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…
SAN DIEGO (AP) — President Donald Trump on Tuesday got his chance to inspect prototypes for the “big beautiful border wall” he wants to build to separate the U.S. from Mexico, saying strengthening the border would help stop “99 percent” of illegal immigration — or, he allowed, “maybe more than that.” The president, making his first trip to California as…
DULUTH, Minn.- Tuesday is Capitol Days as Duluth and St. Louis County will head to St. Paul discussing local issues. Over 500 community members and local officials are bringing a voice for the Northland to St. Paul. The city will be asking for $10 million towards rehabilitation of the sea wall. Officials are also seeking approval for the half percent sales…
DULUTH, Minn. – Twin Ports area infrastructure has gotten a “mediocre” rating from the American Society of Civil Engineers. The group released their infrastructure report card for the region Monday. The Twin Ports Area earned a “C” GPA on their infrastructure report card. That’s better than the “D+” national average, but local leaders want to see improvements made. “We all…
DULUTH, Minn.- President Trump’s decision about steel and aluminum tariffs is bringing a lot of mixed reaction from the Northland. Mines in the Northland are expecting the steel and aluminum tariffs to have a positive affect in Minnesota. Officials say Minnesota produces %85 of the domestic iron For the united state the tariffs could possibly bring more jobs to mines in…
(AP Photo/Ahn Young-joon)SEOUL, South Korea (AP) — North Korean dictator Kim Jong Un and President Donald Trump plan to meet in May for nuclear disarmament talks, a whiplash development that would put two leaders who’ve repeatedly insulted, threatened and dismissed each other in the same room, possibly in the North Korean capital of Pyongyang. It would have been an unthinkable…
(AP Photo/Susan Walsh) WASHINGTON (AP) — A federal watchdog says White House counselor Kellyanne Conway violated the federal law prohibiting government officials from using their positions to influence political campaigns. The Office of Special Counsel, which is unrelated to Robert Mueller’s office, says Conway violated the Hatch Act twice last year when she spoke out in support of Republican Roy…
SUPERIOR, Wisc. – The City of Superior held another in a series of listening sessions on Monday. The city has been hosting listening sessions with different demographic groups to get a feel for what the community likes about Superior, as well as address areas in which the city could improve. ” is already a great place to work, play and live,”…
ST. PAUL, MN – Governor Mark Dayton today urged state legislators to support and pass a “MinnesotaCare Buy-In” option this session. The proposal would allow all Minnesotans the choice to purchase their health insurance through MinnesotaCare – a state program that for 26 years has provided some eligible working Minnesota families a more affordable choice to purchase their health care….
SUPERIOR, Wis. – Dicks’ Sporting Goods decision to stop selling what they’re calling “assault style rifles” is getting a lot of attention, including from other stores in our area that do sell those types of guns. One store in Superior tell us they won’t be following in Dicks’ footsteps, it’s a choice they feel strongly about. Superior Shooter’s Supply carries…
ST. PAUL, Minn. – Minnesota Senate DFL Caucus Leader Tom Bakk is encouraging Delta Air Lines to move its corporate headquarters to Minnesota. Delta absorbed Minnesota grown airline Northwest in 2008 and consolidated operations in Atlanta, Georgia. This invitation comes on the heals of a threat Georgia lawmakers made to Delta to vote down a $50 million sales tax exemption…
ST. PAUL, Minn. – Governor Mark Dayton today signed Chapter 100, HF 399 into law. This bill provides budget funding for the Minnesota Senate and House, and reimburses funding to the Legislative Coordinating Commission. In a statement to the press, Dayton said, “I am glad to put this matter behind us, so that we may turn our attention to the…
DULUTH, Minn. – A Green Party candidate making a run for the 8th Congressional District seat spent the day fundraising in Duluth. Ray “Skip” Sandman hosted a fry bread taco sale to raise money for his campaign. This is not the first time Sandman has entered the race for this seat. Sandman says now people are ready for something else that’s…
ST. PAUL, Minn.-A bill to restore the Legislature’s operating budget is heading to Gov. Mark Dayton. Dayton vetoed the $130 million in funding for the House and Senate last year, triggering months of court cases and forcing the Legislature to hobble into session running on emergency funds. Dayton wanted to rework costly tax breaks and other measures last year but…
WASHINGTON (AP) — Payday lenders got regulators to rethink rules on how closely to vet borrowers. E-cigarette makers got a delay in federal oversight of many vaping products. Candy makers praised a decision to hold off on more stringent labeling standards. And title insurers declared “victory” for getting changes that benefited them in the tax overhaul. What do all these…
TALLAHASSEE, Fla. (AP) — Thousands of chanting students, including survivors of the Florida school shooting, rallied at the state Capitol on Wednesday, demanding changes to gun laws and threatening to remove Republicans who refuse to address new gun-control measures. A week after the massacre that killed 17 people, the students took their message into the gun-friendly halls of power in…
MOSCOW (AP) – A Clinton-Obama sex tape using body doubles. A Facebook page promoting Texas independence riddled with grammatical mistakes. The U.S. indictment centered on a Russian internet “troll farm” only scratches the surface of the agency that allegedly produced content to sway the presidential election – and glosses over how unconvincing some of its stunts could be. Although it…
Alex van der Zwaan, second from left, arrives at Federal District Court in Washington, Tuesday, Feb. 20, 2018. Van der Zwaan has been accused of lying to investigators about his interactions with Rick Gates, who was indicted last year along with Paul Manafort, President Donald Trump’s campaign chairman, on charges of conspiracy to launder money and acting as an unregistered…
DULUTH, Minn. – The list of candidates vying for Congressman Rick Nolan’s 8th Congressional District seat is getting longer. North Branch Mayor Kirsten Kennedy is among those seeking the DFL nomination. After speaking to her family, Kennedy says this is the right time to run. When asked how can she represent people that live so far away from her North…
WASHINGTON (AP) — Like a number of states, Minnesota bars voters from wearing political items to the polls to reduce the potential for confrontations or voter intimidation. But that could change. The Supreme Court will consider a challenge to the state’s law on Feb. 28. This case could affect other states, too. Wen Fa, a lawyer with the Pacific Legal…
DULUTH, Minn. – Feb. 20. is the first day of the Minnesota’s 2018 Legislative Session in St. Paul and area lawmakers are ready to address everything from housing, healthcare to gun control. A lot is at stake for Minnesota’s 90th Legislative Session. Gov. Mark Dayton’s $1.5 billion proposal is among topics to be discussed. Proposed bonding projects in the Northland include…
ST. PAUL, Minn. (AP) – All 201 legislators will soon return to the Minnesota Capitol, but three men and one woman will play a big role in setting the Legislature’s course. The Legislature reconvenes Tuesday for a three-month session with plenty of work to do. Gov. Mark Dayton has set the tone entering session with his own priorities like curbing…
DULUTH, Minn. – Former news anchor Michelle Lee officially made her campaign announcement for the 8th Congressional District. Lee and some of her supporters were at Fon du Lac Tribal Community College in Cloquet. She says her 30 years of covering the news will help her focus on the issues like gun control, mining and education. “I will go to…
DULUTH, Minn.- Local organizations are concerned on how the Great Lakes will be kept clean and for the future of job for the workers involved in the various projects for many years. The White House’s proposed budget plan cuts funding From the Great Lakes Restoration Innitiative. The GLRI It helps fund universities, state, and federal agencies. The GLRI launched in 2010 with…
Steve Bannon, President Donald Trump’s former chief strategist, arrives for questioning by the House Intelligence Committee as part of its ongoing investigation into meddling in the U.S. elections by Russia, at the Capitol in Washington, Thursday, Feb. 15, 2018. (AP Photo/J. Scott Applewhite) WASHINGTON (AP) — Steve Bannon, the combative former chief strategist for President Donald Trump, was interrogated for…
Opioid overdose deaths have risen dramatically in recent years – increasing 66 percent between 2010 and 2016. Prescription opioids continue to be the most common cause of opioid overdose deaths. In 2016, there were 194 prescription opioid overdose deaths. Heroin-involved overdose death and synthetic opioids deaths also have seen a significant increase. There were 150 heroin involved deaths in 2016,…
DULUTH, Minn.- The Duluth city council voted 7–2 Monday night in favor of banning the sale of flavored tobacco products in convenience stores, including gas stations. Councilors Noah Hobbs and Jay Fosle were the only two councilors who voted against the ban. The chamber was packed for the controversial vote. One side says flavored tobacco is a public health issue,…
SUPERIOR, Wis. – Democrat Margaret Engebretson announced her candidacy to represent Wisconsin’s Seventh District in the U.S. House of Representatives. Engebretson is the first Democrat to officially enter the race against Republican Congressman Sean Duffy. The Navy veteran is a UW-Superior graduate and now works as an attorney in Balsam Lake. She says she’s running for Congress to represent the…
DULUTH, Minn.- Minnesota’s 8th District Congressional Representative Rick Nolan announced he’s retiring at the end of his term and will not be a candidate for re-election. Rep. Rick Nolan has spent 16 years in elective office devoting a lot of time to Minnesota. In a statement released Friday Nolan says there’s a time and a purpose for everything and now is the…
WASHINGTON – U.S. Congressman Rick Nolan has announced he will be retiring at the end of his term. Rep. Nolan made the announcement through a letter to the press Friday morning. Nolan has represented Minnesota’s 8th Congressional District since 2013. Previously, he represented Minnesota’s 6th Congressional District from 1975-1981. Rep. Nolan’s letter: “To the great people of Minnesota’s 8th District…
(AP Photo/Evan Vucci) WASHINGTON (AP) — President Donald Trump on Friday signed a $400 billion budget deal that sharply boosts spending and swells the federal deficit, ending a brief federal government shutdown that happened while most Americans were sleeping and most government offices were closed, anyway. The House and Senate approved a bill to keep the government funded through March…
(AP Photo/J. Scott Applewhite)WASHINGTON (AP) – The White House is praising a Senate budget agreement, saying it meets the administration’s priorities on defense spending and providing a two-year budget plan. White House press secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders says the deal will provide “certainty” for the next two years and achieves a “much needed” increase in funding for the national defense….
DULUTH, Minn. – Local party leaders and political participants made their way out to their respective party’s caucusing locations. Officials say caucuses are the first step toward the 2018 elections. “It’s a good way to meet your neighbors and just discuss the things that are currently important to you,” DFL East High School building captain Debra Taylor said. “It’s a…
DULUTH, Minn. – The City of Duluth brought in more money than ever through the tourism tax last year, but it was less than expected. $11.62 million was collected from the tax in 2017, an increase from the previous year but about $100,000 short of the city’s goal. Because of the shortfall, the city has budgeted for no growth to…
DULUTH, Minn. -Precinct caucuses will be held across the state of Minnesota on Tuesday, Feb.6. Caucuses are meetings held as a way to engage local community members with their chosen political parties. People show support for their preferred candidates through an endorsement process that leads up to the state party conventions. Around here, the governor’s race and 8th district congressional…
(AP Photo)WASHINGTON (AP) — President Donald Trump will clear the way for the publication of a controversial Republican-authored memo, White House officials said, despite objections from the FBI. The memo, prepared by Republicans on the House intelligence committee, is said to allege FBI misconduct in its investigation of potential ties between Russia and Trump’s 2016 campaign. Trump’s own Justice Department…
WASHINGTON (AP) — The AP is fact-checking prepared remarks from President Donald Trump’s State of the Union speech. Here’s a look at some of the claims we’ve examined: ISLAMIC STATE TRUMP: “Last year I pledged that we would work with our allies to extinguish ISIS from the face of the earth. One year later, I’m proud to report that the…
(Jim Lo Scalzo/Pool Image via AP, File) WASHINGTON (AP) — President Donald Trump will herald a robust economy and push for bipartisan congressional action on immigration in Tuesday night’s State of the Union address, as he seeks to rally a deeply divided nation and boost his own sagging standing with Americans. The speech marks the ceremonial kickoff of Trump’s second…
Duluth, Minn. – Duluth mayor Emily Larson has officially announced her endorsement for DFL candidate Chris Coleman in the Minnesota gubernatorial race. Coleman is the former mayor of St. Paul. Coleman and Larson met with media today on Superior Street where the long awaited street reconstruction is set to begin this summer after securing funding in the bonding bill. Coleman…
WASHINGTON (AP) — A by-the-numbers look at President Donald Trump’s first year in office reveals areas of both progress and peril. The stock market is soaring, smashing record after record. The unemployment rate has ticked downward. Some categories of violent crime are down, too. But more U.S. troops are stationed in war zones. More people are dying of drug overdoses….
DULUTH, Minn. – DFL Rep. Jen Schultz has announced her candidacy for a third term for State House District 7A. Schultz kicked off her campaign on Sunday at Blacklist Artisan Ales in Duluth. Schultz is looking to address issues with Minnesota healthcare, tax reform, and affordable education. “I’ve built really good relationships on both sides if the isle,” Schultz said….
SUPERIOR, Wis.- Governor walker traveled to the Northland Saturday meeting with the Republican Party of Douglas County. The Republican Party of Douglas County held its annual Lincoln Day dinner in Superior. Governor Walker spoke to on-goers addressing issues, including what he hopes for the future of healthcare. “Affirms that preexisting conditions will be covered in the State of Wisconsin,” Gov….
WASHINGTON (AP) – The White House says President Donald Trump is proposing to provide a path to citizenship for 1.8 million so-called “Dreamers,” younger immigrants living in the U.S. illegally. The plan is likely to get a mixed reaction on Capitol Hill. Senior White House officials are offering a preview of Trump’s immigration framework, casting it as a compromise that…
MADISON, Wis. – Governor Scott Walker laid out his priorities for the coming year at his eighth state of the state address Wednesday. He also looked back on 2017 as “amazing” and “historic.” Republican legislative leaders are embracing Gov. Scott Walker’s proposal to give families a $100 payment for every child living at home under age 18. Both Republican…
AP Photo/J. Scott ApplewhiteWASHINGTON (AP) – Congress has approved a bipartisan agreement to re-open the federal government after a three-day partial shutdown. The House approved the bill, 266-150, hours after the Senate backed it, 81-18. President Donald Trump is expected to quickly sign the measure to fund government operations through Feb. 8. The votes set the stage for hundreds of…
