Political

Biden Tests Negative For COVID-19, Ends ‘Strict Isolation’

WASHINGTON (AP) — After isolating for five days with mild symptoms, President Joe Biden tested negative for COVID-19 and swiftly arranged a Rose Garden appearance on Wednesday to talk about his bout with a virus that has killed millions of people around the world and disrupted daily life for more than two years. Biden planned to discuss his infection and his administration’s progress against the…

UPDATE: Wis. Sen. Janet Bewley Involved In Double-Fatal Crash In Ashland

UPDATE (July 26, 4:00p.m.) — New details came out regarding what Wisconsin State Senator Janet Bewley was doing when she was involved in the fatal multi-vehicle accident in Ashland on July 22. The Milwaukee Journal Sentinel says one of their reporting interns was conducting a phone interview with Bewley regarding the fall elections. The paper adds Bewley told the reporter…

Trump And Pence Back In Washington For Rival Speeches

WASHINGTON (AP) — Former President Donald Trump is returning to Washington on Tuesday for the first time since leaving office, delivering a speech hours after his Vice President Mike Pence, a potential 2024 rival, exhorted Republicans to stop looking backward. Trump’s appearance in the nation’s capital — his first trip back since Jan. 20, 2021, when President Joe Biden was sworn into office despite Trump’s…

White House Plans COVID-19 Vaccine Summit As Biden Recovers

WASHINGTON (AP) — As President Joe Biden continues to recover from his coronavirus infection, the White House plans to hold a summit on Tuesday to discuss developing a new generation of vaccines that could more effectively guard against contagious variants. The summit, which involves top administration officials, scientists and pharmaceutical executives, comes as the country faces a surge of infections from BA.5, a…

White House Announces $270M Military Package For Ukraine

WASHINGTON (AP) — The White House announced Friday that the U.S. is sending an additional $270 million in security assistance to Ukraine, a package that will include additional medium range rocket systems and tactical drones. The latest tranche brings the total U.S. security assistance committed to Ukraine by the Biden administration to $8.2 billion, and is being paid for through $40 billion in…

Steve Bannon Convicted Of Contempt For Defying 1/6 Subpoena

WASHINGTON (AP) — Steve Bannon, a longtime ally of former President Donald Trump was convicted on Friday of contempt charges for defying a congressional subpoena from the House committee investigating the Jan. 6 insurrection at the U.S. Capitol. Bannon, 68, was convicted after a four-day trial in federal court in Washington on two counts: one for refusing to appear for…

Supreme Court Won’t Let Biden Implement Immigration Policy

WASHINGTON (AP) — The Supreme Court won’t allow the Biden administration to implement a policy that prioritizes deportation of people in the country illegally who pose the greatest public safety risk. The court’s order Thursday leaves the policy frozen nationwide for now. The vote was 5-4 with conservative Justice Amy Coney Barrett joining liberal Justices Sonia Sotomayor, Elena Kagan and Ketanji Brown…

White House Tries To Make Biden’s COVID A ‘Teachable Moment’

WASHINGTON (AP) — For more than a year, President Joe Biden’s ability to avoid the coronavirus seemed to defy the odds. When he finally did test positive, the White House was ready. It set out to turn the diagnosis into a “teachable moment” and dispel any notion of a crisis. “The president does what every other person in America does every day, which is he…

What To Watch As Jan. 6 Panel Returns To Prime Time

WASHINGTON (AP) — The House Jan. 6 committee is headed back to prime time for its eighth hearing — potentially the final time this summer that lawmakers will lay out evidence about the U.S. Capitol insurrection and President Donald Trump’s efforts to overturn his 2020 election defeat. Thursday’s hearing is expected to focus on what Trump was doing in the White House as the…

Biden Tests Positive For COVID-19, Has ‘Mild Symptoms’

WASHINGTON (AP) — President Joe Biden tested positive for COVID-19 on Thursday, underscoring the persistence of the highly contagious virus as new variants challenge the nation’s efforts to resume normalcy after two and a half years of pandemic disruptions. White House Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre said that Biden was experiencing “mild symptoms” and has begun taking Paxlovid, an antiviral drug…

Biden Announces Modest Climate Actions; Pledges More To Come

SOMERSET, Mass. (AP) — President Joe Biden on Wednesday announced modest new steps to combat climate change and promised more robust action to come, saying, “This is an emergency and I will look at it that way.” The president stopped short, though, of declaring a formal climate emergency, which Democrats and environmental groups have been seeking after an influential Democratic senator quashed hopes for…

Pressure On Senate GOP After Same-Sex Marriage Passes House

WASHINGTON (AP) — Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer announced a renewed push to protect same-sex marriage in federal law on Wednesday after a surprising number of House Republicans helped pass landmark legislation in that chamber. Some GOP senators are already signaling support. The legislation started as an election-season political effort to confront the new Supreme Court majority after the court overturned abortion access…

Rep. Ilhan Omar Arrested During Abortion Rights Protest Outside Supreme Court

WASHINGTON D.C. (FOX 9) – Rep. Ilhan Omar was arrested at a protest outside the Supreme Court today, according to a staff spokesperson. Omar’s staff said she planned to partake in the protests about the overturning of Roe v. Wade, calling it an act of civil disobdience. Other lawmakers joined Omar at the protest, but additional details about arrests have not been…

Former Duluth Mayor Don Ness Talks Past Political Life, Role At Ordean Foundation

DULUTH, Minn. – Don Ness, former mayor of Duluth, stopped by the morning show Tuesday to reflect on his changes in public life over the past 25 years, the decision to leave, and the benefits in doing so.  He also talked about his role as executive director of the Ordean Foundation, as the non-profit prepares to celebrate 90 years of…

Jan. 6 Panel Chairman Has COVID, Prime-Time Hearing Still On

WASHINGTON (AP) — Rep. Bennie Thompson, chairman of the House Jan. 6 committee, has tested positive for COVID-19, but the panel will still hold its prime-time hearing on Thursday, according to a spokesman for the panel. Thompson, D-Miss., announced Tuesday that he tested positive for the virus on Monday and is experiencing mild symptoms. Thompson, 74, said he will be isolating for…

Former White House Aides To Testify At Next Jan. 6 Hearing

WASHINGTON (AP) — Two former White House aides are expected to testify at the House Jan. 6 committee’s prime-time hearing Thursday as the panel examines what Donald Trump was doing as his supporters broke into the Capitol, according to a person familiar with the plans. Matthew Pottinger, former deputy national security adviser, and Sarah Matthews, a former press aide, are expected to…

Judge Says Vos Must Produce Requested Election Probe Records

MADISON, Wis. (AP) — A Dane County judge on Friday gave Wisconsin Assembly Speaker Robin Vos a second chance to produce requested records involving the investigation of the 2020 election result in Wisconsin. The order was in response to a lawsuit by the liberal watchdog group American Oversight seeking documents related to the partisan investigation by former state Supreme Court Justice Michael Gableman. At…

Biden Tells Dems To Quickly Pass Pared-Down Economic Package

WASHINGTON (AP) — President Joe Biden seemed to bow Friday to Sen. Joe Manchin’s demand for a slimmed-down economic package, telling Democrats to quickly push the measure through Congress so families could “sleep easier” and enjoy the health care savings it proposes. Biden’s statement came hours after Manchin, the West Virginian who is one of Congress’ more conservative Democrats, said…

Biden, Lapid Agree To Stop Iran Nuke Program, Differ On How

JERUSALEM (AP) — U.S. President Joe Biden and Israeli Prime Minister Yair Lapid stood side-by-side Thursday and declared they would not allow Iran to become a nuclear power. They parted ways, though, on how to get there. Biden, in a joint news conference after a one-on-one meeting with the Israeli leader, said he still wants to give diplomacy a chance. Moments earlier, Lapid insisted that words…

Biden Delivers Tough Talk On Iran As He Opens Mideast Visit

JERUSALEM (AP) — President Joe Biden on Wednesday opened his first visit to the Mideast since taking office by offering anxious Israeli leaders strong reassurances of his determination to stop Iran’s growing nuclear program, saying he’d be willing to use force “as a last resort.” The president’s comments came in an interview with Israel’s Channel 12 taped before he left Washington and…

7th January 6th Committee Hearing

This is the 7th January 6th Committee Hearing including details of a meeting that occurred late at night at the White House.  It involved Trump’s outside lawyers suggesting the military seize state voting machines in a last-ditch effort pursuing his false claims of voter fraud before the attack on the capitol. The committee is investigating many far-right extremists that came…

Judge Won’t Delay Trial For Trump Ex-Adviser Steve Bannon

WASHINGTON (AP) — A federal judge on Monday declined to delay the upcoming trial of Steve Bannon, a one-time adviser to former President Donald Trump who faces contempt of Congress charges after refusing for months to cooperate with the House committee investigating the Jan. 6 Capitol insurrection. Bannon is still scheduled to go on trial next week despite telling the House committee…

Biden Celebration Of New Gun Law Clouded By Latest Shooting

WASHINGTON (AP) — President Joe Biden is hosting a “celebration” of a new bipartisan law meant to reduce gun violence that, after just 16 days in effect, already has been overshadowed by yet another mass shooting. The bill, passed after recent gun rampages in Buffalo, New York, and Uvalde, Texas, incrementally toughens requirements for young people to buy guns, denies firearms to more domestic…

Biden Signs Order On Abortion Access After High Court Ruling

WASHINGTON (AP) — President Joe Biden signed an executive order Friday to protect access to abortion as he faced mounting pressure from fellow Democrats to be more forceful on the subject after the Supreme Court ended a constitutional right to the procedure two weeks ago. The actions he outlined are intended to mitigate some potential penalties women seeking abortion may face after…

Trump White House Counsel Cipollone To Testify To 1/6 Panel

WASHINGTON (AP) — Pat Cipollone, Donald Trump’s former White House counsel, is scheduled to testify Friday before the House committee investigating the Jan. 6 attack on the U.S. Capitol, according to a person briefed on the matter. Cipollone, whose reported resistance to Trump’s schemes to overturn his 2020 election defeat has made him a long-sought and potentially revelatory witness, was subpoenaed by…

Judge Throws Out Trump-Era Rollbacks On Endangered Species

WASHINGTON (AP) — A federal judge on Tuesday threw out a host of actions by the Trump administration to roll back protections for endangered or threatened species, a year after the Biden administration said it was moving to strengthen species protections weakened under former President Donald Trump. U.S. District Judge Jon Tigar in Northern California eliminated the Trump-era rules even…

Giuliani, Graham Testimony Sought In Trump Election Probe

ATLANTA (AP) — The Georgia prosecutor investigating the conduct of former President Donald Trump and his allies after the 2020 election is trying to compel U.S. Sen. Lindsey Graham, former New York Mayor Rudy Giuliani, and other members of Trump’s campaign legal team to testify before a special grand jury. Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis on Tuesday filed petitions with the judge overseeing…

Biden Awards Medal Of Honor To 4 For Vietnam Heroism

WASHINGTON (AP) — President Joe Biden on Tuesday bestowed the nation’s highest military honor to four Army soldiers for their heroism above and beyond the call of duty during the Vietnam War. Biden presented the Medal of Honor to Staff Sergeant Edward N. Kaneshiro, Specialist Five Dwight W. Birdwell, Specialist Five Dennis M. Fujii, and retired Major John J. Duffy….

Biden Discusses Abortion Access Options With Dem Governors

WASHINGTON (AP) — President Joe Biden told Democratic governors Friday that he is “looking at all the alternatives” for protecting abortion access following the Supreme Court decision overturning Roe v. Wade. One day after returning from international summits in Europe, Biden described the ruling as “tragic” and warned that Republicans could try to enact a nationwide ban on abortion if they retake control…

Don’t Put Gas Down The Sewer, Met Council Warns After U Of M Sewer Explosion

MINNEAPOLIS (FOX 9) – Don’t flush gas or other flammable materials down the toilet. This is the message from the Metropolitan Council on Friday after sewer explosions forced evacuations at the University of Minnesota on Thursday. The Met Council says it is monitoring conditions across the sanitary sewer system and at the Metropolitan Wastewater Treatment Plant on Friday after the explosion on campus….

Jackson Sworn In, Becomes 1st Black Woman On Supreme Court

WASHINGTON (AP) — Ketanji Brown Jackson was sworn in to the Supreme Court on Thursday, shattering a glass ceiling as the first Black woman on the nation’s highest court. The 51-year-old Jackson is the court’s 116th justice, and she took the place of the justice she once worked for. Justice Stephen Breyer’s retirement was effective at noon. Moments later, joined by her family, Jackson recited the two oaths…

Supreme Court: Biden Properly Ended Trump-Era Asylum Policy

WASHINGTON (AP) — The Supreme Court ruled on Thursday that the Biden administration properly ended a Trump-era policy forcing some U.S. asylum-seekers to wait in Mexico. The justices’ 5-4 decision for the administration came in a case about the “Remain in Mexico” policy under President Donald Trump. Chief Justice John Roberts wrote the decision and was joined by fellow conservative Justice Brett Kavanaugh as…

Supreme Court Limits EPA In Curbing Power Plant Emissions

WASHINGTON (AP) — In a blow to the fight against climate change, the Supreme Court on Thursday limited how the nation’s main anti-air pollution law can be used to reduce carbon dioxide emissions from power plants. By a 6-3 vote, with conservatives in the majority, the court said that the Clean Air Act does not give the Environmental Protection Agency broad authority…

Biden Backs Filibuster Exception To Protect Abortion Access

WASHINGTON (AP) — President Joe Biden said Thursday that he would support an exception to the Senate filibuster to protect access to abortion after the U.S. Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade. “If the filibuster gets in the way, it’s like voting rights,” Biden said during a press conference in Madrid, where he was attending a NATO summit. The Democratic president said there should…

Surprise January 6th Committee Hearing

In this surprise hearing on Tuesday Cassidy Hutchinson, who was a special assistant and aide to former Trump chief of staff Mark Meadows, provided her testimony. Hutchinson stated Meadows said, “things might get real real bad.” Giuliani also told her it was going to be “a great day” and “we’re going to the Capitol.” This was the 6th hearing and…

Duluth City Council Begins Process Of Filling 4th District Seat After Van Nett Passing

DULUTH, Minn. — Duluth city council will move forward with filling the vacant seat left by city councilor Renee Van Nett, who passed away from cancer earlier this month. Van Nett represented the fourth district, and the process will only be open to residents of it. Those interested will have until June 27th to apply. After that, council will start…

Klobuchar: Bill Passes Congress to Help Combat International Shipping Woes

DULUTH, Minn. – A recently passed bill by Congress could help the Twin Ports’ international shipping business. The Ocean Shipping Reform Act passed the House June 13.  it would prohibit international shipping carriers from discriminating against companies looking to export goods from the U.S.  It also gives the Federal Maritime Commission authority to investigate these issues.  It also gives them…

Biden Focuses On Workers As High Inflation Remains A Risk

PHILADELPHIA (AP) — President Joe Biden told the largest federation of labor unions on Tuesday that he’s working to rebuild the U.S. economy around workers, an attempt to draw a contrast with Republicans who have increasingly attracted blue-collar votes. “We should encourage unions,” Biden said. “I’m not just saying that to be pro-union. I’m saying it because I’m pro-American.” The…

1/6 Panel Postpones Hearing With Ex-Justice Dept. Officials

WASHINGTON (AP) — The House committee investigating the Jan. 6, 2021 riot at the U.S. Capitol has postponed a hearing for later this week that was to feature dramatic testimony from former Justice Department officials who threatened to resign over then-President Donald Trump’s pursuit of false election fraud theories. The hearing had been set for Wednesday, but the committee on Tuesday morning…

Senate Negotiators Announce A Deal On Guns, Breaking Logjam

WASHINGTON (AP) — Senate bargainers announced a bipartisan framework Sunday responding to last month’s mass shootings, a noteworthy though limited breakthrough offering modest gun curbs and bolstered efforts to improve school safety and mental health programs. The proposal falls far short of tougher steps long sought by President Joe Biden and many Democrats. Even so, the accord was embraced by…

Capitol Riot Panel Blames Trump For 1/6 ‘Attempted Coup’

WASHINGTON (AP) — The House panel investigating the Jan. 6 insurrection at the U.S. Capitol has laid the blame firmly on Donald Trump, saying the assault was not spontaneous but an “attempted coup” and a direct result of the defeated president’s effort to overturn the 2020 election. With a never-before-seen 12-minute video of extremist groups leading the deadly siege and startling testimony from Trump’s…

Gov. Walz, Senators Tour International Falls Flood Damage Saturday

The lawmakers toured the Emergency Operations Center, sandbagging sites, and various areas of flood damage.

INTERNATIONAL FALLS, Minn.- On Saturday Governor Tim Walz and U.S. senators Amy Klobuchar and Tina Smith got a first-hand look at the damage historic flooding has caused in International Falls. The lawmakers toured the Emergency Operations Center, sandbagging sites, and various areas of flood damage. Back in April the governor authorized the national guard to support emergency flood operations in…

Biden Evacuated after Plane Entered Airspace Near Beach Home

REHOBOTH BEACH, Del. (AP) – The White House says a small private airplane entered restricted airspace near President Joe Biden’s Delaware vacation home on Saturday, and that led to the brief evacuation of the president and first lady. The White House says there was no threat to Biden or his family and that precautionary measures were taken. After the situation…

Protestors in Duluth Wear Orange Demanding Rep. Stauber Votes for Gun Reform

About 30 activists organized by the group the Northland Brady Chapter demanded Congressman Stauber vote yes on the Protecting Our Kids Act.

DULUTH, Minn.- Enough is enough – that was the message from protestors near Representative Pete Stauber’s (R MN-08) office in Duluth Friday, sporting the color orange for Wear Orange, or National Gun Violence Awareness Day. They join the growing calls for gun reform across the nation. Signs protestors waved included “protect kids, not guns” and quotes from the parents of…

Where Minnesota’s Federal Lawmakers Stand On President Biden’s Proposed Gun Restrictions

(AP Photo/Steve Karnowski)(FOX 9) – Ahead of President Joe Biden’s primetime speech on addressing gun violence, FOX 9 asked all nine of Minnesota’s members of Congress for interviews on what they would like to see done. Only one federal lawmaker, Democratic Rep. Ilhan Omar, agreed to an interview Thursday. “There are just so many solutions out there, and we can’t continue to…

Planned Parenthood Workers In 5 Midwest States Seek Union

DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) – About 400 workers at Planned Parenthood offices in five Midwestern states plan to unionize. The move comes as their employer deals with the potential loss of business in states where abortions may become illegal if the U.S. Supreme Court overturns Roe v. Wade. Ashley Schmidt is a training and development specialist for Nebraska and western…