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Who is Elissa Slotkin, and why did Dems choose her for the party's rebuttal to Trump speech?

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Who is Elissa Slotkin, and why did Dems choose her for the party's rebuttal to Trump speech?

Democrats picked freshman Sen. Elissa Slotkin, D-Mich., who represents a swing state, to give the party’s official response to President Donald Trump’s address to a joint session of Congress Tuesday night. 

“BIG: I’m announcing @SenatorSlotkin will deliver our Democratic response to Trump’s Joint Address. Nothing short of a rising star in our party – she’s dedicated her life to our country. She will layout the fight to tackle the deep challenges we face and chart a path forward,” Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., revealed on X recently. 

Slotkin was elected to an open Senate seat in Michigan, which was also won by Trump in the same election. She wrote on X, “I’m looking forward to speaking directly to the American people next week. The public expects leaders to level with them on what’s actually happening in our country.”

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New Sen. Elissa Slotkin, will be giving the Democratic response to Trump’s speech to Congress on Tuesday evening. (Reuters)

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“From our economic security to our national security, we’ve got to chart a way forward that improves people’s lives in the country we all love, I look forward to laying that out. Tune in,” she previewed. 

The senator received a bachelor’s degree at Cornell University and a master’s degree from Columbia University.

Slotkin spent much of her career in the national security space, serving three tours in Iraq as a CIA analyst alongside the U.S. military. After that, she worked in multiple roles in the Pentagon and White House under two different presidents, George W. Bush and Barack Obama. In 2014, Obama nominated Slotkin to serve at the Pentagon as assistant secretary of defense for international security affairs.

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She then chose to run for Congress in 2018 in Michigan, where she grew up. 

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Slotkin managed to defeat a Republican incumbent in a key Michigan swing district. She served several terms as a member of the House of Representatives before choosing to run for Senate to replace former Sen. Debbie Stabenow, D-Mich.

Despite Trump winning the battleground state in 2024, Slotkin pulled out her own win for Democrats, beating the GOP contender Mike Rogers by less than a percentage point. 

Since coming to the Senate, she’s offered some stark criticism of her party, urging Democrats to get away from identity politics. 

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Schumer announced that Slotkin would give the party’s response to Trump’s address. (Kevin Dietsch/Getty Images)

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“As a moderate Democrat, I think she was an excellent choice,” Jim Manley, former senior communications advisor and spokesman for former Democratic Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid and the Senate Democratic Caucus, told Fox News Digital.

He said the choice of Slotkin would be “especially” good if “Trump just throws red meat to the base while using the kind of unhinged rhetoric that will turn off swing voters.” 

However, “based on years of experience dealing with these when [I was] working for Sen. Reid, they are usually much more of a hassle than they are ever worth,” he added. 

Jim Kessler, former senior aide to Schumer, told Fox News Digital he was a fan of Slotkin for the response. “She’s tough, smart and unafraid to ruffle feathers,” he said. 

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Rep. Elissa Slotkin speaks on stage during the Democratic National Convention on Aug. 22, 2024, in Chicago. (Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images)

“She also comes from the centrist wing of the Democratic Party and that’s important as a signal to voters. I expect she’ll focus on bread and butter issues, because right now the middle class is starting to lose confidence in Trump’s handling of the economy,” he continued. 

According to Michigan Republican strategist Jason Cabel Roe, Slotkin is “one of the better options Democrats have.”

The more “centrist” senator’s response comes at a time when Democrats are “in absolute disarray,” he said. 

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“You are seeing, I think, a real tug of war between the more progressive elements of the party and the more traditional elements of the party,” Roe added. 

Slotkin’s office declined to comment when reached by Fox News Digital.



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Midwest

Teens’ viral prank targeting homeowners could have deadly consequences, police warn

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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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VIDEO SHOWS MASKED TRIO IN HALLOWEEN COSTUMES TERRORIZE FAMILY IN ATTEMPTED HOME INVASION

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.” 

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“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

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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.

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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.

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Milwaukee, WI

Don Richards, the former Milwaukee District 9 alderman, dies at 89

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Don Richards, the former Milwaukee District 9 alderman, dies at 89


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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.

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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.

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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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