WASHINGTON (AP) — President Donald Trump warned North Korea it could face “fire and fury” if it threatens the United States, after a new report Tuesday said U.S. intelligence officials believe Pyongyang has successfully produced a nuclear warhead that can fit inside its missiles. Washington’s alarm over North Korean leader Kim Jong Un’s pursuit of a nuclear capability has intensified…
(AP Photo/Evan Vucci) WASHINGTON (AP) – As President Donald Trump spends much of August at his New Jersey golf club, Democratic lawmakers are making a new push for information about how much money the federal government is spending at his for-profit properties. Democrats on the House Oversight Committee on Tuesday asked departments to hand over information about their Trump-related spending…
Jim NewbergerMINNEAPOLIS-State Rep. Jim Newberger is the first Republican to formally announce plans to take on Minnesota’s popular U.S. senator, Amy Klobuchar. Should Newberger win his party’s endorsement at next year’s state convention, the task of beating Klobuchar is a tall one. The Democratic senator beat her last two Republican opponents by double digits. And, she’s already raised nearly $6…
MADISON, Wis. (AP) Former Democratic state Rep. Brett Hulsey, of Madison, has filed paperwork to run for governor. Hulsey registered a campaign committee for a potential second run for governor on Thursday. He did not immediately return messages seeking comments on his intentions Saturday. Hulsey served in the state Assembly from 2011 through 2014. He also ran for governor that…
(FOX NEWS) – President Trump announced Friday that he is naming Homeland Security Secretary John Kelly as his new White House chief of staff, ousting Reince Preibus. The president made the announcement on Twitter. I am pleased to inform you that I have just named General/Secretary John F Kelly as White House Chief of Staff. He is a Great American…….
AP (FOX NEWS) – The next presidential election is still 1,194 days away, but President Trump already has his first challenger in the 2020 race. “I’m running for President,” Maryland Democratic Rep. John Delaney tweeted Friday. Delaney, a wealthy former bank executive who represents Maryland’s sixth district in the Washington suburbs but is not known nationally, was elected to Congress…
SUPERIOR, Wis. – Jim Paine knew the job wouldn’t be easy. But 100 days into his first term as Superior’s Mayor, Paine feels as if he and his city are moving in the right direction. “The first 100 days are not the whole term, but they certainly set the pace,” said Paine, who defeated Brent Fennessey in April to succeed…
Duluth, Minn. The Duluth City Council is working to adopt a sensible paid sick time policy. Tonight it seems as if some progress has been made. Duluth’s earn sick and safe time task force plans to present a final draft of the referendum to the Duluth City Council to approve or not approve. If approved employees that currently don’t receive…
DULUTH, Minn. – The end of a life can be one of the hardest experiences for a family to get through. The presentation of military honors at a veteran’s funeral can give that last bit of pride to the deceased. Unfortunately, across America, there is a struggle to keep honor guards staffed, and it’s even harder in rural areas. “They…
SUPERIOR, Wis. – Local advocates aren’t happy with President Trump’s suggestion he’d ban transgender people from serving in the military. “It’s another step of making people that are very important in our community not exist anymore,” said Bob Jansen, LGBTQ advocate and owner of the Main Club in Superior. “If they aren’t around, if we don’t see them we don’t…
(FOX NEWS) – A conservative-backed plan to repeal the bulk of ObamaCare and give lawmakers a two-year window to replace the struggling health law failed on a Senate vote Wednesday, in the latest setback for the repeal push. The vote was 55-45 against the amendment, with seven Republicans opposing. The chamber’s 46 Democrats and two independent senators all voted against…
ST. PAUL, Minn. (AP) – The legal battle between Gov. Mark Dayton and the Legislature is on a fast track to the Minnesota Supreme Court. The dispute revolves around Dayton’s move to zero out funding for the House and Senate while signing a $46 billion budget. The Democratic governor wants top Republicans to rework costly tax breaks and other measures…
WASHINGTON, D.C. (AP) – The Republican-led House has decisively approved legislation that hits Russia with additional financial sanctions. The new penalties are aimed at rebuking Moscow for interfering in the 2016 presidential election and its military aggression in Ukraine and Syria. Lawmakers voted 419-3 to pass the bill, which prevents President Donald Trump from waiving the sanctions against Russia without…
VIRGINIA, Minn. – The auditorium at Virginia High School was packed this evening with hundreds showing up to voice their opinions of the U.S. Forest Service’s proposal to withdraw 234,000 acres of federal land around the boundary waters that would be used for future copper–nickel mining. It’s an issue that’s been debated back and forth, ever since the forest service…
(AP) (FOX NEWS) – The Senate voted Tuesday to open debate on overhauling the United States’ health care system. “Now we move forward towards truly great health care for the American people… this is truly great step,” President Trump said at the White House Tuesday. As the GOP seeks to gather support as it begins debating its options, here is…
WASHINGTON (AP) – The Senate has voted to move ahead on health care legislation aimed at dismantling the Obama health law. The vote was 51-50 on Tuesday, a victory for Majority Leader Mitch McConnell and President Donald Trump. Last week, McConnell was forced to postpone the vote, lacking the support of conservatives and moderates. Vice President Mike Pence cast the…
(AP Photo/Evan Vucci) WASHINGTON (AP) – A peeved President Donald Trump tweaked Republican opponents of his party’s reeling health care bill Monday, saying this week’s planned faceoff vote is their “last chance to do the right thing” and erase his predecessor’s signature overhaul. Trump’s prodding of balking GOP senators came a day before leaders planned a pivotal vote that seemed…
ST. PAUL, Minn.-Minnesota’s former Republican party chairman is running for governor. Keith Downey announced his 2018 campaign for the open seat on Monday. Downey is a former state representative who recently left the state party after serving two terms as its chairman. But he’s positioning himself as a political outsider. Downey says too many residents no longer see opportunities to…
DULUTH, Minn. – New bathrooms at Park Point’s Lafayette Community Center will be gender neutral. During a special session Friday afternoon, Duluth city councilors voted unanimously to designate the two new bathrooms as gender neutral. The councilors tabled a vote during Monday’s meeting after councilor Gary Anderson spoke out about the original plan not including a gender neutral facility. “I’m…
WASHINGTON (AP) – President Donald Trump has named a veteran lawyer to oversee the government’s ethics agency until a new permanent chief is selected. The Office of Government Ethics confirmed Friday that Trump designated the agency’s general counsel, David J. Apol, to become its acting director. Apol worked on ethics programs for several federal agencies before he joined the OGE….
MADISON, Wis. (AP) – Democratic state superintendent Tony Evers has filed paperwork to set up a run for governor. Evers said Friday that creating a campaign committee is the next logical step to take, but he expects to make a final decision on whether to get into the race “in the near future.” Evers becomes the sixth Democrat to create…
(Evan Vucci, AP Photo) WASHINGTON (AP) — White House press secretary Sean Spicer, President Donald Trump’s embattled spokesman during the first six months of his presidency, is resigning his position, according to two people with knowledge of the decision. Spicer’s decision appears to be linked to the appointment of a new White House communications director, New York financier Anthony…
(AP Photo/Evan Vucci) WASHINGTON (AP) — President Donald Trump declared Tuesday it’s time to “let Obamacare fail” after the latest GOP health care plan crashed and burned in the Senate, a stunning failure for the president, Republican leader Mitch McConnell and a party that has vowed for years to abolish the law. In a head-spinning series of developments, rank-and-file Republican…
(AP Photo | Charles Rex Arbogast, File) CHICAGO (AP) — Former U.S. House Speaker Dennis Hastert was released from prison in Minnesota and transferred to a Chicago re-entry facility, according to the Federal Bureau of Prisons. Hastert was sentenced to 15 months in prison in April 2016 in a banking violations case that revealed accusations he had sexually abused teenagers…
Superior, Wis. — The City of Superior has a problem — a good problem. The city needs to decide how to spend $100,000 in excess hotel and motel tax revenue. The $100,000 has added up over the years from leftover balances. At this point the City Council and Superior Mayor Jim Paine have decided to put together an events committee….
DULUTH, Minn. – The more than century old Union Depot needs repairs. About $8 million worth in the next five to seven years. “It’s time to make a significant investment back into this building to preserve it for the next 100–plus years,” said St. Louis Co. Property Management Director Tony Mancuso. One project though, needs immediate attention. “We need to…
(AP Photo/Evan Vucci) WASHINGTON (FOX NEWS) – Two Democratic congressmen introduced an article of impeachment on Wednesday against President Trump, accusing him of obstruction of justice over his firing of former FBI Director James Comey. The resolution says Trump “prevented, obstructed, and impeded” the investigation of former national security adviser Michael Flynn by “threatening and then terminating” Comey. “We now…
DULUTH, Minn. – Duluth Police Lieutenant and St. Louis County Commissioner, Pete Stauber has announced that he will be running for U.S. Congress from Minnesota’s 8th Congressional District. Stauber, a Republican, will be seeking the seat currently occupied by Democratic Representative Rick Nolan. Pete Stauber Stauber was elected to the St. Louis County Board of Commissioners in 2012, representing the…
A police officer sprays a crowd of protesters with liquid in Hamburg, German during a protest against the G-20 summit. (AP/Michael Probst) HAMBURG, Germany (FOX NEWS) – Thousands of anti-capitalist protesters fought with police in Hamburg, Germany, Thursday ahead of the G-20 summit where President Donald Trump and other world leaders will be meeting. Police in Hamburg were seen using…
AP FILE, Jan. 23, 2017 WASHINGTON (FOX NEWS) – The head of the United States Office of Government Ethics, who clashed with President Donald Trump and his administration, said on Thursday he would resign before his five-year term ends in January. In a letter to Trump dated on Thursday and posted on his Twitter account, Walter Schaub, said he would…
Joined by family of Philando Castile, Governor Dayton recommends new law enforcement training fund be named in memory of Philando Castile. ST. PAUL, Minn. – Governor Mark Dayton today issued a letter to the Peace Officer Standards and Training (POST) Board, requesting that its members name a new law enforcement training fund in memory of Philando Castile, who was tragically…
DULUTH, Minn. — Duluth City Council President Joel Sipress is officially running for re-election. Sipress officially filed his paperwork at around 11:00 a.m. earlier this morning. Sipress has been serving the Second District in Duluth since being appointed in 2013, and was chosen as the Council President at the beginning of this year. He says he will continue to push…
BROOKLYN CENTER, Minn. – Nine term DFL Representative and Anoka County prosecutor Debra hilstrom announced her bid to become Minnesota’s next Attorney General. Hilstrom is one of three Democrats running to replace Lori Swanson. But only if Swanson, the current Attorney General, runs for Governor. Hilstrom, who was first elected to the state house in 2000, ran an unsuccesful campaign…
SUPERIOR, Wis. — Superior mayor Jim Paine has a lot of hope for his city. His enthusiasm comes with the official announcement of the city’s first production brewery in more than fifty years. As he gazes at the old warehouse that, when renovated, will become Earth Rider Brewery, he reflects on the impact it will make on the city. “It’s…
DULUTH, Minn. – On Monday, City Councilors voted 5–3 in favor of re–zoning a property on Boundary Avenue along the border with Proctor as mixed use residential and commercial. However, re–zoning requires a super majority of six votes. “The ordinance as it is, is done and we can’t pass it in the form it was shot down,” said At-Large Councilor…
WASHINGTON (AP) — In a bruising setback, Senate Republican leaders are delaying a vote on their prized health care bill until after the July 4 recess, forced to retreat by a GOP rebellion that left them lacking enough votes to even begin debating the legislation. Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., delivered the message to GOP senators Tuesday at a…
WASHINGTON (AP) – The Senate health care bill would result in 22 million more uninsured Americans over the next decade compared to current law. That’s according to an analysis Monday from the nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office. The figure may further complicate Senate GOP leaders’ plans to pass their bill this week. It’s barely an improvement upon the health care bill…
MADISON, Wis. (AP) – Wisconsin lawmakers are considering introducing highway tolling in the state as part of the next state budget. The Wisconsin State Journal reports that the tolls would help pay for road construction and repairs. The state’s business lobby and members of the tourism, hospitality, and manufacturing sectors say tolls could deter tourists, increase the cost of transporting…
(Photo: Newsfile)ST. PAUL, Minn. – Gov. Mark Dayton and the Legislature are headed to court in their dispute over the governor’s veto of the Legislature’s funding. Dayton’s veto following a special session was aimed at reopening negotiations on tax changes that he says favor the wealthy. Republican legislative leaders say his move is unconstitutional. Without the money, paychecks will eventually…
MADISON, Wis. (AP) Wisconsin’s craft brewers and wineries are trying to head off a plan they fear legislators will tuck into the state budget that would prevent them from selling their products on-site and force them into contracts with distributors. The Wisconsin Tavern League and the Wisconsin Beer Distributors Association have been trying to convince lawmakers to adopt legislation clearly…
WASHINGTON (AP) – Senate Republicans released their long-awaited bill Thursday to dismantle much of Barack Obama’s health care law, proposing to cut Medicaid for low-income Americans and erase tax boosts that Obama imposed on high-earners and medical companies to finances his expansion of coverage. The bill would provide less-generous tax credits to help people buy insurance and let states get…
(AP Photo/Evan Vucci) WASHINGTON (AP) — President Donald Trump says he “did not make” and doesn’t have any recordings of his private conversations with James Comey — his fired FBI director. Trump also tweets that he has “no idea” whether other “tapes” or recordings exist. Trump has disputed Comey’s assertion that Trump asked Comey for a pledge of loyalty during…
MADISON, Wis. (AP) – The Republican-controlled state Assembly has passed a bill designed to prohibit people with pre-existing health conditions from being excluded from health insurance coverage. Republicans brought the issue up after midnight on Thursday. It was not scheduled for debate and there was no notice that the Assembly planned to take up the issue. It passed on a…
SUPERIOR, Wis. – Wisconsin Attorney General Brad Schimel’s 72 county tour of the state stopped in Douglas County Wednesday. His message to local leaders: we know you exist, and we want to help. The A.G. held a round-table discussion where officials told him about Douglas County’s serious drug problem. Douglas Co. is Wisconsin’s only county ranked in the top ten…
MADISON, Wis. (AP) – Gov. Scott Walker has signed a bill into law that eliminates requirements that 16 and 17 year olds get parental permission to work. Walker signed the bill Wednesday. Republicans in the Legislature who supported the measure argued it would make it easier for children without parents to work. Democratic opponents countered that doing away with the…
MADISON, Wis. (AP) – Budget talks among Republicans who control the state Legislature remain stalled over how to pay for roads. Budget committee co-chair Rep. John Nygren said Wednesday that Senate Republicans want to increase the level of borrowing to pay for roads beyond the nearly half billion dollars that Gov. Scott Walker proposed. Nygren says transportation funding is the…
MADISON, Wis. (AP) – Anthem Blue Cross Blue Shield is pulling out of the federal health care exchange in Wisconsin. Anthem blames a volatile market for its exit from the Affordable Care Act marketplace. Anthem spokesman Jeff Blunt says making pricing plans is increasingly difficult because of a shrinking and deteriorating individual market. The Associated Press says Anthem also cites…
DULUTH, Minn. – A new boating safety law was expected to be in effect right now in Minnesota, but there’s been a hold up. Sophia’s Law was passed last year by the Minnesota legislature. The law is named after a seven-year-old girl who died in 2015 from carbon monoxide poisoning while napping on her family’s boat on Lake Minnetonka, near the Twin…
DULUTH, Minn. – Duluth’s Public School District will pay $45 million out of its general fund over the next 15 years. The district took on the debt in the form of bonds which went to a variety of projects including construction of the new Duluth East and renovations at Denfeld High School. The city currently pays roughly $23 million a…
ST. PAUL, Minn.-Longtime Rep. Paul Thissen joins an already crowded field of DFL candidates for governor. Thissen plans to formally launch his campaign Thursday to replace Gov. Mark Dayton, who decided against a third term. He’s in his eighth two-year term representing southwest Minneapolis. Thissen joins U.S. Rep. Tim Walz, state Reps. Erin Murphy of St. Paul and Tina Liebling…
