Midwest
Wisconsin Senate race shifts to 'toss up' by handicapper as Tammy Baldwin fights for re-election
A top political handicapper shifted its rating for the Wisconsin Senate race on Tuesday to “Toss Up” with less than a month until Election Day.
The race in Wisconsin, a pivotal battleground state in both the presidential and Senate matches, was most recently considered “Lean Democrat” by the Cook Political Report.
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Tammy Baldwin and Eric Hovde will face off in the election in November. (Getty Images)
The handicapper cited changes in polling in recent days, with Hovde appearing to close the gap with Baldwin. But Cook also referred to private polling from both campaigns, which it said each showed the race within the margins of error.
A source familiar confirmed to Fox News Digital that Baldwin’s internal polling shows such a race.
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Baldwin is a two-term senator. (Drew Angerer)
In response to the rating shift, Hovde spokesman Zach Bannon said, “Sen. Baldwin’s radical agenda has sparked record high inflation, created chaos [at] the southern border, and made our communities less safe. Eric Hovde is going to win because the people of Wisconsin are ready for change.”
HERE’S WHAT 2 UNDECIDED WISCONSIN VOTERS ARE HOLDING OUT FOR IN 2024 ELECTION
Hovde has started to close the polling gap with Baldwin. (Scott Olson/Getty Images)
“After 25 years in Washington, Tammy Baldwin has become the typical D.C. politician, voting in lockstep with the failed Biden agenda and hiding her Wall Street partner’s stock trades from her constituents. Wisconsinites are ready for change, and Eric Hovde has the momentum,” said National Republican Senatorial Committee (NRSC) spokesman Tate Mitchell in a statement.
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A woman dons a cheese hat with an American flag on it in Wisconsin. (Reuters)
The latest Marquette Law School poll showed Baldwin winning the battle, 51% to Hovde’s 45%. The survey interviewed 882 registered voters over Sept. 18-26. The poll’s margin of error was +/-4.4 percentage points.
The most recent Fox News Power Rankings from last month had Wisconsin at “Leans Dem.”
With Cook’s ratings change, Wisconsin joins other “Toss Up” Senate races in Ohio and Michigan.
Get the latest updates from the 2024 campaign trail, exclusive interviews and more at our Fox News Digital election hub.
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Kansas
Kansas football transfer portal tracker: Jan. 4 developments for KU
Kansas football coach Lance Leipold explains signing QB Jaylen Mason
Check out some of what Kansas football coach Lance Leipold had to say Wednesday about why the Jayhawks signed quarterback Jaylen Mason.
LAWRENCE — The Division I transfer portal window for college football is open from Jan. 2 through Jan. 16, and that means Sunday is another chance for the Kansas football program to shape its roster.
The Jayhawks already gained one public addition earlier this offseason in Grand Valley State transfer Jibriel Conde — whose signing was announced Dec. 4. Conde, who is making the jump up from Division II, is a 247Sports-rated three-star defensive lineman in the portal and is listed by KU as a defensive tackle. On Saturday, a number of current Kansas players — including redshirt freshman quarterback Isaiah Marshall, redshirt sophomore wide receiver Keaton Kubecka and redshirt sophomore defensive tackle Blake Herold — also outlined in social media posts on X that they are locked in with the program for the 2026 season.
Marshall is set to compete for the starting quarterback job next season. Kubecka has the chance to step up into a more significant role at wide receiver. Herold is in line to be a key part of Kansas’ defensive line.
Those positives, though, don’t outweigh the fact that there has been a sizable group of players who have revealed their intentions to transfer away. Looking overall, when it comes to those whose decisions became public before and after the portal opened, the significant names to know include redshirt senior safety Lyrik Rawls, redshirt junior linebacker Trey Lathan and freshman quarterback David McComb. Lathan led KU in tackles in 2025.
Check in here for more updates during this transfer portal window about a KU team that finished 5-7 during the 2025 season, with transfer ratings as outlined by 247Sports.
Kansas football transfer portal additions
Jibriel Conde (3-star defensive lineman from Grand Valley State) — KU lists him as a defensive tackle
Kansas football transfer portal departures
Joseph Sipp Jr. (linebacker)
Jacoby Davis (cornerback)
Dylan Brooks (defensive end)
Jaidyn Doss (wide receiver)
Carter Lavrusky (offensive lineman)
Trey Lathan (linebacker)
Tyler Mercer (offensive lineman)
Harry Stewart III (running back)
Caleb Redd (3-star edge) — KU lists him as a defensive end
Aundre Gibson (3-star cornerback)
David McComb (3-star quarterback)
Kene Anene (3-star interior offensive lineman) — KU lists him as an offensive lineman
Laquan Robinson (3-star safety)
Jameel Croft Jr. (3-star cornerback)
Logan Brantley (3-star linebacker)
Greydon Grimes (3-star offensive tackle) — KU lists him as an offensive lineman
Jon Jon Kamara (3-star linebacker)
Lyrik Rawls (3-star safety)
Damani Maxson (3-star safety)
Jaden Hamm (tight end)
Bryce Cohoon (wide receiver)
JaCorey Stewart (linebacker)
Johnny Thompson Jr. (running back)
Efren Jasso (punter)
Jordan Guskey covers University of Kansas Athletics at The Topeka Capital-Journal. He was the 2022 National Sports Media Association’s sportswriter of the year for the state of Kansas. Contact him at jmguskey@gannett.com or on Twitter at @JordanGuskey.
Michigan
FCS All-American WR to visit Michigan State this week
Michigan State football is identifying targets across the board to being in for visits as the transfer portal window moves along. The latest visit to go public comes from a wide receiver at the FCS level.
Evan James, a Furman transfer, will be taking a visit to East Lansing starting on Jan. 5. A 5-foot-11, 170 pound receiver from Apopka, Florida, James had a breakout season for the Paladins. In 2025 he caught 65 passes for 796 yards and seven touchdowns. He also had seven carries for 72 yards and a touchdown, doing all of this as a true freshman, earning FCS Freshman All-American honors.
After doing this all as a freshman, he will bring three years of eligibility with him to the next school of his choosing. Aside from Michigan State, it is rumored that Boston College and Cincinnati will also be in contention.
Contact/Follow us @The SpartansWire on X (formerly Twitter) and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Michigan State news, notes and opinion. You can also follow Cory Linsner on X @Rex_Linzy
Minnesota
Game Recap: Kings 5, Wild 4 (S/O) | Minnesota Wild
Matt Boldy scored late in the third to tie it and ultimately send the game to overtime, helping the Wild (25-10-8) extend their point streak to six games (3-0-3). Brock Faber had a goal and an assist, Jake Middleton and Joel Eriksson Ek also scored, and Jesper Wallstedt made 34 saves.
It was the second game of a back-to-back for Minnesota, which is coming off a 5-2 win at the Anaheim Ducks on Friday. The Wild and Kings will play again in Los Angeles on Monday.
“It was far from perfect of a game from us,” Faber said. “I thought we could have played better. With that quick turnaround, we’ll take the point. Now we need two in the next.”
Kempe put the Kings up 1-0 at 6:08 of the first period, scoring on a wrist shot from close range off Anze Kopitar’s cross-slot pass from below the goal line.
Middleton tied it up 1-1 at 8:28, getting his first goal of the season in 36 games on a snap shot from the left circle set up by Mats Zuccarello.
“I think he thought I was Kirill (Kaprizov) in the slot there, so it was nice to get one,” Middleton joked. “I normally have a few goals before I take 35 games off from scoring, so this one was getting a little stressful but we got it out of the way.”
Perry gave Los Angeles a 2-1 lead at 16:57 of the second period when Byfield’s shot struck him in the wrist and redirected in for the power-play goal.
Eriksson Ek tied it 2-2 at 18:23 on the power play, taking Quinn Hughes’ stretch pass at the offensive blue line for a short breakaway, fending off defenseman Joel Edmundson and scoring on a wrist shot from the left circle.
Byfield put Los Angeles back in front 3-2 at 4:54 of the third period. He shot the puck caroming off the boards back into the crease, where Wallstedt lost it in his skates and it was eventually knocked in by a Wild stick during the ensuing scramble in front.
“Shouldn’t be, that was terrible,” Byfield joked when asked if he knew it was his goal. “No, it’s good. I think it’s two now that were liked that, so I’ll take them how they come.”
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