Wisconsin Right Now

  Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis announced Sunday he is dropping out of the Republican presidential primary and endorsing former President Donald Trump. DeSantis said he could not continue to ask for support when he does not have a "clear path to victory." "I'm proud to have delivered on 100% of my promises, and I will not stop now," he said in an online video. "It's clear to me that a majority of Republican primary voters want to give Donald Trump another chance." The news comes as New Hampshire voters are set to head to the polls Tuesday to choose their favored candidate in the Republican presidential primary race as Trump’s challengers run low on time to gain ground in the race. Trump holds a sizeable lead in New Hampshire, though not as wide as his margin in Iowa, a state he won handily last Monday with more than 50% support. DeSantis finished a distant second in Iowa, but he had a grim outlook in New Hampshire and little hope of winni

  Sen. Joe Manchin, D-W.V., announced Thursday he would not run for reelection for his Senate seat but will instead travel the country to see if there is an appetite for a movement made up of the political middle to "take back America." “After months of deliberation and long conversation with my family, I believe in my heart of hearts that I have accomplished what I set out to do for West Virginia,” Manchin said in a video announcement on X, formerly known as Twitter. “I have made one of the toughest decisions of my life and decided that I will not be running for election to United States Senate." “But what I will be doing is traveling the country and speaking out to see if there is an interest in creating a movement to mobilize the middle and bring Americans together,” he added. Manchin, who is known as one of the most moderate Democrats in the Senate, sparked rumors with his announcement that he was feeling out a possible presidential run. “The growing divi

  Robert F. Kennedy Jr. announced Monday he would run for president in 2024 as an independent. RFK Jr., who was previously running for the Democratic nomination before Monday’s announcement, has grown in popularity through his online presence attacking both typically Democratic and Republican positions in the U.S. RFK took off in notoriety for his outspoken criticism of COVID-19 policies and the COVID vaccine. "People stop me everywhere, at hotels, at the airport, on the street, and they remind me that this country is ready for a history-making change," RFK Jr. said during his announcement speech at Independence Mall in Philadelphia. “They are ready to reclaim their freedom, their independence.” RFK Jr. pointed to a litany of problems facing the U.S., including suicide, mental health issues, infrastructure problems, chronic disease, political corruption and wealth inequality. He argued that people are tired of the traditional system, which has not solved those probl

Dow, S&P jump during Powell press conference following the central bank’s biggest rate increase since 1994 The Federal Reserve announced a 0.75 percentage point rate hike Wednesday to help combat soaring inflation, the largest rate increase in 28 years. The Fed said it raised the rates "to 1‑1/2 to 1-3/4 percent and anticipates that ongoing increases in the target range will be appropriate." "The committee seeks to achieve maximum employment and inflation at the rate of 2% over the longer run," the Federal Reserve said in a statement. "In addition, the committee will continue reducing its holdings of Treasury securities and agency debt and agency mortgage-backed securities, as described in the Plans for Reducing the Size of the Federal Reserve's Balance Sheet that was issued in May. The committee is strongly committed to returning inflation to its 2% objective." The decision is expected to curb inflation, but that comes at a cost to the eco

The U.S. Department of Interior announced it is making only 20% of eligible acreage for oil and natural gas production available for leasing on federal lands to comply with a federal court order. In his first week in office, President Joe Biden issued an executive order directing new oil and natural gas leases on public lands and waters to be halted by the Interior Department. The agency was also tasked to review existing permits for fossil fuel development. The administration was sued and last June, a federal judge in Louisiana struck down the executive order. Issuing lease sales, the agency said, was “in compliance with an injunction from the Western District of Louisiana.” The sales would focus on the “highest and best use of America’s public lands, reflecting an 80 percent reduction from nominated acreage” and “reflects the balanced approach to energy development and management of our nation’s public lands,” the agency said in a news release. On Friday, the Bureau of Land M

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.”

“With this TPD action, the Biden-Harris Administration has now approved approximately $8.7 billion in student loan discharges for roughly 455,000 borrowers” A federal student loan forgiveness program aimed at helping out public servants is getting an overhaul after media reports exposed major problems with the program. The U.S. Department of Education announced Wednesday that the Public Service Loan Forgiveness (PSLF) Program will undergo an overhaul to make sure more public servants, including members of the military, receive taxpayers' funds to help them repay their debts. "This is an entire system who let down our men and women in uniform," said Seth Frotman, head of the Student Borrower Protection Program. The announcement comes just a few days after media reports, including a CBS “60 Minutes” investigation, showed that military members were frustrated with the program for its complex requirements and complicated approval process that prevented many from rec