President Trump says he'll sign first-step China trade deal on Jan. 15

WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. — President Donald Trump says he will sign the first phase of a trade deal with China at the White House next month.President Trump says Tuesday in a tweet that he'll then travel to Beijing at a later date to open talks on other sticking points in the U.S.-China trade relationship that remain to be worked out.President Trump tweeted from his Florida home that, “I will be signing our very large and comprehensive Phase One Trade Deal with China on January 15.

President Trump holding Milwaukee rally

MILWAUKEE -- President Donald Trump will be in Milwaukee for a Keep America Great Rally on Jan. 14 at the UW-Milwaukee Panther Arena.

Taliban council agrees to cease-fire in Afghanistan; provides window to sign peace agreement with US

KABUL, Afghanistan — The Taliban's ruling council agreed Sunday to a temporary cease-fire in Afghanistan, providing a window in which a peace agreement with the United States can be signed, officials from the insurgent group said.

President Trump faces raft of foreign policy challenges in 2020

WASHINGTON — President Donald Trump starts the new year knee-deep in daunting foreign policy challenges at the same time he'll have to deal with a likely impeachment trial in the Senate and the demands of a reelection campaign.There's still no end in sight to America's longest war in Afghanistan.

Biden leaves it unclear if he would honor Senate subpoena: 'Impeachment is about Trump'

WASHINGTON — Joe Biden sought Saturday to clarify his assertion that if the Senate subpoenas him to testify in President Donald Trump's impeachment trial, he will defy the order.

GOP senator 'disturbed' by McConnell coordinating trial with White House

WASHINGTON — Democratic lawmakers continue to defend House Speaker Nancy Pelosi’s decision to hold on to the articles of impeachment and now some Republicans are concerned the Senate majority leader won’t hold a fair trial.Democrats say they need assurances from Sen.

TMZ: Aaron Rodgers, Danica Patrick buy Malibu mansion for $28M

MALIBU -- TMZ is reporting that Green Bay Packers quarterback Aaron Rodgers and Danica Patrick have taken their relationship to a new level -- having bought a Malibu estate together for $28 million.According to the report, the house is 4,636 square feet, with four bedrooms, four bathrooms along with a two-bedroom guesthouse, and a swimming pool.

'Poised to do better things:' Gov. Evers says he's a work in progress entering 2nd year

MADISON — Former school teacher and state education secretary Tony Evers isn't ready to give himself a grade on his first year as Wisconsin's governor.“Incomplete,” Evers said during a wide-ranging interview that looked back at his first year in office and ahead to 2020. “After four years, I'll be glad to offer A through F, but at this point it's incomplete.”Evers' first year was marked by partisan disagreements with Republicans who control the Legislature, and although he and his fellow Democrats have registered some victories, little headway was made on many substantive issues.“I think we made good progress where we're poised to do better things in the future," he said.Evers took office in January after defeating two-term Republican incumbent Scott Walker.

President Trump, First Lady wish Americans 'Merry Christmas' as they mark holiday

PALM BEACH, Fla. — President Donald Trump and first lady Melania Trump are wishing Americans a Merry Christmas as they celebrate the holiday with their family in Florida.“The president and I want to wish each and every American a very merry Christmas," the first lady said in a video message recorded at the White House and released Wednesday. “We say a special prayer for those military service members stationed far from home and we renew our hope for peace among nations and joy to the world," President Trump said in the message.The first family is spending the holiday at the president's private club in Palm Beach, attending a music-filled Christmas Eve service at a Southern Baptist Convention-affiliated church before celebrating with dinner in the ballroom of his private club.

President Trump says North Korea may be planning 'a nice present' for Christmas

PALM BEACH, Fla. — President Donald Trump said Tuesday, Dec. 24 that North Korean leader Kim Jong Un may be planning to give him “a nice present" such as a “beautiful vase” for Christmas rather than a missile launch.The president was asked what he will do if North Korea does conduct a long-range missile test.The North has threatened to take unspecified action if sanctions are not eased by the end of the year, and speculation has centered on the possibility of a new missile test, possibly of an intercontinental ballistic missile capable of delivering a nuclear warhead.The North has said that its “Christmas gift” to the United States will depend on Washington's actions.President Trump, who is in Florida for the holidays, had just finished thanking service members from each branch of the military via satellite when he was asked about North Korea.

Report: Santa Rodgers gifted each Packers offensive lineman with a 65-inch Samsung TV

GREEN BAY -- It would appear as though after the Green Bay Packers clinched the NFC North with a 23-10 win over the Minnesota Vikings, QB Aaron Rodgers played Santa Claus.ESPN NFL Nation Packers reporter Rob Demovsky reported Tuesday, Dec. 24 Rodgers gifted each of his offensive linemen a 65-inch Samsung TV, including new T John Leglue, who came to Green Bay from the New Orleans Saints’ practice squad on Saturday, Dec. 21.

Ahead of holidays, Senate hopes for fair, speedy impeachment trial

WASHINGTON — As President Donald Trump spends the holidays at his south Florida resort, Senate Democrats say all they want for Christmas is a fair and speedy impeachment trial.Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer continues to pressure Senate Majority Republican Mitch McConnell to allow documents and White House witnesses in the Senate impeachment trial.“If it doesn’t have documents and witnesses, it’s going to seem to most of the American people that it is a sham trial,” Schumer, D-New York, said.Senator Chris Murphy, D-Connecticut, said Senate rules should require a fair and impartial hearing of the case.“To not even try to get the primary players in this corruption drama to come and give testimony I think is a total abdication of our responsibility,” Murphy said. “It’s just kind of amazing to me that McConnell would proudly telegraph to the country that he’s taking all of his marching orders from Donald Trump.”But on Christmas Eve, President Trump said it’s the House Democrats who have been unfair throughout the proceedings.“They didn’t give us due process.

'A concerted effort to misrepresent:' Ousted health commissioner insists he's not at fault for lead scandal

MILWAUKEE -- Ousted Milwaukee Health Commissioner Bevan Baker spoke publicly Monday, Dec. 23 for the first time in nearly two years after it was revealed the Milwaukee Health Department may have put thousands of children at risk of lead exposure -- insisting he's not at fault.Baker has maintained from the beginning that he wasn't responsible for the serious mismanagement of the Milwaukee Health Department's Childhood Lead Poisoning Prevention Program.

President Trump calls troops ahead of Christmas holiday

PALM BEACH, Fla. — President Donald Trump called members of all five branches of the military stationed across the world to share greetings ahead of the Christmas holiday.Speaking Tuesday by video conference from his private club in Florida, where is he is on a more than two-week vacation, President Trump said, “I want to wish you an amazing Christmas.” The group included Marines in Afghanistan, an Army unit in Kuwait, a Navy ship in the Gulf of Aden, an Air Force base in Missouri and a Coast Guard station in Alaska.President Trump praised the armed forces for their efforts this year to eliminate the last of the Islamic State's territorial caliphate and for killing IS leader Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi.

'Giannis doing what Giannis does:' Mequon fan 'froze' when Bucks star gifted game-worn shoes

MILWAUKEE -- A young Milwaukee Bucks fan broke down in tears when Giannis Antetokounmpo handed her his game-worn shoes after the Bucks beat the Indiana Pacers on Sunday, Dec. 22 at Fiserv Forum.

White House predicts Pelosi to 'yield' on impeachment delay

WASHINGTON -- The White House tried to make the case Sunday that Speaker Nancy Pelosi has put herself in an untenable position by stalling House-passed articles of impeachment against President Donald Trump in hopes of shaping the upcoming Senate trial.A senior administration official suggested the top Democrat in Congress would soon relent, paving the way for leaders in the Republican-controlled Senate to settle on the contours of a trial that is likely to result in Trump's acquittal on charges of obstruction of Congress and abuse of power.

With no choice but President Trump in primary, Minnesota voter sues

MINNEAPOLIS (AP) — A Minnesota voter frustrated because President Donald Trump would be the only name on the state Republican primary ballot in March is challenging the move and muddying the launch of the state's first presidential primary in decades.Jim Martin, of Lake Elmo, a small business operator and political independent, filed a lawsuit over the primary rules, the Star Tribune reported.

US heads to court in effort to seize private land for Texas border wall

HOUSTON — Three years into Donald Trump's presidency, the U.S. government is ramping up its efforts to seize private land in Texas to build a border wall.President Trump's signature campaign promise has consistently faced political, legal, and environmental obstacles in Texas, which has the largest section of the U.S.-Mexico border, most of it without fencing.