Morning Headlines - Tuesday, Aug. 9, 2022

U.S. and World Headlines

Donald Trump Says FBI Agents Raided His Mar-A-Lago Florida Home

Former US President Donald Trump has said his Florida home was raided by the FBI, and that agents broke open a safe.

Mr Trump said in a statement that Mar-a-Lago in Palm Beach was "occupied by a large group of FBI agents".

Monday's search was reportedly connected to an investigation into Mr Trump's handling of official papers.

"These are dark times for our nation," Mr Trump's statement said. "Nothing like this has ever happened to a president of the United States before."

Republicans Lash Out At Justice Department After FBI Searches Trump’s Mar-A-Lago Home

Republican lawmakers and officials accused the Biden administration on Monday night of weaponizing the Justice Department for political ends after former President Donald Trump revealed that the FBI had searched his Florida home.

Allies were quick to back Trump's claim that the unprecedented search of a former president's home was politically motivated, with some vowing to take action on Capitol Hill.

House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy, R-Calif, said the Justice Department had reached “an intolerable state of weaponized politicization” and vowed that Republicans would conduct oversight of the department if they win back the chamber in the November midterm elections.

Michigan AG Accuses Rival Of Voting Machine 'Conspiracy,' Seeks Outside Prosecutor

Michigan Attorney General Dana Nessel is seeking an outside prosecutor to consider charges against a group of prominent individuals for having allegedly engaged in a "conspiracy" to unlawfully gain access to voting machines used in the 2020 presidential election.

Among the accused is Nessel's presumptive Republican challenger, Matt DePerno, whom Nessel claims was "one of the prime instigators" but who adamantly denies wrongdoing.

In February, Michigan Secretary of State Jocelyn Benson requested the attorney general's office and the state police investigate reports of an "unnamed third party" gaining access to tabulation machines and data drives.

China Seizes On Pelosi Visit To Set ‘New Normal’ For Taiwan

From the South China Sea to the Himalayas, Beijing has shown a willingness to seize on perceived missteps by its rivals to tighten its grip over disputed territory. That’s now playing out around Taiwan.

In recent days, the People’s Liberation Army has sought to establish a new status quo on Taiwan with a series of exercises in the wake of US House Speaker Nancy Pelosi’s visit. The moves, including frequent trips across the US-defined median line in the Taiwan Strait and likely firing missiles over Taipei, have shrunk a vaguely defined buffer zone that has kept the peace for decades.

Dems On The Brink Of Sweeping Medicare Changes

Democrats are on the cusp of making the most significant changes to Medicare in more than a decade, which would bring lower drug prices and out-of-pocket costs for some of the program's 64 million enrollees.

New limits on how much patients will have to pay for medicines annually could offer a lifeline to seniors with conditions like cancer or multiple sclerosis who face thousands of dollars in drug bills, and lower overall prices would provide relief to even more enrollees.

Wisconsin Headlines

Johnson Steps On Political Land Mine With Social Security, Medicare Comments

Sen. Ron Johnson (R-Wis.), a stalwart Senate ally of former President Trump, is facing fresh uncertainty in his race for reelection after telling a podcast last week that Social Security and Medicare should be classified as discretionary spending, with Congress authorized to set their budgets every year.

Johnson had been cruising to reelection in a favorable political climate for Republicans, who expected to take control of the House and possibly the Senate as well.

Key Races To Watch In Wisconsin, Minnesota And Vermont Primaries

Voters in Wisconsin are set to pick the candidates on Tuesday for their marquee statewide races of the 2022 midterm elections, while Minnesota voters are set to choose a replacement for the late Rep. Jim Hagedorn (R-Minn.).

Meanwhile, voters in Vermont appear likely to get a little bit closer to a history-making decision: sending the first woman to represent the state in Congress.

Here are six races to watch in Wisconsin, Minnesota and Vermont on Tuesday.

3 Republican Primaries — And A Special Election — To Watch In Minnesota And Wisconsin

In summertime, I like to head north to beat the heat — and that’s exactly what we’re doing with Tuesday’s elections. The upper-latitude states of Connecticut, Minnesota, Vermont and Wisconsin are all holding their primaries on Tuesday, and Minnesota — the nation’s north star — is also hosting a special election that could provide clues to the country’s political mood.

If you haven’t been following these elections closely, never fear: As always, FiveThirtyEight is previewing every race with major implications for November. My colleague Geoffrey Skelley will run down the Democratic primaries of note tomorrow, but today let’s start with that special election and three big Republican primaries in two of those states.

Gableman Records Robocall Backing Vos’ Primary Opponent Steen

Former Supreme Court Justice Michael Gableman recorded a robocall urging voters to support Adam Steen in tomorrow’s GOP primary, saying Assembly Speaker Robin Vos “never wanted a real investigation into the 2020 election in Wisconsin.”

Vos, R-Rochester, said the call shows how desperate Gableman is to remain relevant.

Former President Trump revealed during Friday’s rally for GOP guv candidate Tim Michels that Gableman was joining him in endorsing Steen, a self-employed investor who lives in Sturtevant. Trump also took shots at Vos for not trying to decertify the 2020 election results. Vos has said repeatedly that isn’t an option under the law.

Amid Criticism, AG Kaul Calls His Actions On Wisconsin Clergy Sex Abuse A “Review” Not An Investigation

Wisconsin’s attorney general is responding to Action 2 News after receiving criticism from an organization that represents victims of church sexual abuse.

The group Nate’s Mission criticized Attorney General Josh Kaul last month for what it thought was an investigation the AG launched last year into the state’s five archdioceses and religious orders.

But Kaul is clarifying telling Action 2 News what he is doing is a review of allegations.