WHATEVER THEIR DIFFERENCES, IOWA REPUBLICAN SENATOR JONI ERNST AND HER DEMOCRATIC CHALLENGER THERESA GREENFIELD AGREE THAT ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY HEAD ANDREW WHEELER SHOULD RESIGN. ERNST, GREENFIELD, AND OTHER MIDWESTERN POLITICAL FIGURES HAVE BEEN CRITICAL OF WHEELER AND THE EPA, WHICH HAS GIVEN MANY FUEL REFINERS AN EXEMPTION FROM THE REQUIREMENT TO BLEND A MINIMUM AMOUNT OF BIOFUELS INTO GAS AND DIESEL. ERNST SAYS SHE WAS AHEAD OF GREENFIELD ON THE ISSUE. HEAR MORE FROM ERNST’S KXEL INTERVIEW AT KXEL.COM.
FEWER CORONAVIRUS SCREENINGS ARE HAPPENING AT DUBUQUE’S TEST IOWA SITE. THE LOCATION IS ADMINISTERED BY EPIC HEALTH AND WELLNESS. ACCORDING TO THE CITY OF DUBUQUE, STATE OFFICIALS HAVE ORDERED THE SITE TO MAKE SEVERAL CHANGES, INCLUDING OPERATING FOR ONLY ONE HOUR EACH MORNING THROUGH THURSDAY AND LIMITING THE TOTAL NUMBER OF TESTS TO 100. PRIOR TO THE CHANGES, THE DUBUQUE TEST IOWA LOCATION WAS ROUTINELY TESTING OVER 400 PEOPLE PER DAY. A SPOKESMAN FOR GOVERNOR KIM REYNOLDS CALLED THE CHANGES “TEMPORARY.” LAST NAMES WILL DETERMINE WHICH DAYS CEDAR RAPIDS HIGH SCHOOL STUDENTS ARE ON CAMPUS. STUDENTS IN THE EARLY PART OF THE ALPHABET WILL ATTEND IN-PERSON CLASSES MONDAY AND TUESDAY. OTHERS WILL BE THERE WEDNESDAY AND THURSDAY. EVERYONE WILL TAKE ONLINE CLASSES FRIDAY. FACEMASKS WILL BE REQUIRED ACCORDING TO THE LATEST VERSION OF THE DISTRICT’S COVID-19 LEARNING PLAN.
SENATOR CHUCK GRASSLEY SAYS HE’S NOT SURE ANOTHER ROUND OF FEDERAL COVID-19 STIMULUS IS NEEDED, BUT HE DOES THINK ANOTHER BILL WILL CLEAR CONGRESS. DURING KXEL LIVE AND LOCAL THIS MORNING, GRASSLEY SAID THE BILL IS LIKELY TO BE WORTH A TRILLION DOLLARS, AND HE TALKED ABOUT OTHER ELEMENTS LIKELY TO BE INCLUDED IN THE LEGISLATION. HEAR MORE OF GRASSLEY’S INTERVIEW AT KXEL.COM.
THE WATERLOO CITY COUNCIL VOTED TO EXTEND A CONTRACT WITH THE COMPANY THAT MANAGES CITY PARKING. IN A 4-3 VOTE, THE COUNCIL APPROVED A ONE-YEAR ARRANGEMENT WITH REPUBLIC PARKING, RATHER THAN A PROPOSED FIVE-YEAR TERM. MONDAY’S DISCUSSION ALSO INCLUDED SEVERAL IDEAS FOR REIMAGINING WATERLOO’S DOWNTOWN PARKING ARRANGEMENTS, INCLUDING A FREE PARKING MODEL OR PICK-UP ZONES FOR SHORT-TERM SHOPPERS.
A “BACK THE BLUE” RALLY IS PLANNED FOR SATURDAY MORNING IN MARION. OTHER RALLIES TO SHOW SUPPORT FOR LAW ENFORCEMENT HAVE BEEN HELD IN CEDAR RAPIDS AND ELSEWHERE IN EASTERN IOWA. IN A STATEMENT, THE CITY OF MARION SAYS THE MARION POLICE DEPARTMENT WAS ASKED TO NOT PARTICIPATE IN THE EVENT, WHICH WILL BEGIN AT 10 A-M SATURDAY.
EGG PRODUCERS WHO HAD TO THIN THEIR FLOCKS BECAUSE OF COVID-19 AND FALLING DEMAND WILL BE ELIGIBLE FOR FINANCIAL SUPPORT. THE IOWA DISPOSAL ASSISTANCE PROGRAM HAS ALREADY BEEN PAYING PORK PRODUCERS FOR EACH MARKET-READY HOG EUTHANIZED AS A RESULT OF SUPPLY CHAIN DISRUPTIONS. THE IOWA DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE ANNOUNCED YESTERDAY THAT THE PROGRAM WAS EXPANDING TO COVER LAYING HENS.
THIS MORNING, U.S. SENATOR JONI ERNST WAS A GUEST DURING KXEL LIVE AND LOCAL. ERNST HAS PROPOSED A SERIES OF DEBATES WITH DEMOCRATIC OPPONENT THERESA GREENFIELD AHEAD OF THE NOVEMBER ELECTION. AHEAD OF THE GENERAL ELECTION, ERNST WOULD LIKE TO DEBATE GREENFIELD TWICE EACH MONTH, STARTING IN AUGUST.
EARLIER THIS MONTH, PRESIDENT DONALD TRUMP COMMUTED THE FEDERAL PRISON SENTENCE OF FORMER POLITICAL ADVISOR ROGER STONE, WHO HAD BEEN CONVITED OF LYING TO CONGRESS AND OTHER CHARGES IN 2019. THE MOVE HAS LED TO SPECULATION ABOUT SIMILAR ACTION RELATED TO OTHERS ASSOCIATED WITH THE ADMINISTRATION OR THE 2016 TRUMP CAMPAIGN. THIS MORNING, IOWA SENATOR CHUCK GRASSLEY TALKED ABOUT THE CASE FOR ALTERING COURT ACTION AGAINST FORMER GENERAL MICHAEL FLYNN. IN 2017, FLYNN PLED GUILTY TO LYING TO THE FBI, BUT THEN SOUGHT TO HAVE THE PLEA OVERTURNED.
A CORALVILLE CITY COUNCILMAN HAS RESIGNED AFTER CALLING BLACK LIVES MATTER PROTESTERS “A BUNCH OF CRIMINALS” DURING A PUBLIC MEETING. TOM GILL’S REMARKS ABOUT DEMONSTRATORS WERE MADE DURING A JULY 14 MEETING. SEVERAL BUSINESSES IN THE COMMUNITY WERE DAMAGED DURING PROTESTS IN MAY AND JUNE.
