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Trump eyes 2 battleground states as he looks to tear down Dem 'blue wall' again

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Trump eyes 2 battleground states as he looks to tear down Dem 'blue wall' again

Donald Trump is making the most of his day off from court this week.

With the judge in the former president’s first criminal trial using Wednesdays to handle other business from other cases he’s handling, Trump is heading to two crucial states that may decide the winner of his 2024 rematch with President Biden.

Trump is making campaign stops in Wisconsin and Michigan, two crucial battlegrounds he narrowly captured in his 2016 presidential election victory but where he fell short four years later as he lost his re-election bid.

It’s the former president’s second swing through the two Great Lakes swing states in a month.

“Those two states are absolutely essential to both campaigns, followed pretty closely by Pennsylvania,” longtime Republican strategist and presidential campaign veteran David Kochel said. “Those are two states where the Trump campaign should live.”

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Former President Trump speaks at a rally in Green Bay, Wisconsin, on April 2, 2024. (AP Photo/Mike Roemer)

Trump’s unexpected victories in Michigan and Wisconsin, along with Pennsylvania, over 2016 Democrat presidential nominee Hillary Clinton shattered the so-called “blue wall” of states that Democrats had counted on for nearly a quarter-century.

And Trump’s victories in all three states symbolized his ability to flip blue-collar voters, giving the GOP hopes of a long-lasting electoral realignment in the so-called Rust Belt.

But four years later, Biden narrowly captured all three states as his party partially reconstructed the “blue wall.” And Democrats won gubernatorial elections that same year in Michigan and Wisconsin – flipping Republican-held governors’ offices – and in 2022 flipped a crucial Senate seat in Pennsylvania that was vital to keeping their majority in the chamber.

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While they’re enjoying a winning streak, Democrats are taking nothing for granted. Many recent polls suggest Trump holds a slight edge over Biden in all three states.

“It’s no surprise to anyone that Michigan and Wisconsin are important Midwest battleground states for November. President Trump is leading in both because Biden’s failure and weakness is felt in every town and city,” Trump campaign senior adviser Brian Hughes told Fox News.

Trump’s first stop on Wednesday is Waukesha, Wisconsin, which is about 20 miles west of downtown Milwaukee, where his campaign said the former president will “contrast the peace, prosperity and security of his first term” with what they argue is “Joe Biden’s failed presidency.”

The former president is expected to shine a spotlight on rising prices, which have been a persistent problem for the Biden administration for three years, and on the surge of migrants at the nation’s southern border that has sent shock waves across the country.

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Former President Trump gives a speech about crime and border security during a stop in Grand Rapids, Michigan, on April 2, 2024. (Fox News/Paul Steinhauser)

Trump will then hold a rally in the evening in Freeland, Michigan, about 120 miles north of Detroit. During his stop in Grand Rapids, Michigan, a month ago, Trump spoke out against what he called “Biden’s border bloodbath.”

Hughes said that during his stops in Wisconsin and Michigan, Trump will “demonstrate to the people of these states and the nation that he is ready to win and make America great again.”

Biden has made multiple trips to Michigan and Wisconsin this year, and his campaign enjoys a formidable advantage in both states when it comes to organization and ground-game efforts.

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“Trump heads to the states with no campaign infrastructure to speak of in either battleground – while President Biden and Democrats have 44 offices in Wisconsin and 30 in Michigan,” Biden’s campaign said in a statement. “Trump’s former minority outreach center in Milwaukee is becoming an ice cream shop.”

President Biden speaks at an event at the Madison Area Technical College’s Truax campus in Wisconsin on April 8, 2024. (AP)

But Biden’s support for Israel in its war with Hamas has strained support among Michigan’s large pool of Arab-American voters. And while the president enjoys plenty of union endorsements, Trump has made inroads with some of the state’s autoworkers as he’s repeatedly targeted Biden’s push for electric vehicles in the battle against climate change.

“There’s a ton of opportunity in Michigan for Trump,” Kochel said. “I think Trump has made a pretty compelling argument on Biden overplaying his hand on EVs and trying to wedge some of those autoworkers away.”

While Trump also spotlights in both states what he characterizes as a surge in crime during the Biden administration, he’s coming under attack from Democrats over the issue of abortion and over his repeated unproven claims that his 2020 election loss was due to voter fraud.

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Republican allies of Trump attempted to overturn the 2020 election results in both states by pushing slates of fake electors.

Biden campaign communications director in Wisconsin Brianna Johnson said last week that Trump was coming to the Badger State “in a desperate bid to do damage control on his record of ripping away women’s freedoms and encouraging thousands of rioters to try to violently overturn an election.”

Get the latest updates from the 2024 campaign trail, exclusive interviews and more at our Fox News Digital election hub.

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Missouri

Missouri Sports Betting May 2026: $256.4M Handle, Record $21.3M Revenue

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Missouri Sports Betting May 2026: 6.4M Handle, Record .3M Revenue


Missouri sportsbooks took $256,364,814 in wagers in May 2026, the lowest monthly handle since the market launched, yet operators posted their strongest revenue month yet at $21,250,814 on an 8.29% hold. The state collected $2,131,872 in tax. Six months after going live on December 1, 2025, Missouri has flipped the usual relationship between volume and revenue: handle keeps settling while revenue keeps climbing, because hold has risen steadily as the launch-period promotions fade. Online betting made up $252,593,427, or 98.53% of all wagers. Figures come from the Missouri Gaming Commission.

Missouri Sports Betting by Month, Since Launch

Month Handle Online Retail GGR Hold State Tax
December 2025 $543,039,131 $538,881,520 $4,157,612 $20,758,443 3.82% $521,201
January 2026 $385,138,868 $380,412,197 $4,726,670 $6,703,555 1.74% $137,873
February 2026 $277,005,418 $273,285,304 $3,720,114 $10,301,007 3.72% $1,214,627
March 2026 $329,355,588 $324,060,170 $5,295,418 $20,757,550 6.30% $2,178,985
April 2026 $273,397,863 $269,884,804 $3,513,059 $20,284,270 7.42% $2,028,427
May 2026 $256,364,814 $252,593,427 $3,771,387 $21,250,814 8.29% $2,131,873

Six Months In, Revenue Sets a Record

May marks a milestone worth pausing on. Missouri’s revenue reached its highest point yet even though its handle sank to a new low, a sign the market has moved past the giveaway-heavy launch phase and into steadier economics. Across its first six months, the state has now taken roughly $2.06 billion in total wagers, produced about $100.1 million in operator revenue, and delivered $8.2 million in tax. Crossing $100 million in cumulative revenue in half a year underlines how quickly Missouri established itself as a mid-sized market.

Handle Settles as the Launch Surge Fades

The volume side keeps normalizing. December’s $543 million opening was inflated by launch-day demand and heavy sign-up promotions, and handle has stepped down almost every month since, landing at $256.4 million in May, less than half that peak. Part of the decline is seasonal, with the sports calendar thinning as the basketball and hockey postseasons wind down and football stays months away. Part is simply the novelty wearing off. Mobile sportsbooks in Missouri continue to carry the market almost entirely, at 98.53% of May handle, a share that has held above 98% in every month since launch.

The Hold Keeps Climbing

The defining trend is the win rate. Hold ran at 3.82% in December, bottomed at 1.74% in January, then rose in four straight steps to 3.72%, 6.30%, 7.42%, and 8.29% in May. That climb is the engine behind the record revenue: as operators pull back the free bets and bonus play that suppressed early margins, more of each wagered dollar sticks. An 8.29% hold is still below the double-digit figures common in older markets, which suggests Missouri’s margin has further room to firm up as the market matures.

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Nebraska

Erstad joins Nebraska golf program

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Erstad joins Nebraska golf program


LINCOLN, Neb. (KOLN) – Like his father, Zack Erstad is a Husker. Erstad, the son of Hall of Fame baseball player Darin Erstad, joined the Nebraska men’s golf program on Tuesday.

Zack signed with the Huskers one month after winning a state championship at Lincoln East. With the Spartans, Erstad was a two-time NSAA champion. He was Class A’s individual runner-up in 2026. The previous year, Erstad claimed the Nebraska Junior PGA Championship title.

Erstad said joining the Huskers is a dream come true. The Nebraska newcomer grew up playing baseball and hockey. However, he focused solely on golf while in high school.

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Copyright 2026 KOLN. All rights reserved.



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North Dakota

June ND severe weather recap: 5 tornadoes, damaging winds impact numerous towns

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June ND severe weather recap: 5 tornadoes, damaging winds impact numerous towns


BISMARCK, N.D. (KFYR) – Rounds of severe thunderstorms impacted many parts of North Dakota in June.

June 3 saw damaging straight-line winds in Rolette County, estimated up to 95 mph based on the damage observed.

Rolette County damage from June 3(KFYR)

June 7 brought two tornadoes to northern North Dakota, one of which caused damage to a property. The complexes of storms that Sunday evening also caused extensive wind damage, with 80-100 mph gusts estimated in many towns.

About 4 miles east of Bowbells Sunday evening, June 7
About 4 miles east of Bowbells Sunday evening, June 7(Madison Deckert)
Tornado damage surveys recap from June 7
Tornado damage surveys recap from June 7(KFYR)
Highest wind gust from Sunday, June 7, also report of one injury
Highest wind gust from Sunday, June 7, also report of one injury(KFYR)
List of other highest wind gust from t-storms
List of other highest wind gust from t-storms(KFYR)
Damaged grain bins in NW Garrison from June 7
Damaged grain bins in NW Garrison from June 7(KFYR-TV)
Shelf cloud and dust/dirt being picked up by near 100 mph winds east of Garrison June 7
Shelf cloud and dust/dirt being picked up by near 100 mph winds east of Garrison June 7(Ethan Bender)

June 9 delivered more damaging wind, especially to the town of Sawyer, where lots of trees were knocked down. 90 mph winds were estimated there, as well as in rural northwest McHenry County at a property that sustained damage.

  • Storm cleanup underway in Sawyer as questions raised over warning siren
  • Sawyer declares wind emergency as storm cleanup continues
Wind damage surveys from June 9
Wind damage surveys from June 9(KFYR)

After a break from widespread severe thunderstorms in the middle of the month, the final weekend of June brought more activity.

A tornado touched down north of Belfield on June 27, doing damage to a property. Meanwhile, another swath of damaging winds moved across the region, with western ND seeing the worst of it. Damage west of Williston was estimated to be caused by near 100 mph winds.

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  • NWS completes surveys of tornado & t-storm wind damage from the weekend
  • Severe weather causes damage, displaces residents in Williston area
Weekend damage surveys by the NWS
Weekend damage surveys by the NWS(KFYR)

June 28 also saw a tornado touch down near Riverdale and Coleharbor amid another severe weather outbreak, bringing the month’s tornado total to five.

Tornado June 28 seen from Coleharbor
Tornado June 28 seen from Coleharbor(KFYR)

Hail was also a common threat during the month, with June 29 delivering large hail to towns like Mandan, north Bismarck, and Max.

Copyright 2026 KFYR. All rights reserved.



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