Political Archives - Page 14 of 61

Garland Appoints Special Counsel To Investigate Biden Docs

January 12, 2023

The Associated Press,

WASHINGTON (AP) — Attorney General Merrick Garland on Thursday appointed a special counsel to investigate the presence of documents with classified markings found at President Joe Biden’s home in Wilmington, Delaware, and at an office in Washington. The announcement followed Biden’s acknowledgement Thursday morning that a document with classified markings from his time as vice president was found in his personal library,…

Biden Says Classified Document Found In ‘Personal Library’

January 12, 2023

The Associated Press,

WASHINGTON (AP) — President Joe Biden acknowledged on Thursday that a document with classified markings from his time as vice president was found in his “personal library” at his home in Wilmington, Delaware, along with other documents found in his garage, days after it was disclosed that sensitive documents were also found at the office of his former institute in Washington. Biden…

Feds Propose ‘Student Loan Safety Net’ Alongside Forgiveness

January 10, 2023

The Associated Press,

WASHINGTON (AP) — The White House is moving forward with a proposal that would lower student debt payments for millions of Americans now and in the future, offering a new route to repay federal loans under far more generous terms. President Joe Biden announced the repayment plan in August, but it was overshadowed by his sweeping plan to slash or eliminate…

McCarthy’s Next Big Task: Win GOP Support For House Rules

January 9, 2023

The Associated Press,

WASHINGTON (AP) — After an epic 15-ballot election to become House speaker, Republican Kevin McCarthy faces his next big test in governing a fractious, slim majority: passing a rules package to govern the House. The drafting and approval of a set of rules is normally a fairly routine legislative affair, but in these times, it’s the next showdown for the embattled McCarthy. To become speaker…

2 Years After Jan. 6, Speaker Scrap Paralyzes Congress Again

January 6, 2023

The Associated Press,

WASHINGTON (AP) — Such are the fractures in the country, between the political parties and inside the Republican Party itself, that one time-honored specialty of Washington — memorializing and coming together over national trauma — isn’t what it used to be. Friday’s moment of silence at the Capitol to contemplate the Jan. 6, 2021, assault on it was expected to draw mostly…

Push to Legalize Marijuana in Minnesota Legislative Session

Democrats and advocates say expunging criminal records is important priority

January 5, 2023

Steve Goodspeed,

A group of Minnesota lawmakers and others are pushing to legalize marijuana this legislative session. They gathered in St. Paul to say Minnesotans want marijuana legal for adults. The group also includes growers, business owners and those who want to sell cannabis. A key part of the legislation would expunge criminal records of pot-related charges or convictions. Sen. Clare Oumou…

McCarthy Fails For 3rd Long Day In GOP House Speaker Fight

January 5, 2023

The Associated Press,

WASHINGTON (AP) — For a long and frustrating third day, divided Republicans left the speaker’s chair of the U.S. House sitting empty Thursday, as party leader Kevin McCarthy failed and failed again in an excruciating string of ballots to win enough GOP votes to seize the chamber’s gavel. Pressure was building as McCarthy lost a seventh, eighth and historic ninth round of…

Biden Restricting Nicaraguans, Cubans And Haitians At Border

January 5, 2023

The Associated Press,

WASHINGTON (AP) — The Biden administration on Thursday said it would immediately begin turning away Cubans, Haitians and Nicaraguans who cross the U.S.-Mexico border illegally, a major expansion of an existing effort to stop Venezuelans attempting to enter the U.S. Instead, the administration will accept 30,000 people per month from the four nations for two years and offer the ability to legally…

Legislative Priorities for Minnesota Dems in New Session

May be itch to spend with early forecast of $17 billion surplus

January 4, 2023

Steve Goodspeed,

The Minnesota DFL party has the Governor’s office, and the majority in both the House and Senate. And party leaders said Wednesday they are all on the same page when it comes to priorities. At a joint press briefing of the House and Senate at the Capitol, DFL leaders said allowing women to make their own decisions about abortion will…

McCarthy Fails Again In Bid For Speaker, GOP In Disarray

January 4, 2023

The Associated Press,

WASHINGTON (AP) — House Republicans flailed through a second day of multiple balloting Wednesday, unable to elect Rep. Kevin McCarthy as House speaker or to come up with a new strategy to end the political chaos that has tarnished the start of their new majority. For a fifth time, Republicans nominated McCarthy as their speaker as the House plunged deeper into disarray….

McCarthy Falls Short In First Vote For House Speaker

January 3, 2023

The Associated Press,

WASHINGTON (AP) — Republican leader Kevin McCarthy was dealt a historic defeat in first-round voting Tuesday to become House speaker, vowing to try again but sending the new Congress into opening day tumult as conservative colleagues opposed his leadership. McCarthy had pledged a “battle on the floor” for as long as it takes to overcome right-flank fellow Republicans who were refusing to…

Walz, Statewide Officers Sworn In For Second Term

January 2, 2023

Site Staff,

ST. PAUL, Minn. (FOX 9) – Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz took his oath of office for a second term Monday, calling for new spending on public education as Democrats take full control of state government. Walz was sworn in after the four other statewide officers, including his lieutenant governor, Peggy Flanagan. Democrats will take control of the state Legislature during lawmakers’ swearing-in on…

Jan. 6 Takeaways: Final Revelations From Investigation

December 30, 2022

The Associated Press,

WASHINGTON (AP) — Destroyed documents. Suggestions of pardoning violent rioters. Quiet talks among cabinet officials about whether then-President Donald Trump should be removed from office. Interview transcripts released by House investigators in recent days — more than 100 so far — give further insight into the Jan. 6, 2021, insurrection and the weeks leading up to it, as Trump tried to overturn…

Trump’s Tax Returns Released After Long Fight With Congress

December 30, 2022

The Associated Press,

(AP) — Democrats in Congress released six years of former President Donald Trump’s tax returns on Friday, the culmination of a yearslong effort to learn more about the finances of a onetime business mogul who broke decades of political precedent when he refused to voluntarily release the information as he sought the White House. The returns, which include redactions of some…

Senator Klobuchar Visits Duluth to Talk Secured Federal Funding for the Area

December 29, 2022

Mason Kroll,

DULUTH, Minn. – Senator Amy Klobuchar visited the DECC Thursday to highlight federal funding secured last week that will go to projects in the Northland. This funding is through the Fiscal Year 2023 federal budget and will be used to improve infrastructure, expand housing resources, and support workforce development. Specific projects include giving CHUM $2 million dollars to help with…

Mayor Emily Larson Issues ‘Proud’ Year-End Progress Report

December 27, 2022

Dan Hanger,

DULUTH, Minn. – Mayor Emily Larson held a news conference Tuesday to provide a year-end progress report. (Click here for the city’s press release on the report) Her priorities fell into four categories this year, as she outlined in her State of the City address earlier in the year: Economic development, public safety, connectivity and sustainability. While she said she’s…

Co-Leader Of Whitmer Kidnapping Plot Gets 16 Years In Prison

December 27, 2022

The Associated Press,

GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. (AP) — The co-leader of a plot to kidnap Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer was sentenced Tuesday to 16 years in prison for conspiring to abduct the Democrat and blow up a bridge to ease an escape. Adam Fox’s sentence is the longest of anyone convicted in the plot so far, though it’s significantly shorter than the life sentence that…

First Congress Revealed Biden’s Generational Ambition

December 27, 2022

The Associated Press,

WASHINGTON (AP) — When he ran for the White House, Joe Biden told voters his presidency would be a bridge to the next generation. His first two years on the job have revealed it to be a much more ambitious venture. As he nears the halfway mark on his first term, Biden is pointing to legacy-defining achievements on climate change, domestic manufacturing…

Biden Signs Defense Bill That Repeals Troop Vaccine Mandate

December 23, 2022

The Associated Press,

WASHINGTON (AP) — President Joe Biden signed a nearly $858 billion defense spending bill into law Friday despite his opposition to a Republican-backed provision in the legislation that repeals the COVID-19 vaccination requirement for U.S. troops. Biden had agreed with Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin’s determination that lifting the mandate was not in the best interest of troops or the military,…

Jan. 6 Report: Trump ‘Lit That Fire’ Of Capitol Insurrection

December 23, 2022

The Associated Press,

WASHINGTON (AP) — The House Jan. 6 committee’s final report asserts that Donald Trump criminally engaged in a “multi-part conspiracy” to overturn the lawful results of the 2020 presidential election and failed to act to stop his supporters from attacking the Capitol, concluding an extraordinary 18-month investigation into the former president and the violent insurrection two years ago. Trump “lit that fire,”…

Local Reaction to President Zelenskyy’s Visit

December 22, 2022

Pat Brink,

DULUTH. Minn. — Minnesota Senator Amy Klobuchar was a member of the Congressional Escort Committee for Zelenskyy’s Visit. She briefly met with Ukraine’s president and reiterated the United States support for Ukraine. The senator said “…congress is coming together before the end of the year to provide additional security and humanitarian assistance…” Tina Smith, Minnesota’s other senator said, “It was…

Senate Passes $1.7 Trillion Bill To Fund Gov’t, Aid Ukraine

December 22, 2022

The Associated Press,

WASHINGTON (AP) — The Senate passed a massive $1.7 trillion spending bill Thursday that finances federal agencies through September and provides another large round of aid to Ukraine one day after Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy’s dramatic address to a joint meeting of Congress. The bill, which runs for 4,155 pages, includes about $772.5 billion for domestic programs and $858 billion…

Zelenskyy’s Surprise Visit To DC Was Months In The Making

December 22, 2022

The Associated Press,

WASHINGTON (AP) — The idea of a daring wartime trip by Volodymyr Zelenskyy to Washington had percolated for some time before the surprise visit was revealed just hours ahead of the Ukrainian president’s arrival. During an October summit in Zagreb, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi discussed with her counterpart in the Ukrainian parliament the prospect of Zelenskyy addressing the U.S. Congress. Biden administration officials…

Biden Tells Zelenskyy: ‘It’s An Honor To Be By Your Side’

December 21, 2022

The Associated Press,

WASHINGTON (AP) — Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy paid a defiant wartime visit to Washington on Wednesday to thank U.S. leaders and “ordinary Americans” for their support in fighting off Russia’s invasion and to press for continued aid in the brutal months to come. President Joe Biden and Congress responded with billions in new assistance and a pledge to help Ukraine…

GOP’s Usual Embrace Of Trump Muted After Criminal Referral

December 20, 2022

The Associated Press,

NEW YORK (AP) — The Republican Party quickly and forcefully rallied behind Donald Trump in the hours after federal agents seized classified documents from his Florida estate this summer. Four months later, that sense of intensity and urgency was missing — at least for now — after the Jan. 6 House committee voted to recommend the Justice Department bring criminal charges against him. Leading…

St. Louis County Plow Drivers Among Teamsters To Authorize Intent To Strike

December 19, 2022

Dan Hanger,

DULUTH, Minn. — Teamsters Local 320, which represents plow drivers and other public works employees with St. Louis County, voted Monday night to authorize an intent to strike. Union President Erik Skoog told FOX 21 the vote was 99 percent in favor for the potential strike. Skoog said the only change in the offer over the weekend by email…

Final January 6th Hearing

December 19, 2022

KQDS Staff,

The U.S. House committee has been investigating the violent insurrection at the Capitol on January 6, 2021 and held a final hearing at 12 p.m. Monday. The committee voted on possible criminal referrals to the Justice Department. The final report will be published Wednesday. The referral is from the Associated Press below. (AP) — The House Jan. 6 committee has…

Jan. 6 Panel Pushes Trump’s Prosecution In Forceful Finish

December 19, 2022

The Associated Press,

WASHINGTON (AP) — The House Jan. 6 committee is wrapping up its investigation of the violent 2021 U.S. Capitol insurrection, with lawmakers expected to cap one of the most exhaustive and aggressive congressional probes in memory with an extraordinary recommendation: The Justice Department should consider criminal charges against former President Donald Trump. At a final meeting on Monday, the panel’s seven Democrats and two Republicans…

City Of Duluth Posts Plowing Update On Social Media Amid Complaints From Residents

Council President Arik Forsman asked for feedback from his followers on Facebook Friday.

December 16, 2022

Dan Hanger,

DULUTH, Minn. – Snow removal continued for the city of Duluth Friday, four days after the two-part storm hit. There have been complaints about missed streets, delayed plowing and high snowbanks. A spokesperson for the city told FOX 21 Friday that no one was available for an on-camera interview to talk about the city’s clean-up efforts. But the city did…

Duluth Mayor Emily Larson Launches Re-Election Campaign

December 13, 2022

Alexandra Burnley,

DULUTH, Minn. — Mayor Emily Larson launched her campaign for re-election Tuesday morning with the slogan “Building A Better Duluth.” She made the announcement on the Lake Walk in Canal Park. Larson talked about her time as mayor for the past seven years, and the affects the pandemic and George Floyd’s murder had on the community. She said some of…

Power Companies Prepared for Blizzard

December 13, 2022

Pat Brink,

DULUTH, Minn. – SUPERIOR, Wisc. – For the past week we’ve known that this storm is coming. The storm is bringing a lot of snow and wind and these are two things that power companies regularly prepare for. Minnesota Power and Superior Water, Light and Power are no different, they have plans in place to deal with this type of…

Biden Signs Gay Marriage Bill At White House Ceremony

December 13, 2022

The Associated Press,

WASHINGTON (AP) — President Joe Biden signed gay marriage legislation into law Tuesday before a crowd of thousands, a ceremony that reflected growing acceptance of same-sex unions. “This law and the love it defends strike a blow against hate in all its forms,” Biden said on the South Lawn of the White House. “And that’s why this law matters to every single…

Fusion Breakthrough Could Be Climate, Energy Game-Changer

December 13, 2022

The Associated Press,

WASHINGTON (AP) — Energy Secretary Jennifer Granholm announced a “major scientific breakthrough” Tuesday in the decades-long quest to harness fusion, the energy that powers the sun and stars. Researchers at the Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory in California for the first time produced more energy in a fusion reaction than was used to ignite it, something called net energy gain, the Energy Department…

Mayor Emily Larson To Launch Re-Election Campaign On Tuesday

December 12, 2022

Alexandra Burnley,

DULUTH, Minn. — Duluth Mayor Emily Larson will launch her campaign for re-election on Tuesday, according to a press release sent out by her campaign manager. The event will take place at 500 Canal Park Drive at 11:30 a.m. According to the press release, “Mayor Larson will outline her work of the past 7 years and campaign commitments for this…

2nd Oath Keepers Jan. 6 Sedition Trial To Get Underway

December 12, 2022

The Associated Press,

WASHINGTON (AP) — After securing seditious conspiracy convictions against two leaders of the Oath Keepers, the Justice Department will begin Monday to try to make its Capitol riot case against four others affiliated with the far-right extremist group. Openings statements are expected in Washington’s federal court less than two weeks after Stewart Rhodes, the founder of the Oath Keepers, and Kelly Meggs,…

Brittney Griner Back Home In US After Russian Prisoner Swap

December 9, 2022

The Associated Press,

SAN ANTONIO (AP) — Brittney Griner returned to the United States early Friday, nearly 10 months after the basketball star’s detention in Russia made her the most high-profile American jailed abroad and set off a political firestorm. Griner’s status as an openly gay Black woman, her prominence in women’s basketball and her imprisonment in a country where authorities have been hostile to…

Bill Protecting Same-Sex, Interracial Unions Clears Congress

December 8, 2022

The Associated Press,

WASHINGTON (AP) — The House gave final approval Thursday to legislation protecting same-sex marriages, a monumental step in a decades-long battle for nationwide recognition of those unions that reflects a stark turnaround in societal attitudes. President Joe Biden is expected to promptly sign the measure, which requires all states to recognize same-sex marriages. It is a relief for hundreds of…

Unofficial Recount Results Complete For MN Dist. 3A, 3B

December 7, 2022

KQDS Staff,

DULUTH, Minn. — Ballot recounts for northern Minnesota’s House districts 3A and 3B are complete, with unofficial results remaining the same — give or take a vote or two, according to David Zoll, attorney for the DFL party. The official results will need to be signed off by the State Canvassing Board later this month. Zoll told FOX 21 Wednesday…

Justices Skeptical Of Elections Case That Could Alter Voting

December 7, 2022

The Associated Press,

WASHINGTON (AP) — The Supreme Court on Wednesday seemed skeptical of making a broad ruling that would leave state legislatures virtually unchecked in making rules for congressional and presidential elections. In nearly three hours of arguments, liberal and conservative justices appeared to take issue with the main thrust of a challenge asking them to essentially eliminate the power of state courts to strike…

US To Boost Natural Gas Exports To UK In Energy Partnership

December 7, 2022

The Associated Press,

WASHINGTON (AP) — The United States will increase exports of liquefied natural gas to Britain under a new agreement calling for the two countries to work together to boost energy security and drive down prices following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. President Joe Biden and British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak announced the agreement Wednesday as part of a larger effort to reduce…

Democratic Sen. Warnock Wins Georgia Runoff Against Walker

December 6, 2022

The Associated Press,

ATLANTA (AP) — Democratic Sen. Raphael Warnock defeated Republican challenger Herschel Walker in a Georgia runoff election Tuesday, ensuring Democrats an outright majority in the Senate for the rest of President Joe Biden’s term and helping cap an underwhelming midterm cycle for the GOP in the last major vote of the year. With Warnock’s second runoff victory in as many years, Democrats…

District 3A and 3B Recounts Continue

December 6, 2022

Pat Brink,

DULUTH, Minn. — Day two is over in the recount for two northern Minnesota legislative districts. Districts 3A and 3B are the two being recounted. The recount started Monday and continued Tuesday at the St. Louis County Courthouse in Duluth. The recount is also going on in other counties in the two districts. The difference in vote totals between the…

Jan. 6 Committee To Issue Criminal Referrals, Chairman Says

December 6, 2022

The Associated Press,

WASHINGTON (AP) — The House committee investigating the Jan. 6 attack on the U.S. Capitol will make criminal referrals to the Justice Department as it wraps up its probe and looks to publish a final report by the end of the year, the panel’s chairman said Tuesday. Rep. Bennie Thompson, D-Miss., told reporters that the committee has decided to issue the referrals…

Trump Organization Convicted In Executive Tax Dodge Scheme

December 6, 2022

The Associated Press,

NEW YORK (AP) — Donald Trump’s company was convicted of tax fraud on Tuesday in a case brought by the Manhattan District Attorney, a significant repudiation of financial practices at the former president’s business. A jury found two corporate entities at the Trump Organization guilty on all 17 counts, including conspiracy charges and falsifying business records. The verdict came on…

Biden’s Efforts To Protect Abortion Access Hit Roadblocks

December 6, 2022

The Associated Press,

WASHINGTON (AP) — The Biden administration is still actively searching for ways to safeguard abortion access for millions of women, even as it bumps up against a complex web of strict new state laws enacted in the months after the Supreme Court stripped the constitutional right. Looking to seize on momentum following a midterm election where voters widely rebuked tougher abortion restrictions, there’s a renewed push…

Recounts for Two Legislative Districts in the Northland Begin

December 5, 2022

Pat Brink,

DULUTH, Minn. –It’s been nearly a full month since Northland voters went to the polls to vote in the mid-term election. The votes have all been tabulated and the results have been announced. However, recounts began in two very close legislative races, 3A and 3B, got underway The County Commissioner’s room in the St. Louis County Courthouse was full of…

Supreme Court Taking Up Clash Of Religion And Gay Rights

December 5, 2022

The Associated Press,

WASHINGTON (AP) — The Supreme Court is hearing the case Monday of a Christian graphic artist who objects to designing wedding websites for gay couples, a dispute that’s the latest clash of religion and gay rights to land at the highest court. The designer and her supporters say that ruling against her would force artists — from painters and photographers to writers and musicians…

Biden Sees Economy Avoiding Recession, But Risks Remain

December 2, 2022

The Associated Press,

WASHINGTON (AP) — President Joe Biden assured Americans on Friday that the U.S. economy is chugging along in the holiday season, but the very strength of a new jobs report showed that high inflation remains a recession threat. At the White House, the president signed an emergency bill to avert a rail strike that he said could have caused 765,000 job losses…

Rail Strike Averted: Biden Signs Bill Enforcing Agreement

December 2, 2022

The Associated Press,

WASHINGTON (AP) — President Joe Biden signed a bill Friday to avert a freight rail strike that he said could have plunged the U.S. into a catastrophic recession. At the White House, Biden signed a measure passed Thursday by the Senate and Wednesday by the House. It binds rail companies and workers to a proposed settlement that was reached between the railroads…

Duluth Mayor Emily Larson Elected To National League Of Cities Board

December 1, 2022

Dan Hanger,

DULUTH, Minn. – Mayor Emily Larson said Thursday she’s “excited and honored” to represent Duluth on a new national level as a board member for the National League of Cities. The organization is the largest of its kind in the U.S. It’s made up of thousands of leaders from cities across the country. Their goal is to improve the quality…