Midwest
'Concise’ Trump-approved GOP platform not crafted with Biden, Dem disarray in mind
EXCLUSIVE – Republican Tennessee Sen. Marsha Blackburn celebrated her successful leadership overseeing the panel charged with crafting the platform for the Republican National Committee, touting the GOP’s 2024 platform as a “concise” document that “will draw more Americans to the Republican Party.”
“The reason it earned the adoption so quickly is because people got it this morning. They were able to quickly read through it – because it is a total of 16 pages. And as they looked through it, they thought, ‘This is really good. It is solid. It is hitting the issues that the American people are talking about.’ And one of the complaints that we have heard from people is, well, ‘Look, that platform is so long, nobody reads it, it gets used against our candidates, by their opponents, and it is time for us to be simple, concise and specific about what we’re going to do,” Blackburn told Fox News Digital in a phone interview Monday evening.
The Republican National Committee’s Platform Committee, which Blackburn served as chairwoman, overwhelmingly passed its draft party platform Monday in an 84-12 vote. The draft, itled the “2024 GOP PLATFORM: MAKE AMERICA GREAT AGAIN!,” walks voters through 20 promises former President Trump, as well as other Republican officials, are making to voters ahead of November, including sealing the border and ending the “migrant invasion,” ending inflation, preventing “World War Three” and uniting the U.S. “by bringing it to new and record levels of success.”
Blackburn explained to Fox News Digital that the platform was crafted to address top voter concerns Trump has personally heard from the American people, brushing off questions regarding whether the platform was written with the Democratic Party’s disarray in mind, or whether President Biden would actually be the party’s nominee come November.
TRUMP FOCUSED ON CAMPAIGNING, AS DEMS ARE ‘IN DISARRAY’ AMID BIDEN CHAOS
Then-President Trump looks on Marsha Blackburn (R-TN), who is running for U.S. Senate, speaks during a rally at the Nashville Municipal Auditorium on May 29, 2018 in Nashville, Tennessee. (Getty Images)
“We’re going to let the Democrats sort their issues out,” Blackburn said when asked about the Democratic Party’s current disarray. “What I can say is this platform is going to be well received by so many people. We’ve already heard from so many people how well received it is. And that they’re so pleased to see instead of an 80-page, 60-page, 100-, 200-page document, that this is something that they can take to lunch, to their coffee group, to their Bunco group, their Sunday school class, and they can read it and discuss it, and use it to get people involved in the process and voting in November.”
When asked if the platform was crafted with the intention of defeating Biden in November or perhaps another nominee as calls mount for Biden to bow out of the race over concerns regarding his mental acuity, Blackburn said it was designed with a focus on the American people.
BIDEN SURROGATE NEWSOM SAYS CALLS BY DEMOCRATS FOR PRESIDENT TO STEP ASIDE ‘NOT HELPFUL’
“This platform is crafted to make certain that the American people know what Republicans are for, and they know what President Trump is for. This platform is simple, concise, easy to read, and it will be used from candidates from your local, state and federal elections. And it is a document we will use to send President Donald Trump back to the White House.”
Former President Trump speaks to supporters at a rally to support local candidates on Sept. 3, 2022 in Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania. (Spencer Platt/Getty Images)
Blackburn said that Trump personally had input on the platform, noting he “read it, reviewed it, edited it, and approved it,” and also called into the platform comittee’s meeting on Monday.
“As we got started on today’s activities, President Trump called in, and wished everyone well, thanked everyone for volunteering to be there and serving on the platform committee. And talked about some of the issues that he is hearing and the broad net that they cast,” she said.
SOME TOP HOUSE DEMOCRATS URGE BIDEN TO STEP ASIDE
Blackburn pointed to Trump’s recent vow that if re-elected, workers in the service industry would no longer face taxes on their tips, pointing Fox Digital to point number six of the platform, which reads: “LARGE TAX CUTS FOR WORKERS, AND NO TAX ON TIPS!”
“That gives you an idea of how granular this was to what he is hearing, what many of us who are in elected office are hearing. And what the American people are saying: ‘Would you please put some attention on these issues that affect us.’ And I think that really is one of the primary points … this election is about them. It’s not about the bureaucrats. It’s not about elected officials. It is about them and their way of life,” she said.
Sen. Marsha Blackburn, R-Tenn., blasted President Biden’s Title IX expansion, saying the administration continues its assault on opportunities for young women. (Tom Williams/CQ-Roll Call, Inc via Getty Images)
Blackburn touted that, unlike previous party platforms that dragged on for dozens of pages, the 2024 platform is “simple” and easily digested by the American people.
“I am one of those that has for years said we need to make this simple. It doesn’t have to be long. It needs to be concise. It needs to be simply stated, and it should be something that people look forward to printing out and reading and sharing with their friends,” she said.
The platform this election cycle notably only mentions abortion once, instead focusing on the preservation of life and returning power to the states when developing laws surrounding abortion. Blackburn said that when the platform was drafted, committee members had to take into account the Dobbs decision of 2022, which overturned Roe v. Wade, effectively ended the recognition of a constitutional right to abortion and ruled that individual states have the power to allow, limit or ban abortion procedures.
EX-OBAMA ADVISER SAYS BIDEN CAN’T BEAT ‘FATHER TIME’ AND IS ‘NOT WINNING THIS RACE’
“And so, having as we do with all other issues, whether it’s defending religious liberty, or protecting free speech, or working to end the gender insanity – this left-wing gender insanity – and protecting our rights and freedoms. What the platform says is we proudly stand for families and for life.”
“We believe that the 14th Amendment to the Constitution of the United States guarantees that no person can be denied life or liberty without due process, and that the United States are, therefore, free to pass laws protecting those rights. And that was a very appropriate way to approach this. This responsibility has come back to the states. The states are in the lead on this,” she continued.
BIDEN’S ‘DISASTER’ DEBATE PERFORMANCE SPARKS MEDIA MELTDOWN, CALLS FOR HIM TO WITHDRAW FROM 2024 RACE
Trump touted the platform on his Truth Social account on Monday as a “forward-looking Agenda with strong promises that we will accomplish very quickly” while thanking Blackburn and Florida Rep. Michael Waltz, who served as vice chair on the committee, for their “tireless work to PUT AMERICA FIRST.”
Former President Trump speaks during a rally at the Dayton International Airport on Nov. 7, 2022 in Vandalia, Ohio. (Drew Angerer/Getty Images)
“We are, quite simply, the Party of Common Sense! America needs determined Republican Leadership at every level of Government to address the core threats to our very survival: Our disastrously Open Border, our weakened Economy, Inflation, crippling restrictions on American Energy Production, our depleted Military, attacks on the American System of Justice, the Weaponization of Politics, and much more,” he wrote.
TRUMP APPROVAL RATING TOPS 50% AS HE LEADS BIDEN ON VOTERS’ TOP TWO ISSUES: POLL
Following its committee passage Monday, the platform will go to a full vote Tuesday before it is officially approved at the Republican National Convention next week in Milwaukee.
“This is something that will draw more Americans to the Republican Party. I quite honestly believe that when they print this document off and look at it, they’re going to open that first page and see that the Republican National Committee has dedicated this document to the forgotten men and women of America. And then, in the preamble, we talk about common sense, and we end with citing those 20 promises that people want to see activity on: energy issues, border issues, crime issues, making certain that we are dealing with rebuilding our military, being strong at home and abroad, protecting our freedoms, dealing with the weaponization of government.”
“Those are things that we all hear about every day.”
Get the latest updates from the 2024 campaign trail, exclusive interviews and more at our Fox News Digital election hub.
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Minnesota
WWII soldier from Minnesota laid to rest more than 80 years after his passing
On a pristine Saturday afternoon, there was a Blackhawk helicopter flyover, and American flags were everywhere.
“It was hard today in some ways,” Scott Torpey said quietly. “But it was also a joyous occasion that we got to bring him home.”
At the New Ulm City Cemetery, it was a long-awaited homecoming as U.S. Army Captain Willibald Bianchi — ‘Uncle Bill’ to his family — was laid to rest with full military honors.
“You know, the sense of closure,” says Steve Marti, one of Bianchi’s nephews. “Who would have thought, after all these years, we get the call that guess what? They’ve identified his remains.”
Bianchi, 29 years old, previously awarded the Congressional Medal of Honor, was killed on a POW transport ship when it was bombed and sunk by an American plane in January 1945.
His remains were buried in a mass grave in a military cemetery in Hawaii.
For decades, Bianchi’s family didn’t know if he would ever be formally identified.
“He was lost to the war,” explains Joseph Marti, another nephew. “He was Uncle Bill, who left and never came back.”
Until a phone call last September: the Defense POW-MIA Accounting Agency had painstakingly searched through remains in the cemetery and used family DNA samples for a match.
“My cousin Scott, my Aunt Mary Louise, his sister and another cousin donated DNA, and they used that to use some of his bones to extract mitochondrial DNA and get the match,” Joseph Marti explains.
After a dignified transfer at MSP, Bianchi’s remains were brought to New Ulm.
Dozens and dozens of people from across the country — brothers, sisters and cousins attended the burial ceremony.
The American flag on Bianchi’s coffin was given to his family.
“They gave it to my sister Sue, who was so deserving,” Steve Marti says. “She’s done so much to keep Uncle Bill’s legacy alive in our home, here in her home.”
For years, family members had passed down Bianchi’s story.
Now, they say, it has an ending befitting his service, and after an 80-year journey, Bianchi is now at honored rest.
His family says their hearts, once empty, are now full.
“So, to have him back home, I think, is so special for everybody associated,” Joseph Marti exclaims. “We’re overwhelmed and humbled.”
Missouri
Missouri Lottery Powerball, Pick 3 winning numbers for May 2, 2026
The Missouri Lottery offers several draw games for those aiming to win big.
Here’s a look at May 2, 2026, results for each game:
Winning Powerball numbers from May 2 drawing
25-37-42-52-65, Powerball: 14, Power Play: 3
Check Powerball payouts and previous drawings here.
Winning Pick 3 numbers from May 2 drawing
Midday: 9-5-6
Midday Wild: 3
Evening: 6-8-9
Evening Wild: 7
Check Pick 3 payouts and previous drawings here.
Winning Pick 4 numbers from May 2 drawing
Midday: 3-3-2-6
Midday Wild: 8
Evening: 1-2-6-2
Evening Wild: 1
Check Pick 4 payouts and previous drawings here.
Winning Cash Pop numbers from May 2 drawing
Early Bird: 01
Morning: 13
Matinee: 01
Prime Time: 05
Night Owl: 06
Check Cash Pop payouts and previous drawings here.
Winning Show Me Cash numbers from May 2 drawing
11-17-30-31-36
Check Show Me Cash payouts and previous drawings here.
Winning Powerball Double Play numbers from May 2 drawing
05-13-35-53-54, Powerball: 07
Check Powerball Double Play payouts and previous drawings here.
Feeling lucky? Explore the latest lottery news & results
Are you a winner? Here’s how to claim your lottery prize
All Missouri Lottery retailers can redeem prizes up to $600. For prizes over $600, winners have the option to submit their claim by mail or in person at one of Missouri Lottery’s regional offices, by appointment only.
To claim by mail, complete a Missouri Lottery winner claim form, sign your winning ticket, and include a copy of your government-issued photo ID along with a completed IRS Form W-9. Ensure your name, address, telephone number and signature are on the back of your ticket. Claims should be mailed to:
Ticket Redemption
Missouri Lottery
P.O. Box 7777
Jefferson City, MO 65102-7777
For in-person claims, visit the Missouri Lottery Headquarters in Jefferson City or one of the regional offices in Kansas City, Springfield or St. Louis. Be sure to call ahead to verify hours and check if an appointment is required.
For additional instructions or to download the claim form, visit the Missouri Lottery prize claim page.
When are the Missouri Lottery drawings held?
- Powerball: 9:59 p.m. Monday, Wednesday and Saturday.
- Mega Millions: 10 p.m. Tuesday and Friday.
- Pick 3: 12:45 p.m. (Midday) and 8:59 p.m. (Evening) daily.
- Pick 4: 12:45 p.m. (Midday) and 8:59 p.m. (Evening) daily.
- Cash4Life: 8 p.m. daily.
- Cash Pop: 8 a.m. (Early Bird), 11 a.m. (Late Morning), 3 p.m. (Matinee), 7 p.m. (Prime Time) and 11 p.m. (Night Owl) daily.
- Show Me Cash: 8:59 p.m. daily.
- Lotto: 8:59 p.m. Wednesday and Saturday.
- Powerball Double Play: 9:59 p.m. Monday, Wednesday and Saturday.
This results page was generated automatically using information from TinBu and a template written and reviewed by a Missouri editor. You can send feedback using this form.
Nebraska
How to watch Nebraska-Penn State softball Sunday: Time, TV channel
The Nebraska softball team (40-6, 20-1) will hit the road and face the Penn State Nittany Lions (32-17, 11-10) this week to wrap up the final regular-season series of the season. The Huskers are ranked No. 3 in the NFCA Poll. NU is also No. 2 by Softball America, USA Softball and D1 Softball.
The Huskers are led by two-way star Jordy Frahm and Hannah Camenzind. Frahm is hitting .423 at the plate on the season with a 15-4 record with nine saves in the pitcher’s circle. Camenzind is hitting .408 and has a record in the pitcher’s circle of 5-0 with a 1.40 ERA.
The Big Ten Tournament will take place May 6-9 in College Park, MD.
Here’s how to watch the Nebraska-Penn State Sunday finale, including time, TV schedule, and streaming information:
What channel is Nebraska-Penn State on today?
TV Channel: BTN
Livestream: Fubo (free trial)
Nebraska vs Penn State will wrap up the final regular-season series of the year on the Big Ten Network on Sunday afternoon. Streaming options for the game include B1G+ and FUBO, which offers a free trial to new subscribers.
Nebraska-Penn State Softball time today
- Date: Sunday, May 3
- Start time: 11 a.m. CT
The Nebraska-Penn State softball regular season finale starts at 11 a.m. CT from Nittany Lion Softball Park in State College, PA.
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