COVID-19
Federal eviction ban to expire Saturday after attempt to extend it fails
WASHINGTON — Congressional Democrats unsuccessfully scrambled on Friday to extend federal legal protections against eviction that will expire on Saturday. The end of the eviction moratorium jeopardizes housing security for millions of Americans who are struggling both to pay their rent and to access billions of dollars in slow-moving federal rental assistance funds. Top Democrats […]
CEO: Prairie Meadows on track for record revenue as visitors gamble pandemic aid
Prairie Meadows Racetrack & Casino is likely to set a revenue record this year, in part because visitors are gambling their pandemic relief money, a top official said. “Revenue is really good this year. I predict we’ll have our biggest year,” Gary Palmer, president and CEO, said in an interview. Prairie Meadows was closed for […]
Grassley questions changing mask policies, says CDC has ‘poor public relations’
U.S. Sen. Chuck Grassley said Wednesday federal health officials’ changing recommendations on mask-wearing could test their credibility and confuse Iowans and other U.S. residents. Grassley, R-Iowa, added that the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has “poor public relations,” in his view. Mask-wearing turned into a political controversy during the coronavirus pandemic, with many […]
Reynolds says CDC is sending ‘mixed messages’ with new mask guidance
Gov. Kim Reynolds said Wednesday that new Centers for Disease Control and Prevention guidance on mask-wearing is sending “mixed messages” to Iowans. The CDC said Tuesday that all people, vaccinated or unvaccinated, should wear masks indoors in areas with “high” or “substantial” rates of transmission of COVID-19. Iowa has a “substantial” rate of transmission. Reynolds […]
CDC says the vaccinated should wear masks indoors in areas with high infection rates
WASHINGTON — Federal health officials on Tuesday urged Americans in areas of the country with the highest surges in COVID-19 infections, including parts of Iowa, to once again wear masks when they are in public, indoor settings — even if they are fully vaccinated against COVID-19. The updated recommendations marked a sharp shift from the agency’s guidance in […]
‘There was no concern for my life’: Families losing homes despite federal eviction moratorium
WASHINGTON — The national moratorium on evictions, as well as rental assistance programs, weren’t enough protection to keep Katrina Chism and her family in their suburban Atlanta home when money got tight. Chism was laid off twice during the COVID-19 pandemic, and when she fell behind on rent, she faced an initial eviction notice. She was […]
Reynolds raises concerns about unvaccinated immigrants coming to U.S.
Gov. Kim Reynolds told reporters Tuesday that immigration at the southern border is “part of the problem” as COVID-19 cases rise again through the U.S. and Iowa. In response to a question about the state’s COVID-19 data reporting, Reynolds said she received daily updates on the pandemic and would “adjust as necessary” to the delta […]
Ernst: Wearing a mask in school is a family decision, despite new CDC guidance
Parents should decide whether their children wear masks to school even if new federal guidelines recommend them for all students, U.S. Sen. Joni Ernst, R-Iowa, said Tuesday. CNN reported shortly before Ernst’s phone call with Iowa reporters that the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) was expected to recommend that everyone in a […]
Iowa’s COVID cases jump nearly 250% in two weeks
Iowa’s daily COVID-19 cases have spiked nearly 250% in the past two weeks, but remain at levels similar to the beginning of the pandemic early last year, the New York Times reported. There are signs of trouble in the latest rise in Iowa cases, as the more contagious delta variant continues to dominate. Though the […]
Democrats say vacant public health board is ‘failed leadership’
Democrats criticized state leadership Monday over an advisory health board that was left unable to operate because of vacant positions. The Iowa State Board of Health canceled a July meeting because seven of its 11 positions were vacant. Two Democratic state senators, Herman Quirmbach of Ames and Liz Mathis of Marion, raised concerns about the […]
Judge: Iowa nurse was justified in quitting ‘unsafe’ nursing home
An Iowa judge has ruled that a nurse was justified in quitting her job at a Lee County nursing home due to concerns that staffing levels were unlawful and were unsafe for residents. State records indicate Kristin Pullins had worked for the Montrose Health Center since 2018 as a full-time registered nurse. In early 2020, […]
GOP officials urge vaccinations but is Iowa prepared for delta variant?
U.S. Sen. Chuck Grassley took to Twitter last week to encourage all eligible Iowans and Americans to get vaccinated against COVID-19. “The Delta variant scares me so I hope those that haven’t been vaccinated will reconsider,” he wrote. Ive said this to several Iowa reporters again this wk but I’ll amplify it here: I encourage […]