051719 532 The Trump administration reached agreements with Canada and Mexico to lift tariffs on metals imported from those countries. The deal resolves a yearlong standoff that inflamed North Atlantic tensions and complicated efforts to ratify a revised trade deal. Iowa Governor Kim Reynolds and U.S. Senator Joni Ernst praised the deal. Ernst issued a statement saying the deal was huge news for Iowa, especially the state’s farmers and manufacturers. Iowa’s senior U.S. Senator met with residents

051719 504 Iowa's unemployment rate remained at 2.4% in April for the 10th month in a row. Iowa Workforce Development reported Friday the jobless rate held steady, where it has been since July 2018. Iowa has the nation's third-lowest rate, behind only Vermont and North Dakota, and tied with New Hampshire. Nebraska's unemployment rate inched up to 2.9% in April, even though more people entered or re-entered the job market, the state labor commissioner said Friday. The Nebraska figure had been 2.8

051719 432 Iowa’s senior U.S. Senator visited business owners and residents impacted by flooding in eastern Iowa Friday. Republican Senator Chuck Grassley heard from community leaders in the cities of Davenport and Buffalo, which were hit by record high crests of the Mississippi River. Grassley says he’s pushing for federal disaster aid in Congress. Senate leaders have set a deadline of Memorial Day. 0517grassley: 17 “We’re going to have a vote one way or the other, we should not go home for the

051719 404 The Trump administration has reached agreements with Canada and Mexico to lift tariffs on metals imported from those countries, resolving a yearlong standoff that inflamed North Atlantic tensions and complicated efforts to ratify a revised trade deal. Gov. Kim Reynolds commented on the agreement today, saying that it represents a significant step forward for Iowa’s agriculture and manufacturing industries.” Mexico and Canada are Iowa’s top two trading partners, and the removal of

The Iowa Supreme Court has upheld a 2017 law that removed bargaining rights for many state employees. In cases filed by the Iowa State Education Association and the American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees, the court ruled 4-3 today the law withstands constitutional challenges. Justices concluded the Legislature was rational in giving certain public safety employees the right to bargain over many more issues than those in unions in which fewer than one-third of members are

051619 532 Rural bankers say they are slightly less confident about the economy than they were last month. That’s according to The Rural Mainstreet survey for May. The survey's confidence index, is at its lowest level in almost two years. The report released today shows the survey's overall index dropping from 50 in April to 48.5 this month. Any score above 50 suggests a growing economy, while a score below 50 indicates a shrinking economy. Creighton University economist Ernie Goss oversees the

051619 504 Iowa’s Attorney General has endorsed Montana Gov. Steve Bullock in the 2020 Democratic presidential race. It makes him the first 2020 candidate to receive the endorsement of a statewide elected official in Iowa. Attorney General Tom Miller was one of the first Iowa elected officials to endorse Barack Obama in the 2008 Democratic presidential caucuses, and he is a longtime friend of the Montana governor's People who post pornographic images of others without their permission or use the

051619 432 Iowa is joining four other states in suing a drug company and its former president over actions related to the marketing of the drug OxyContin. Attorney General Tom Miller announced today that Iowa had filed a lawsuit against Purdue Pharma and Richard Sackler, the company's former president and chairman. The suit claims Purdue engaged in unfair, deceptive and unlawful practices in how it marketed OxyContin, helping to cause a national opioid crisis. The company denied the allegations.

051619 404 A monthly survey of rural bankers in parts of 10 Plains and Western states shows they're rapidly losing confidence in the region's farm economy. The Rural Mainstreet survey for May, released Thursday, shows the survey's overall index dropping from 50 in April to 48.5 this month. Any score above 50 suggests a growing economy, while a score below 50 indicates a shrinking economy. Creighton University economist Ernie Goss, who oversees the survey, blames trade tensions and tariffs,

051519 532 Tyson Foods claims a federal meat inspector lied about inspecting thousands of hogs at its Storm Lake, Iowa, plant. The Sioux City Journal reports that action forced the company to destroy 8,000 carcasses and resulting in $2.4 million in losses and expenses. Tyson Foods and Tyson Fresh Meats Inc. claim that meat inspector Yolanda Thompson, who is employed by the U.S. Department of Agriculture's Food Safety Inspection Service, signed certificates indicating she inspected slaughtered