Wisconsin Right Now

A new report published by the U.S. House Committee on Homeland Security states that “foreign jihadist networks and homegrown violent extremists” represent a “persistent terror threat to America.” It identifies more than 50 cases in 29 U.S. states between April 2021 and September 2024, including dozens of attempts to provide material support to Islamic designated foreign terrorist organizations (FTOs), ISIS, Hezbollah and al Qaeda, with individuals receiving military type training from ISIS and Hezbollah, and committing fraud. The states where jihadist cases were identified include Alabama, California, Connecticut, Florida, Idaho, Illinois, Indiana, Kansas, Kentucky, Maine, Michigan, Minnesota, Nevada, New Jersey, New York, Ohio, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, Virginia, and Washington. The committee notes that increased threats to Americans heightened after an ISIS-K-orchestrated terrorist attack in Afghanistan on Aug. 30, 2021, that killed 13 U.S. service m...

House Oversight Committee Chair Rep. James Comer, R-Ky., threatened Tuesday to subpoena the head of border patrol, saying he has not received answers when asked about Vice President Kamala Harris' role as border czar. Comer sent a letter to Troy Miller, the acting commissioner for the U.S. Customs and Border Protection, requesting documents and communications regarding Harris' role in working with CBP to address the border crisis. "The deadline to produce has passed, and CBP has failed to provide the Committee with any responsive documents, communications, or even a timeline for when CBP intends to comply with the request," the letter said. CBP did not immediately respond to a request for comment. "If CBP continues to withhold documents and communications on this matter, the Committee will consider alternative measures to obtain this information, including through the compulsory process," Comer said in the letter. Harris has tried to distance her...

  U.S. House committees are investigating “ideological bias” of National Public Radio (NPR), a nonprofit news organization established by Congress and partially funded by taxpayers. NPR has come under fire after its former editor Uri Berliner  said  it had "lost America's trust" and criticized NPR’s Chief Executive Officer, Katherine Maher, for her focus on combating “misinformation” and reportedly criticizing the First Amendment.  Maher,  who is connected  to several global economic organizations, including the World Bank and World Economic Forum, has donated solely to Democratic political candidates, The Center Square first  reported .  The House investigation is being spearheaded by House Energy and Commerce Committee chair Rep. Cathy McMorris Rodgers, R-WA, and Subcommittee on Oversight and Investigations Chair Morgan Griffith, R-VA. An oversight hearing is scheduled for Wednesday to examine NPR’s alleged “viewpoint discrimination.”   “NPR is entrusted ...

  Several U.S. House Republicans introduced multiple pieces of legislation to defund National Public Radio following new allegations of “leftist propaganda” from the taxpayer-funded news source. House Freedom Caucus Chair Bob Good, R-Va., Rep. Jim Banks, R-Ind., and Rep. Claudia Tenney, R-N.Y., introduced similar legislation to prohibit federal funding for NPR, including barring local public radio stations from utilizing money from federal grants to “purchase content or pay dues to NPR.” Over the years, Republicans have made multiple attempts to defund NPR, citing similar complaints. The latest outrage follows an  editorial  from former NPR Editor Uri Berliner, who criticized the news source claiming it had "lost America's trust." Berliner criticized NPR’s coverage of alleged Russian interference in the 2016 presidential election, the COVID-19 lab leak theory and of Hunter Biden's abandoned laptop as examples of the outlet’s left-leaning bias. He described “...

Republicans’ advantage in the U.S. House of Representatives will be only 217-213 after April 19, following Friday’s decision by U.S. Rep. Mike Gallagher to resign. The resignation means no more than one Republican can cross the aisle on party-line votes. Wisconsin’s 8th Congressional District representative, just 31 when he first won his seat in November 2016, had already said he would not seek a fifth term this election cycle. The timing is such that, by state law, his successor will come during the general election Nov. 5. That contest, in a strong Republican area, matches state Sen. Andre Jacque, R-De Pere, and former Democratic state Sen. Roger Roth. In a statement, Gallagher said, “Four terms serving Northeast Wisconsin in Congress has been the honor of a lifetime and strengthened my conviction that America is the greatest country in the history of the world.” Gallagher was a Marine intelligence officer from 2006-13, twice deployed to Iraq. Gallagher’s statement gave...

According to bank documents provided by the committee, the payments appear to be monthly for $1,380. House Oversight Committee Chair Rep. James Comer, R-Ky., released evidence Monday of regular monthly payments from one of Hunter Biden’s business entities to his father, President Joe Biden. Comer released bank records obtained via subpoena that allegedly show direct monthly payments from one of Hunter Biden’s business entities, Owasco PC, which is also under investigation by the Department of Justice tax-related charges. Owasca PC was Hunter’s joint venture with a Chinese national that received $5 million from from Northern International Capital Holdings, an entity which is linked to the Chinese government. “Today, the House Oversight Committee is releasing subpoenaed bank records that show Hunter Biden’s business entity, Owasco PC, made direct monthly payments to Joe Biden,” Comer said in a video released Monday. “This wasn’t a payment from Hunter Biden’s personal account b...

  The U.S. House of Representatives voted Wednesday to elect Rep. Mike Johnson, R-La., as speaker of the House, ending more than three weeks without a speaker and a string of chaotic meetings and votes on Capitol Hill. Johnson received multiple standing ovations from his colleagues Wednesday before securing the speakership. The final vote was 220-209, with Democrats supporting Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries. “Today is the day that House Republicans will humbly look in our hearts and elect Mike Johnson as speaker of the people’s House,” Conference Chair Rep. Elise Stefanik, R-N.Y., said in a speech from the House floor ahead of the vote, calling Johnson “a man of deep faith,” and “a deeply respected Constitutional lawyer.” “Mike is strong, tough and fair, and above all, Mike is kind,” Stefanik added. Stefanik announced on Sunday nine candidates that were making a bid to be speaker, but that number was slowly whittled down as lawmakers dropped out. “Today is the day we...

  U.S. House Oversight Chair Rep. James Comer, R-Ky., released bank records Friday that he says show a $200,000 direct payment to President Joe Biden, the latest and possibly most significant piece of evidence in the ongoing investigation into the Biden family and associates' business dealings and the president’s alleged role in them. Biden has repeatedly denied benefiting from the overseas business dealings, which total well over $20 million in payments, according to IRS whistleblowers. He has not yet responded to this latest piece of evidence. “A document that we’re releasing today raises new questions about how President Biden personally benefited from his family’s shady influence peddling of his name and their access to him,” Comer said in the announcement. The document is a copy of a check apparently from James Biden, Joe Biden's brother, to the president. Comer said there is significant evidence that the Biden family and associates received millions of dollars i...

  U.S. House Judiciary Chair Rep. Jim Jordan, R-Ohio, failed to get the needed support to become speaker of the House in the first vote Tuesday afternoon. The next vote is now scheduled for Wednesday. On Tuesday, 20 Republicans did not vote with Jordan, spreading their votes across several candidates. Democrats remained in lockstep behind Minority Leader Rep. Hakeem Jeffires, D-N.Y. Jordan has the backing of the majority of Republicans but fell short of the needed 217 votes. This was not a major surprise, and there could be several more votes. Whether Republicans defect to or away from Jordan will be key as he tries to rally more to his cause. A few defections away from Jordan could kill his momentum. “We know that Jim Jordan is a winner on behalf of the American people,” U.S. Rep. Elise Stefanik, R-N.Y., said during her speech to nominate Jordan for the role. “Let's elect Jim Jordan … for such a time as this,” she added, making reference to the Biblical story of Esther. ...

  House Republican Jim Jordan of Ohio has picked up several key endorsements heading into a scheduled Tuesday vote for the next speaker of the House. Mike Rogers, R-Ala., became the center of controversy over the weekend after news broke that he was reportedly considering working with Democrats to elect Democratic leader Hakeem Jeffries given the Republican party's inability to pick a speaker so far. By Monday morning, Rogers publicly endorsed Jordan. “[Jordan] and I have had two cordial, thoughtful, and productive conversations over the past two days,” Rogers wrote on X, formerly known as Twitter. “We agreed on the need for Congress to pass a strong NDAA, appropriations to fund our government's vital functions, and other important legislation like the Farm Bill. “Since I was first elected to the House, I have always been a team player and supported what the majority of the Republican Conference agrees to,” he added. Jordan, who sent out a letter to fellow Republi...

  House Republicans have nominated Judiciary Chair Jim Jordan, R-Ohio, to be speaker of the House, but it remains unclear if Jordan can get the needed 217 votes from his own fractured party. Rep. Austin Scott, R-Ga., a lesser-known member, threw his name in the hat for the position as well and got significant support in the nomination vote, though possibly only as a vote against Jordan instead of a true vote for Scott. Later, though, Scott threw his support behind Jordan. "I highly respect Jim Jordan. He is an asset to the Republican Party and our nominee for Speaker," Scott wrote on X, formerly known as Twitter. "Our conference has spoken, and now we must unite behind Jordan so we can get Congress back to work." Jordan has conservative chops and support from the party base, but many moderates may not be willing to go his way. "For years, I've stayed out of House leadership elections, but this time I endorsed [Jordan]," Sen. Ted Cruz, R-T...

  The Republican-led House Oversight Committee announced its first impeachment inquiry into President Joe Biden is scheduled for Sept. 28, next Thursday. The impeachment inquiry committee will have the power to subpoena records and communications to dig up evidence and will likely be a thorn in Biden’s side heading into the 2024 election year. House Speaker Kevin McCarthy, R-Calif., last week directed three House Committees to lead the inquiry, pointing to evidence that the president's son, Hunter Biden, and his associates allegedly received millions of dollars from foreign entities and that the president knew about it. Biden’s supporters immediately pushed back, arguing there was no evidence for the inquiry. McCarthy responded, saying the inquiry is to find the facts and that there is plenty of evidence. He pointed to about 150 U.S. Treasury Department suspicious activities reports filed by the agency around Hunter Biden’s dealings as well as bank records and testimony f...

Biden's approval ratings also show Democrats' wavering support of the President.  White House Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre dismissed concerns regarding President Joe Biden's possible reelection bid. In an interview with CNN's Don Lemon late Monday, Jean-Pierre responded to a question concerning Biden's potential inability to run again in 2024. "Does the President have the stamina, physically and mentally, do you think to continue on even after 2024?" Lemon asked. "Don, you're asking me this question? Oh my gosh, he's the president of the United States," Jean-Pierre replied. "That is not a question that we should be even asking." These comments come after a New York Times article reporting Democrats' hesitancy to endorse Biden, who is 79, for a 2024 run. "That article that we're talking about is hearsay," Jean-Pierre said. "That's not what we care about; we care about how are we goi...

CDC Director Rochelle Walensky said her agency would still recommend masks for vaccinated students in schools. The White House announced Wednesday new plans for the “potential authorization” of children COVID vaccinations for ages 5-11, saying they have enough vaccinations ready and waiting for the federal approval. The White House prep suggests they expect favorable federal approval from the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) despite hesitation from health officials earlier this year. “We expect the FDA and CDC’s decision on Pfizer’s COVID-19 vaccine for children ages 5 through 11 in the next couple of weeks,” White House Coronavirus Response Coordinator Jeff Zients said during a White House teleconference Wednesday. “First, on supply: We have secured vaccine supply to vaccinate every child ages 5 through 11. And as soon as the vaccine is authorized by the FDA, we will begin shipping millions of doses nationwide.” ...