable to identify a person responsible…

Janet Kennedy Becomes Duluth Council’s First Black President

DULUTH, Minn. – Councilor Janet Kennedy is making history as the first Black president of the city council. It was a unanimous vote by the council to elect Kennedy for the top spot. She replaces Arik Forsman, who remains on the council. “This is an historic time for all Duluthians and this election lifts up the voices of our African…

White House Defends Its Delayed, Limited Document Disclosure

WASHINGTON (AP) — The White House brushed aside criticism Tuesday of its fragmented disclosures about the discovery of classified documents and official records at President Joe Biden’s home and former office, saying it may withhold information to protect the Justice Department’s investigation. Ian Sams, a spokesperson for the White House counsel’s office, told reporters that the White House was releasing information as…

Biden To Host Netherlands PM For Talks On Tech, Ukraine

WASHINGTON (AP) — President Joe Biden is set to host Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte for talks as the U.S. administration looks to persuade the Netherlands to further limit China’s access to advanced semiconductors with export restrictions. Tuesday’s wide-ranging talks are also expected to cover the countries’ efforts to thwart Russia’s ongoing invasion of Ukraine and an upcoming democracy summit, according to the White…

Yellen Tells Congress US Expected To Hit Debt Limit Thursday

WASHINGTON (AP) — Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen notified Congress on Friday that the U.S. is projected to reach its debt limit on Thursday and will then resort to “extraordinary measures” to avoid default. In a letter to House and Senate leaders, Yellen said her actions will buy time until Congress can pass legislation that will either raise the nation’s $31.4 trillion borrowing…

Tax Relief Bill Gets Minnesota Governor’s 1st Signature

ST. PAUL, Minn. (AP) — Gov. Tim Walz signed his first bill of the 2023 session Thursday, legislation to simplify tax filing and save money for hundreds of thousands of Minnesota residents and businesses, including people with student loans and companies that received pandemic aid. The bill brings Minnesota’s tax code into conformity with federal tax rules. It’s one of several…

Mayor Emily Larson’s Full Statement On Roger Reinert Entering Mayoral Race

Larson: "I am the better candidate for the job."

DULUTH, Minn. — After the official announcement from Roger Reinert about his campaign for Duluth mayor, Mayor Emily Larson release the follow statement, as well as highlights of her accomplishments over the past two terms: “Who leads the city matters. How they lead it matters more. Duluth needs a leader focused on solving problems. A leader with good, consistent values…

Roger Reinert Launches Campaign For Duluth Mayor

Announcement means incumbent Larson will face a challenger

DULUTH, Minn. — Roger Reinert made it official Thursday morning in Duluth. He is running for Mayor. FOX 21’s Dan Hanger first reported the news Wednesday, and today Reinert appeared with supporters to say he would campaign under the slogan, “Expect More-Do Better.” The announcement ended any chance that Mayor Emily Larson will run unopposed this November. Reinert made his…