Midwest
GOP committee sounds alarm on document it says 'confirms' fears about Biden agency's activities in key state
FIRST ON FOX: The House Committee on Small Business has released a “Memorandum of Understanding” between the Biden administration and the state of Michigan which it fears represents a potentially unconstitutional agreement that is aimed at registering voters in the key swing state with a political agenda in mind.
Biden’s Small Business Administration (SBA) announced a memorandum of understanding (MOU) in March with the Michigan Department of State to “promote civic engagement and voter registration in Michigan” that it called the “first-of-its-kind collaboration” that immediately raised questions from the committee.
The MOU, which has been uploaded to the Congressional Repository, outlines the coordination between Michigan and the Biden administration where the state will “provide the Agency access to training resources related to the online Michigan Voter Information Center (MVIC)” and “The Agency shall provide voter registration training to all personnel conducting activities under this MOA.
“This training shall include information on who is eligible to register to vote, the interactions during which Agency staff must make voter registration services available, instructions to Agency staff on how to refer individuals to register to vote online using MVIC, and an overview of additional information that is available to voters in MVIC,” the MOU continued.
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A Republican-led committee has released a document they say shows the Biden administration improperly working to register voters in Michigan. (Getty Images)
The MOU also discusses how the Michigan Department of State would “create a unique URL for the SBA to use to drive online visitors to register to vote,” and that the SBA’s Michigan field office would allow state government officials to facilitate in-person voter registration at the federal agency’s business outreach events.
The committee told Fox News Digital that they released the documentation in the interest of “transparency” and after seeing the MOU, the committee’s previous concerns that the program is “unconstitutional” and an improper use of taxpayer funds were not assuaged.
“Seeing the MOU with Michigan does nothing to ease our concerns about the SBA getting involved in federal elections,” Committee Chairman Roger Williams said.
“In fact, this agreement confirms SBA employees are preparing to undergo trainings on how to best register voters rather than spend their time working to help struggling small businesses,” the chairman continued. “I encourage all Americans to look at this agreement and decide if this is how they want their tax dollars spent. The SBA must end all these electioneering activities on behalf of President Biden and get back to their sole mission of supporting the needs of Main Street.”
The committee, who has referred to the Michigan agreement as the state essentially serving as a “campaign arm” for Biden’s re-election, also released maps that overlay former SBA events, census data, Michigan Department of State data and publicly reported information of Democrat-targeted voter blocs which they say suggests possible areas that voter registration efforts will target when the effort is officially rolled out.
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An investigation by the House Small Business Committee found that 22 out of 25 SBA outreach events from January to April have taken place in counties with the highest population of Democratic National Committee (DNC) target demographics.
Meanwhile, 11 of 15 Michigan counties that showed the largest voter registration increases over the last year have ranked highest in population of young voters and Black voters, according to the committee — two of the left’s most-sought voting blocs.
“SBA’s MOU with Michigan proves that the agency is more concerned with registering voters than performing its official duties,” Sen. Joni Ernst, R-Iowa, and Ranking Member of the Senate Committee on Small Business and Entrepreneurship, told Fox News Digital.
“This outrageous misuse and abuse of Americans’ hard-earned tax dollars will not go unpunished under my watch. Chairman Williams and I will continue shining a light on the SBA and exposing Biden’s bad actors.”
The data for the maps was compiled after the committee says it became aware of a video recording of an SBA adviser discussing SBA Administrator Isabel Guzman traveling to battleground states and “indirectly campaigning for Biden,” according to the committee, and inviting Democratic members of Congress on the trips at a higher rate than Republicans.
“Today’s letter is a continuation of our Committee’s investigation into the SBA’s voter registration and electioneering efforts,” Williams said in a press release earlier this month. “The SBA has shown a serious lack of transparency regarding the travels of senior SBA officials, including Administrator Guzman. Main Street — and the American People — have a right to know what exactly is going on and how the SBA is spending their hard-earned tax dollars. I hope the SBA will be forthcoming with us and provide us with the requested documents as we continue our investigation into this matter.”
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The coordination between the SBA and Michigan was sparked by a 2021 executive order from President Biden directing federal agencies to promote “access to voting,” which raised concerns from some that the administration is using the government agency to register votes in a swing state that many believe will be one of the states the November election hinges upon.
The House committee earlier this month subpoenaed SBA Chief of Staff Arthur Plews and his special adviser, Tyler Robinson, after they are said to have been no-shows at scheduled transcribed interviews with the committee.
Plews was scheduled to testify before the committee on Thursday but recently retained personal counsel, and the committee says they are negotiating a new time for him to meet with the committee to provide information on the program.
Fox News Digital reached out to the SBA and the White House but did not receive a comment.
Fox News Digital’s Elizabeth Elkind and Charles Creitz contributed to this report
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Midwest
Teens’ viral prank targeting homeowners could have deadly consequences, police warn
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Kansas authorities are issuing a warning to both parents and homeowners regarding a “dangerous new TikTok trend” in which teenagers throughout the country are putting their lives at risk for the sake of social media fame.
According to the Merriam Police Department, residents in the area have reported several instances of teens rushing up to the front of their homes and kicking the doors to appear as though someone is breaking in, as part of the “door kick challenge.”
“We’ve received multiple reports about a reckless TikTok challenge called ‘The Door Kick Challenge,’” the department said in a Facebook post. “This trend encourages pounding and kicking on doors to mimic a home invasion.”
Since last weekend, four people in the local Georgetown apartment complex have made reports of teens partaking in the challenge, FOX 4 reported.
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Home surveillance video shared by the Merriam Police Department shows the moment two teens can be seen approaching the front door of a home. (Merriam Police Department/Facebook)
“They’re videotaping themselves going and attempting to kick open residential doors, presumably as a prank or to scare the homeowners,” Sgt. Kristin Jasinski said, according to the outlet.
Ring doorbell camera video released by the department shows a pair of teens approaching the front of a home, with one individual kicking the door while another stands with their cellphone out – presumably filming the act.
“I know it can seem funny,” Jasinski said, FOX 4 reported. “However, people do take things seriously like that if they’re not aware of these things happening, or they’re unsure what your intentions are. We would hate for there to be real-life consequences.”
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In the video, the individual runs to the front door of the home and kicks it, mimicking a home invasion, before both teens run off. (Merriam Police Department/Facebook)
The trend is concerning law enforcement officials, who say the teens risk criminal charges – such as vandalism and trespassing – or homeowners may use force to act in self-defense.
In addition to the video, the police department shared images from a separate incident in which a group of suspected teens broke the frame of a resident’s entryway.
“There’s dangers on both sides of the door. Obviously, we want to keep the homeowners safe, as well as the people that are participating in these pranks,” Jasinski said.
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In a separate incident, a group of teens allegedly broke the frame of a homeowner’s front door while participating in the viral “door kick challenge,” according to the Merriam Police Department. (Merriam Police Department/Facebook)
“Our biggest concern is that someone would be injured in the course of thinking that this was a real home invasion.”
Bradley Cooper, a resident of Shawnee at Westbrooke Glen Apartment Homes, told FOX 4 a pair of teens also struck his friend’s door in the complex.
“The other day he’s like, ‘I literally had my headset on, but I saw the door and could hear it through what I was playing, just straight move, just boom,’” Cooper said.
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The friend reportedly chased the teens down and ultimately caught up with one – who apologized.
“If someone had a gun they could shoot through the door,” Cooper said. “Stop, it’s not fun, you’re going to get yourself probably killed.”
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However, authorities are urging homeowners to call the police if they believe they have fallen victim to the so-called “prank.”
“Don’t pursue these people,” Jasinski said. “There’s no way for us to know in real time, until we interact with them and figure out what’s happening, or what’s actually going on. We don’t want to put you or the people involved at greater risk, engaging in some sort of pursuit. So, just stay in the house, call police, let us do our job.”
The Merriam Police Department did not immediately respond to Fox News Digital’s request for comment.
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Detroit, MI
Popular Detroit sports columnist announces stage 4 cancer diagnosis
Longtime Detroit sports radio host and columnist Pat Caputo has been diagnosed with stage 4 pancreatic cancer, he announced Monday.
Caputo, a host on Detroit’s 97.1 The Ticket, last published a column on Nov. 7. On Monday, he explained the reason behind his absence.
“For those wondering where I’ve been: I have been diagnosed with Stage 4 pancreatic cancer, commonly referred to as a “death sentence” and had two other serious ailments which put me in ICU for several days,” Caputo wrote in a post to X. “It was sudden. I’ve literally been on my back for weeks. Bless you all.”
Caputo, 66, became a well-known personality in Detroit sports media during his time as an award-winning columnist for The Oakland Press from 1983-2020, according to the Detroit Free Press. He also was previously part of WXYT’s “Evening Sports” broadcast, and is an official voter for the Baseball Hall of Fame and college football’s Heisman Trophy award, according to his X bio.
Caputo is nicknamed “The Book” for his impressive memory retaining sports stats and information, according to FOX 2 in Detroit, where he has been a regular guest on its “Sports Works” broadcast.
Caputo’s social media announcement regarding his health drew support from fellow sports media professionals, including Brad Galli, sports director at WXYZ Detroit, and ESPN’s Dan Wetzel and Dave Pasch.
“Pat, we’re praying for [you],” Galli wrote. “Awful awful awful to read this, man. God bless you.”
“Legend. Stay strong my friend. So much support out here for you,” Wetzel posted.
“Book, praying for you my friend. So sorry to hear this,” Pasch wrote.
Milwaukee, WI
Don Richards, the former Milwaukee District 9 alderman, dies at 89
Take flight over the Milwaukee area
Get a bird’s-eye view from a drone over downtown Milwaukee, American Family Field, the Mitchell Domes, and along the Lake Michigan shoreline.
Former Milwaukee Common Council member Don Richards died on Dec. 26 at age 89.
Richards served on the Milwaukee Common Council between 1988 and 2004, representing District 9 on the city’s north and northwest sides until his retirement due to health reasons, according to his obituary.
During his tenure at the city, Richards was a member of the Judiciary and Legislation Committee, Zoning, Neighborhoods and Development Committee, as well as the Housing Authority and City Records Committee.
Although the two had a brief overlap in city government, former Milwaukee Mayor Tom Barrett, who was first elected in 2004, recalled Richards as “always smiling and always caring.”
“He was a wonderful man. A very Christian man who cared deeply about the community and the people who live here,” Barrett told the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel.
Before becoming a city alderman, Richards participated in the citywide marches protesting a lack of open housing legislation in the city in the 1960s and was a priest in the Milwaukee Archdiocese for almost two decades, starting in 1963. He earned his bachelor’s and master’s degrees from the St. Francis Seminary and Catholic University in Washington, D.C.
Following his time on the Common Council, Richards began to teach local government classes at Alverno College. He also worked as an economic development specialist with the Northwest Side Community Development Corporation, his obituary said.
Richards is survived by his brother, Bob (Joanne), and was preceded in death by his wife, Doloros; his parents, Gregor and Rose Richards; and his brothers, Jim Richards and Ed Richards, according to his obit.
A visitation is planned at 10 a.m. Jan 8 until his funeral Mass at 11 a.m. at Alvina of Milwaukee Chapel, 9301 N. 76th Street.
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