The Des Moines Register
Farmers talk climate change and rising insurance rates
Farmers, business owners and homeowners shared stories about climate change and its impact on their insurance prices at a roundtable with Democratic elected officials in Des Moines. The event was hosted by state Rep. Josh Turek, DCouncil Bluffs, who...
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Casey’s elevated to S&P 500 stock index
Casey’s General Stores has joined the S&P 500 stock index, made up of some of the largest publicly traded companies in the United States. It’s a major milestone for the Ankenybased convenience store chain. Dow Jones added the company to the...
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CAN AI HELP FIND CUTS?
Can artificial intelligence save Iowa taxpayers money? Iowa House Republicans are considering spending $1.4 million to give it a try. The money would pay a private technology company to study school and county government budgets across Iowa and find...
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Getting impatient on eminent domain
As Iowa’s legislative session enters what could be its final weeks, landowners are putting pressure on Senate Republican leaders to hold a vote on legislation restricting eminent domain for carbon pipelines. Several dozen Iowa landowners stood outside...
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Caregivers may get child care support
Republicans and Democrats in the Iowa Legislature may not agree on much, but they concur when it comes to the importance of child care availability for keeping parents in the state’s workforce. Approved unanimously in the Iowa Senate after clearing...
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Summit redirects CO2 pipeline for oil output
For four years, battles over private property rights have gridlocked state legislatures across the Midwest and stalled plans for a pipeline to transport liquefied carbon dioxide from ethanol plants in the region. In the background of this eminent...
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2 U.S. fighter jets downed over Iran
Two days after President Donald Trump vowed in an address to hit Iran “extremely hard,” two U.S. fighter jets went down over Iran, according to the White House and media reports. One crew member was rescued from a two-seated F-15E fighter jet that was...
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Many skeptical of Trump speech
Oil prices rose sharply and Iran threatened retaliation after President Donald Trump stepped up his threats against Iran during a prime-time address. In the April 1 speech, Trump simultaneously repeated previous suggestions that the war would end in...
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Justices probing in birthright debate
WASHINGTON – The Supreme Court gave a tough – but not dismissive – review of President Donald Trump’s effort to redefine who is an American, debating April 1 as Trump added to the historical significance of the case by becoming the first sitting...
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BIO BUST
Last year was tough — by at least one estimate, the toughest ever — for Iowa’s biodiesel industry. The industry lost an estimated $89.5 million in 2025 and closed three plants in 2025, according to a new economic impact report. The industry’s...
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Trump touts talks, warns of escalation
President Donald Trump on March 30 said the United States was engaged in “serious discussions” with Iranian officials on a deal to end the war – but threatened to launch strikes on the country’s power, oil and water facilities if negotiations...
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Des Moines schools to issue tickets for graduations
Des Moines Public Schools’ class of 2026 will face new limits on how many people can attend graduation ceremonies this spring following several years of overcrowding and safety concerns. Graduating seniors at Lincoln, Roosevelt, Hoover, East and...
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Trump touts policies aimed to help farmers
President Donald Trump gathered hundreds of farmers March 27 on the South Lawn of the White House to tout policies aimed at helping an agriculture industry that has been squeezed by tariffs and the Iran war. Trump highlighted an increase in renewable...
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Andrews blasts Steen over ballot dispute
Republican gubernatorial candidate Eddie Andrews took a big swing at competitor Adam Steen at the Polk County GOP’s Lincoln Dinner Thursday, March 26 after tensions had simmered for days. Andrews, who successfully fended off a challenge to his...
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Boys of summer are back
Iowa Cubs players enjoy a game of spike ball before practice on March 25 at Principal Park. The franchise begins its 45th season as the Chicago Cubs’ Triple-A affiliate on March 27 with a 7:08 p.m. game against Columbus. The teams are also scheduled to...
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MORE AND MORE IN METRO
The Des Moines metro has maintained its position as the fastest-growing major metro in the Midwest. As of 2025, the Des Moines metro has grown to 758,539 people, up 6.7% since 2020, according to newly released U.S. Census estimates. But those...
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Ask its chefs why Masao is so special
Lionfish. Rabbit. Saw-edged perch. Himalayan morels. Those are among the ingredients the restaurant Masao has showcased in Des Moines since opening in May 2025. “Those mushrooms have barely been out for five minutes, and people are already stopping to...
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High court appears open to limiting ballot timeline
WASHINGTON – The Supreme Court could back a Republican effort to stop states from counting late-arriving mailin ballots, a decision that would lead to stricter voting rules around the country. During more than two hours of oral arguments on March 23,...
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2026 Wild Lights event canceled by visa woes
Des Moines’ Blank Park Zoo will not host its annual Wild Lights event this spring, losing the festival after organizers could not secure visas for enough of the foreign workers who create its Chinese lanterns. h U.S. Citizenship and Immigration...
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War with Iran gives boost to Netanyahu
DUBAI – If the U.S.-Israeli war on Iran ended tomorrow, one verdict is already clear: Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu would walk away stronger, while President Donald Trump would be left to manage the shock to global markets and to Gulf allies who...
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U.S. troop buildup heightens tensions
Despite President Donald Trump’s promises of the war with Iran ending soon and broad domestic disapproval of further involvement, the United States is sending more troops to the region, a defense official said. The 11th Marine Expeditionary Unit,...
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Iowa’s 2026 primary ballots are finalized
A crowded field of candidates has tightened significantly in Iowa following the close of the state’s candidate filing period. A once-boisterous five-way Republican primary in northwest Iowa’s 4th Congressional District has narrowed to a single...
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Suspect arrested in cold-case shooting
An “unrelenting pursuit of justice” led to the arrest of Kristin Ramsey, 53, in the 15-year-old cold case of Iowa Realtor Ashley Okland, West Des Moines police said Wednesday, March 18. When Okland was killed, Ramsey, of Woodward, worked as an...
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FIRST PURGE, THEN SILENCE
William O’Neal II was skeptical. He’d taken pills all his life and they’d had only ever moderately helped his myriad cystic fibrosis symptoms. Invasive nebulizer therapies and harsh mucus-loosening treatments also hadn’t eased the pain of his savage...
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Inside Iowa’s CF breakthrough
Office was a generous word for the room in which Dr. Mike Welsh did lots of his research. Large closet fits better. Welsh was mostly alone, hunched over specialized microscopic equipment on a sabbatical from rounds at the University of Iowa, where he...
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Child’s suffering drove doctor into research
The coughing is so violent, so thunder sharp, that Dr. Mike Welsh hears the deep, wet claps through the room’s closed wooden door and well down the hallway. The echo reverberates, the force of each choke conjuring a body in painful contraction. One of...
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DART CEO Wanke resigns to accept transit leadership role in Twin Cities
Des Moines Area Regional Transit Authority (DART) CEO Amanda Wanke has resigned and will leave the agency in May after a 21⁄2-year tenure, according to a news release from DART. Wanke, who has worked at DART for a decade, including the past 21⁄2 years...
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THE ‘YAYAS’ SHOW
CEDAR RAPIDS – As Republican Gov. Kim Reynolds’ final term nears an end, she removed some of the armor of the office and gave a relatively unguarded glimpse into her life as the state’s top executive at the launch of her “Legacy Tour” in Cedar...
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PLANTING AN UPSET
Johnston players advance their school on the Class 4A bracket after a semifinal victory over 2-seed Waukee on March 12 at the state basketball tournament at Casey’s Center. RIGHT: Johnston fans celebrate during the semifinal game of the Iowa high...
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¿Habla español?
The sounds of Dallas Center-Grimes High School Spanish students singing “¿Porque Te Vas?” by Jeanette with varying levels of gusto and prodding by teacher Antton Zuazu Hernández may seem like an unusual way to learn. But the sing-along is how Zuazu...
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DOWLING BOYS END TOURNEY DROUGHT
Dowling Catholic players and fans react March 9 after a Maroons basket against Dubuque Senior during a state boys basketball quarterfinal at Casey’s Center. Dowling won 63-45, earning its first win in a state tournament game in 34 years. The Maroons...
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Vandalism tiff spirals into years of conflict
Robert Lankford thought if he called the Polk County Sheriff ’s Office about the wads of chewing gum landing in his driveway near Ankeny, law enforcement would probably think he was nuts. But over the last two years the 66year-old retiree has...
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Life after rehab becomes the Greenwood
Whoah, folks. The “new” Greenwood Lounge has an actual cocktail menu, a signature pilsner from Exile Brewing Co., crystal instead of plastic on the chandelier, and – what’s that in the corner? – two funky 1970s green love seats on a platform for...
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Scientists cultivating chickpeas in ‘moon dirt’
WASHINGTON – If the idea of lunar hummus seems far-fetched, think again. Scientists working to cultivate the field of extraterrestrial agriculture have grown chickpeas in dirt made mostly of simulated lunar soil, a step toward enabling astronauts on...
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Trump demands Iran’s surrender
President Donald Trump demanded Iran’s “UNCONDITIONAL SURRENDER” in a social media post the morning of March 6, insisting “there will be no deal” to end his 7-day-old war with the battered Persian Gulf power. The president added in a social media post...
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NEXT STOP: CLASS 5A FINAL
ABOVE: Members of the Waukee Northwest girls basketball team celebrate after beating Dowling Catholic 56-50 in overtime on March 5 in a Class 5A state semifinal at Casey’s Center. The 3-seed Wolves advanced to their first state title game, where they...
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2ND IOWAN NAMED
The White House on March 4 said there are no plans for ground troops in Iran, even as the Trump administration pledged more firepower in the war after officials said a U.S. submarine sank an Iranian warship, with reports of at least 80 people...
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ATTACK KILLS IOWA SOLDIER
An Iowa soldier has fallen in a Middle East conflict just a little over 10 weeks after the deaths of two Iowa National Guard members. Sgt. Declan Coady, 20, a sophomore at Drake University and Army reservist from West Des Moines, was killed in action...
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JOHNSTON STRONG
Above: Johnston celebrates after a 54-30 victory against Ankeny Centennial in the Class 5A state quarterfinal March 2 at Casey’s Center in Des Moines. Right: In front of a packed arena, the No. 1-seeded Dragons advanced to the semifinals and remain on...
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Tehran retaliates after leader killed in strikes
Three American service members were killed in action amid the ongoing conflict with Iran, U.S. military officials confirmed March 1, one day after the United States and Israel launched strikes against the country and Tehran quickly hit back. Five...
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U.S. LAUNCHES ‘MASSIVE’ ATTACK ON IRAN
Read the latest at usatoday.com. Also find more coverage in the Nation & World Extra section, a subscriber-only feature in your eNewspaper.
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TSA officers get fraction of pay
NEW YORK – Airport security screeners across the nation received a fraction of their usual pay on Feb. 27 as the partial government shutdown drags on, increasing the risk that more officers will call in sick to take second jobs, or even quit. Funding...
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Lawmakers negotiate property tax overhaul
Sen. Dan Dawson slapped papers on the wall of a room inside the Iowa Capitol spelling out a formula for a tool many communities use to finance development projects: “T x I = F.” “Tax (multiplied) by increment equals how you finance a project,” said...
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ON THE
“We’re just trying to make something cool for Des Moines, something the city is proud of, so for it to get national recognition is surreal. A dream come true.” Billy Weathers Owner of The Contrary, pictured above
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Legislature passes 2% school-funding boost
Iowa lawmakers have voted to boost K-12 school funding by 2% — or $160 more per kid — sending the legislation to Gov. Kim Reynolds for her signature. Republicans touted the increase, saying it is the most Iowa has ever spent on education. But while...
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Cartel retaliation stuns U.S. tourists
Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum said Feb. 23 that normal activity had resumed following a day of violence in several regions of the country. “Today, there is tranquility,” she said, adding that peace had been secured and blockades largely...
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From urban farm to undeveloped eyesore
When Monika Owczarski walks past Des Moines’ Central Place Industrial Park in the River Bend neighborhood, she can’t help but look to see if any sunflowers are popping out of the undeveloped lots that were once home to her urban garden. h Instead,...
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Inflation cooling but many feel strain
Inflation ticked down to 2.4%, the unemployment rate fell and U.S. employers added 130,000 jobs in January, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, whose reports economists view as the “gold standard” of data. On paper, the economy appears to be...
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Snow, cold weather return to Des Moines
ABOVE: August Pritchard, 3, helps his dad, Kyle Pritchard, clean up snow along Third Street in downtown Des Moines on Feb. 20. RIGHT: A skid loader dumps snow into a dump truck on Walnut Street in downtown Des Moines on Feb. 20. About 6 inches of snow...
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Iowa’s best wrestlers gather in Des Moines
ABOVE: Ankeny’s Calvin Rathjen, right, tangles with Waukee’s Kayden Crispin in a Class 3A 165-pound match on Feb. 18 at the state high school wrestling tournament. Rathjen won by fall in 5:56. RIGHT: A view from the top of Casey’s Center in...
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ON THE RISE
With projects like the 33-story 515 Walnut tower rising in downtown Des Moines, apartment supply is growing quickly in central Iowa — and even more projects are in the pipeline following a surge of multifamily housing permits in 2025. Across the...
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MOUNTING CONCERNS
Iowa State gymnasts arrived at the team’s oncampus practice facility, Beyer Hall, at 1 p.m. on Sunday, Feb. 8 expecting to practice. The Cyclones had a home meet against Western Michigan scheduled for the upcoming Friday, Feb. 13, and needed to...
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Des Moines enjoys warm February day
Top photo, from left, Shannon Adams, Rosie Chrismore, 3, and Maverik Sloan walk hand in hand at Gray’s Lake Park on Feb. 16 as temperatures reach 66 degrees, offering a break from winter. In the right photo, sheets of ice melt along the lake shoreline.
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Iowa GOP considers book permission bill
Iowa Republicans are seeking to place restrictions on libraries that would prevent juveniles from accessing books that include sexual content or are intended for adults. House File 2309 would require libraries to keep books and other material intended...
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TWO TABLE FOR A
to wait from all over People come Texas-style in line for central melts in so tender it fatty brisket cubed daily, burnt ends your mouth, dry-rubbed pork that’s and pulled for and smoked with five spices and bark. for deep flavor 12-14 hours
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Iowan’s resolve drives him to Olympic ice
Zach Stoppelmoor approaches the starting line at the Pettit National Ice Center in Milwaukee, settling in to his stance as he awaits the gun for the men’s 500-meter race. The next 35 seconds will come to define the last four years of the West Des...
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250 Iowa soldiers welcomed home
Less than two months after two Iowa National Guard soldiers were killed in Syria, about 250 of their fellow guards members walked onto Iowa soil to applause and waiting families inside a hangar at the Des Moines International Airport. The ceremony on...
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Taking a peek into new City Hall
Nearly a dozen Des Moines city departments are now housed in the new T.M. Franklin Cownie City Administration Building in Des Moines’ Western Gateway. The new City Hall is in the eastern wing of the Cownie building at 1200 Locust St. The building...
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TEMPS RAMP UP
Unseasonably warm temperatures prompted Iowans to enjoy some rays outside, like Kole Stapes (photos above and below) taking advantage of the Feb. 10 weather to practice his skateboard tricks at Lauridsen Skatepark in Des Moines. Temperatures should...
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GOP bill would block local trans protections
Over chants of “love not hate,” Iowa GOP lawmakers advanced two bills barring local governments from establishing protections against gender identitybased discrimination and exempting LGBTQ conversion therapy from the definition of child abuse. LGBTQ...
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Democrats: Clinton vote sets a precedent
WASHINGTON – After a successful pressure campaign to compel former President Bill Clinton to testify about accused sex trafficker Jeffrey Epstein, House Democrats are threatening to subpoena President Donald Trump for investigations of their own...
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If it’s local you want, we’ve got it.
If it’s local you want, we’Our Sunday refresh offers more local news and sports, as well as “Weekend Exclusive” content to help you navigate your lives. So enjoy your Sunday reading filled with stories that will inspire, educate, inform and entertain...
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Iowa Ag Expo unveils the latest in farm gear
The Iowa Ag Expo, the third largest indoor ag show in the U.S., was held at the Iowa Events Center Feb. 3-5. Nearly 700 exhibitors spanned three buildings for the annual event. ABOVE: Vera Schnell is helped out of a tractor by her father, Riley,...
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DAY ONE AT STATE GIRLS WRESTLING TOURNAMENT
Charles City’s Sophia Calpito celebrates with coach Robert Pittman after winning a 105-pound match Feb. 5 at the state girls wrestling tournament at Xtream Arena in Coralville. RIGHT: Osage’s Ainsley Hemann, top, wrestles Centerville’s Kirra Whisler in...
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FRE E SPEEHC
As news of the shooting of conservative activist Charlie Kirk spread last fall, social media filled with competing reactions almost as quickly as television networks broke into programming with coverage from Utah Valley University. Kirk, 31, was...
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Abortion big topic in 2026 elections
In 2024, Iowa Democrats suffered bruising losses as they focused their messaging on preserving abortion access. This year, as Democratic candidates campaign ahead of the 2026 midterms, they’re framing abortion as part of a broader argument around...
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Campaign cash scorecard
Republican Raised last quarter: Cash on hand: Republican Raised last quarter: $1,679,333 Cash on hand: $5,170,263 State Sen. Zach Wahls outraised state Rep. Josh Turek in Iowa’s Democratic U.S. Senate primary in the most recent fundraising...
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Uncounted, ‘invisible’
Landen Hoadley loves playing the video game “Assassin’s Creed” and building large Lego sets, but the Mason City High School sophomore feels passionately about helping lead the school’s Gender and Sexuality Alliance to create safe spaces for...
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It’s Girl Scout cookie season; get set to snag your favorites
If you're a Girl Scouts cookie aficionado, then your time has come. Starting Sunday, Feb. 1, Girls Scouts of Greater Iowa will begin selling their beloved sweet treats. Here's what to know so you can get your hands on your favorite Girl Scout cookie...
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Deal to avert federal shutdown advancing
The Senate began advancing legislation to fund the government and avoid an extended shutdown on the afternoon of Jan. 30, breaking an impasse that had held up the bill. Senators began voting on seven amendments to the funding package. The bill had...
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Trump spurs hope for biofuels action
President Donald Trump’s Clive appearance left Iowa ethanol advocates optimistic that the nation’s largest producer of the renewable fuel could see year-round access to the higher E15 blend enacted within a few weeks. Trump, speaking at the Horizon...
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Trump touts economy; protesters focus on ICE
CLIVE — Republican President Donald Trump worked to shore up support ahead of the 2026 midterms as he campaigned in Iowa Tuesday, Jan. 27, touting the “dramatic one-year turnaround” he said he has engineered on the economy. Trump blamed Democrats for...
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President visits Hawkeye State
President Donald Trump touched down in Iowa Tuesday, Jan. 27, for a speech about the economy but immediately faced questions about his administration’s immigration enforcement in Minneapolis. Air Force One landed at the Des Moines International...
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Trump, MN governor hold ‘productive’ call
MINNEAPOLIS – Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz on Jan. 26 said President Donald Trump agreed to consider reducing the number of immigration agents in Minnesota and will ensure state officials can independently investigate the deadly shooting of Alex Pretti by...
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Contradictions in Roberts’ rapid climb
A star athlete and disciplined student, Ian Roberts drew admiration from teammates and classmates growing up. Part 1 of this series traced how he quickly rose through the police force of his native Guyana. But when a relative living in New York...
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