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Former President Barack Obama is heading to Wisconsin later this month to help boost Senate candidate Mandela Barnes, a Democrat challenging GOP Sen. Ron Johnson, as well Gov. NBC News was first to report the news that Obama would campaign in Wisconsin. The visit from Obama comes as both Barnes and Evers face tough battles against their Republican opponents. Governor Mandela Barnes speaks at a rally at the Wisconsin State Capital on July 23, 2022. Obama broke the pattern of close elections in Wisconsin, decisively claiming the state in his 2008 and 2012 presidential runs.

☆ Wisconsin lawyer suing over fake elector plot wants to probe Ron Johnson’s Jan. 6 communications
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-14 | by ( Natasha Korecki | Natasha Korecki Is A Senior National Political Reporter For Nbc News. | ) www.nbcnews.com time to read: +8 min

Johnson has since said that he knew nothing of a fake elector scheme, which is now part of a sprawling federal investigation. The Wisconsin lawsuit alleges that Troupis was a link between the Trump campaign and the fake electors, and allegedly relayed the strategy behind the scheme to Trump allies in Wisconsin. “He’s changed his story a couple of times on handing off fake electors to the vice president or trying to,” Franken said in an interview with NBC News. After Pence’s staff told Johnson’s aide not to give them the slate of electors Jan. 6, Johnson said he informed Troupis. At a recent event at the Milwaukee Rotary Club, Johnson was asked about his actions around Jan. 6.

MILWAUKEE — Republican Sen. Ron Johnson and his Democratic challenger, Mandela Barnes, traded attacks and insults in a heated Senate debate Thursday night that focused heavily on crime, gun violence and economic issues. The hourlong debate, held at Marquette University, was the second of two showdowns ahead of the Nov. 8 election. At various points, both candidates responded to questions from the moderators by lobbing attacks at each other — sometimes wholly unrelated to the topic at hand. Barnes frequently responded to Johnson's attacks on issues like crime and policing by criticizing his record in the Senate. Thursday’s acidic debate came just days after a new poll found Johnson leading Barnes.

☆ Nevada stands alone as only battleground without a Senate debate before midterms
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-13 | by ( Natasha Korecki | Natasha Korecki Is A Senior National Political Reporter For Nbc News. | ) www.nbcnews.com time to read: +2 min

Asked whether her campaign expected her to debate Laxalt, a spokesman for Cortez Masto said Wednesday: “We do not, unfortunately.”Each campaign claimed it was the other side’s fault. Cortez Masto is considered the most vulnerable incumbent among Senate Democrats seeking re-election. Arizona Senate candidates met last week, while Georgia Senate hopefuls square off Friday. Senate candidates in Ohio and North Carolina have already debated, while debates are scheduled for the candidates in Florida, Pennsylvania and New Hampshire. In June, Cortez Masto committed to three debates, one of which was to be broadcast on Spanish-language TV.

☆ Millions of retirees are about to get a $140 monthly raise from Social Security to help deal with how expensive everything has gotten
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-13 | by ( Juliana Kaplan | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

That adjustment will put over $140 more a month in retirees' social security checks. Social security checks are tied to cost-of-living hikes from the third quarter of one year to another. "Medicare premiums are going down and Social Security benefits are going up in 2023, which will give seniors more peace of mind and breathing room,"Acting Social Security Administration Commissioner Kilolo Kijakazi said in a release. "Seniors deserve increases in their Social Security checks to keep up with risings costs — this year, and every year. Democrats are fighting to protect and expand Social Security, funded by the wealthy paying their fair share," Warren tweeted on Thursday.

☆ Wisconsin’s Ron Johnson Showing Strength in State Biden Won
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-12 | by ( John Mccormick | ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

MUSKEGO, Wis.—Ron Johnson started 2022 as his party’s most vulnerable Senate incumbent because he was the only Republican member running in a state President Biden won, had tepid poll numbers, and a history of making controversial statements that help animate his opposition. Less than a month before Election Day, polling shows he is the narrow favorite to hold his Wisconsin seat, which would be a significant boost for Republican hopes of winning the chamber.

☆ With Control of the Senate in Play, These Are the Races to Watch
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-07 | by ( Lauren Leatherand Jonathan Weisman | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +5 min

With the Senate knotted at 50-50 for each party, Republican control is only one seat away. But recent fumbles by Republican candidates in New Hampshire, Georgia and Arizona have made finding those two winnable races more difficult. Then came the accusation that Mr. Walker, a staunch opponent of abortion, paid for an ex-girlfriend's abortion, and the race turned upside-down. Cook Political Report still rates the contest a tossup, but the new allegations have given Mr. Warnock an edge and put Mr. Walker on the defensive. The Democrats’ best chance to pick up a Republican seat is in Pennsylvania , where Senator Patrick J. Toomey is retiring.

☆ As Biden vows to 'protect' Social Security, here's what we know about the future of benefits
▼ + stars: | 2022-09-29 | by ( Lorie Konish | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +6 min

"I want to save Social Security, Medicare and Veterans benefits." A spokeswoman for Scott pointed to a recent interview where he said his plan would help make sure people get their Social Security benefits. Specific plans from both parties are needed to secure the future of both Social Security and Medicare, she said. Due to high inflation, estimates show the Social Security cost-of-living adjustment is poised to be the highest in decades, according to The Senior Citizens League. One more month of consumer price index data will come in before the official bump for next year is announced by the Social Security Administration.

Texas Sen. Ted Cruz was the only GOP committee member to oppose the bill. Other numbers to know:155 miles per hour: How fast the maximum sustained winds of Hurricane Ian were as of Wednesday morning, per the National Hurricane Center. 23 percentage points: Democrat Beto O’Rourke’s edge over Republican Gov. Last night, Democratic Gov. Tim.”Oklahoma Senate: Former President Donald Trump endorsed Republican Sen. James Lankford in his Senate bid, after conspicuously not endorsing the GOP incumbent in his primary.

☆ In an age of 'quiet-quitting,' some money-hungry politicians are glorifying 7-day work weeks, sleepless nights, and burn-it-on-both-ends hustle culture
▼ + stars: | 2022-09-28 | by ( Hanna Kang | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +5 min

Marco Rubio, John Fetterman, and several other politicians have sent out fundraising emails that tout sleepless nights and no days off. But in an age of "quiet quitting" — rejecting hustle culture and subtly dialing it back at work — several politicians have sent out fundraising emails that talk about all-night work and "not taking days off," effectively glorifying working oneself to death. "We have less than 7 weeks to ensure I defeat Dr. freakin' Oz AND this race could literally make or break our Democratic Senate Majority. The latest fundraising email from Sen. Marco Rubio of Florida said his campaign manager, Mark Morgan, hasn't slept in days. "Failure is not an option," Herschel said in his fundraising email, in all caps.

☆ Factbox: Eight U.S. Senate races to watch in November's midterm elections
▼ + stars: | 2022-09-27 | by ( Moira Warburton | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +6 min

Pennsylvania Lieutenant Governor and U.S. Senate candidate John Fetterman speaks during a rally in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, U.S., September 24, 2022. The chamber is currently split 50-50 between Republicans and Democrats, who are able to control the agenda thanks to Vice President Kamala Harris' tie-breaking vote. The state is a former Republican stronghold where Democrats have made surprise gains in recent elections - Biden won the state by 0.3% in 2020. Masters' struggles have led Republicans to pull funding and analysts have shifted their predictions for the race in Kelly's favor. National groups have been pouring in money, and the topic of abortion is front and center since the state's Republican legislature banned all abortions after six weeks.

☆ Campaigns spend over $6.4 billion on ads for 2022 elections, making race one of the most expensive ever
▼ + stars: | 2022-09-26 | by ( Brian Schwartz | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +4 min

They've spent almost $46 million on Google ads over the last 30 days, according to the search engine's data. The Congressional Leadership Fund, a super PAC that backs House Republicans, has spent $1.32 million over the past month on Google ads. Democrats have jumped in with spending millions on Google ads over the past four weeks, records show. The Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee, a campaign arm for Senate Democrats, has spent just over $1 million in Google ads during that time frame. The Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee, which acts as the campaign arm for House Democrats, has spent an almost equal amount on Google ads.

WASHINGTON — A new poll commissioned by a super PAC aligned with President Joe Biden shows the president's overall approval has improved in three battleground states, but voters say he isn't handling certain issues like the economy and jobs well. The favorability rating in those states for former President Donald Trump declined from 44% in May to 39% in September. At least 60% of people in the three battleground states said they disliked how Biden has handled immigration, inflation and the national debt. It said the PAC will "continue to educate voters in swing states about the successes of the Biden administration." The poll surveyed 500 likely voters in each battleground state between Sept. 14 to 19 with a margin of error of 2.5% at the 95% confidence interval.

☆ Democratic divide in Florida: DeSantis challenger to rally with Biden, but Senate candidate won't
▼ + stars: | 2022-09-22 | by ( Marc Caputo | Natasha Korecki | Marc Caputo Is A Senior National Political Reporter For Nbc News. | ) www.nbcnews.com time to read: +6 min

MIAMI — President Joe Biden is coming to Florida next week to campaign with Charlie Crist as he tries to unseat Gov. But Democratic Senate candidate Val Demings won’t be there Tuesday to meet the president in her hometown, Orlando. In Florida, Crist has a tougher race on his hands than Demings. A Suffolk University poll, conducted for USA Today and released Wednesday, drove home the differences between the two Florida Democrats. President Biden knows that, which is why he is coming and why I’m proud to welcome him.”NBC News has asked the White House for comment.

☆ Dozens of Trump’s phony electors, many under investigation, still hold powerful GOP jobs in key states
▼ + stars: | 2022-09-21 | by ( Natasha Korecki | Kaitlyn Francis | Natasha Korecki Is A Senior National Political Reporter For Nbc News. | ) www.nbcnews.com time to read: +13 min

Law enforcement activity has not pushed these false electors from their political perches. Al Drago / Bloomberg via Getty ImagesAll told, 23 of those false electors hold positions of power within their Republican parties. Then there are additional actors that didn’t serve in the slate of false electors themselves but were instrumental in the scheme. Others hold positions of power within the state GOP, including Shafer, who is chair; Joseph Brannan, state GOP treasurer; Vikki Consiglio, the state party’s assistant treasurer; and Ken Carroll, the assistant secretary. On June 21, federal agents scattered across key states to deliver subpoenas to those who acted as Trump electors.

☆ Elon Musk faces skeptics as Tesla gets ready to unveil ‘Optimus’ robot
▼ + stars: | 2022-09-20 | by ( ) www.nbcnews.com time to read: +5 min

Humanoid robots have been in development for decades by Honda Motor Co and Hyundai Motor‘s Boston Dynamics unit. And it’s the same way with humanoid robots to some extent,” the lead of NASA’s Dexterous Robotics Team, Shaun Azimi, told Reuters. Musk acknowledged that humanoid robots do not have enough intelligence to navigate the real world without being explicitly instructed. But he said Tesla can leverage its expertise in AI and key components to develop and produce smart, yet less expensive, humanoid robots at scale. Jonathan Hurst, chief technology officer at Agility Robotics, a humanoid robot firm founded in 2015 said the technology “is right now starting to turn the corner.”“Certainly, an important measure of success is do they make money from it,” he told Reuters, referring to Tesla’s humanoid robot efforts.

☆ Elon Musk faces skeptics as Tesla gets ready to unveil 'Optimus' robot
▼ + stars: | 2022-09-20 | by ( Hyunjoo Jin | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +6 min

A humanoid robot developed by Tesla, known as Tesla Bot or Optimus, is shown in a frame grab from the live video of Tesla's AI Day streamed on August 20, 2022. Humanoid robots have been in development for decades by Honda Motor Co (7267.T) and Hyundai Motor Co (005380.KS)'s Boston Dynamics unit. And it's the same way with humanoid robots to some extent," the lead of NASA's Dexterous Robotics Team, Shaun Azimi, told Reuters. Musk acknowledged that humanoid robots do not have enough intelligence to navigate the real world without being explicitly instructed. "Certainly, an important measure of success is do they make money from it," he told Reuters, referring to Tesla's humanoid robot efforts.

WASHINGTON — The Senate won't vote on legislation to protect same-sex marriage until after the midterm elections, key senators said Thursday, in an apparent bid to give Republicans political space to support the bill without offending their base. "We're very confident that the bill will pass but we will need a little more time," Baldwin told reporters Thursday. The underlying legislation, which would enshrine federal protections for same-sex marriage, is co-sponsored by Collins and Sen. He is "100 percent committed to holding a vote on the legislation this year," Goodman added. "There have been some that said the timing of the vote was political," Tillis added.

Supporters of the Sergeant First Class Heath Robinson Honoring Our Promise to Address Comprehensive Toxics Act — or PACT Act — overwhelmingly expected the House-passed bill to sail through to the president's desk for signature. The PACT Act would have expanded VA health care eligibility to more than 3.5 million post-9/11 combat veterans who were exposed to toxins while serving in the military. When the bill returned to the Senate, the bill had not changed much but the view — and vote — of 25 senators did. "But what is shocking is that so many senators would literally be willing to play with veterans’ lives so openly like this." Sen. Jon Tester, D-Mont., speaks at a news conference about the Honoring Our Promise to Address Comprehensive Toxics (PACT) Act in Washington on Thursday.

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