(AP Photo/Manuel Balce Ceneta, File)WASHINGTON (AP) – The leaders of a Senate panel say the confirmation hearing for Ronny Jackson, President Donald Trump’s pick to be Veterans Affairs secretary, is being postponed indefinitely. Sen. Johnny Isakson, the Republican chairman of the Senate Veterans Affairs Committee, and Sen. Jon Tester, the top Democrat, cite “serious allegations” recently made against Jackson. They…
DULUTH, Minn. — Eric Ringsred, the former owner of the condemned Kozy building in Duluth tells FOX 21 he has filed a lawsuit against the city with claims that the historical landmark building originally known as the Pastoret Terrace is not being preserved properly. Click here for the complaint that was provided to FOX 21 by Ringsred. The civil suit is…
ST. PAUL, Minn. (AP) – House Republicans are proposing a modest income tax rate cut as part of their effort to sync Minnesota’s tax code with federal breaks. The proposal released over the weekend is drastically different from Democratic Gov. Mark Dayton’s plan. The GOP’s plan would also increase the standard deduction $13,000 to $14,000 from and protect property tax…
(AP Photo/Evan Vucci)NEW YORK (AP) – The Democratic National Committee has sued President Donald Trump’s campaign, his son, his son-in-law, the Russian Federation and WikiLeaks, saying they conspired to help Trump win the 2016 presidential election. The DNC filed the lawsuit Friday in federal court in Manhattan. It seeks unspecified damages and an order to prevent further interference with DNC…
(AP Photo/Carolyn Kaster, File)WASHINGTON (AP) — Former New York City Mayor Rudy Giuliani is joining the legal team defending President Donald Trump in the special counsel’s Russia investigation, a Trump attorney said Thursday. With the addition of Giuliani, Trump gains an experienced litigator and former U.S. attorney in Manhattan. Trump is looking to bring his involvement with special counsel Robert…
(AP Photo/Alex Brandon)WASHINGTON (AP) — Tiny Maile Pearl made Senate history Thursday without making a sound. The tightly wrapped 10-day-old baby, brought to the well of the chamber by her mother, Sen. Tammy Duckworth, became the first newborn to appear there, just one day after the Senate approved a new rule permitting it. “It’s about time,” the Illinois Democrat and…
WASHINGTON (AP) – The Trump administration is moving toward oil and gas drilling in Alaska’s Arctic National Wildlife Refuge. A notice being published Friday in the Federal Register starts a 60-day review to sell oil and gas leases in the remote region. Opening the refuge to oil and gas drilling is a longtime Republican priority that most Democrats fiercely oppose….
(Irene Perez/Cubadebate via AP)HAVANA (AP) – President Mario Diaz-Canel has made his first speech as Cuba’s new head of state with a pledge to continue the socialist revolution led by his predecessors Fidel and Raul Castro. Diaz-Canel says in the nationally televised speech before the National Assembly that his first thoughts upon taking office are for the “historic generation” that…
ISANTI, Minn. – Leah Phifer has decided to not move her candidacy forward into a DFL primary election. Phifer announced today, “My goal, since first declaring my candidacy in October 2017, has always been to win the DFL endorsement, bring new voices to the table and strengthen the party. A divisive primary season would only serve to weaken the party…
ST. PAUL, Minn. (AP) – Gov. Mark Dayton has appointed Democratic state Rep. Paul Thissen to the Minnesota Supreme Court. Tuesday’s announcement means Dayton has appointed five of the high court’s seven members. Thissen replaces Justice David Stras, a Republican judge who was confirmed to the federal bench earlier this year. Thissen will hop from one branch of government to…
DULUTH, Minn.- Despite receiving no endorsement at the DFL Convention this past weekend 8th Congressional District Candidate Michelle Lee announced she’s moving onto phase two of her campaign. On Monday Lee says there’s an opportunity gap in the district, which needs to be addressed through reform and change. Meanwhile, Lee is asking fellow democratic candidates to abide by the code…
DULUTH, Minn.- No DFL endorsement was given to any of the five congressional candidates at the endorsement convention Saturday in Duluth. The race will now come down to a primary election on August 14th. After ten ballots were counted, no candidate reached sixty percent of the vote needed for the endorsement. On the tenth ballot, Leah Phifer was leading the…
WASHINGTON D.C. (AP) – President Donald Trump says he is “prepared to sustain” strikes against Syria until the use of chemical agents stops. The United States, along with assurance from France and the United Kingdom, launched a response Friday against the regime of Syrian leader Bashar al-Assad days after his government allegedly used chemical weapons on its citizens. But Trump…
DULUTH, Minn. – The 2018 Eighth Congressional District DFL Endorsing Convention will be held on Saturday with registration opening at 9 a.m. The convention is held to offer the Party’s endorsement of certain candidates for U.S. Congress. The convention will take place at the Holiday Inn & Suites in downtown Duluth. The candidates that are running for the CD8 DFL…
(AP Photo/Andrew Harnik, File) NEW YORK (AP) – A federal judge is ordering President Donald Trump’s personal lawyer to appear next week for arguments over the government’s raid on the lawyer’s New York City home and office. At a hearing on Friday, U.S. District Judge Kimba Wood told an attorney for Michael Cohen that his client needed to be there…
(AP Photo | Evan Vucci) WASHINGTON (AP) – The Kremlin spokesman is warning the U.S. and its allies against any steps that could destabilize the situation in Syria. Asked about possible U.S. strikes on Syria, President Vladimir Putin’s spokesman Dmitry Peskov said Thursday that “it’s necessary to avoid any steps that may fuel tensions in Syria.” He added that it…
(AP Photo/Evan Vucci) WASHINGTON (AP) – Another top National Security Council staffer is leaving the White House as new National Security Adviser John Bolton makes his mark. Deputy national security adviser Ricky Waddell will be exiting the administration, said two administration officials with knowledge of the decision who were not authorized to speak publicly. Waddell’s departure date has not yet…
WASHINGTON (AP) – Republicans have cleared a procedural hurdle to confirm a former coal industry lobbyist as the No. 2 official at the Environmental Protection Agency. If confirmed as deputy administrator, Andrew Wheeler would be next in line to lead if embattled administrator Scott Pruitt is forced out or resigns. The Senate voted 53-45 Thursday to limit debate on Wheeler’s…
(AP Photo/Evan Vucci)WASHINGTON (AP) – After Russia warned the United States against military strikes in Syria, President Donald Trump says missiles “will be coming.” Trump says on Twitter Wednesday: “Russia vows to shoot down any and all missiles fired at Syria. Get ready Russia, because they will be coming, nice and new and ‘smart!’” Russian lawmakers have warned that Moscow…
WASHINGTON (AP) — Republican House Speaker Paul Ryan will not run for re-election, his office announced Wednesday, injecting another layer of uncertainty as Republicans face worries over losing their majority in the fall. Ryan’s plans have been the source of much speculation and will set off a scramble among his lieutenants to take the helm. A self-styled budget guru, Ryan…
SUPERIOR, Wis.- For the first time since 2010 Superior receives State of the City Address. On Tuesday, Mayor Paine presented to the community his achievements over the past year and his future plans. Paine says it’s an honor to serve as Mayor and feels the public should be informed. Afterward, the packed crowd responded with applause. Mayor Paine says next…
MINNEAPOLIS (AP) – President Donald Trump has formally nominated a Minnesota judge to be the state’s next U.S. Attorney. Erica MacDonald has been a judge in Dakota County since 2009. Before that, she was an assistant U.S. attorney in Minnesota for eight years, focusing on cases dealing with violent crimes, drugs, human trafficking and child pornography. MacDonald’s nomination to the…
(AP Photo/Evan Vucci, File)WASHINGTON (AP) — President Donald Trump’s homeland security adviser is resigning in the latest White House departure. White House Press Secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders said in a statement Tuesday that Thomas Bossert would be leaving his post. She said that Trump was “grateful for Tom’s commitment to the safety and security of our great country.” Bossert was…
(AP Photo/Andrew Harnik, File) WASHINGTON (AP) – Federal agents carrying court-authorized search warrants have seized documents from President Donald Trump’s personal attorney Michael Cohen. That’s according to a statement from Cohen’s attorney, Stephen Ryan. He says the search warrants were executed by the office of the U.S. Attorney for Southern District of New York but they are “in part” related…
(AP)WASHINGTON (AP) – President Donald Trump has condemned the “heinous” suspected poison gas attack in Syria and said he’ll make a decision on the U.S. response within 24 to 48 hours. Speaking in the White House Cabinet Room Monday, Trump vowed to find out who is responsible for the attack that reportedly killed at least 40 people. Trump said during…
(AP Photo/Andy Wong)WASHINGTON (AP) – China’s government says it will “counterattack with great strength” if President Donald Trump goes ahead with plans to raise U.S. tariffs on an additional $100 billion worth of Chinese goods. A Commerce Ministry spokesman said Friday that negotiations were impossible after Trump responded to Beijing’s protests about his earlier plan to raise duties on $50…
HIBBING, Minn.- A plaque of the 10 Commandments hung in the County Courthouse for 60 years, but a month ago it was taken down. This happened after a local resident reported it to an advocacy group — Freedom From Religion Foundation — that threatened to sue the county for a violation of church and state if it was not taken…
(AP Photo/Evan Vucci)PHOENIX (AP) – President Donald Trump has said that he wants to send between 2,000 and 4,000 National Guard members to the US-Mexico border. Speaking on Air Force One Thursday, Trump gave his first estimate on guard levels. Asked about the cost, he said the administration was looking at it. Trump says he plans to keep the guard…
ST. PAUL, Minn. – Tim Pawlenty has formally announced that he is entering the race for his old job. The two-term governor announced Thursday afternoon that he is entering the race after months of speculation. Pawlenty announced his candidacy in a video release on timpawlenty.com. Pawlenty says his “top priority will be putting those in the middle — who are…
DULUTH, Minn. — St. Luke’s — one of Duluth’s largest employers — sent a detailed letter to city councilors Wednesday with their disapproval of the proposed Earned Sick and Safe Time ordinance. This comes after more than 20 restaurants in Duluth came together to oppose ESST. April 3, 2018 Dear City Councilors: Despite the robust process around the proposed Earned…
AP Photo/Evan Vucci/newsfileWASHINGTON (AP) – President Donald Trump will be signing a proclamation directing the departments of Defense and Homeland Security to work together with governors to deploy the National Guard to the southwest border. Homeland Security Secretary Kirstjen Nielsen made the announcement at the White House on Wednesday. She says he’ll sign the proclamation later in the day. Nielsen…
(AP Photo/Andy Wong)WASHINGTON (AP) – The American Soybean Association, a lobbying group that says it represents 21,000 U.S. soybean producers, says China’s proposed 25-percent tariff on soybeans would be “devastating” to U.S. farmers. China is the largest consumer of U.S. soybeans, buying about one-third of all U.S. soybean production each year, the group says. Association President John Heisdorffer, an Iowa…
MADISON, Wis. (AP) – Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker says the win by a liberal candidate for state Supreme Court deals a “serious blow” to the conservative movement. Walker is issuing the warning in a fundraising email following a torrent of tweets the Republican incumbent sent Tuesday night and Wednesday morning. Liberal Milwaukee judge Rebecca Dallet trounced conservative opponent Michael Screnock…
(AP Photo/Jacquelyn Martin, File)(AP) – For the first time, the U.S. government is publicly acknowledging the existence in Washington of what appear to be rogue devices that foreign spies and criminals could be using to track individual cellphones and intercept calls and messages. The eavesdropping devices are known as cellphone-site simulators. Their suspected use by foreign powers has long been…
MADISON, Wis. (AP) – Polls are open in the Wisconsin race for the state Supreme Court. Voters are casting their ballots Tuesday in the race between Milwaukee County Judge Rebecca Dallet and Sauk County Judge Michael Screnock for a 10-year term on the high court. Dallet drew the support of national Democrats, including former U.S. Attorney General Eric Holder and…
(AP Photo/Andy Wong)BEIJING (AP) – China has raised import duties on a $3 billion list of U.S. pork, apples and other products in an escalating dispute with Washington over trade and industrial policy. The government of President Xi Jinping said Monday it was responding to a U.S. tariff hike on steel and aluminum. But that is just one facet of…
DULUTH, Minn.- Minnesota’s 8th District Congressional Candidate Michelle Lee received a big endorsement from former Lieutenant Governor Yyonne Prettner Solon. Lee says Yyonne Prettner Solon never lost sight of the needs of the people and is proud to have Solon’s endorsement. During the campaign Solon will be serving as Lee’s senior political adviser. “I have promised Solon, just as I…
ST. PAUL, Minn. (AP) – Protest organizers could be financially and criminally liable if their event leads to property damage in Minnesota under a proposed bill. The House Public Safety committee advanced the Republican-backed bill Wednesday over objections from Democrats and civil rights groups. Republicans argue the bill would help prevent damages to public infrastructure and hold groups who encourage…
MADISON, Wis. (AP) – Gov. Scott Walker has signed into law a bill strengthening the penalties for legally buying a firearm with the intent to provide the weapon to someone barred from having a gun. Walker on Wednesday signed the bill increasing penalties from a misdemeanor to a felony for “straw” purchases. It was one of 41 bills he signed….
(AP Photo/Andrew Harnik, file)WASHINGTON (AP) — President Donald Trump is firing Veterans Affairs Secretary David Shulkin and replacing him with the White House doctor in the wake of a bruising ethics scandal and a mounting rebellion within the VA. Trump tweets that he intends to nominate “highly respected Admiral Ronny L. Jackson, MD, as the new Secretary of Veterans Affairs.”…
DULUTH, Minn. – Minnesota Governor Mark Dayton wants to ensure that the state keeps providing preschool programs after he leaves office, but republicans are pushing back. Last year, he got lawmakers to boost up founding to voluntary pre-school by $50 million, but that money will lapse in 2019. Now Dayton is asking legislators to extend that funding for years to…
(AP Photo/Evan Vucci)WASHINGTON (AP) – President Donald Trump is floating the idea of using the military’s budget to pay for his long-promised border wall with Mexico. Trump raised the idea with House Speaker Paul Ryan at a meeting last week, according to a person familiar with the discussion who spoke on condition of anonymity. And he’s tweeted that building “a…
(AP Photo/Evan Vucci)WASHINGTON (AP) – The Trump administration is ending a program that allows citizens of Liberia living in the U.S. to avoid deportation. But it’s allowing a one-year “wind-down” period to ease their return. Liberians have been eligible for Deferred Enforcement Departure since 1999. The program allows them to live and work in the U.S. A memorandum issued by…
DULUTH, Minn. – Discussion continues about the proposed Duluth earned sick and safe time ordinance that would mandate businesses to provide earned time off to employees. After hearing people speak for about two hours, the Duluth City Council discussed possible amendments to the ordinance. One amendment included rollover of safe and sick time from one calendar year to another, how…
DULUTH, Minn. – For the first time, all seven candidates for Minnesota’s 8th Congressional seat hit the stage for a public forum. The event was held at the College of St. Scholastica and by the student senate there. The forum consisted of pre-written questions followed by questions from the audience. “Often times, you never know what a candidate really stands…
(AP Photo/Evan Vucci)WASHINGTON (AP) – President Donald Trump says he will replace national security adviser H.R. McMaster with the former U.N. Ambassador John Bolton, a foreign policy hawk entering a White House facing key decisions on Iran and North Korea. “Just spoke to @POTUS and Gen. H.R. McMaster — contrary to reports they have a good working relationship and there…
DULUTH, Minn.- St. Louis county is hoping to preserve the Duluth Depot with help from the state. The Depot is asking for a $4 million inclusion in the upcoming bonding bill. Officials say citizens won’t visibly notice improvements. The projects in place will prevent noticeable damage before they occur. Officials say the proposal for preventable maintenance will keep the building running…
ST. PAUL, Minn. (AP) – Former Minnesota Gov. Tim Pawlenty has formed a campaign committee to run for his old job. The two-term governor announced Monday he created a campaign committee for the 2018 election. It’s not official yet, as Pawlenty still needs to formally file for the office. But it’s the surest sign yet that Pawlenty plans to enter…
DULUTH, Minn.- Governor Mark Dayton gave his last State of the State Address highlighting education, taxes, and healthcare. Gov. Dayton announced nearly 80,000 students are now attending all day kindergarten. The University of Minnesota will not be increasing tuition, due to an extra $10 million of state funding. Gov. Dayton said law makers have a decision to make, stating they can…
(Photo Courtesy: AP)MT. LEBANON, Pa. (AP) — Voters across western Pennsylvania weighed in Tuesday on a surprisingly tight congressional contest that pitted the strength of President Donald Trump’s grasp on blue-collar America against the energy and anger of the political left. The fight between Republican state Rep. Rick Saccone and Democrat Conor Lamb has drawn national attention as a bellwether…
