Bernie Sanders stopped at the U of M to rally support for Hillary Clinton on Tuesday where some younger voters said they were unenthused with this year's presidential candidates.
by Michael Olson, MPR Newsvia MPR News10/5/2016 12:14:07 AM
The winning presidential ticket has come away with no worse than a draw in eight of the nine vice presidential debates to date. Here's what you need to know.
by Michael Olson, MPR Newsvia MPR News10/4/2016 7:11:07 PM
From Minnesota to the San Diego suburbs, Democrats are throwing millions of dollars into TV ads tethering House Republican candidates to Donald Trump. Republicans discount the impact their presidential nominee will have on House races, saying voters distinguish between Trump's unconventional candidacy and local, familiar congressional hopefuls
by Michael Olson, MPR Newsvia MPR News10/4/2016 4:54:07 PM
The University of Minnesota's College Republicans group painted "Build The Wall" on a campus bridge last week. The mural was soon defaced, covered by the words "Stop White Supremacy."
by Michael Olson, MPR Newsvia MPR News10/4/2016 4:15:29 PM
A developer such as Donald Trump can use a net operating loss "carry forward" to lower his taxes. That may sound weird, but the law has been in place for nearly a century, and experts say it's fair.
by Michael Olson, MPR Newsvia MPR News10/4/2016 4:09:54 PM
The Times' story revealing Trump's huge losses two decades ago relies on documents sent anonymously to the newspaper. No criminality by Trump was alleged, but critics of the Times say it broke laws.
by Michael Olson, MPR Newsvia MPR News10/4/2016 11:38:50 AM
Virginia Democratic Sen. Tim Kaine and Indiana Republican Gov. Mike Pence are two mild-mannered, affable politicians who will certainly present themselves differently than their running mates.
by Michael Olson, MPR Newsvia MPR News10/4/2016 11:38:50 AM
An exploration of the potential political impact of America's growing Hispanic population. Mark Hugo Lopez has studied demographics and voting behavior for the non-partisan Pew Research Center. In his talk at the University of Minnesota this week Lopez said the Latino community is very diverse... and is quite different in each of the 2016 election battleground states.
by Michael Olson, MPR Newsvia MPR News10/4/2016 5:00:51 AM
More than 40 percent of Americans don't know the names of the men who could soon be second-in-command. An ABC News/SSRS Poll released Monday, just a day ahead of the first and only vice presidential debate, revealed that when Americans were asked to name Hillary Clinton and Donald Trump's running mates, they came up shockingly empty: Forty-one percent of respondents couldn't name Republican vice presidential nominee Mike Pence, while 46 percent couldn't name Democratic vice presidential nominee Tim Kaine. After Tuesday night's vice presidential debate though, this very well could change. ABC News found that 64 percent of Americans are planning to tune into the debate tomorrow night — just 10 percent short of the percentage that tuned into the first presidential debate between Clinton and Trump on Sept. 26. However, only 10 percent of Americans think the face-off between Pence and Kaine could affect which candidate they vote for in November. The poll, taken from Sept. 29-30, surveyed a "nationally representative sample of 245 respondents age 18 and older." The margin of error is plus or minus 8.1 percent. Becca Stanek
by Michael Olson, MPR Newsvia MPR News10/3/2016 7:47:26 PM
The Times' story revealing Trump's huge losses two decades ago relies on documents sent anonymously to the newspaper. No criminality by Trump was alleged, but critics of the Times say it broke laws.
by Michael Olson, MPR Newsvia MPR News10/3/2016 7:19:35 PM
The New York attorney general's office has ordered the Trump Foundation to immediately stop fundraising in the state, saying it isn't registered to do so.
by Michael Olson, MPR Newsvia MPR News10/3/2016 5:57:21 PM
NBA superstar LeBron James believes Clinton can do more to help at-risk kids like he once was, saying she's the only candidate who "truly understands the struggles of an Akron child born into poverty."
by Michael Olson, MPR Newsvia MPR News10/3/2016 5:05:29 PM
Brad Gerten, a Republican state House candidate from Burnsville, was booked Sunday into the Dakota County jail on probable cause that he tried to strangle a relative.
by Michael Olson, MPR Newsvia MPR News10/3/2016 4:13:50 PM
The "October surprise" has a long history in American politics, but not as long as you might think -- and not as consequential as you might think, either.
by Michael Olson, MPR Newsvia MPR News10/3/2016 3:21:36 PM
On Monday, the challenges mounted. Former cast and crew members from "The Apprentice" say Trump repeatedly demeaned women with sexist language. The campaign called the claims "totally false."
by Michael Olson, MPR Newsvia MPR News10/3/2016 2:00:06 PM
The 1990-91 recession was catastrophic for Donald Trump's empire. A tax document published by The New York Times shows as late as 1995, he was reporting an annual loss of $916 million. What happened?
by Michael Olson, MPR Newsvia MPR News10/3/2016 1:48:31 PM
In two previous votes this summer, union negotiators recommended that members reject Allina's offer. Union leaders haven't directed its 4,800 members on how to vote today.
by Michael Olson, MPR Newsvia MPR News10/3/2016 12:55:22 PM
Neither Democrat Angie Craig nor Republican Jason Lewis has a voting record, so other aspects of their lives are getting pushed to the fore in the race to replace Rep. John Kline.
by Michael Olson, MPR Newsvia MPR News10/3/2016 9:08:52 AM
Recent revelations about Donald Trump's taxes raise the possibility that he was able to not pay any income taxes for years. And it could have been done legally.
by Michael Olson, MPR Newsvia MPR News10/2/2016 8:25:03 PM
One of the country's most expensive races for local office is in Arizona's Maricopa County where Sheriff Joe Arpaio, a noted opponent of illegal immigration, has the toughest challenge of his career.
by Michael Olson, MPR Newsvia MPR News10/2/2016 3:01:07 PM
In the 1970s, the U.S. Department of Justice sued Donald Trump, his father and Trump Management, alleging the Trumps engaged in racial discrimination at their properties.
by Michael Olson, MPR Newsvia MPR News9/30/2016 4:31:20 PM
Shaming Alicia Machado over intimate details from her past was particularly risky as Trump tries win over more female voters. It also risks calling further attention to the thrice-married Trump's own history with women.
by Michael Olson, MPR Newsvia MPR News9/30/2016 2:10:53 PM
Minnesota Democrats have worked to tie GOP U.S. Rep. Erik Paulsen to Donald Trump ever since the New York businessman became the Republican presidential candidate. But a super PAC's move this week may be a sign the strategy is faltering.
by Michael Olson, MPR Newsvia MPR News9/30/2016 9:04:14 AM
More people are seeking or casting early ballots in the critical states of North Carolina and Florida than at this point in 2012, with Hillary Clinton the likely beneficiary, as early voting shows signs of surging nationwide.
by Michael Olson, MPR Newsvia MPR News9/29/2016 3:54:31 PM
With early voting poised to play a bigger role in this year's election, Hillary Clinton was urging voters in Iowa to start casting ballots on Thursday, more than five weeks before Election Day.
by Michael Olson, MPR Newsvia MPR News9/29/2016 3:45:58 PM
Call it a brain freeze, another "Aleppo moment," or a mere campaign stumble, but Gary Johnson has stumbled again in his quixotic presidential campaign.
by Michael Olson, MPR Newsvia MPR News9/29/2016 1:02:29 PM
The Internet surveys the GOP nominee frequently cites are unscientific and can be easily manipulated. Reputable scientific polls taken after the debate show Hillary Clinton was the clear winner.
by Michael Olson, MPR Newsvia MPR News9/29/2016 11:42:36 AM
After weeks of negotiations, agreement over aid to Flint, Mich. will keep the government running through mid-December, narrowly avoiding a Sept. 30 deadline.
by Michael Olson, MPR Newsvia MPR News9/28/2016 5:03:30 PM
For the first time in its 126-year history, the Arizona Republic has endorsed a Democrat for president. The paper acknowledged Hillary Clinton's missteps, but said Donald Trump poses a serious threat.
by Michael Olson, MPR Newsvia MPR News9/28/2016 3:52:36 PM
An estimated 84 million people watched Hillary Clinton and Donald Trump in their first debate Monday, according to TV ratings data from Nielsen, making it the most-watched debate ever.
by Michael Olson, MPR Newsvia MPR News9/28/2016 11:07:26 AM
Trump blamed the moderator and a bad microphone after he was forced onto the defense by Clinton's attacks about his taxes, honesty and character in the first presidential debate.
by Michael Olson, MPR Newsvia MPR News9/27/2016 3:18:51 PM
Donald Trump followed up Monday's debate by insulting a former Miss Universe winner. He told a morning show that Alicia Machado "gained a massive amount of weight, and it was a real problem."
by Michael Olson, MPR Newsvia MPR News9/27/2016 1:09:27 PM
On this occasion, the often dour Clinton gave way to beaming smiles and occasional chuckles. Trump had just one salient objective -- to project a calm and presidential air -- yet struggled with it.
by Michael Olson, MPR Newsvia MPR News9/27/2016 11:52:15 AM
Some undecided Minnesota voters who watched Monday night's debate closely thought Hillary Clinton did well, but that doesn't necessarily mean she won their votes.
by Michael Olson, MPR Newsvia MPR News9/27/2016 11:18:13 AM