From the KCRG TV9 Newsroom:
Governor Kim Reynolds announced her choice for lieutenant governor yesterday. Republican State Senator Chris Cournoyer has served in the state senate since 2019. The LeClaire native represented the 35th district, which includes parts of Clinton, Jackson and Scott counties. The new lieutenant governor called her new role humbling. Cournoyer replaces former lieutenant governor Adam Gregg. He resigned in September to take a position leading the Iowa Bankers Association. This is the first time Iowa has had two females at the helm of the executive branch as governor and lieutenant governor.
President-elect Donald Trump says he plans to sue the Des Moines Register over its final poll of Iowa voters before the election last month. He made the statement during a press conference at Mar-a-Lago Monday, calling the poll fraudulent and an example of election interference. The poll showed him losing to Vice President Kamala Harris. In a statement, the Register’s parent company, Gannett, says it acknowledges the poll didn’t reflect the margin of Trump’s victory, but it stands by its reporting.
New research from Des Moines University found HPV-related cancers are on the rise in rural parts of the country. That includes in Iowa. The study looked at 20-year trends from about 20 states across the country. HPV-associated cancers include cervical, throat, and some cancers of the anus and rectum. Two main things the study uncovered. The rates of cancers were similar in cities and rural areas 20 years ago, but rates in rural Iowas over the years have started to increase with a large spike in HPV-related cancers in 2021. There is a vaccine to prevent the virus from becoming cancerous and is recommended for children around age 12. The rise could be from the stigma around the HPV vaccine, barriers to accessing health care in rural areas, and the need for general education about the HPV vaccine.
