Latest news with #TammyBaldwin
Fox News
15-07-2025
- Health
- Fox News
'Better access': Bipartisan Senate push to fund farmers suicide prevention fund gains steam
A bipartisan Senate duo want to ensure that a suicide prevention and mental health resource for farmers stays funded. Sens. Tammy Baldwin, D-Wis., and Joni Ernst, R-Iowa, have joined forces to introduce legislation that would see millions in new funding for the Farm and Ranch Assistance Network, a program the pair first collaborated on in the 2018 Farm Bill. The program is designed to help create a network for farmers, ranchers and other agriculture workers to have access to stress assistance and mental health programs. There are four regional hubs in Washington, New York, Illinois and Tennessee that act as conduits to aid farmers through the grant-funded program. "Too often, the stress, isolation, and physical demands of this job leave them with nowhere to turn when it all gets to be too much," Baldwin said of the stress and mental health struggles faced by farmers and agriculture workers. Indeed, Farmers are about three and half times more likely to die by suicide than the average U.S. population, according to a study from the National Rural Health Association. Their bill, called the Farmers First Act of 2025, would boost funding for the program by $75 million over the next five years, of which $15 million will be made available each fiscal year starting in 2026 through 2030. The money would go toward hiring more behavioral health specialists, establish crisis lines, and build referral relationships with health care providers, health centers and critical access hospitals. "Iowa farmers work tirelessly from sunrise to sundown – rain or shine – to feed and fuel the world," Ernst said. "Their work isn't easy, and mental health issues, including suicide, are too common in our agriculture community, which is why I'm working to ensure farmers have better access to mental health resources." The program got a reup in funding in 2020, when a three-year tranche of over $28 million was made available to the regional hubs. That funding was again boosted during the COVID-19 pandemic, when Congress injected an additional $28 million to allow states to maintain their own stress assistance programs. The latter funding was made available through grants of up to $500,000 to the state programs. The bill is a bicameral effort, too. Reps. Randy Feenstra, R-Iowa, and Angie Craig, D-Minn., are pushing the bill in the House to bolster the program's funding. Feenstra argued that refilling the program's cash coffers would provide "farmers with real support in times of crisis." "Agriculture is the economic engine of Iowa, and our farmers and producers work long hours and make unseen sacrifices to feed and fuel our country and the world," he said. "Those sacrifices can take a toll on our farm producers, especially when commodity prices tumble or severe weather destroys crops."
Yahoo
13-07-2025
- Yahoo
Door County Community Emergency Response Team K-9 assists Sheriff to find missing woman
DOOR COUNTY, Wis. (WFRV) – A missing woman with Alzheimer's was found through the help of the Door County Community Emergency Response Team's K-9 Unit. The Door County Sheriff's Office posted on Facebook Saturday night, thanking the K-9 unit for its help, as K-9 Hannah and her handler helped find the missing woman. Senator Tammy Baldwin warns of cuts to Wisconsin Medicaid expansion plan during visit to Green Bay 'Thanks to the incredible work of Hannah and her handler, she was found safe,' the post said. The post continued, citing gratitude to K-9 Hannah and the people who dedicated their time to working as a team in finding the missing woman safely. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Fox News
28-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Fox News
DAVID MARCUS: Dems' Kennedy Center gay ‘Guerrilla Theater' stunt is why their act wears thin
I'm sorry to report that the theater kids in the Democrat Party are at it again, this time quite literally and in Washington's jewel of the performing arts, the Kennedy Center. On Monday night, Sen. John Hickenlooper, D-Colo., put on the "Love is Love" concert co-hosted by Democrat Sens. Tammy Baldwin , of Wisconsin; Jacky Rosen, of Nevada; Brian Schatz, of Hawaii; and Elizabeth Warren, of Massachusetts, as an affair to protest what they claim is anti-LGBT bias at the arts center. The show, featuring Broadway stars and a gay men's chorus in the 144-seat Justice Forum was invitation only, and no, you were not invited. It turns out Hickenlooper had reached out to Broadway producer Jeffrey Seller, to co-produce the show, the same Seller behind the hit musical "Hamilton," and who recently canceled a production at the Kennedy Center, along with the show's creator Lin Manuel-Miranda, also in protest against alleged anti-gay bias. The senators used a little-known provision that allows them to rent space at the Kennedy Center as a perk of the job. Who knew? Setting aside the fact that the merits of the claim that the Kennedy Center has somehow become anti-gay fall somewhere between wet tissue paper flimsy and non-existent, the form of this protest by powerful Democrats warrants some scrutiny, and can tell us a lot. According to The New York Times, Hickenlooper reached out to Seller and asked if he wanted to make some "guerrilla theater," which, for anyone who knows anything about theater, is absolutely hilarious. Guerrilla theater, often associated with the Living Theater founded in 1947, is when a company just takes over a space and starts putting on a show. In the 1980s, they used to have stage lights they could plug into municipal light poles, for example. What guerrilla theater is definitively and unquestionably not, is 5 of the most powerful human beings on earth asking a super-rich Broadway producer to put on a concert in one of the most venerated performance spaces in America that they can rent by Congressional prerogative. That is, in fact, the perfect polar opposite of guerrilla theater. This confusion by Hickenlooper and Seller is an incredibly illuminating window into the current mindset of the far-left elites in the Democrat Party and their cultural wingmen. They think they are being raw and edgy, when actually, they just look ridiculous. We see this performative nonsense everywhere from Democrats, whether in Corey Booker's farcical filibuster, Rep. Eric Swalwell's cringeworthy TikTok skits, or elected officials getting themselves arrested on purpose for eager cameras. They think all of these things, like their "guerilla theater," are provocative and brave, a counter-culture that stands up to Trump and all his alleged crimes. What these prancing Democrats fail to understand is just how inauthentic their antics are to the everyday Americans who can see through them like Superman checking what's in the fridge without opening the door. Democrats and their advisers have lost sight of the difference between symbolism and reality, Booker wasn't filibustering any real bill, members of Congress aren't really being arrested in any meaningful way, and 5 senators sure as hell did not really "occupy" the Kennedy Center. Everybody knows it's all for show, because they have seen the show before. Hickenlooper and Seller thought they were speaking their truth to the power of Kennedy Center President Richard Grenell, a gay man who they absurdly accuse of anti-gay bias because he wants the institution he leads to focus on artistic excellence instead of identity grievance. In fact, it is Grennell and the new board of directors at the Kennedy Center who are pushing back against decades of hegemonic left-wing power in arts and culture, and at the slightest threat to its power, the political and artistic left has thrown a hissy fit. Americans don't need guerrilla theater from our elected officials, especially those who have no idea what guerrilla theater actually is. Democrats need to wake up to the fact that just doing one more performative stunt isn't going to convince Americans they are living in a fascist dictatorship and should come running back to their party. While Republicans are tackling the budget and the border, the Democrats are making sure that gay people aren't underrepresented in theater, which is like making sure that guys named "Cheech" aren't underrepresented in the mafia. The American people have no idea who leads the Democrats, what they stand for, or what policies they would enact, it is my job to know these things and I don't even know, because they won't tell us. For now at least, the theater kids are gonna be theater kids, so keep your Playbills handy, you never know what mind numbingly awful show these Democrats may put on next.
Yahoo
26-06-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Gilbert: Should Gov. Tony Evers run for a third term? Here are his political pluses and minuses
How well is Democrat Tony Evers positioned to win a third term as governor should he decide to run again next year? In a new statewide poll by Marquette Law School, a majority of voters say he shouldn't run again. But in the same survey, Evers is the only major political figure with a positive rating in Wisconsin. Uncertainties about Evers' political future abound. We don't know if he'll run again in 2026. We don't know who his Republican opponent would be. We don't know exactly what issues will dominate. And we don't know what political surprises are in store. But without knowing those things, we can take stock of the 'fundamentals' of an Evers re-election race — the basic political circumstances — and whether they appear at this moment to be favorable to a third term. I will start with the political pluses for Evers, because I think they are more concrete and convincing right now than the minuses. One is the governor's public standing, as captured in the polls. In the latest statewide survey released Wednesday by the Marquette Law School, 48% of registered voters approved of Evers' performance and 46% disapproved. These are hardly spectacular numbers in and of themselves. But they are good numbers relative to those of other political figures in Wisconsin. More: Marquette poll takeaways: Marijuana, tax cuts, veto power, special education and more In the same poll, taken June 13-19, Democratic Sen. Tammy Baldwin and Republican Sen. Ron Johnson both have negative favorability ratings. And Republican President Donald Trump has a negative job rating, with 47% approving and 52% disapproving. In fact, Evers has consistently polled better in this state than any other well-known politician. Since he took office in 2019, his average job rating has been 50% approval and 41% disapproval in 35 surveys by Marquette, much better long-term numbers than those of Baldwin or Johnson, and especially those of Trump and his predecessor in the White House, Democrat Joe Biden. Trump has never had a positive job rating in Wisconsin in any poll Marquette has taken during his two terms, even though he narrowly won two of his three Wisconsin elections (he has come close a few times). By contrast, Evers' job rating has been consistently positive or 'above water,' slipping into negative territory only four times in Marquette's 35 polls during his tenure. You wouldn't conclude from the polling that Evers is unbeatable or even 'safe.' But you wouldn't conclude that he's especially vulnerable either. Just to be above water is something of an accomplishment these days in this 50/50 state. A more clear-cut advantage for Evers — and probably the biggest argument in his favor — is the nature of the 2026 election cycle. As a Democrat, Evers would have the good fortune of running with a Republican in the White House. History shows that it's very helpful in big statewide elections to belong to the party out of power nationally. That's because voters in the 'out party' are often more motivated to turn out, and because swing voters frequently vote for change. In Wisconsin, no incumbent governor or senator in the 'out party' (the party that doesn't occupy the White House) has lost an election since 1986. And it has happened only once since the 1960s. Eight of the last nine contests for governor have been won by the 'out party.' The only exception was in 2022, when Evers won re-election despite the political drag of having an unpopular Democrat (Biden) in the White House. With Trump now in the White House, Evers should be better positioned in the 2026 midterms than he was in the 2022 midterms. There is no guarantee that 2026 will be a good year for Democrats, of course. But it's a pretty good bet. Now let's turn to some potential political weaknesses, and these are a little more speculative. One could be age. Evers is 73. Age has not been an issue for Evers the way it was for Biden, who is nine years older and came across to voters as a person in decline before he finally withdrew from the 2024 election. But it's certainly possible that the combination of being in his 70s and seeking a third term could work against Evers politically among voters hungry for new faces and new leadership. It's also possible that simply seeking a third term could come with its own hurdles. Since a governor's term in Wisconsin was lengthened from two years to four in 1970, only one person has won more than two terms in a row: Republican Tommy Thompson. Only one other person has tried, Republican Scott Walker, who lost to Evers in 2018 while seeking a third term. Although the dynamics of Senate elections are different, both Wisconsin senators struggled mightily in their recent quests for a third term. Johnson won by 1 point in 2022, his closest race. Baldwin won by less than a point in 2024, her closest race. Asked in the new Marquette poll, 'would you personally like to see Tony Evers seek a third term as governor in 2026?' 42% of registered voters said yes and 55% said no. Pollsters generally view this question as a less reliable measure of an incumbent's support than job approval. And Evers does better on this question than Walker did before seeking a third term, when only 36% said he should run again. But these numbers still suggest that the burden would be on Evers to make the case for such an extended stay in office. Finally, let's consider one other factor that could work either for or against Evers, and that is the state's recent history of divided government. Evers has served his entire time with a Legislature controlled by Republicans. That means Evers hasn't been able to do a lot of things to excite people and thrill his supporters. But it also means he hasn't been able to do a lot of things to anger people and mobilize his opponents. In fact, 2026 would represent his first real chance to govern with a friendly legislature, since the redrawing of districts in 2024 gives Democrats a plausible shot at legislative power next year after a decade and a half of GOP control. Sixteen months ahead of the next election, there is room for debating what Evers' odds would be of winning a third term in a state he carried by 1 point in 2018 and 3 points in 2022, a state in which the last two Senate elections and the last three presidential races were all decided by a percentage point or less. I think history is a little bit more on Evers' side than not. But history also tells us that in Wisconsin, there are few safe bets anymore in big November elections. This article originally appeared on Milwaukee Journal Sentinel: Should Tony Evers seek a third term? Here are pluses and minuses
Yahoo
19-06-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Accused Minnesota killer targeted lawmakers in other states, officials say
The man accused of murdering a Minnesota lawmaker and her husband did not limit his intended victims to the state, including among his targets prominent elected officials from elsewhere in the Midwest. U.S. Sen. Tammy Baldwin of Wisconsin and U.S. Rep. Debbie Dingell of Michigan were also on the list of accused killer Vance Boelter, along with at least two other House members from Michigan, three from Ohio and one from Wisconsin, according to media reports and statements issued by the legislators and their offices. All the lawmakers are Democrats. A federal affidavit detailing Boelter's alleged crime spree in the early morning of June 14 says he meant to 'kill, injure, harass and intimidate'' more than 45 Minnesota state and federal officials whose names and addresses he had researched. But he appeared intent on going well beyond that. Michigan Rep. Hillary Scholten, among those who have acknowledged appearing on the list, postponed a town hall in response and said on the X platform, "I have never been more resolved to continue this work of protecting and preserving this beautiful country for us ALL. Stay safe!'' Fellow targets from Michigan included Reps. Dingell and Shri Thanedar, while known ones from Ohio are Reps. Greg Landsman, Marcy Kaptur and Joyce Beatty, Axios reported. The outlet said Rep. Mark Pocan of Wisconsin and Rep. Veronica Escobar of Texas were also on the list. Dingell attended a scheduled town hall Monday under heavy security, according to Detroit's WXYZ-TV, an ABC affiliate that said U.S. Sen. Elissa Slotkin and U.S. Rep. Rashida Tlaib of Michigan and Secretary of State Jocelyn Benson were also among Boelter's targets. 'Some people wanted me to cancel tonight and I was not going to cancel tonight,' Dingell said at the event. 'I've got a great chief, and the sheriff from here said to me, 'You just got to be a little more careful.''' Under fire: Sen. Mike Lee faces backlash after controversial posts on assassination of Minnesota lawmaker Prosecutors said Boelter's killings amount to a "political assassination" and he could face the death penalty if he's convicted on federal charges for shootings that unfolded over 90 minutes early Saturday in the Minneapolis suburbs. Boelter, 57, was arrested Sunday night after an intense manhunt and faces both state and federal murder charges, including multiple counts of murder and stalking. While Minnesota abolished the death penalty over a century ago, the federal murder charges carry a maximum penalty of the capital punishment. Early Saturday, Boelter went to the home of Minnesota Sen. John Hoffman, shooting him and his wife, Yvette, disguised as a law enforcement officer and wearing body armor and a silicone mask covering his head and face, prosecutors said. He then traveled to two other unnamed lawmakers' homes. Finally, he entered the home of Minnesota Rep. Melissa Hortman and killed her and her husband, Mark, a federal affidavit said. Authorities said Boelter used the law enforcement ruse to manipulate his way into the homes and had a list of dozens of Minnesota lawmakers and federal officials and their addresses, "mostly or all Democrats," according to the affidavit. "Boelter's unthinkable actions ended the life of someone who shaped the core of who we are as a state," Gov. Tim Walz said. "We must now move forward in Melissa's honor with understanding, service, and above all, a sense of one another's humanity." Members of Congress from both major parties are asking for increased security funding and more extensive protection after the politically motivated attack in Minnesota, the latest high-profile violent incident against public officials. House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries and Rep. Joe Morelle, a fellow House Democrat from New York, wrote a letter to Speaker Mike Johnson requesting enhanced office budgets to 'support additional safety and security measures.' In addition, Republican Rep. Tim Burchett of Tennessee plans to seek around-the-clock security for House members, saying he and his colleagues are "publicly identifiable at all times," according to a draft obtained by USA TODAY. − Sudiksha Kochi President Donald Trump on Tuesday said he doesn't plan to call Walz, who was the 2024 Democratic vice presidential nominee, in the wake of the shootings of the two lawmakers and their spouses. "I think the governor of Minnesota is so whacked out. I'm not calling him. Why would I call him?" Trump told reporters on Tuesday on Air Force One, returning from a meeting of G7 leaders. "The guy doesn't have a clue. He's a mess. So I could be nice and call him, but why waste time?" Trump has previously commented on the shootings, calling them "absolutely terrible." In a statement on Saturday, he said the acts of violence "will not be tolerated in the United States of America." "God Bless the great people of Minnesota, a truly great place!" Trump said. 'It would waste time': Trump says he won't call Minnesota gov. after lawmaker shootings The shootings unfolded in the early morning hours of Saturday. At about 2:06 a.m. local time, authorities were alerted to a shooting at the Hoffman home in Champlin when the couple's adult daughter called 911 to report that her parents had been shot, FBI Special Agent Terry Getsch wrote in the federal affidavit. Video footage from the home shows that the suspect, dressed to look like a police officer and wearing the "realistic" silicone mask, knocked on the door and shouted, "This is the police. Open the door," the affidavit said. Hoffman and his wife both came to the door and Boelter told them he was responding to a shooting. After the couple realized he wasn't a real police officer, Hoffman tried to push Boelter back through the door. Boelter is accused of shooting him repeatedly before turning his gun on Yvette Hoffman, the affidavit said. At about 2:24 a.m., Boelter arrived at an unnamed lawmaker's home in Maple Grove, about 10 miles away from the Hoffman house. He rang the doorbell and said, "This is the police. Open the door. This is the police. We have a warrant," according to the affidavit. The lawmaker was not home and Boelter left. About 12 minutes later, police in nearby New Hope spotted an SUV that looked like a police vehicle parked down the street from another unnamed Minnesota lawmaker's home. The New Hope police were there to check on the official after learning of the Champlin shooting. A New Hope officer "believed that the SUV, which resembled a squad car and was equipped with a police-style light bar, was in fact a law enforcement officer providing protection for Public Official 2," the affidavit said. The police officer tried to speak with the man in the SUV, now believed to be Boelter, but he did not respond. The officer drove to the lawmaker's home, saw there were "no signs of distress" and waited for other law enforcement to arrive, according to the affidavit. By the time they did, Boelter was gone. Finally, at about 3:30 a.m., Brooklyn Park police officers went to the Hortman home to check on the representative. They saw what looked like a police SUV with lights flashing outside. They then saw Boelter in his disguise facing the front door, according to the affidavit. The suspect fired at them and they returned fire, before he entered the home, where more gunshots were heard. He is then believed to have fled on foot out a back door, officials have said. The Hortmans were found shot and their dog gravely injured. Melissa and Mark Hortman were later pronounced dead. Authorities searched the phone of Boelter's wife and found a text at 6:18 a.m. sent by Boelter in a group chat with his wife and children. 'Dad went to war last night … I dont wanna say more because I dont wanna implicate anybody," the text read, according to the affidavit. His wife received a separate message from Boelter: 'Words are not gonna explain how sorry I am for this situation … there's gonna be some people coming to the house armed and trigger-happy and I don't want you guys around.' Mark and Yvette Hoffman both underwent surgery and were expected to recover, officials said after the shooting. Yvette Hoffman said in a statement shared by Sen. Amy Klobuchar, a Democrat who represents Minnesota, that her family is "humbled" by the support they have received. "John is enduring many surgeries right now and is closer every hour to being out of the woods," Yvette Hoffman said in the statement, shared the evening of June 15. John Hoffman was shot nine times and Yvette Hoffman was shot eight times, she said, adding that "we are both incredibly lucky to be alive." "We are gutted and devastated by the loss of Melissa and Mark," Yvette Hoffman said. It's the middle of the night and someone's banging on your front door. You see a flashing police light and hear a voice saying, "This is the police. Open up!" Do you open the door? That's what authorities say happened when Boelter attacked on Saturday. The American Civil Liberties Union recommends talking through the door and asking for identification. If the officer says they have a warrant, you should ask to see it through a window or, if it's a paper copy, have them slip it under the door for proof, the ACLU said. You can also call 911 to verify the officer is real, experts said. Marc Lopez, a former prosecutor who is currently a defense attorney specializing in domestic violence and drunken driving cases in Indianapolis, said there are very few circumstances in which an officer will knock on your door out of nowhere and need to get inside. Those circumstances include: pursuing a felon, hearing screaming or another sign of an emergency inside or if they have a warrant. "Absent those emergencies they can't come into your house," he said. "I would advise anybody, do not open your door. You have no duty to respond."− Amanda Lee Myers, USA TODAY Just as politically motivated attacks by so-called "lone actors" surge across the country, the Trump administration is dismantling the very office that oversees efforts to identify and stop such violent extremists before they strike. In the four months since Trump took office, his administration has shrunk the Department of Homeland Security's Center for Prevention Programs and Partnerships, or CP3, from dozens of analysts and supervisors to fewer than 10 people, led by a 22-year-old recent graduate with no law enforcement or homeland security experience. Indeed, less than 24 hours before the Minnesota attacks, the CP3 office reassigned the last of its senior advisors, said Bill Braniff, who used to lead the center but quit in protest in March. 'The office is being incrementally dismantled,' said Braniff, who is now executive director of the Polarization & Extremism Research & Innovation Lab (PERIL) at American University.− Will Carless, USA TODAY Contributing: Christopher Cann, Melina Khan and Eduardo Cuevas, USA TODAY; Reuters This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Minnesota suspect targeted lawmakers in other states, officials say
