(Senate TV via AP) WASHINGTON (AP) — The Senate has approved a measure that would let Democrats push through President Joe Biden’s $1.9 trillion coronavirus relief plan without Republican support. Vice President Kamala Harris was in the chair to cast the tie-breaking vote, her first. Democrats in the chamber applauded after Harris announced the 51-50 vote at around 5:30 a.m….
MADISON, Wis. (AP) — Wisconsin Gov. Tony Evers has issued a new statewide mask order an hour after the Republican-controlled Legislature voted to repeal his previous mandate. The Democrat Evers said in a video message Thursday that his priority is keeping people safe and that wearing a mask was the most basic way to do that. “If the Legislature keeps…
(John Autey/Pioneer Press via AP,Pool) MINNEAPOLIS (AP) — A Republican proposal to strip Democratic Gov. Tim Walz of the emergency powers he used to close schools as the coronavirus pandemic took hold in Minnesota has passed its first test in the state Senate. Sen. Carla Nelson, of Rochester, says her bill would put the decision-making back with local school boards….
MADISON, Wis. (AP) — The Wisconsin Assembly plans to send the question of whether the state’s mask mandate should be repealed back to the state Senate, which voted last week to end the requirement. The Assembly delayed a vote last week amid concerns that repealing Democratic Gov. Tony Evers’ emergency order tied to the pandemic would result in Wisconsin losing…
SUPERIOR, Wis. – Superior City Councilor Craig Sutherland proposed a formal request through the council Tuesday night to have City Attorney Frog Prell seek an advisory opinion from the Wisconsin Ethics Commission involving possible ethical concerns around Mayor Jim Paine’s recent marriage to 2nd District Councilor Jenny Van Sickle. Mayor Paine did not want a discussion on the topic at…
DULUTH, Minn. – More COVID-19 vaccines are going into the arms of people across the country, but there are still some folks feeling hesitant about getting the shot. Experts say many people may be skeptical about its effectiveness due to how quickly it was created. The hesitation may also be because the vaccine is highly politicized and the continuous sharing…
(Scott Takushi/Pioneer Press via AP, Pool) ST. PAUL, Minn. (AP) — Democratic Gov. Tim Walz has raised $1.7 million for his likely 2022 reelection bid since he took office two years ago and finished 2020 with $1.3 million in the bank. While Walz has not formally announced that he’ll seek a second term, his campaign also said Tuesday that he…
WASHINGTON (AP) — President Joe Biden is set to meet Monday with a group of 10 Republican senators who have proposed $618 billion in coronavirus aid, about a third of what he’s seeking. The Republicans propose slimmer benefits, including $1,000 in direct payments to individuals earning up to $40,000 a year, or $80,000 for couples. White House press secretary Jen…
DULUTH, Minn. – A Duluth woman is using her background as a former U.S. government studies teacher to not only educate her large Instagram following, but to do some good as well. Sharon McMahon spent years teaching U.S. government studies in different corners of the country and now runs a photography business in Duluth. This past fall, her passion for…
MADISON, Wis. (AP) – Democratic Gov. Tony Evers has admonished rival Republicans for trying to repeal his statewide mask mandate, saying killing the order would be akin to abolishing speed limits. Senate Republicans voted Tuesday to end Evers’ health emergency declaration, which would end the mask mandate. Assembly Republicans were poised to follow suit on Thursday but delayed a vote…
WASHINGTON (AP) — Democrats are rejecting a Republican pitch to split President Joe Biden’s $1.9 trillion COVID-19 rescue plan into smaller chunks. Democrats and the White House appear ready to leave their GOP opponents behind and push the sweeping economic and virus aid forward on their own. Despite Biden’s calls for unity, Democrats say the stubbornly high unemployment numbers and…
(courtesy: WI Dept of Health Services via AP) MADISON, Wis. (AP) — The Republican-controlled Wisconsin Assembly has backed off on voting to repeal Democratic Gov. Tony Evers’ mask mandate. The retreat Thursday came in the face of broad criticism from the state’s health, school and business leaders and out concern the move would jeopardize more than $49 million in federal…
DULUTH, Minn. — The condemned Kozy building in downtown Duluth is saved again from demolition by the city — at least for now. St. Louis County Judge Eric Hylden has ordered the city of Duluth and the Duluth Economic Development Authority (DEDA) to immediately install braces against the walls of the building damaged by fire last November. After that, the…
DULUTH, Minn,- Members of the 148th Fighter Wing have returned to the Twin Ports following their deployment to the Capitol. — part of the 25,000 National Guard troops sent there for President Joe Biden’s Inauguration, to watch out for threats following the violent Pro-Trump riot. “It was quite crazy to be honest with you,” said Master Sergeant Chris Simonson, Food…
MADISON, Wis. (AP) — The Republican-controlled Wisconsin Senate voted Tuesday to repeal Gov. Tony Evers’ statewide mask mandate, despite warnings from virtually every sector of the health care community that doing so would impair efforts to combat the coronavirus pandemic. Both legislative chambers have to pass the resolution in order to undo the mask requirement. The Assembly, controlled 58-30 by…
SANDSTONE, Minn.- A rescue tiger living at the Wildcat Sanctuary in Sandstone tested positive for COVID-19, but has since recovered. A tiger named Sabrina is a rescue from Texas and upon her arrival showed signs of having possible respiratory issues. Veterinarians conducted a Coronavirus test after sedating her, revealing she had the virus. It is believed Sabrina contracted the virus…
WASHINGTON (AP) — Senate Republicans have voted overwhelmingly against moving forward with Donald Trump’s second impeachment trial. The Senate on Tuesday rejected a Republican attempt to dismiss the trial, allowing the case on “incitement of insurrection” to move forward. Yet the support of 45 Republicans for declaring the trial invalid indicates that there are long odds for Trump’s conviction. The…
MADISON, Wis. (AP) – The Wisconsin Senate plans to vote on repealing Gov. Tony Evers’ statewide mask mandate, while it remains unclear whether the Assembly would follow suit as required to undo the order. A joint resolution co-sponsored by 29 Republicans in the Legislature was up for approval in the Senate on Tuesday. Assembly Republican leaders have not yet said…
ST. PAUL, Minn. (AP) – Gov. Tim Walz will today propose a two-year budget with a heavy focus on helping Minnesota recover from the impacts of COVID-19. The budget Walz is planning to announce at 12:00 p.m. is expected to top $50 million. It will emphasize assistance to small businesses, help for working families affected by the disease itself or…
(AP) – Twitter has permanently banned My Pillow CEO Mike Lindell’s account after he continually perpetuated the baseless claim that Donald Trump won the 2020 U.S. presidential election. A Twitter spokesperson said in a statement that it decided to ban Lindell, who founded bedding company My Pillow, due to “repeated violations” of its civic integrity policy. The policy was implemented…
WASHINGTON (AP) — President Joe Biden is set to issue an executive order to reverse a Pentagon policy that largely bars transgender individuals from joining the military. Doing so would dump a ban ordered by his predecessor, Donald Trump, in a tweet during his first year in office. A person briefed on the decision tells The Associated Press that the…
WASHINGTON (AP) — The House is set to bring the impeachment article against Donald Trump for the Senate trial. But a growing number of Republican senators say they oppose the proceedings against the former president. That’s a sign of the dimming chances that Trump will be convicted on the charge that he incited a siege of the U.S. Capitol. House…
WASHINGTON (AP) — House Speaker Nancy Pelosi will send the article of impeachment against Donald Trump to the Senate on Monday. Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer made the announcement on Friday. Senate Republican leader Mitch McConnell wants to postpone the impeachment trial until February to give the former president time to prepare his case. The House impeached Trump on a…
WASHINGTON (AP) — Senate Republican leader Mitch McConnell wants to postpone Donald Trump’s impeachment trial. McConnell on Thursday proposed delaying the trial until February to give the former president time to prepare and review his case. The idea could appeal to some Senate Democrats, who are eager to spend time confirming President Joe Biden’s Cabinet nominees. The House impeached Trump…
SAN DIEGO (AP) — President Joe Biden has ordered a “pause” on all border wall construction, one of 17 executive orders issued his first day in office. The move leaves billions of dollars in unfinished work under contract after his predecessor, Donald Trump, worked feverishly to successfully build 450 miles. A Senate aide tells The Associated Press that the government…
MADISON, Wis.– In Wisconsin, the state gave out over 22,000 shots in the last 24 hours, their single largest day so far as the state continues their vaccination efforts. Wisconsin has now administered over 285,000 COVID-19 vaccines over the last month in phase 1-A. Now, they’re looking to take the next step. Governor Tony Evers announced that Wisconsin will move…
(AP Photo/Carolyn Kaster) WASHINGTON (AP) — President Joe Biden is putting into play his national COVID-19 strategy to ramp up vaccinations and testing, reopen schools and businesses and increase the use of masks — including a requirement that Americans mask up for travel. He’ll sign 10 virus-related executive orders on Thursday as the nation is deep in the deadliest wave…
DULUTH, Minn. – The inauguration of President Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris is getting a lot of attention on college campuses. No matter what their political views, watching the ceremonies was a chance for everyone to witness a big moment in history. “I’m excited. It’s like an important day no matter who gets inaugurated,” said Siiri Truckey, a…
MADISON, Wis. (AP) — Three Wisconsin lawmakers have introduced legislation aimed at reforming police use-of-force policies and investigations. Republican Sens. Van Wanggaard and Alberta Darling along with Democratic Sen. Lena Taylor unveiled the package on Wednesday. The legislation would create a board that could investigate officer-involved deaths, require annual reports tallying use-of-force incidents, prohibit training on the use of chokehold,…
WASHINGTON (AP) – Vice President Kamala Harris has now taken on a role that would have typically been performed by the outgoing president. Harris and her husband, second gentleman Doug Emhoff, stood on the U.S. Capitol steps Wednesday to bid farewell to her predecessor, former Vice President Mike Pence, and his wife, Karen. The two couples stood and chatted for…
WASHINGTON, D.C. (AP) — Minnesota Sen. Amy Klobuchar took center stage at the inauguration of President Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris and used her introductory address to remind Americans that democracy cannot be taken for granted. Klobuchar says the insurrection at the Capitol just two weeks awakened Americans to their responsibility to carry the torch for democracy. Klobuchar…
UPDATE: MINNEAPOLIS (AP) — President Donald Trump has granted clemency to two Minnesota residents convicted of drug charges. Trump commuted the sentence of Cassandra Ann Kasowski, of Moorhead, who has served more than seven years of an 18-year sentence for conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute and distribution of a controlled substance. The case involved the transportation of mass…
WASHINGTON (AP) — Joe Biden has officially become the 46th president of the United States. Biden took the oath of office just before noon Wednesday during a ceremony at the U.S. Capitol. The presidential oath was administered by U.S. Supreme Court Chief Justice John Roberts. Biden was sworn in using a Bible that has been in his family since 1893 and…
WASHINGTON (AP) — Kamala Harris has been sworn in as the nation’s first female vice president. The former U.S. senator from California is also the first Black person and the first person of South Asian descent elected to the vice presidency and becomes the highest-ranking woman ever to serve in government. She was sworn in Wednesday by Justice Sonia Sotomayor,…
WASHINGTON (AP) — President Donald Trump has pardoned former chief strategist Steve Bannon as part of a late flurry of clemency action benefiting nearly 150 people, including rap stars and former members of Congress. The pardons and commutations for 143 people, including Bannon, were announced after midnight Wednesday in the final hours of Trump’s White House term. The last-minute clemency,…
WASHINGTON (AP) — President-elect Joe Biden has arrived at the U.S. Capitol ahead of his inauguration as the United States’ 46th president. Biden and his wife, Jill, arrived at the complex on Wednesday morning, about 90 minutes before his noon swearing-in ceremony. They were accompanied by Vice President-elect Kamala Harris and her husband, Douglas Emhoff, and were greeted by U.S. Sen….
(CNN) – A Supreme Court public information officer tells CNN that a bomb threat was called into the court, but the building has not been evacuated. Initial reports stated the Supreme Court was evacuated, however, reports now state the building and grounds were checked and the building was not evacuated. The Supreme Court building sits across the street from the…
WASHINGTON (AP) — Acting Attorney General Jeffrey Rosen will resign when President-elect Joe Biden takes the oath of office. The Justice Department says Rosen’s resignation goes into effect at noon Wednesday. Rosen has run the department since former Attorney General William Barr resigned on Dec. 23. He was previously the deputy attorney general and deputy transportation secretary. Rosen has kept a…
WASHINGTON (AP) — Donald Trump has left the White House for the final time as president. After Trump emerged from the building he spoke briefly to aides and supporters and said, “It’s been a great honor.” After his departure, Trump went to Joint Base Andrews in suburban Maryland, where he had a military sendoff, with four U.S. Army cannons gave…
WASHINGTON, D.C. — Senator Amy Klobuchar will play a big role in Wednesday’s presidential inauguration. The senator from Minnesota is on the Senate Rules Committee as the lead Democrat, and a member of the Joint Congressional Committee on Inaugural Ceremonies. She will be joining President-elect Joe Biden and Vice President-elect Kamala Harris at a small church service in the morning,…
WASHINGTON (AP) – Pentagon officials say 12 Army National Guard members have been removed from securing President-elect Joe Biden’s inauguration after vetting by the FBI, including two who posted and texted extremist views about Wednesday’s event. There was no specific threat to Biden. Two U.S. officials told The Associated Press that all 12 were found to have ties to right-wing…
DULUTH, Minn. – The United States is one day away from the swearing-in of our nation’s 46th President in Washington, D.C. The inauguration will no doubt look different than in years past, with COVID-19, recent civil unrest, and an outgoing President breaking transitional tradition. Dr. Cindy Rugeley, associate professor and department head of political science at UMD, weighed in on…
WASHINGTON (AP) – Two U.S. Army National Guard members are being removed from the security mission to secure Joe Biden’s presidential inauguration. A U.S. Army official and a senior U.S. intelligence official said the two National Guard members have been found to have ties to fringe right group militias. No plot against Biden was found. The Army official and the intelligence official…
WASHINGTON (AP) — President-elect Joe Biden has tapped Pennsylvania Health Secretary Rachel Levine to be his assistant secretary of health, leaving her poised to become the first openly transgender federal official to be confirmed by the Senate. Levine is a pediatrician and former Pennsylvania physician general and was appointed to her current post by Democratic Gov. Tom Wolf in 2017….
WASHINGTON (AP) — President-elect Joe Biden plans to unveil a sweeping immigration bill on Day One of his administration. A person granted anonymity to discuss the legislation says it would provide an eight-year path to citizenship for an estimated 11 million people living in the U.S. without legal status. It’s a massive reversal from the Trump administration’s harsh immigration policies….
DULUTH, Minn. – Members of the Minnesota National Guard, and personnel in the 148th Fighter Wing are being deployed to Washington D.C. in support of the 59th Presidential Inauguration. There are about 850 troops and airmen from both the Minnesota National Guard and the 148th fighter wing will be in D.C on Wednesday. They will be providing communications, security…
(AP Photo/J. Scott Applewhite) WASHINGTON (AP) — U.S. defense officials say they are worried about an insider attack or other threat from service members involved in securing President-elect Joe Biden’s inauguration. That concern is prompting the FBI to vet all 25,000 National Guard troops coming into Washington for the event. The massive undertaking reflects the extraordinary security concerns that have…
MINNEAPOLIS (AP) – Some Minneapolis City Council members are preparing a new plan that seeks to replace the city’s police department in the wake of George Floyd’s death. Phillipe Cunningham, Steve Fletcher and Jeremy Schroeder are working on a proposal to create a new public safety department that removes the police department as a standalone department from the city charter….
ST. PAUL, Minn.– Tensions continue to rise across the country as the Presidential Inauguration nears. Now some states are taking extra precautions to make sure their own capitol buildings are safe. Minnesota Governor Tim Walz and other state leaders laid out some of their plans for next week as they try to protect the capitol and the surrounding area from…
MILWAUKEE (AP) — The chairman of the St. Croix County Republican Party, who had posted online that his members should “prepare for war,” stepped down on Friday. The Milwaukee Journal Sentinel reported that members of the St. Croix County Republican Party Executive Committee asked for John Kraft’s resignation. His post, made before the riot last week at the U.S. Capitol, garnered…
