Midwest
Cori Bush is shaping up to be most vulnerable 'Squad' member this election cycle
Missouri Rep. Cori Bush faces an avalanche of problems with less than five months until her Democrat primary, positioning her as the most vulnerable congressional member of the progressive “Squad” this election cycle.
Bush and other lawmakers in the Squad have recently found themselves targeted by organizations such as the American Israel Public Affairs Committee (AIPAC), which seeks to oust them from office over their contentious stances and statements against the Jewish state.
Bush, however, is in the worst position of the group. She faces a tough primary challenge from her Democrat opponent while dealing with a federal investigation into her campaign. Moreover, her campaign funds are running low heading into a pivotal time before her Aug. 6 primary.
CORI BUSH’S CAMPAIGN PAYS $17,500 MORE TO HER HUSBAND, BRINGING HIS TOTAL TO $120K, NEW FILINGS SHOW
Rep. Cori Bush, center, joins Maximus federal call center workers at a protest for higher wages outside the Department of Health and Human Services on Dec. 12, 2023, in Washington, D.C. (Paul Morigi/Getty Images for Communications Workers of America)
Bush’s opponent, Wesley Bell, a progressive prosecuting attorney for St. Louis County who clashes with her in his stance on Israel, was shown to have a significant lead over the “Squad” member last month, the New York Post reported.
Bush is also confronting a Justice Department investigation into her campaign’s security payments, including to her husband, Cortney Merritts, who she married in February 2023. The couple had been an item before she entered Congress in 2021.
MASSIVE COALITION FORMS TO PROTECT LEFT-WING ‘SQUAD’ MEMBERS AGAINST ONSLAUGHT OF ELECTION SPENDING
Merritts has been paid $120,000 from Bush’s campaign since February 2022. Politicians are permitted to pay family members from their committees if they provide “bona fide” services at fair market value. Merritts acquired the checks as Bush’s committee spent far more on St. Louis-based companies for private details. In total, she’s poured more than $770,000 into private security services.
Merritts, meanwhile, took in the money as he did not have a private security license, Fox News Digital previously reported. He also did not appear in a Washington, D.C., database of licensed security professionals.
Reps. Cori Bush, left, and Rashida Tlaib hold a banner in front of the U.S. Capitol, demanding a cease-fire and condemning the Israeli attacks on Gaza, on Nov. 8, 2023. (Celal Gunes/Anadolu via Getty Images)
Watchdog groups subsequently filed at least two complaints over the matter. The initial complaint, filed to the Federal Election Commission in March 2023 by the Foundation for Accountability and Civic Trust, is pending. The ethics committee has since cleared Bush in a second complaint from the Committee to Defeat the President.
“While the campaign can’t comment on the ongoing federal investigation, the Congresswoman is fully cooperating with the DOJ; her campaign’s security services are in accordance with all applicable laws and have never been paid for using federal taxpayer funds,” Bush’s campaign spokesperson told Fox News Digital in a statement.
“The Office of Congressional Ethics unanimously cleared Congresswoman Bush back in September, and she fully expects to be cleared again when the DOJ concludes its investigation,” the spokesperson said.
The Justice Department opened its investigation into Bush’s campaign payments after the ethics committee had decided she did not violate rules.
ILHAN OMAR’S CAMPAIGN CASH TO CONSULTANTS DIPPED BY MILLIONS AFTER HALTING PAYMENTS TO HUSBAND’S FIRM
Rep. Cori Bush, D-Mo., speaks to reporters after a House vote on Capitol Hill on Oct. 22, 2021. (Jabin Botsford/Washington Post via Getty Images)
Adding to her problems, Bush is also trailing Bell in fundraising. Her most recent filings show that her committee went into January with just $215,000. Conversely, Bell was shown to be better positioned and reported $408,000 in the bank.
Bell has also seen a fundraising swell since shifting from challenging Republican Sen. Josh Hawley to joining the Democrat primary against Bush.
From the beginning of October through late December, Bell’s campaign raised $492,000 and edged out Bush’s cash haul. He added another $100,000 in early January, his campaign told the Riverfront Times.
Federal filings also show that Bell has received the support of some big-name Democrat donors who give extensively to prop up politicians headed into elections, spelling more trouble for the Missouri lawmaker.
LinkedIn co-founder Reid Hoffman, who gave the maximum $6,600 to Bell’s campaign for the primary and general elections, is one such person who has backed her challenger.
Bush’s campaign did not comment on its low amounts of cash when reached by Fox News Digital.
Get the latest updates from the 2024 campaign trail, exclusive interviews and more at our Fox News Digital election hub.
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The University of South Dakota announced on Wednesday, April 22, that Athletic Director Jon Schemmel has received a five-year contract extension running through the 2030-31 academic year.
Schemmel has been in his position since January 2024 and was South Dakota’s senior associate athletic director for development from 2012-2017.
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“The University of South Dakota and Vermillion community is where our family wants to be,” Schemmel said in a press release. “I am humbled and grateful for the continued trust from President (Sheila) Gestring and the South Dakota Board of Regents to continue leading this athletics program. Coyote Nation has the best fans and donors, and we have a group of coaches, staff and student-athletes who are committed to competing for championships and continuing their excellence in the classroom and community.”
The athletics department has raised $49 million since Schemmel took over as AD, including $35 million in the 2025-26 academic year.
The Coyotes have won a Missouri Valley Football Conference championship and Summit League volleyball and men’s indoor track and field titles with Schemmel at the helm.
“USD’s athletic programs continue to thrive under Jon’s leadership,” Gestring said. “His knowledge of Division I athletics, forward-thinking vision for our teams and strength in fundraising have all been assets to our university. Our program is in great hands, and I am looking forward to seeing what Jon, his staff and our student-athletes achieve in the next five years.”
This article originally appeared on Sioux Falls Argus Leader: South Dakota extends AD Jon Schemmel through 2030-31 academic year
Wisconsin Lutheran High School basketball star Zavier Zens has officially committed to play for the University of Illinois next season.
Zavier Zens Makes It Official with the Illini
Zens, a tenacious 6-foot-7, 215-pound senior forward, initially committed to play collegiately for Northern Iowa but reopened his recruitment as the result of a head coaching change, ultimately narrowing his final choices to Illinois, Utah State, and Wisconsin.
On April 17, the highly touted three-star recruit signed a Big Ten Conference Athletics Scholarship Agreement to compete for Illinois, ending the greatly anticipated recruitment journey.
A Chance to Maximize His Development Was the Key
“What I was looking for was the best chance to develop and become the best player I can become,” said Zens, in an interview with Zac Bellman of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel. “Illinois, they arguably have the best team in the country coming in next year, and the chance to get to go up against them every day, along with the good development program and their record of developing guys, was really big to me. Obviously, the fit and culture was right as well.”
Illinois tied for second in the Big Ten Conference under the guidance of head coach Brad Underwood, advanced to the NCAA Tournament’s Final Four for the first time in 21 years (2005), and finished with a 28-9 overall record.
“Zavier first and foremost is a winner,” said Underwood, in an official release posted on fightingillini.com. “He is an extremely high IQ player who has been well coached and brings a championship pedigree to the table, winning three straight state titles. He fits our recruiting mold as a 6-foot-7 versatile wing who can score at all three levels and process the game.”
Zens Helped Wisconsin Lutheran to a WIAA Three-Peat
Zens averaged 23.4 points per game (including a 61.8% field-goal percentage) with 5.4 rebounds, and 4.4 assists this season in leading the Vikings to a third consecutive WIAA state championship and statement-making 30-0 overall record.
Wisconsin’s Mr. Basketball contributed 20 points with four 3-point baskets, six rebounds, three assists, two blocked shots, and one steal as top-seeded Wisconsin Lutheran defeated third-seeded Madison Memorial 57-37 in the WIAA Division 1 state championship game at the University of Wisconsin’s Kohl Center on March 21.
The 2026 Wisconsin Gatorade Player of the Year finished his memorable four-year high school career with a 109-7 overall record (including an 88-2 mark during the three-year championship run) and as the third-leading scorer in program history (1,611 points).
Zens Continues the Trend of Mr. Wisconsin Playing Out-of-State
In an interesting twist, Zens (a cousin of NBA rookie sensation Kon Knueppel who competes for the Charlotte Hornets) joins an elite group of seven recent Wisconsin Mr. Basketball recipients who opted to play out of state.
Wisconsin, under current head coach Greg Gard, has advanced to the NCAA Tournament eight times, with the fifth-seeded Badgers most recently falling to No. 12-seeded High Point 83-82 in this year’s opening round on March 19.
The impressive list of Wisconsin Basketball Coaches Association honorees includes:
2025: Xzavion Mitchell, Oshkosh North (Iowa State)
2023: (co-winner) Milan Momcilovic, Pewaukee (Iowa State)
2023: (co-winner) John Kinzinger, De Pere (Illinois State)
2022: Seth Trimble, Menomonee Falls (North Carolina)
2021: Brandin Podziemski, St. John’s (Illinois, Santa Clara)
— Jeff Hagenau | jeffreyhagenau@gmail.com
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In the lead-up to the 2026 NFL Draft, NBC Sports’ Chris Simms gave his one and only prediction of who he believes will be selected in the first round on April 23, including where the Detroit Lions go after at the No. 17 overall pick.
Along with several draft boards and experts, the general consensus is that the Lions will prioritize an offensive tackle with their lone first-round pick, given the dire need to replace now-released Taylor Decker at the left tackle position next season.
In his April 20 prediction posted on X, Simms has the Lions addressing that need by selecting 6-foot-7, 352-pound Alabama offensive tackle Kadyn Proctor at their No. 17 overall draft position.
While there are some mock drafts that predict the Lions trading up to grab their desired draft target, the franchise certainly would not be opposed to Proctor, who is ranked as the No. 2 overall offensive tackle by NFL.com, perfectly falling to them at the No. 17 position.
If Detroit can land Proctor, it would likely be viewed as another successful first-round selection by general manager Brad Holmes and an excellent way to kick off the NFL Draft weekend in the Steel City.
For more Lions coverage, follow us on X, @TheLionsWire, and give our Facebook page a like. Follow Scout on X: @SpringgateNews
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