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Bob Agnew
Reporting from Capitol Hill, Bob Agnew has updates on what’s going on in the Senate.
Senator Thune Urges Trump To Stay Out Of GOP Leadership Battle
Fri, Nov 8, 2024 at 2:03 pm
Republican Whip Senator John Thune [R-SD] is asking Donald Trump to stay out of the debate over who will succeed Mitch McConnell as GOP leader in the next Congress. Thune has served as leader McConnell’s number TWO since 2019, but much like his soon to be former boss, does not enjoy the support of President-elect Trump. Two other Republicans, Rick Scott [R-FL] of Florida and John Cornyn [R-TX] are both Trump supporters and spent sgnificant time with him on the campaign trail. Conservatives hope that—unlike during his first term-President Trump will enjoy robust support from both a GOP controlled House and a Senat where Republicans will hold at least a 53 seat majority.
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Pro Biz Group Says “Prosperity” Message Resonated With Voters
Fri, Nov 8, 2024 at 1:58 pm
The nation’s leading pro-business group is cheering the results of this week’s election.
Akash Chougule with Americans for Prosperity says his organization did as much as any conservative group to steer American voters toward Donald Trump. He says now’s the time for Donald Trump and Republicans to fulfill their promises on things like inflation and the open border.
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Senator Tim Scott Seeks To Head GOP Senate Re-election Effort
Fri, Nov 8, 2024 at 1:55 pm
Republican Senator Tim Scott (R-SC) says he want’s to lead the party’s effort to win Senate elections in 2026. Senator Scott [R-SC] announced Friday he’s running for chairman of the National Republican Senatorial Committee. The role means a lot of hard work in helping fellow GOP senators hold their seats in the next election. Republicans will face an uphill climm as they defend 20 of the 33 seats in play. Looking through 2026 Scott says-“two years of a Republican agenda is good, but four years of success under Donald J. Trump is even better,”.
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PA Senate Win Gives GOP 53-Seat Majority With Two Races Still To Count
Thu, Nov 7, 2024 at 4:41 pm
Republicans have picked up another Senate seat with a win in Pennslyvania. The victory by Republican challenger Dave McCormick [R-PA] over incumbent Democrat Bob Casey [D-PA] gives the GOP 53 seats in the upper chamber, with TWO seats still to be called. The GOP is looking to notch another win in Nevada. Democrats will be able to add to their caucus — currently at 45 members — if Ruben Gallego pulls out a win in Arizona.
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U.S. B-52’s Pose Clear And Present Danger To Iran’s Nuke Sites
Thu, Nov 7, 2024 at 3:07 pm
Israel hopes the presence of B-52 bombers sent by the U.S. will help it prevent a possible nuclear strike by Iran. Dr. Michael Oren, Israel’s former ambassador to the U.S. says the big planes fly at 50,000 feet, and each carry a 30,000 lb. “bunker buster” bomb. Observers suspect the planes could be used soon to launch an attack on Iran’s nuclear sites.
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Pro-Abortion Measures See Mixed Results On Election Day
Wed, Nov 6, 2024 at 1:40 am
Pro-abortion forces lost Tuesday on a Florida ballot measure but prevailed in two other states. By rejecting adding abortion rights to their state constitution Florida voters kept a ban on abortion after the first six weeks of pregnancy in place. It’s the first time abortion rights groups have lost in a statewide ballot question since the U.S. Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade and ended a national legal right to abortion in 2022. Most voters did support the measure, but it fell short of the 60% required to pass. It was a victory for Republican Gov. Ron DeSantis. Pro-abortion measures were adopted in Maryland and New York.
Listen DownloadRepublicans Claim Senate Majority
Wed, Nov 6, 2024 at 1:36 am
Republicans have taken the Senate majority for first time in four years. Republicans seized control after flipping more than enough Democrat-held seats, holding onto GOP incumbents and wresting away the majority for the first time in four years. The unexpected battleground of Nebraska pushed Republicans over the top as Sen. Deb Fischer [R-Neb] brushed back a challenge from independent newcomer Dan Osborn. That came after Republican Sen. Ted Cruz [R-TX] of Texas defeated Democrat Colin Allred. Democratic efforts to salvage their majority slipped further out of reach with Democratic Sen. Sherrod Brown [D-OH] in Ohio lost his reelection to Republican Bernie Moreno. Early on, Republicans picked up the seat in West Virginia.
Listen DownloadPolls Suggest Senate GOP To Flip More Seats Than Democrats
Mon, Nov 4, 2024 at 3:03 pm
Control of the Senate after tomorrow’s (Tuesday’s) election will come down to which party can flip the most seats. In a year when Senate Democrats have 23 seats in play to the Republican’s 11, The GOP is expected to use that advantage to reclaim the majority. Something they would need only ONE new seat to accomplish if Donald Trump wins the white house, TWO seats if Kamala Harris wins. Those flipped seats are next to certain this year in West Virginia, and Montana. Republicans also hope to pad their new majority with tight races in Ohio, Pennsylvania and Wisconsin. Polls show Democrat attempts to flip Republican seats in Texas, Florida, and Nebraska will likely come up short.
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North Carolina Sets New Early Voting Record
Mon, Nov 4, 2024 at 10:56 am
North Carolina has set a new record for early voting. The state board of elections says nearly 4.5 MILLION North Carolinians cast their ballots early this year—including 4.2 MILLION who did so at in-person voting sites—That far exceeds the previous state record of 3.6 MILLION who did so in 2020. Many feared that after Hurricane Helen caused widespread damage in the wesern patt of the state voting would be impacted. Instea, state officials ay, turnout in the 25 counties hardest hit by the storm was 58.9 percent, about TWO percent higher than the statewide average.
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52-48? Senate Republicans Eyeing Wide Majority In 119th Congress
Thu, Oct 31, 2024 at 4:34 pm
Republicans are hoping they’ll recapture enough seats to wind up with a 52-48 majority in the Senate. With just days to go before Tuesday’s election Capitol insiders say expectations have only grown for a major GOP victory on Tuesday. Republicans feel certain they’ll flip one seat in west Virginia, and another in bright Red Montana. That alone would give Republicans a 51-49 majority, but expectations have grown. One GOP insider telling The Hill ““At this point, we have to have 52,” Anything short of that , some analysts say, will leave GOP leaders disappointed at a lost opprtunity.
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Senator Cruz Holds Two Point Lead Over Challenger Alred In Texas Poll
Wed, Oct 30, 2024 at 4:03 pm
Texas Senator Ted Cruz [R-TX] holds a lead over his challenger despite a well funded effort by Democrats to flip his seat from Red to Blue. According to a new poll from The University of Texas at Tyler Cruz [R-TX] gets 47 percent compared to just 45% for Democrat Congressman Colin Alred [D-TX]. THREE percent support a Libertarian candidate, and SIX percent described themselves as undecided or refused to answer. Texas is one of THREE states —along with Florida and Nebraska-where Democrat have spent MILLIONS in hopes of flipping a GOP seat, with Republicas expected to flip at least TWO Democrat-held seats and regain the Senate Majority.
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Senator Fischer of Nebraska says Opponent “Independent” In Name Only
Wed, Oct 30, 2024 at 2:20 pm
Nebraska’s Republican Senator Deb Fischer [R-Neb] says Democrats are pouring MILLIONS into her state to support her opponent. Fischer still holds a small-but-steady lead over her opponent Bob Osborn. But she says Democrats have pumped 20-Million dollars into the statr, hoping to convince Nebraska voters her opponent Bob Osborn is a genuine “independent”. She says the latest evidence it’s not true comes in the form of a fundraising letter in which Osborn promised supporters he’ll caucus with the Democrats, just like Bernie Sanders. Nebraska the latest state where Democrats are desperate to flip a GOP seat in hopes of holding on to their thin majority in the U.S. Senate.
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SCOTUS Sides With VA Effort To Clean Up Voter Rolls
Wed, Oct 30, 2024 at 12:50 pm
A major court victory for Virginia as it tries to clean up its voter rolls to avoid election fraud. The Supreme Court on Wednesday allowed Virginia to resume its purge of voter registrations . It’s a step the state says is aimed at keeping non-citizens from casting ballots. The justices, over the dissents of the three liberal justices, granted an emergency appeal from Virginia’s Republican administration led by Gov. Glenn Youngkin. The justices acted on Virginia’s appeal after a federal judge found that the state illegally purged more than 1,600 voter registrations in the past two months. The high court’s THREE liberal justices dissented in today’s ruling.
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“A Spiritual Issue”: Pastor Jack Hibbs Says Christians Who Don’t Vote Shirking Their Civil and Spiritual Duties
Wed, Oct 30, 2024 at 12:36 pm
A leading Evangelical pastor points a finger of blame at Christians he says have been shirking their spiritual and civic duties. Jack Hibbs, pastor of Calvary Chapel Chino Hills in California says even though believers have a tendency to register many pass up the opportunity to cast a ballot. It’s something he says amounts to shirking their civic and spiritual duties as Christians.
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Florida Sues AG Garland For Hampering Assassination Plot Investigation
Fri, Oct 25, 2024 at 2:51 pm
Florida’s Attorney General is suing U.S. Attorney General Merrick Garland for hampering the state’s investigation into the second assassination attempt on former President Trump. Florida AG Ashley Moody sued Merrick garland on Wednesday arguing that the Justice Department is standing in the way of the state fully investigating the assassination attempt in Palm Beach. In the wording of the complaint both the FBI and the Department of Justice acted -quote-“almost immediately” to try and halt the state’s investigatiion. Florida may go around the DOJ by filing a number of state charges against the suspect.
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Majority Of California Voters Favor New Crime Measure
Fri, Oct 25, 2024 at 2:48 pm
A strong majority of California voters favor a new bill that would crack down on crime. According to a survey from the Public Policy Institute of California shows nearly THREE-quarters of the California electorate plans to vote in favor of Proposition 36. A high-profile ballot measure that increases penalties for some theft and drug-related crimes.
Intelligence Chairman Warns Domain Registrars To Check Foreign Election Interference
Thu, Oct 24, 2024 at 4:04 pm
The chairman of the Senate Intelligence Committee is demanding that Domain registrars do a better job of policing election interference from foreign actors posing as U.S. government or media websites. In a letter to to Domain registrars including GoDaddy, NameCheap, and Verisign Intel chairman Mark Warner [D-VA] complained about what he called the industry’s “apparent inattention to abuses by foreign actors engaged in covert influence,”, Warner warned about potential confusion for voters during an elecion year. Unless the indstry does a better job of policing itself Warner warns there may need to be-quote-“legislative remedies that promote greater diligence across the global domain name ecosystem.”
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Optimistic Republicans Map Out First 100 Days Plan For New Congress
Thu, Oct 24, 2024 at 3:36 pm
Republican leaders are mapping out an agenda for the first 100-days of what they hope will be a unified GOP-controlled Congress next year. Republicans in the Senate and House hope to combine forces in the next Congress and with a hoped-for win by former President Trump they should be able to advance a number of key priorities. Cutting taxes will be job ONE—by voting to extend the earlier Trump tax cuts that are otherwise set to expire at the end of next year. Other priorities will be completion of Donald Trump’s border wall, and defunding parts of the government Republicans say have been “weaponized” during the Biden/Harris administration.
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Fewer Americans In The Market For A New Car
Tue, Oct 22, 2024 at 11:35 am
An “affordability shift” is taking root in the U.S. auto industry. The trend is being led by people who feel they can no longer afford a new vehicle that would cost them roughly today’s average selling price of more than $47,000, a jump of more than 20% since before the pandemic. The trend is causing car makers to take a second look at their sales and production strategies.
Listen DownloadHarris Treading Water In Polls Despite Massive Spending
Mon, Oct 21, 2024 at 1:48 pm
A key political observer says there’s a reason Kamala Harris is still struggling in the polls despite massive spending on political ads. Jim Geraghty with National Review says Harris has a BILLION dollars to spend on ads, but doesn’t seem to be making a corresponding impact on the voters. The real challenge for Harris, he says, is putting any meaningful distance between herself and Joe Biden.
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Harris Plan Would Impose “Death Tax” On More American Families
Mon, Oct 21, 2024 at 1:44 pm
Americans hoping to leave an inheritance to their children would face a major blow if Kamala Harris is elected president. Vice President Harris says she plans to let a Trump tax exemption expire next year. That means the Estate Tax would kick in at a lower level -$5-MILLION- and impact a greater number of families. The tax is especially hard on those families who own businesses, ranches, or farms. In those cases the asset may have great value on paper, but not generate large cash flow. In many cases such assets would have to be sold off just so the descendants could afford to pay the IRS the dreaded “Death Tax”
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Newsweek: Twice As Many Pennsylvania Democrats Leaving Party In 2024
Mon, Oct 21, 2024 at 1:04 pm
A Newsweek report says nearly twice as many Pennsylvania voters are leaving the party this year compared to last year. Pennsylvania still has more registered Democrats than any other party, but Newsweek reports the number of voters leavbing the party has dramatically increased. It says 103-percent more voters have defected from the democrat rolls this year to join other parties, including the GOP. Pennsylvania’s 19 electoral votes-the most of any of the swing states-could determine the winner in the 2024 presidential election.
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Senator Cotton Says Fox Interview Shows Harris Living In “Progressive Bubble”
Thu, Oct 17, 2024 at 1:16 pm
One Republican critic says Kamala Harris showed she’s out of touch with average Americans during her interview with Fox News “Special Report” host Brett Baier. Senator Tom Cotton [R-Ark] says Harris’ weaknesses were on full display. He blames Harris’ inability to answer American’s concerns about the border and the economy on her liberal elite circle of influence. Cotton tells the Salem Radio Network Harris being out of touch with average Americans is costing her in the polls in key states like Michigan, Wisconsin, and Pennsylvania.
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Policy Expert Continetti Blasts WH Pressure On Israel
Wed, Oct 16, 2024 at 4:18 pm
A pro-Israel policy analyst says the Biden/Harris administration is letting politics dictate policy in the Middle East. Matt Continetti with the American Enterprise Institute disagrees with the white house demand Israel do more to safeguard the flow of aid into Gaza He says it’s an effort to win more Muslim support for Kamala Harris. Combined with the Biden Harris pressure on Israel not to attack Iran’s nuclear facilities, despite repeated attacks from Tehran, he says the Biden/Harris administration’s legacy in the Middle East is “shameful.”
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