Wednesday, November 20, 2024
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Wednesday, November 20, 2024

Milwaukee Press Club 'Excellence in Wisconsin Journalism' 2020 & 2021 Award Winners

LIE EXPOSED: Dane County Sheriff Refused 90% of ICE Hold Requests in 2024 [EXCLUSIVE]

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Dane County Sheriff Kalvin Barrett’s office refused 90% of ICE requests to keep accused deportable criminals in the Dane County Jail so far this year, despite claiming he cooperates with ICE in an unhinged politicized rant timed with a Kamala Harris visit, according to dozens of records obtained by Wisconsin Right Now through an open records request.

In 44 of 49 ICE detainer hold requests, Barrett’s department “declined to hold” the accused illegal criminals for ICE. Most of the few accepted holds involved federal judge’s orders for illegal entry charges. Many of the rejected holds involve extremely serious felonies, including an attempted homicide; a child rape case; a carjacking; violence against women, including strangulation; stalking; and repeat drunk drivers, including one facing a 6th offense.

If you count the 5 cases listed by the Sheriff’s Department as dismissed/dropped, Barrett’s rejected percentage is 81%. Some of the detainers for those cases are also stamped “not served” and the accused were convicted of criminal charges. The Sheriff’s agency says Dismissed/Dropped would mean that ICE “did not want a hold placed on the Resident anymore for whatever reason.”

Dane county sheriff kalvin barrett
Dane county sheriff kalvin barrett

We found one instance where Barrett’s office rejected 3 ICE holds for the same accused criminal from Mexico, Hermenegildo Zagal Reyes, on different dates for things like battery and bail jumping.

We found cases in which accused criminals were released on bail because Barrett’s office refused ICE holds seeking to keep them in jail, and then they reoffended. For example, Leonel Alen Aranguren, who is a non-citizen from Venezuela, was accused of felony carjacking: possessing a weapon in Dane County on Sept. 9. He was released on $3,000 bail on Sept. 11, court records show. ICE asked Barrett to hold Aranguren on 9/5, but Barrett’s agency rejected the request. On Oct. 22, Aranguren was charged with misdemeanor battery. He was released on a signature bond two days later. He required an interpreter.

Saye Gbalah, a deportable alien from Liberia, was accused of 6th offense drunk driving in Dane County on July 24. A court commissioner, Jason Hanson, gave him a signature bond that same day. Twice, he had violations and appeared for new bail hearings in front of Judges Brian Asmus and Ellen Berz. Neither raised his bail. ICE tried to detain him on July 23 when he was arrested, but Barrett’s office rejected the request.

Dane county ice holds

Asked for comment, Elise Schaffer, spokeswoman for the Sheriff, confirmed that the “Dane County Sheriff’s Office requires judicial authority to hold someone in custody. In cases where we have a person in jail who has not been sentenced, we request that US Immigration and Customs Enforcement provide a court document signed by a judge granting the authority to hold that individual.”

However, that almost never happens, according to the open records response.

“If we have someone in custody who is serving a sentence, we will notify ICE of the release date and inform them that they must pick up that individual by 11:00 am. We do not hold people past their scheduled release date unless there is judicial authority,” she said.

In an even more serious case, Nelson W. Mijango Santos is accused of partially “disemboweling” a man with a silver folding knife in a Madison parking lot after telling him, “Do you want to die?” and “Do you want to see the devil with me?” Santos then led police on a dangerous pursuit that ended when he produced a possibly fake firearm that he pointed at officers and a machete-like sword, stabbing himself repeatedly after demanding that officers shoot him, the complaint says.

Dane county ice holds

On June 27, Santos was freed on a $500 signature bond for 2nd offense OWI and operating after revocation. ICE had requested that Santos be held in jail in April, but Barrett rejected the request, the new records show. In fact, Barrett’s office even rejected a SECOND ICE hold request after Santos was accused of stabbing the man. See records here.

Dane county ice holds

In the case of Santos, he remains in custody because he couldn’t post the now $250,000 bail. That’s true of some other cases too. It’s also possible that some of the accused will end up with lengthy prison sentences, and the Department of Corrections might honor a detainer there.

In another case, Juan Romero-Ramirez is listed as being in the Dane County Jail on charges of felony repeated sexual assault of a child. But those charges were filed in 2022, and he was initially released on a signature bond. It wasn’t until 2024 that he was taken back into custody. An ICE hold was declined, but bail was raised, and he’s still in jail after a judge refused a jury’s verdict in his case and ordered another trial.

But in other serious cases, Dane County’s lenient judiciary contributes to releases, and accused illegal immigrant criminals have been released on low bail or signature bonds and are free to roam the community because Barrett wouldn’t honor ICE’s hold requests.

It appears the sheriff rejects most cases in which there isn’t a judge’s order. That’s true even of rape and other extremely violent cases.

2024 ice holds Dane county ice holds

For example, Hernan Alvardo Arahuanaza was charged with felony strangulation and suffocation, domestic abuse on May 15, 2024. Dane County Court Commissioner Karie Cattanach gave him a signature bond, which means he could walk out of the jail without paying any cash. ICE tried to keep him in jail, issuing a detainer request the same day he was charged. But the sheriff stamped it “declined to hold.” A plea hearing is scheduled for December. Arahuanaza is listed as being from Peru.

In a similar case, Julio Portillo Salinas was accused of felony strangulation and suffocation and misdemeanor disorderly conduct on June 18 in Dane County. That same day, he was granted a $500 signature bond. ICE had tried to issue a detainer two days before, but Barrett’s office rejected it. Neither Salinas nor Arahuanaza is in jail.

The ICE hold requests say that the Department of Homeland Security has determined the accused criminal is a “deportable alien.” ICE indicated it wishes to hold the individual for processing and asks the Sheriff’s Department to honor the detainer and give ICE at least 48 hours to pick up the person if they are about to be released (either from a sentence, on bail, or for some other reason.)

Read the detainers here:

2023-Detainers-Residents and Holds_Redacted-1

2024-Detainers-Residents and Holds_Redacted-2

Note: In the 2024 totals, we included one 2024 detainer that wasn’t on the list but was still included in the batch.

The data from his own office contradicts Barrett’s unhinged political rant on Facebook in September, when he falsely claimed he cooperates with ICE while trashing a Republican congressman. The sheriff’s rant was timed with Vice President Kamala Harris coming to his community. She has been under fire from former President Donald Trump for weak border policies.

The media largely took the sheriff’s word, but we took it one step further—we filed an open records request asking for all of the ICE detainers for 2024 to date and for 2023, including detainers rejected by the Sheriff’s Department.

Dane county ice holds

It was previously revealed that ICE listed Dane County, Wisconsin, as a “non-cooperative” jurisdiction when it comes to holding illegal immigrant criminals in its jail, according to a June 21, 2024, report from U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement.

The Dane County Sheriff’s own records now explain why.

“Not served” is stamped on many of the detainers, including those for violent crimes.

Dane county ice holds

ICE’s definition of “non-cooperative” institution is, “Non-cooperative: No – Notification prior to release AND No – Adequate hold time to assume DHS custody.”

WRN asked for comment from Barrett’s office. We will update the story if his office responds.

Barrett posted the lengthy rant on his Facebook campaign page after Wisconsin Right Now ran a story about a letter he received from Wisconsin Congressmen Tom Tiffany and Derrick Van Orden after the arrest in Prairie du Chien of an accused Venezuelan gang member who had a warrant out of Dane County.

“Additionally, statement about being ‘non-cooperative’ is false,” Barrett wrote. “To the authors of this inquiry, please aim your political theatrics in a different direction as you try to recover from the thorough, factual and strategic dismantling of your presidential candidate by VP Kamala Harris on Tuesday. The voters of Wisconsin will not be swayed by such remedial tactics.” He shared a Wisconsin Right Now story that described the congressmen’s letter, which included a list of questions for the Dane County Sheriff.

Tiffany responded to Barrett’s statement on his Facebook comment thread, sharing the ICE report and writing, “The Biden-Harris admin listed you as non-cooperative in June. This means you don’t notify ICE prior to releasing aliens or hold individuals for adequate time for DHS. Why lie?”

The letter was provoked by the Prairie du Chien Police Department revealing that a suspected Venezuelan gang member who is not a U.S. citizen now has an ICE detainer hold after he was accused of sexually assaulting a juvenile female in Prairie du Chien, Wisconsin.

The suspect, Alejandro Jose Coronel Zarate, 26 of Venezuela, is believed to be a member of “Tren de Aragua,” a violent Venezuelan gang, the Prairie du Chien wrote in the Sept. 6 press release. That’s the same gang that sparked massive outrage and headlines after a video emerged showing gang members at an Aurora, Colorado, apartment building.

As we previously reported, according to online court records, since 2023, Zarate was wanted on warrants out of Dane County, where he was charged, but never showed up for court, with a slew of violent crimes. Those charges are felony strangulation and suffocation; false imprisonment; battery; and disorderly conduct, court records show.

Wisconsin Right Now previously obtained jail booking records that show that the Hennepin County Jail in Minnesota, where Tim Walz is governor, had him in custody for almost three days but then released him, even though Madison had already established probable cause against Coronel-Zarate in a separate choking case. He crossed the border in 2023, according to Prairie du Chien police.

In a previous email responding to our questions on Colonel-Zarate’ case, the Dane County Sheriff’s spokeswoman Elise Schaffer told us, “We do not have a ‘non-cooperation’ policy regarding communication or coordination with ICE. It is our practice not to hold someone past their scheduled release date for ICE. If there is an ICE hold on someone in our jail, they must be picked up before 11 am on their release date.”

What that statement left out? The Dane County Sheriff’s Department declines almost all holds.

Barrett is the sheriff who ordered inmates in his jail to be renamed “residents.”

As of June 2024, out of 4,156 institutions, only 551 were listed as non-cooperative, ICE wrote.

 

McNair Post Baccalaureate Achievement Program Wisconsin Institute for Law and Liberty

WILL: Race Prioritization by USDA Needs To Be Stopped

(The Center Square) – Citing discrimination against nonminorities in farming assistance programs, the Wisconsin Institute for Law and Liberty has filed an amicus brief in support of plaintiff Robert Holman's litigation against the U.S. Department of Agriculture.

He's a corn and soybean farmer.

The institute is calling on the incoming Trump administration to address the issue among other federal agencies as well.

In an amicus brief supporting Holman, the conservative-leaning institute says prioritizing members of races deemed “socially disadvantaged” in taxpayer-funded assistance programs is unconstitutional.

“During the Biden administration, race discrimination infected every nook and cranny of the federal government,” Deputy Counsel Dan Lennington of the Institute for Law and Liberty said. “These programs impact Americans and small businesses every day. The new Congress and administration should immediately dismantle each one of these discriminatory programs. Otherwise, we’ll see them in court.”

WILL also said it had identified more than 60 federal programs across 11 federal agencies that allocate support based on racial preferences.

Examples included those agencies prioritizing racial minorities when distributing financial assistance, awarding contracts, granting business subsidies and home improvement rebates, and waiving required fees for those seeking disaster assistance.

In addition to the USDA, the law firm said such programs are being run in the Small Business Administration, Department of Homeland Security, Department of Defense, Treasury, Environmental Protection Agency, Department of Energy, National Aeronautics and Space Administration, Federal Communications Commission, Department of Transportation, and the Office of Federal Procurement Policy.

“These programs are designed to serve ‘socially disadvantaged individuals,’ a racially charged term created to favor some races over others," the firm said in a statement. "Like many other federal agencies, USDA relies on unlawful stereotypes in distributing benefits to farmers, assuming that some races are all ‘disadvantaged’ while others are not.”

The law firm added that the incoming administration should use the USDA lawsuit and Wisconsin Institute for Law and Liberty's findings as a “road map” in rooting out diversity, equity and inclusion policies in the federal government.

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Trump Taps Sean Duffy to Lead Department of Transportation

President-elect Donald Trump is nominating former Congressman and current Fox Business host Sean Duffy to serve as his Department of Transportation secretary.

“During his time in Congress, Sean was a respected voice and communicator in the Republican Conference, advocating for Fiscal Responsibility, Economic Growth, and Rural Development,” Trump said in a statement. “Admired across the aisle, Sean worked with Democrats to clear extensive Legislative hurdles to build the largest road and bridge project in Minnesota History.”

Duffy is an attorney who represented the seventh district of Wisconsin from 2011-2019 as a Republican.

“He will prioritize Excellence, Competence, Competitiveness and Beauty when rebuilding America's highways, tunnels, bridges and airports,” Trump said. “The husband of a wonderful woman, Rachel Campos-Duffy, a STAR on FoxNews, and the father of nine incredible children, Sean knows how important it is for families to be able to travel safely, and with peace of mind.

“Sean will use his experience and the relationships he has built over many years in Congress to maintain and rebuild our Nation's Infrastructure, and fulfill our Mission of ushering in The Golden Age of Travel, focusing on Safety, Efficiency, and Innovation,” he added.

Notably, Trump said Duffy will “make our skies safe again by eliminating DEl for pilots and air traffic controllers.”

Taking on DEI in the federal government is a growing theme for some of Trump’s nominees, including Federal Communications Commission nominee Brendan Carr and Secretary of Defense nominee Pete Hegseth, both of whom promised to root out DEI policies in their respective roles.

The Owner-Operator Independent Drivers Association, which represents truck drivers and has more than 150,000 members, immediately backed Trump’s pick.

“OOIDA and the 150,000 small business truckers we represent congratulate Representative Sean Duffy on his nomination as Secretary of Transportation,” OOIDA President Todd Spencer said in a statement. “We look forward to working with him in advancing the priorities of small business truckers across America, including expanding truck parking, fighting freight fraud, and rolling back unnecessary regulations. We encourage a swift confirmation in the Senate and look forward to working with the new administration.”

Duffy accepted the nomination on X.

“I’m eager to help you usher in a new golden age of transportation,” Duffy said.

Trump's picks for his administration so far include:

Sean Duffy to lead the Department of Transportation.Chris Wright for Department of Energy Secretary.Brendan Carr to lead the Federal Communications Commission.North Dakota Gov. Doug Burgum as Secretary of the Interior.William Owen Scharf as Assistant to the President and White House Staff Secretary.Robert F. Kennedy Jr. as head of U.S. Health and Human ServicesFormer Congresswoman and veteran Tulsi Gabbard as Director of National Intelligence.Former Congressman Doug Collins as Secretary of Veterans AffairsJay Clayton as Chairman of the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission.Former congressman Matt Gaetz for Attorney General.Veteran and Fox News host Pete Hegseth as Secretary of Defense.Veteran and former New York congressman Lee Zeldin as head of the Environmental Protection Agency.U.S. Sen. Marco Rubio, R-Fla., as Secretary of State.Former Immigration and Customs Enforcement Director Tom Homan as “border czar.”Former Director of National Intelligence John Ratcliffe as Director of the Central Intelligence Agency.Former Congresswoman and current governor of South Dakota, Kristi Noem as Secretary of the Department of Homeland Security.Elon Musk and Vivek Ramaswamy to lead the “Department of Government Efficiency.William Joseph McGinley as White House Counsel.Steven C. Witkoff as Special Envoy to the Middle East.Rep. Mike Waltz, R-Fla. as national security advisor.Former Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee as ambassador to Israel.Rep. Elise Stefanik, R-N.Y. as ambassador to the U.N.Dean John Sauer as Solicitor General.Todd Blanche as Deputy Attorney General.Emil Bove as Principal Associate Deputy Attorney General.Dan Scavino of the Trump campaign as Assistant to the President and Deputy Chief of Staff.Susie Wiles, co-chair of the Trump campaign, as White House Chief of Staff.Stephen Miller as Assistant to the President and Deputy Chief of Staff for Policy and Homeland Security Advisor.James Blair of the Trump campaign as Assistant to the President and Deputy Chief of Staff for Legislative, Political and Public Affairs.Taylor Budowich of the Trump campaign as Assistant to the President and Deputy Chief of Staff for Communications and Personnel.

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Assembly Republicans Want Surplus Returned; Senate Democrats Eye Medicaid Expansion

(The Center Square) – It doesn’t look like the leadership in the Wisconsin legislature will be changing next year.

Republicans in the Assembly re-elected Speaker Robin Vos, while Democrats in the Wisconsin Senate re-elected Dianne Hesselbein as Minority Leader.

Senate Republicans last week re-elected Sen. Devin LeMahieu as Majority Leader.

Democrats in the Assembly are the only ones who have not yet voted for their leader. That vote is set for Tuesday.

The leadership re-elections signal that next year likely won’t be that much different from the past two years at the Capitol in Madison.

In fact, both Vos and Hasselbein said their priorities for the new session are no different than their priorities from the one that’s about to end.

“We have an opportunity to make sure that the wishes of the public in Wisconsin become the reality that we work on over the next 14 to 15 months,” Vols told reporters.

The new legislature will be tasked with writing a new state budget.

Hesselbein said Democrats want to add to that state budget and spend more on Gov. Tony Evers’ top priorities.

“We know that there's no reason we should be fighting on these. Whether it's Medicaid expansion, supporting K-12 [education], higher education, technical colleges, paid family medical leave, and helping support those people that with Child Care Counts. These are issues that we all care deeply about, and those are the things that we're going to be fighting for on day one,” Hesselbein said.

Vos said Assembly Republicans are not looking to spend any more money in the new state budget.

“Voters are saying they want us to focus on what's important to them. I think our campaigns really did that. They were focused almost entirely on ‘How do we deal with the inflation that's ravaging through every income strata and every part of Wisconsin?’ If you talk to most folks they know the price of groceries. They know that rent is higher. They know that the cost of just about everything is higher,” Vos said. “We have a record-surplus and…at least for Assembly Republicans, we are not in a rush to spend that. We are in a rush to return it back to the people of Wisconsin. The best way that we can help folks deal with inflation is by putting the money that they overpaid back in their wallets, so that they can choose to spend it on things that are important to their family. So that's going to be something that we work on right away next spring.”

The new legislature will take its oath and begin its new session in January.

Trump Picks Robert F. Kennedy Jr. to Lead HHS

Robert F. Kennedy Jr. is President-elect Donald Trump’s pick to serve as U.S. Health and Human Services secretary.

“I am thrilled to announce Robert F. Kennedy Jr. as The United States Secretary of Health and Human Services (HHS),” Trump said in a statement. “For too long, Americans have been crushed by the industrial food complex and drug companies who have engaged in deception, misinformation, and disinformation when it comes to Public Health.”

The lifelong Democrat became an Independent during his presidential campaign and then endorsed Trump, helping propel Trump to victory.

Kennedy has been outspoken about the need to take on corporate food companies as well as the U.S. Food and Drug Administration to address the chronic health crisis in America.

“The Safety and Health of all Americans is the most important role of any Administration, and HHS will play a big role in helping ensure that everybody will be protected from harmful chemicals, pollutants, pesticides, pharmaceutical products, and food additives that have contributed to the overwhelming Health Crisis in this Country,” Trump said. “Mr. Kennedy will restore these Agencies to the traditions of Gold Standard Scientific Research, and beacons of Transparency, to end the Chronic Disease epidemic, and to Make America Great and Healthy Again!”

Kennedy is also known for his skepticism of some vaccines.

Kennedy has pushed his “Make America Healthy Again” movement in recent months, raising concerns about the chemicals in American food and how federal health agencies have either allowed harmful food and drugs or been coopted by corporations.

The MAHA website emphasizes regenerative agriculture, habitat preservation, combatting corporate corruption and removing toxins from the environment.

“Robert F Kennedy Jr will be The Secretary of Health and Human Services!” Donald Trump Jr. posted on X. “Promises Made Promises Kept.”

Republicans Secure Control of House of Representatives

Republicans will again control the U.S. House of Representatives, multiple media outlets are projecting.

The call means President-elect Donald Trump is at the helm as Republicans have secured all three branches of the federal government.

Decision Desk HQ called the House for Republicans days ago, but other media outlets like CNN and NBC News held out until Wednesday afternoon to put Republicans at at least 218 seats after flipping one overall in their favor with a few more races to call.

The Associated Press and Fox News still have not called the House, leaving Republicans at 217 seats.

Meanwhile, Senate Republicans on Wednesday elected U.S. Sen. John Thune, R-S.D., to serve as majority leader as Trump rolled out several picks to fill out his administration.

Republican control of the House will likely prevent Trump from facing more impeachment attempts and House investigations as well as give an edge in funding battles.

“Thank you, President @realDonaldTrump for joining House Republicans this morning,” House Speaker Mike Johnson, R-Fla., who was reelected to his role Wednesday, wrote on X. “Our strong @HouseGOP majority is looking forward to advancing your agenda that puts the American people FIRST! As you said, we will unify and get it done!”

Musk, Ramaswamy to Lead Trump Efforts to Cut Waste, Fraud in Federal Government

President-elect Donald Trump picked Tesla CEO Elon Musk and businessman Vivek Ramaswamy to lead a newly created Department of Government Efficiency.

The department's acronym, DOGE, is a nod to Musk's favorite cryptocurrency, dogecoin. Trump said the new group will pave the way for his administration to "dismantle government bureaucracy, slash excess regulation, cut wasteful expenditures and restructure federal agencies."

Trump laid out lofty goals for the group in his announcement this week.

"It will become, potentially, 'The Manhatten Project,' of our time," Trump's announcement said. "Republican politicians have dreamed about the objectives of 'DOGE' for a very long time."

It won't be an official government agency, which will likely allow Musk and Ramaswamy to avoid public financial disclosures.

Trump said the change he's looking for won't come from within the existing federal government.

"To drive this kind of change, the Department of Government Efficiency will provide advice and guidance from outside the government, and will partner with the White House and Office of Management & Budget to drive large scale structural reform and create and entrepreneurial approach to government never seen before," the announcement noted.

Trump said he looks forward to what Musk and Ramaswamy can accomplish.

"Importantly, we will drive out the massive waste and fraud which exists throughout our annual $6.5 trillion of government spending," he said.

Trump also gave them a deadline: July 4, 2026.

"A smaller government, with more efficiency and less bureaucracy will be the perfect gift to America" on the 250th anniversary of the Declaration of Independence, according to the announcement.

Ramaswamy, who dropped out the race for the GOP nomination to endorse Trump in January, has previously proposed significant cuts. During his campaign, Ramaswamy proposed cutting 75% of the federal workforce.

Musk recently suggested that he could cut $2 trillion from the federal budget, or about one-third of total U.S. spending. He's been tossing out ideas on X, previously Twitter before Musk bought the company and changed the name.

"The world is suffering slow strangulation by overregulation. Every year, the noose tightens a little more," Musk wrote in a post on X on Wednesday. "We finally have a mandate to delete the mountain of choking regulations that do not serve the greater good."

Musk also said he isn't a threat to democracy, but a threat to bureaucracy.

DOGE already has an X account. It's first post: "Working overtime to ensure your tax dollars will be spent wisely!"

Some budget experts have called Musk's pledge to cut $2 trillion a pipe dream, noting that many of the problems DOGE wants to address have proven intractable.

Brian Riedl, a senior fellow at the Manhattan Institute think tank, called Musk's proposal "a random number unattached to reality."

Marc Goldwein, the senior vice president and senior policy director for the Committee for a Responsible Federal Budget, said it could be done with 10 aggressive policies, mostly focused on Medicare and Medicaid.

"The government can legitimately save trillions over a decade by reducing waste and improving efficiency – and I hope we do," Goldwein wrote on X. "Achieving these savings requires major changes to how and how much we pay for health care."

Medicare (annual cost of about $1 trillion) is a federal health insurance program for people 65 or older, and some people younger than 65 with certain disabilities or conditions. Medicaid (annual cost of about $558 billion) is a joint federal and state program that helps cover medical costs for some people with limited income and resources.

The Government Accountability Office, which serves as the research arm of Congress, estimated annual fraud losses cost taxpayers between $233 billion and $521 billion annually, in a report in April. The fraud estimate's range represents 3% to 7% of average federal obligations. The Office of Management and Budget publicly questioned that estimate, calling it "not plausible."

"OMB has significant concerns that this report will not further efforts to prevent and reduce fraud, but rather will create confusion and promote misleading generalizations that have no factual connection to specific federal programs," Jason Miller, the deputy director for management at the Office of Management and Budget, wrote of OMB concerns in a three-page letter to officials with the Government Accountability Office.

On the campaign trail, Ramaswamy detailed his plan to reduce the federal workforce by 75% during an event at the America First Policy Institute in Washington in 2023.

Ramaswamy said he would shutter the FBI (about 35,000 employees); the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (5,099 employees); the U.S. Department of Education (about 4,200 employees); the Nuclear Regulatory Commission (about 3,000 employees); and the Department of Agriculture's Food and Nutrition Services (about 1,500 employees).

Under Ramaswamy's campaign plan, some 15,000 FBI employees would be moved to other agencies such as the U.S. Marshals Service, U.S. Secret Service, Treasury's Financial Crimes Enforcement Network, Drug Enforcement Administration, Defense Intelligence Agency, and Commerce's Bureau of Industry and Security.

Some groups called the Department of Government Efficiency goals a stretch. Others had more pointed things to say.

Lisa Gilbert, co-president of Public Citizen, a progressive consumer advocacy organization founded by Ralph Nader, said the government agencies and regulations Ramaswamy proposed cutting are in place to protect people.

"The purpose of government regulations is to protect the American people," she said in a statement. "We all depend on these regulations to protect our air, water, workers, children's safety, and so much more. 'Cutting red tape' is shorthand for getting rid of the safeguards that protect us in order to benefit corporate interests."

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Harris Concedes Election to Trump, Pledges to Help Him With Transition

Vice President Kamala Harris addressed her supporters and the nation at her alma mater Howard University in Washington, D.C. Wednesday afternoon, where she publicly conceded the race to former President Donald Trump.

Harris – the 60-year-old former California Attorney General and U.S. senator currently serving as vice president – called for loyalty to the U.S. Constitution and the peaceful transition of power in her speech.

She clearly conceded the race and pledged to help former President Donald Trump with the transition.

“My heart is full today, full of gratitude for the trust you have placed in me, full of love for our country and full of resolve,” Harris said to begin her remarks. “The outcome of this election is not what we wanted, not what we fought for, not what we voted for, but hear me when i say the light of America’s promise will always burn bright as long as we never give up and as long as we keep fighting.”

Harris thanked her family, supporters, her team, President Joe Biden, her running mate, Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz, and poll workers.

“Over the 107 days of this campaign we have been intentional about building community and building coalitions, bringing people together from every walk of life and background, united by love and country with enthusiasm and joy in our fight for America’s future,” Harris said. “And we did it with the knowledge that we all have so much more in common than what separates us.”

Harris’ comments come as voting results continued to pour in showing former President Donald Trump either winning or leading in all seven swing states, putting him over 300 electoral votes and a roughly 5 million vote lead in the popular vote.

Now, Harris is expected to certify the election in early January ahead of Trump's Jan. 20 inauguration.

“We must accept the results of this election,” Harris said in her remarks. “I also told [Trump] that we will help him and his team with their transition and that we will engage in a peaceful transition of power.

“While I concede this election, I do not concede the fight that fueled this campaign, the fight for freedom, for opportunity, for fairness and the dignity of all people,” Harris continued.

Harris reportedly called Trump to concede the race earlier Wednesday afternoon. Harris held off on addressing her supporters or calling Trump into the early morning Wednesday as results poured in and made her path to the White House impossible.

Trump gave his own remarks early Wednesday, promising a new “golden age” in America.

“Frankly, I believe this was the greatest political movement of all time, and maybe beyond,” Trump said, promising to “help our country heal.”

President Joe Biden also reportedly called to congratulate Trump, who outperformed expectations on Tuesday after indictments, assassination attempts and constant media criticism in a historic political comeback.

No president has had two nonconsecutive terms since Grover Cleveland, who was elected president for the second time in 1892.

In her speech, Harris laid out some of the policy or ideological issues that motivated her campaign, pledging to continue to fight for those ideas.

She also spoke an encouraging message to the young people in attendance at her speech.

“To everyone who is watching … this is not a time to throw up our hands,” Harris said. “This is a time to roll up our sleeves. This is a time to organize, to mobilize and to stay engaged for the sake of freedom and justice and the future that we all know we can build together.”

tammy baldwin eric hovde

Baldwin Declared Winner Over Hovde in Tight Wisconsin U.S. Senate Race

(The Center Square) – Incumbent Sen. Tammy Baldwin defeated Republican challenger Eric Hovde in a race declared Wednesday afternoon.

Baldwin held a lead of 28,958 votes with 49.38% of the vote to Hovde’s 48.52%.

“The voters have spoken and our campaign has won,” Baldwin wrote on social media. “Wisconsinites chose someone who always puts them first, shows up, listens, and works with everyone to get the job done. I'm proud to head back to the Senate to keep fighting for our workers, farmers, and families that make our state great.”

Wisconsinites chose someone who always puts them first, shows up, listens, and works with everyone to get the job done. I'm proud to head back to the Senate to keep fighting for our workers, farmers, and families that make our state great.

If the difference remains less than 1%, Hovde will automatically qualify for a re-count.

After the unofficial tallies are done, a canvas must be complete and filed by Nov. 19. Then Hovde would have three days from the time the final canvas is received to ask for a recount.

Republican leaders, including Wisconsin Republican Party Chairman Brian Schimming, pointed toward third-party candidate Thomas Leager, who received 28,717 votes in the U.S. Senate race. Leager was found to have been funded by Democratic firms and donors despite saying that he was recruited to run by the Patriots Run Project.

Schimming called Leager and the America First party a “fake candidate under a fake party name.”

“Democrats have to come in and pose as something they are not,” Schimming said.

Schimming said that he would work with Hovde’s campaign to determine if they will ask for a recount, saying it is a “very very close race.” That decision has not been made yet, Schimming said.

rebecca cooke

U.S. Rep. Van Orden Defeats Rebecca Cooke in District 3

(The Center Square) – Third District Congressman Rep. Derrick Van Orden defeated Rebecca Cooke in a race that was called late Wednesday morning by multiple outlets.

Van Orden, the Republican incumbent, had 51.35% of the vote with 211,696 to Cooke’s 48.65% with 200,556 votes in the district that includes Eau Claire and areas south of the city and extending east toward Oshkosh.

Incumbents won seven of the eight U.S. House seats in Wisconsin as the Republicans hold a 6-2 advantage in the state.

Republican Tony Wied topped Democrat Kristin Lyerly in the 8th District to fill an empty seat held by Republican Mike Gallagher until his April 24 resignation. Wied received 57.3% of the vote to Lyerly’s 42.7%.

Republican incumbent Reps. Bryan Steil (1st District), Scott Fitzgerald (5th District), Glenn Grothman (6th District) and Tom Tiffany (7th District) won races along with Democratic incumbents Mark Pocan (2nd District) and Gwen Moore (4th District).

Pocan represents a district including Madison and Moore represents Milwaukee.

Van Orden went back and forth during the race but ultimately did not schedule a debate.

Van Orden recently testified in front of the House Judiciary Committee about the effects of illegal immigration on Wisconsin on a statewide scale.

Van Orden fought back after Cooke incorrectly accused him of skipping a health care policy forum during the campaign.

The group organizing the forum, the Western Wisconsin Medical Society, called Cooke’s comments inaccurate and disappointing.

https://www.thecentersquare.com/wisconsin/article_3543096c-87f8-11ef-87e1-1bfc5f5a2ccc.html

eric hovde

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Wisconsin Approves Constitution Change to Prevent Noncitizen Voting

(The Center Square) – Wisconsin voters approved a state constitution change requiring someone to be a citizen to vote in elections.

The ballot measure had 75% approval with more than 95% of the statewide voted tallied.

Currently, the Wisconsin constitution states that "Every United States citizen age 18 or older who is a resident of an election district" is a qualified voter; the ballot proposal would replace the phrase “every United States citizen” with “only a United States citizen.”

The ballot measure comes as leaders across the state called for a process for the state to check its voter rolls for noncitizens and remove them, ensuring election integrity in the state.

Currently, election commissions cannot check their rolls with the Wisconsin Department of Transportation to ensure an estimated 90,000 individuals who are currently legally in the state, who can get a drivers license, do not register to vote.

Several voting groups across the state spoke out against the ballot measure, including the League of Women Voters.

"The change from 'every' to 'only' is a downgrade to all of our voting rights," the group said. "The language changes our constitutionally protected voting rights from a guarantee for all citizens to a limitation that could be used to erode our voting rights."

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