Justice
Iowa courts launch electronic search warrant program
The Iowa Judicial Branch is launching an electronic search warrant pilot program in several rural counties as these areas face “significant delays” in executing warrants, according to an order from Supreme Court Chief Justice Susan Christensen. Typically, law enforcement agencies fill out a paper application for a search warrant and physically bring it to a […]
Iowa law excluding Planned Parenthood from sex ed funding is deemed unconstitutional
An Iowa law that excluded Planned Parenthood of the Heartland from state sex education funding has been ruled unconstitutional by a district judge. In 2019, Gov. Kim Reynolds signed into law a measure requiring the Iowa Department of Public Health and the Iowa Department of Human Services to exclude organizations from their teen pregnancy prevention […]
From hospital, Justice Ginsburg slams Trump birth control rules
WASHINGTON — Hospitalization for a gallbladder condition didn’t stop U.S. Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg from assailing the Trump administration’s birth control rules on Wednesday. Ginsburg, 87, was hospitalized at Johns Hopkins Hospital in Baltimore on Tuesday night, but was animated as she participated in an oral argument via teleconference surrounding a Trump administration policy that […]
As campaign 2020 shifts into high gear, Trump’s defamation suits pose a chilling prospect for the press
In the long and dubious history of nasty presidential politics, the anti-Trump attack ad that the pro-Democrat super PAC Priorities USA paid NBC affiliate WJFW-TV in Rhinelander, Wisconsin, to televise in America’s 134th largest market seemed tame enough. The 30-second spot uses rapid-fire audio snippets of Trump dismissing the seriousness of the nascent but fast-growing COVID-19 outbreak from […]
U.S. Supreme Court tosses gun case as Kavanaugh urges future debate
WASHINGTON — The U.S. Supreme Court on Monday avoided issuing a landmark Second Amendment ruling in a closely watched gun rights case, but set the stage for future legal battles. A divided court ruled that a challenge to New York City gun restrictions was moot because the city had later changed its regulations. The case had been billed […]
Iowa AG accuses Orange City man of price gouging
The Iowa Attorney General’s Office is suing an Orange City man, accusing him of price gouging in the sale of more than 250 household items like toilet paper and paper towels. Michael Evan Noteboom, 52, of Orange City, is accused of overcharging for necessary products while ignoring warnings from the attorney general’s office, according to […]
Muscatine’s anti-Muslim jail administrator reportedly placed on leave
Muscatine County Jail Administrator Dean Naylor was reportedly placed on administrative leave this week, less than a month after his anti-Muslim writings were reported by the Iowa Capital Dispatch. The Quad-City Times reported Friday that Muscatine County Supervisor Santo Saucedo said Sheriff C.J. Ryan had placed Naylor on administrative leave as of Thursday. No reason […]
Jail administrator’s anti-Muslim views could cost Muscatine County taxpayers
Johnson County officials are threatening to terminate their contract with the Muscatine County Jail due to concerns over the jail administrator calling Muslims “pawns of the devil” who intend to hunt down and kill Christians. The cancellation of the contract could have a significant impact on Muscatine County, which last year collected $657,415 as payment […]
For domestic violence victims, ‘it’s a very vulnerable time’
WASHINGTON — For victims of domestic violence and sexual assault, staying at home may be more dangerous than leaving it — even during a pandemic. Indeed, reports of abuse are on the rise in many cities as COVID-19 continues to spread and people are confined to their homes, according to an NBC News investigation. And […]
Iowa prison inmates make their own face masks to mitigate spread of COVID-19
Inmates in Iowa’s prisons are producing face masks and gowns to meet the state’s growing demands for protective equipment for workers who are required to continue working in public. But the Iowa Department of Corrections is also working to produce enough masks for its own inmates and correctional officers to mitigate the spread of COVID-19 […]
Corrections officer at Oakdale tests positive for COVID-19
The Iowa Department of Corrections reported late Friday that a correctional officer at the Iowa Medical and Classification Center at Oakdale has tested positive for COVID-19. So far, no inmates have tested positive for COVID-19, according to a DOC news release. Gov. Kim Reynolds was asked earlier Friday for an update on COVID-19 cases in […]
Iowa jail official: Muslims are ‘pawns of the devil’ aiming to kill Christians
The top administrator at one of Iowa’s largest jails says Muslims are “pawns of the devil” and will soon be hunting down and killing Christians. Muscatine County Jail Administrator Dean Naylor has placed online a lengthy treatise on the subject, as well as seven videos, all of which were produced five to six years ago […]