Senator Joni Ernst wants the president to give direct aid to the Kurds in northern Iraq as they fight off ISIS. Ernst said this is an issue valuable to both sides of the aisle, and would give the president the option to work with the Iraqi government to equip the Kursdish Peshmerga. Ernst’s amendment, however, failed to get enough votes in the U.S. Senate earlier today.
Potential presidential contender Jim Webb spoke to members of the Greater Des Moines Committee of Foreign Policy about his views of America’s relations overseas. The Democrat said he wants to establish a clear method of choosing which battles to fight internationally. Webb’s campaign staffer said he will make an announcement about his plans to run later this month.
In more caucus news…Donald Trump has entered the race for the Republican nomination. He gave his announcement speech at Trump Towers in New York earlier today…and is meeting with Des Moines voters later tonight. Trump is now the 12th candidate in the race to the White House.
Flooding in the metro area has subsided a little for now. The Raccoon and Des Moines Rivers remain about two inches above the flood level. George Flagg Parkway from southwest 23rd street to Park Avenue is still closed. All other rivers and streams around the metro are expected to remain below flood stage.
Sentencing is set for next Monday for a former Des Moines police officer convicted of using excessive force during a traffic stop two years ago. Federal prosecutors are recommending Colin Boone get 8 years in prison.
A robotic grocery store is in the works for a Des Moines neighborhood. The nonprofit group Eat Greater Des Moines wants to bring the touch-screen store to the Polk County Health Department parking lot at 19th Street and Carpenter Ave. They’ll look to the city council next month for approval.
Not so many playoffs for Iowa high school football next fall. The state athletic association’s board of control reduced it from 32 to 16 teams for all football classes. For this fall, the schedules stay as-is.
You won’t be able to protest overnight at the capitol. An appeals court ruled yesterday that protesters can be arrested for trespassing if they stayed on capitol grounds after an 11 PM closing time. Attorneys say they’ll appeal the decision to the state Supreme Court.
The entire Iowa Congressional delegation is pressing the EPA to organize a public hearing in the state on the proposed Renewable Fuel Standards. The group wants the EPA to hear from Iowans in the biofuels industry that are affected by the recent Renewable Volume Obligations. The effort is led by Congressman David Young.
Iowa’s bird flu outbreak is now the state’s worst animal health emergency…with a price tag of up to 300 million dollars in the cleanup process. 76 turkey and chicken farms have turned up positive for the virus…leading to about 32 million birds killed from the disease. State ag secretary Bill Northey says just because warmer temperatures are settling in doesn’t mean the virus will be completely gone from the state…and there could be another case in Iowa announced later today.
