On Thursday, a three-judge panel of the 8th Circuit Court of Appeals upheld a preliminary injunction stopping an attempt by Gov. Kim Reynolds and Republican leaders in the legislature to create a state-level deportation program in Iowa. SF 2340, passed with only Republican votes, made it a state crime for a person to be in […]
Trump administration
Posted inCommunity/News
‘There is literally no precedent for this’: Food banks prepare for lapse of SNAP funding under government shutdown
As federal funding for the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program is days away from running out, food banks, pantries and charitable groups across Iowa are bracing for what they anticipate will be “unprecedented” need. SNAP serves around than 270,000 Iowans each month and is a federally supported program. But as politicians in Washington D.C. squabble over […]
Posted inCommunity/News
After record-setting rallies across the country, Trump and Joni Ernst dismiss No Kings Day protesters as paid and ‘whacked out’
On Saturday, millions of Americans around the country, including more than 12,000 people across Iowa, took part in the No Kings Day of Peaceful Protest. Thousands filled the Pentacrest in Iowa City, and a crowd of similar size gathered at the Iowa State Capitol in Des Moines. In Cedar Rapids, thousands lined 8th Avenue SE […]
Posted inCommunity/News
Iowans across the state will rally on Saturday as No Kings Day returns
On Saturday, hundreds of cities across the country will see people take to the streets for a No Kings Day of Peaceful Action to protest President Trump’s policies. According to national organizers, there will be more than 2,500 No Kings Day events nationwide. Republican leaders have been denouncing this protest in even stronger terms than […]
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Nearly 50,000 Iowa children could lose food aid in government shutdown, report says
Federal funding for programs feeding thousands of young and vulnerable Iowans could run out if the government shutdown continues, according to a report from Food & Water Watch. The national nonprofit released a map and report Thursday compiling how many children under the age of 5 across the U.S. rely on the Special Supplemental Nutrition […]
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As state and federal officials target speech they disapprove of, free speech proponents will rally in Iowa City Wednesday
Freedom of speech, and the importance of protecting it from powerful opponents, has become an urgent topic of discussion since Donald Trump returned to the White House in January. His administration has, among other actions, aggressively targeted international students expressing opinions or engaging in protest it dislikes for deportation, pressured universities to change curricula to […]
Posted inCommunity/News
Iowa conservation group sues Trump administration over frozen AmeriCorps funding
Bur Oak Land Trust, an Iowa City-based nonprofit, joined more than a dozen groups from across the country in a lawsuit against the Trump administration for continuing to withhold funding for AmeriCorps programs. Bur Oak and 13 additional nonprofits won a preliminary injunction in July from a lawsuit in response to Department of Government Efficiency […]
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Rally planned in Iowa City to protest closure of State Historical Society research center by Reynolds administration
As the Trump administration continues its attempts to erase and rewrite history — on Tuesday, President Trump said he had “instructed my attorneys to go through the [Smithsonian] Museums” to ensure the Smithsonian is focused on “Success” and “Brightness” instead of “how bad Slavery was” — Iowans will rally on Saturday to demand the state protect […]
Posted inEastern Iowa
As oligarchs accrue more power, Bernie Sanders brings his tour back to Iowa
Bernie Sanders is bringing his national speaking tour back to Iowa next week. The Vermont senator’s “Fighting Oligarchy: Where We Go From Here” event will be held at the River Center, South Building in Davenport on Friday, Aug. 22. Doors open at 4:30 p.m., and the first speaker is scheduled to take the stage at 7 […]
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‘We clearly have a problem’: Des Moines Water Works opposes EPA decision to rescind impaired water designations
Officials from Des Moines Water Works said Thursday a decision from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency pertaining to water quality did “not align” with the “operational and financial” challenges the utility has faced in providing safe drinking water to Iowans. EPA previously designated seven river segments, including two connected to Des Moines’ source waters, as […]
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Trump EPA rescinds Biden-era decision to expand Iowa’s impaired water list
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency has rescinded its previous decision to add seven segments to Iowa’s list of impaired waters due to their high nitrate concentrations. In November the agency decided the Iowa Department of Natural Resources’ list of impaired waters only “partially” met the requirements of the Clean Water Act to identify waterways with identified pollutants […]
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Iowa National Guard soldiers deployed to assist ICE
Iowa National Guard soldiers will deploy to provide support for the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement in September, Iowa Gov. Kim Reynolds announced Tuesday. The deployment, set to begin Sept. 8, will involve 20 National Guard soldiers providing “administrative and logistical support” to ICE officials based in Iowa who are enforcing immigration laws, according to […]
