Today on KXEL Live & Local with Jeff Stein… Erin Murphy of The Gazette breaks down Tuesday’s Iowa primary… Charlie Becker of Camp Courageous on a new building project announced this week… KXEL’s Tim Harwood with Iowa Gallivant JayJay Goodvin on Union County… and a D-Day Remembrance from Wyatt Cox of Classic Radio Theater.

On yesterday’s KXEL Live & Local with Jeff Stein… Ken Chester, author of “Two-Hour Entrepreneur”… Joe Mitchell, GOP nominee for Congress (R-IA02)… segments from Jeff’s time as a guest on the “Todd Starnes Show” yesterday… KXEL’s Tim Harwood with Noah Riker of Black Hawk County Conservation on this week’s Kids Fishing Day event… and Mark Magnuson of the Iowa Agribusiness Radio Network with an RFD1540 conversation from the World Pork Expo in Des Moines.

Don’t forget…the KXEL Morning News with Tim Harwood  is on weekdays from 6-8 a.m.

“Truth is the First Casualty Here Too” is the topic for today’s Iowa Politics with Jeff Stein.

Here’s today’s KXEL Poll Question of the Day:  “Who do you think will win the November general election for IA02?” Weigh in at kxel.com/poll.

Scroll down for today’s KXEL Morning News summary…and as always, contact us via email (kxel@kxel.com) or text (319-235-1540).

Make the most of your day!

The Iowa Division of Criminal Investigation says a West Branch officer shot a suspect while responding to a call about a domestic dispute. In court papers, a bail bondsman says 22-year-old Kalen Tihpen  was shot four times while being taken into custody. Thipen was wanted on several warrants. He is in the hospital for his wounds. The officer involved was not hurt and is on leave. State Department of Public Safety is investigating the shooting.

The Iowa State Patrol says a 14-year-old boy died in that deadly crash between a train and a semi-truck in Poweshiek County Wednesday. Police say the train hit a semi-truck that was carrying a tractor, causing 17 train cars and two engines to derail. Robert Orton, who is the son of the semi-truck driver, died. His father remains hospitalized. Those on the train were not hurt.

Iowa Attorney General Brenna Bird announced the state has upheld the conviction of a Dubuque County man who murdered his wife. In November 2019, a jury found Todd Mullis guilty of murdering his wife with a corn rake, then attempting to stage the scene as a farming accident. In response, Mullis has made more than 100 legal claims saying he didn’t receive a fair trial and didn’t have adequate representation. However, a judge rejected those claims, saying his trial was fair and his rights were fully protected.

Federal aviation officials are investigating two drone incidents at the Eastern Iowa airport that might be tied to nearby data center construction. Pilots reported a drone in their landing path Wednesday morning around 10:45. Those reports led investigators to the QTS data center construction site, and two drone operators working for contractors there. The two planes landed safely.

Mercy Medical Center is teaming up to fight homelessness and waste in Cedar Rapids. Crews loaded up furniture yesterday from the former Hallmar Residential Care facility. The hospital is donating the usable items to Central Furniture Rescue. Since 2019, Central Furniture Rescue has furnished homes for thousands of eastern Iowa residents. Central Furniture Rescue says it’s also looking for volunteers to help move furniture.

Rollins said the USDA has already taken action to contain and eradicate this case of NWS.

Rollins also reiterated that a confirmation of NWS has no impact on the food supply, as this is just a pest and not a disease.

Rollins added that there is no reason to believe that this case will lead to an establishment of NWS in the U.S. as long as the proper protocols and guidelines are followed. For more information, visit aphis.usda.gov.

(MIAMI) -- A man, woman and two girls were found stabbed to death in what investigators believe is a murder-suicide in Miami.

Investigators said they believe 42-year-old Ryan Charles Whiten killed 46-year-old Melanie Lauren Hyer, 11-year-old Savannah Whiten and 8-year-old Sienna Whiten before taking his own life, according to the Miami-Dade Sheriff’s Office. 

Ryan Charles Whiten was the biological father of Savannah Whiten and Sienna Whiten, and Hyer was the girls' mother, according to the sheriff's office. 

Doral Police Officers responded to a residence in Miami-Dade for a welfare check on Tuesday at around 7:30 p.m., according to the sheriff's office.

Officers entered the residence when they arrived on the scene to find a woman, man and two girls all unresponsive, according to the sheriff's office. All four individuals suffered stab wounds and were pronounced dead at the scene.

"The Miami-Dade Sheriff’s Office Homicide Bureau investigation is currently leading detectives to believe this incident was a murder-suicide. Investigators are continuing to work closely with the Miami-Dade County Medical Examiner’s Office as the investigation remains active," the sheriff's office said in a statement. 

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(WASHINGTON) -- Senior Justice Department leaders on Thursday announced a number of cases against those who they say perpetrated fraud in Ohio.

Four people, including two state of Ohio employees, were charged with a $30 million fraud scheme targeting the state's behavioral health department.

Two of the defendants owned businesses which claimed to provide behavioral health services for young adults that attend summer camps, church groups and recreational programs, according to the Justice Department.

The Justice Department alleges the two businesses submitted fraudulent claims for services that were never rendered. After the claims were not submitted because one of the behavioral health organizations' accreditation was invalid, the two allegedly conspired with another individual to submit claims.

The funds were used to fund a lavish lifestyle, according to DOJ, including purchasing 14 vehicles worth $800,000.

"The days of the brazen theft that we've seen of taxpayer dollars, abusing the generosity of the American taxpayer is over," acting Attorney General Todd Blanche said at a press conference in Columbus, Ohio. "Our message to fraudsters is simple: With our state and local partners, the Department of Justice will be working day and night to identify you, arrest you and imprison you."

Blanche and other federal leaders, including FBI Director Kash Patel and Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services Administrator Dr. Mehmet Oz, were in Ohio to not only announce charges against alleged fraudsters, but to also announce a Top 10 fraudsters list and tout the cooperation between Ohio authorities and the federal government on fraud issues.

"Our best form of information is the American public," Patel said. "Take a look at this Top 10 most wanted. Let us know any information. There is no bad piece of information. The only bad piece of information is the one you don't give us."

Earlier this week, the Justice Department charged five individuals with scamming older Americans in romance fraud schemes totaling $15 million. The five -- mostly from Ghana -- allegedly used AI to create false stories and indicate to people they were interested in them romantically to get them to send them money.

"Once they establish trust, they use false pretenses and stories about vast inheritances of money, gold, or diamonds, and then convince these elderly Americans to help finance bogus legal proceedings in the nation of Ghana," U.S. Attorney for the Northern District of Ohio David M. Toepfer said at the press conference.

The scheme allegedly went on for almost two years and impacted more than 100 people.

"They then use this stolen money to buy a mansion in Ghana. Diamond-encrusted jewelry, a Lamborghini and other high-end luxury vehicles. All of those assets have now been seized and are going through the forfeiture proceedings so that they will not profit from their fraudulent efforts," Toepfer said.

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(NEW YORK) -- As residents of the Great Plains brace for more severe weather stretching into the weekend, summer-like temperatures are heating up the Northeast.

From New York City to Raleigh, North Carolina, temperatures are expected to be in the 90s on Friday and Saturday before a cold front arrives on Sunday.

The temperature in Raleigh is expected to hit 100 this weekend. Washington, D.C., is also forecast to see 90-degree temperatures through Saturday.

Humidity is not expected to be much of a factor in the Northeast as dew points remain low, meaning the "feels-like" temperatures will be nearly identical to the actual temperatures.

Some areas of the West are expected to see triple-digit temperatures. Phoenix, Arizona, could reach 110 degrees on Thursday.

Damaging winds and hail expected in the Great Plains

Severe weather is expected to continue in the Great Plains through the end of the week, with damaging winds and large hail forecast to be the main threats.

An isolated tornado or two and some instances of flash flooding are also possible on Thursday across the Great Plains, including South Dakota, southeast Montana, northeast Wyoming and northern Nebraska.

On Friday, severe weather, including damaging winds and large hail, is expected from Nebraska to Iowa and into southern Minnesota, including the cities of Omaha and Lincoln, Nebraska; Rochester, Minnesota; and Des Moines, Iowa.

On Saturday, severe weather is expected to move into the Great Lakes region and bring rain to parts of the Northeast on Sunday.

The foul weather in the Great Plains comes after the region was hit by severe thunderstorms and damaging winds on Wednesday. Thunderstorms and wind gusts of more than 80 mph were reported in Frederick, South Dakota, on Wednesday, leaving buildings damaged, a radio tower and power lines toppled, and trees uprooted.

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He says the health and heartiness of a gilt’s first litter traces back to the start of the gilt’s own life.

Lawrence says that the development of the gilt throughout its early life ties directly to the quality of its first litter.

Lawrence says that a gilt’s nutrition program is vital to the potential of future litters of pigs.

Sadie Sink has found her next TV project.

The Stranger Things actress is set to star in and executive produce The Marriage Plot for FX. It will be a limited series based on Jeffrey Eugenides’ 2011 novel of the same name.

The Marriage Plot tells the story of three recent college graduates who are "caught in an all-consuming love triangle as they reconcile their youthful romantic aspirations with looming adulthood and make life-altering choices about love and identity," according to an official description from FX.

Succession's Will Arbery is writing the project while Widow's Bay director Hiro Murai is helming. The series will stream on Hulu.

“The Marriage Plot is a perfect fit for FX: ambitious, character-driven storytelling that offers another great opportunity to partner with exceptional artists,” Gina Balian, the president of FX Entertainment, said. “We look forward to building on our partnerships with Will and Hiro, both of whom are extraordinary talents who we are proud to work with again.”

This marks Arbery's second FX series order in less than a year. His original show Seven Sisters was picked up by the network in December.

Next up for Sink is an appearance in this summer's Spider-Man: Brand New Day. She is also set to executive produce the film adaptation of the play John Proctor Is The Villain for Universal Pictures.

Disney is the parent company of ABC News and Hulu.

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While the soybean sales saw an improvement this week, McBride said they are still lagging behind overall.

Interestingly, the grain markets had a sharp negative tone today. McBride said there were a few factors weighing in on this negative activity.

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