(MILWAUKEE) — The first senatorial debate in the battleground state of Wisconsin is happening Friday evening, with incumbent Republican Ron Johnson facing off against the state’s Lt. Gov. Mandela Barnes, who, if elected, would be the state’s first Black senator.
The debate will be broadcast live from PBS studios in Milwaukee at 8 p.m. ET/7 p.m. local time and is presented by the Wisconsin Broadcasters Association Foundation.
Democrats view the Senate seat in the state as one of the easiest ones to flip, but Republicans’ focus on the issue of crime, along with attack ads on the topic targeting their opponent, have helped tightened the race there, although some Democratic operatives say Republicans’ focus on crime is a distraction from other big issues on voters’ minds, including abortion rights.
A source close to the Barnes campaign said the debates, like the election, will be a referendum on Johnson. Issues that voters can expect to hear Barnes take Johnson to task on will be the Republican senator’s restrictive stance on abortion, past suggestions to end Social Security and Medicare, and Johnson’s ties with his wealthy donors, according to the source.
When asked by ABC News about the first senate debate this Friday, Alec Zimmerman, the communications director for Johnson, wrote in an emailed statement that Barnes is a “dangerous Democrat who has supported radical leftist causes like defunding the police and abolishing ICE.”
Zimmerman adds, “The debate will show what’s at stake in this race: safer communities and an affordable economy — two issues where Mandela Barnes is completely out of touch with Wisconsin families.”
The source close to the Barnes campaign said voters should expect to hear Barnes share his story as the son of a public school teacher and a third-shift auto worker, and how he’ll fight for the middle class.
(NEW YORK) — The Nobel Peace Prize was awarded Friday to Belarusian human rights advocate Ales Bialiatski and two groups, Memorial, a human rights organization from Russia and the Center for Civil Liberties, which is based in Ukraine.
The prizes were awarded for contributions to civil society, according to the committee.
Bialiatski “devoted his life to promoting democracy and peaceful development in his home country,” founding the organization Viasna to counter the dictatorial powers granted to the Belarusian president, according to an announcement for the prize.
As a result of his work, Bialiatski was jailed from 2011 to 2014 and arrested again in 2020. Currently he is being detained without trial, the committee said.
Memorial, founded in 1987 under the former Soviet Union, grew to become the biggest human rights organization in Russia. It “became the most authoritative source of information on political prisoners in Russian detention facilities,” according to the announcement. Perils attached to the work — in 2009, the head of the group’s branch in Chechnya was killed.
And the Center for Civil Liberties, founded in 2007, has dedicated itself to making Ukraine a “full-fledged democracy.” Since the Russian invasion in February 2022, it has “engaged in efforts to identify and document Russian war crimes against the Ukrainian civilian population.”
Last year, the prize was given to two journalists, Maria Ressa and Dmitry Muratov, for their work in the Philippines and Russia respectively.
Ressa co-founded an investigative journalism company and worked to shine a spotlight on former president Rodrigo Duterte’s brutal anti-drug campaign, according to the prize announcement. Muratov was credited with founding the “most independent” newspaper in Russia today, Novaya Gazeta, which has garnered “harassment, threats, violence and murder,” including the killings of six of its journalists, the announcement said.
Past Nobel Peace Prize winners have included former Presidents Barack Obama and Jimmy Carter, Nelson Mandel, Mother Teresa and Martin Luther King Jr. Since the program’s inception in 1901. The International Committee of the Red Cross has been awarded the prize three times.
(DEARBORN, Mich.) — A suspect has been taken into custody following a deadly shooting and hourslong negotiations with authorities at a Hampton Inn in Dearborn, Michigan, the Michigan State Police said.
“The barricaded gunman has been taken into custody without incident,” police said Thursday night. “Michigan Ave. is still closed and will be as the investigation continues. This will be our final update.”
Dearborn Police Chief Issa Shahin said Thursday night there was one fatality, a 55-year-old clerk from Riverview “just trying to do his job.”
Police said the suspect — a 38-year-old man with a history of mental illness and drug abuse — was armed with a rifle and threatened officers many times.
Dearborn police said they had been in contact with the suspect’s family to get him to surrender peacefully.
According to police, the incident was a confrontation over a bill.
Officers evacuated hotel employees and guests, police said.
Authorities were urging people to stay away from downtown Dearborn.
ABC News’ Darren Reynolds contributed to this report.
Authorities in Central California’s Merced County released surveillance video video showing the armed suspect outside the business where a family of four was kidnapped on Oct. 3, 2022. – Merced County Sheriff’s Office
(MERCED COUNTY, Calif.) — All four family members who were mysteriously kidnapped in Northern California have been found dead in a rural almond orchard, the Merced County sheriff said.
Eight-month-old Aroohi Dheri and her parents — 27-year-old mother Jasleen Kaur and 36-year-old father Jasdeep Singh — were taken against their will from a business on Monday, Merced County Sheriff Vern Warnke said. The baby’s uncle, 39-year-old Amandeep Singh, was also kidnapped, the sheriff said.
The suspected kidnapper, 48-year-old Jesus Manuel Salgado, was taken into custody on Tuesday and later booked into the Merced County Jail on Thursday, the sheriff’s office said.
Salgado was arrested on four counts of murder and four counts of kidnapping, according to the sheriff’s office.
“Our detectives, alongside investigators from assisting agencies, will continue to follow up on any leads of additional people who may have been involved in this horrific incident,” the sheriff’s office said.
Warnke announced Wednesday night that a farm worker came across the victims’ bodies, which were found relatively close together.
No motive is known, Warnke said.
The sheriff called it “horribly senseless.”
Salgado attempted to take his own life “prior to law enforcement involvement” and was receiving medical attention, which delayed investigators’ ability to talk to him, the sheriff’s office said.
Warnke said Wednesday night that investigators have now spoken with Salgado, but the sheriff didn’t provide details.
“Salgado is still being medically treated and investigators are still interviewing him,” the sheriff’s office said Thursday.
Salgado was arrested in 2005 for robbery, burglary, and criminal threats against a man and his family, according to the police report.
The sheriff added that he believes at least one other person is involved.
On Wednesday, sheriff’s officials revealed surveillance video showing the family’s movements outside the business — a trucking company — on the day of the kidnapping.
At 8:30 a.m. Monday, Jasdeep Singh arrived at the business in a minivan, and minutes later, his brother Amandeep Singh arrived there in his pickup truck, the sheriff’s office said.
Someone was seen walking along the highway near the business that morning, officials said. Jasdeep Singh then made contact with the suspect and the two walked back toward the building, officials said.
The suspect — identified by sheriff’s officials Thursday as Salgado — was seen on video pulling out a gun and entering the business, officials said.
At 9:11 a.m., video showed the back door opening and the armed suspect exiting, officials said.
Jasdeep and Amandeep Singh were seen exiting the building, apparently with their hands zip-tied behind their backs, and were put in the back seat of the pickup truck, officials said.
The truck left for a few minutes and then returned, and the suspect got out of the truck and went into the business, officials said.
Less than one minute later, Jasleen Kaur and her 8-month-old baby exited the business, officials said.
The final surveillance video image showed the truck leaving the business, officials said.
The four family members were the only people in the business at the time, the sheriff said.
The sheriff’s office announced on Tuesday that Amandeep Singh’s truck had been found on fire shortly before noon on Monday.
Police went to Amandeep Singh’s Merced home around 12:35 p.m. Monday; while they couldn’t locate him, they spoke to another relative, the sheriff’s office said. When the relative couldn’t reach Jasleen Kaur, Jasdeep Singh or Amandeep Singh, the relative reported them missing, the sheriff’s office said.
Sheriff’s officials then responded to the business, and “during the primary investigation, detectives determined that the individuals were kidnapped,” the sheriff’s office said Tuesday.
There were two bank transactions from the family’s accounts, the sheriff said.
Editor’s note: The sheriff’s office initially said a subject captured in surveillance footage making a transaction at a bank matched the appearance of the suspect seen in surveillance footage at the kidnapping scene. The sheriff’s office later said the photo of the person at the ATM was not the suspect in custody.
ABC News’ Melissa Gaffney and Marilyn Heck contributed to this report.
(WASHINGTON) — U.S. employers added 263,000 jobs in September and the unemployment rate fell slightly to 3.5% from 3.7%.
Economists were predicting a gain of 250,000 jobs last month.
Notable job gains occurred in leisure and hospitality and in health care, according to the Department of Labor.
The number of long-term unemployed (those who are jobless for 27 weeks or more) was little changed at 1.1 million in September, the department said. The labor force participation rate was 62.3%.
Monthly job growth has averaged 420,000 so far this year versus 562,000 per month in 2021, according to the Department of Labor.
The new jobs data arrives less than two weeks after the Federal Reserve imposed a 0.75% hike in interest rates, the same hike percentage at its previous two meetings.
The Fed has instituted a series of aggressive borrowing cost increases in recent months as it tries to slash near-historic inflation by slowing the economy and choking off demand. But the approach risks tipping the U.S. into an economic downturn and putting millions out of work.
So far this year, however, the U.S. labor market has defied expectations of a slowdown.
U.S. hiring has slowed from its breakneck pace but remained robust in August, with the economy adding 315,000 jobs and the unemployment rate rising to 3.7%.
The hiring marked a significant drop from the 528,000 jobs added over the previous month, suggesting that the Fed’s rate hikes may have begun to cool off the labor market.
“This is an inflection point,” Erica Groshen, an economist at Cornell University, told ABC News. “I expect we’re going to see some signs of loosening in the labor market. Do I think we’re going to drop off a cliff? Probably not.”
Data released this week buttressed predictions of a hiring slowdown.
Job openings plummeted by over 1 million in August, marking a 10% drop from 11.1 million openings recorded in July, according to a government report released on Tuesday.
Meanwhile, unemployment insurance claims jumped by 29,000 to 219,000 in the week ending Oct. 1, Labor Department data on Thursday showed.
After announcing the rate hike last month, Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell reasserted the central bank’s commitment to bring inflation down to a target rate of 2%, saying the Fed expects to put forward “ongoing increases” to its benchmark interest rate.
The Fed forecasted that its rate hikes would raise the unemployment rate to 4.4% by the end of 2023.
“I am confident that the labor market won’t be as tight in the coming months,” said Groshen. “The question is how much will the unemployment rate go up and how quickly?”
“This is the pain that the Federal Reserve has reluctantly felt it has to cause,” she added.
(NEW YORK) — Wall Street will closely watch the release of new jobs data on Friday that will reveal whether U.S. hiring has cooled as the Federal Reserve aims to slow the economy in its fight against inflation.
Economists are predicting a gain of 250,000 jobs in September. That figure would mark the lowest number of jobs added in any month since December 2020.
The September jobs data arrives less than two weeks after the Federal Reserve imposed a 0.75% hike in interest rates, the same hike percentage at its previous two meetings.
The Fed has instituted a series of aggressive borrowing cost increases in recent months as it tries to slash near-historic inflation by slowing the economy and choking off demand. But the approach risks tipping the U.S. into an economic downturn and putting millions out of work.
So far this year, however, the U.S. labor market has defied expectations of a slowdown.
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U.S. hiring has slowed from its breakneck pace but remained robust in August, with the economy adding 315,000 jobs and the unemployment rate rising to 3.7%.
The hiring marked a significant drop from the 528,000 jobs added over the previous month, suggesting that the Fed’s rate hikes may have begun to cool off the labor market.
“This is an inflection point,” Erica Groshen, an economist at Cornell University, told ABC News. “I expect we’re going to see some signs of loosening in the labor market. Do I think we’re going to drop off a cliff? Probably not.”
Data released this week buttressed predictions of a hiring slowdown.
Job openings plummeted by over 1 million in August, marking a 10% drop from 11.1 million openings recorded in July, according to a government report released on Tuesday.
Meanwhile, unemployment insurance claims jumped by 29,000 to 219,000 in the week ending Oct. 1, Labor Department data on Thursday showed.
After announcing the rate hike last month, Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell reasserted the central bank’s commitment to bring inflation down to a target rate of 2%, saying the Fed expects to put forward “ongoing increases” to its benchmark interest rate.
The Fed forecasted that its rate hikes would raise the unemployment rate to 4.4% by the end of 2023.
“I am confident that the labor market won’t be as tight in the coming months,” said Groshen. “The question is how much will the unemployment rate go up and how quickly?”
“This is the pain that the Federal Reserve has reluctantly felt it has to cause,” she added.
Culture Con, a premiere destination for creators of color, entrepreneurs and young professionals, returns to New York City on Saturday, October 8, for a day full of activations, conversations, workshops and more.
Widely known as “The Ultimate Creative Homecoming,” the highly anticipated conference made stops in Los Angeles and Atlanta earlier this year. Attendees were able to participate in Culture Con Week in NYC from October 2-7 for an advance glimpse of all to come during the main event.
On Saturday, presenting partner HBO will host VIP and talent lounges; Strong Black Lead, Netflix’s Black sub-brand, will lead a conversation on cultural storytelling; and TikTok will discuss Black creators and the real-world impact of Black TikTok on culture.
Taraji P. Henson, LenaWaithe, MeaganGood, TraceeEllisRoss, TerranceJ, AngieMartinez and WinstonDuke are among the more than 75 guest speakers and celebrities who will participate in conference panels and discussions.
An already much-talked-about part of the conference, actors NiaLong and LarenzTate will reunite to commemorate the 25th anniversary of the beloved classic film Love Jones.
Culture Con is a division of The Creative Collective NYC, a vision born out of founder ImaniEllis‘ desire to build community and assemble a collaborative space for Black and brown creatives to engage with one another.
If you ever come across Serj Tankian in public, maybe don’t yell “Wake up!” at him.
In an interview with Revolver, the System of a Down frontman shares that fans will often shout the “Chop Suey!” lyric if they see him out and about.
“People will scare the s*** out of me when they yell ‘Wake up!’ behind me somewhere — wherever, in public,” Tankian laughs. “I’m like, ‘F*** dude! Really? Wow … I’m glad you’re excited but don’t do that.'”
In addition to trying to avoid screams of “Wake up,” Tankian is gearing up to release a new EP called Perplex Cities. The five-track collection arrives October 21, though Tankian has been previewing songs from the EP via the augmented reality app Arloopa.
Oscar-winning actor Javier Bardem stars in the new movieLyle, Lyle, Crocodile, featuring Shawn Mendes as the voice of the titular reptile. Bardem says Shawn’s involvement was definitely a selling point for him to take the job — once his kids weighed in.
Bardem tells ABC Audio he wanted to make a movie that his kids could see for a change. He says, “When I told them about making a movie with a crocodile that sings and dances, and that I walk around the streets of New York with him, and that it’s done with the voice of Shawn Mendes, they were like, ‘What are you waiting for? I mean, just go there and do it, dad!'”
“We all love him!” Bardem says of Shawn.
In the movie, Bardem plays Lyle’s owner, Hector P. Valenti, and sings a duet, “Take a Look at Us Now,” with Shawn.
So, did Shawn give Bardem, who sang in the Oscar-nominated movie Being the Ricardos, any vocal tips?
“No! I mean, it’s impossible to give me any tips!” Bardem laughs. “I mean…there is nothing that can really help me to sing better!” He notes that when it came to his and Shawn’s duet, “It took me a while to bring the song together, while he could do it in a second, you know what I’m saying?”
Lyle, Lyle, Crocodile is in theaters Friday. The soundtrack, which is available now, features a new original song by Shawn, “Heartbeat,” plus songs written by Benj Pasek and Justin Paul, the Oscar and Tony-winning duo who brought you the tunes in La La Land, The Greatest Showman and Dear Evan Hansen. Classics including Elton John’s “Crocodile Rock,” Stevie Wonder‘s “Sir Duke” and The Gap Band’s “Steppin’ Out” round out the album.
It may not be surprising that a band called Death Cab for Cutie would sing about dying — it’s in their name, after all — but you may not expect them to do it with such cheeriness.
The “Soul Meets Body” group’s current single, “Here to Forever,” finds frontman Ben Gibbard musing that all the actors in movies he watches from the ’50s “are all dead now.” And if you didn’t hear it the first time, Gibbard repeats the line “They’re all dead now” with a warm, exuberant harmony from his bandmates.
Speaking with ABC Audio, bassist Nick Harmer shares that mismatching the tones of lyrics and the music within songs has long been a Death Cab staple.
“I think that one thing that we’ve done in this band, and certainly sonically, and we’ve kind of explored in our songs, is kind of this juxtaposition between either a heavy emotional content with more uplifting or lighter music or uplifting music with a darker, emotional lyrical content,” Harmer shares.
With “Here to Forever” specifically, that juxtaposition seems to be working, as the track currently sits at #2 on Billboard‘s Alternative Airplay chart, the highest ranking any Death Cab song has had on the tally since 2015’s “Black Sun.”
“I think we kind of like how those things can kind of push and pull against one another from an emotional place,” Harmer says. “[We] look for those moments where we can kind of highlight the sort of light and darkness at the same time.”
“Here to Forever” appears on the new Death Cab album Asphalt Meadows, which is out now.
