The Gazette Daily News Podcast

This is Stephen Schmidt from the Gazette digital news desk and I’m here with your update for Oct. 8.

It is set to be another sunny fall day Thursday. According to the National Weather Service, there will be clear skies and a higher near 74 degrees in the Cedar Rapids area Thursday. The evening will remain mostly clear, with a low of around 57 degrees.

Now seven months since the first COVID-19 cases were confirmed in the state, more patients than ever are being treated for the virus in Iowa hospitals as the disease reaches alarming levels in rural communities.

As of Wednesday morning, Iowa hospitals reported currently treating 444 patients for novel coronavirus symptoms. That eclipses the previous peak set May 6 when 417 Iowans were hospitalized during the first wave of the virus.

Despite the spikes, the member of patients currently seriously ill with the virus — those in intensive care or on ventilators to help breathe — remains below the summer highs, though they are ticking upward.

In a news conference Wednesday at the Iowa PBS studios, Republican Gov. Kim Reynolds said Iowa’s health care providers are telling her they are not overwhelmed by patients or running low on personal protective equipment.

Mercy Iowa City plans to lay off 29 employees as a result of financial losses due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

According to a WARN notice filed with the Iowa Workforce Development, the layoffs are effective Nov. 21. Mercy Iowa City, an affiliate MercyOne health system, employs 992 full-time and 196 part-time staff members across its hospital and clinics.

Like all hospitals across the state, the pandemic has had a major impact on Mercy Iowa City’s bottom line. When the first cases of COVID-19 first appeared in March, all Iowa hospitals halted elective procedures — which are health systems’ biggest profit-makers.

The state’s hospitals were expected to lose up to $1.26 billion through the end of June as a result of mitigation measures around the pandemic, according to https://www.thegazette.com/subject/news/health/coronavirus-iowa-hospitals-close-financial-losses-20200604 (a cost analysis released by the Iowa Hospital Association) earlier this year. After a 395 percent decline in operating margins between March and April, the vast majority of Iowa’s hospitals were operating in the red, according to the analysis.

The City of Cedar Rapids is gearing up for work on several components of its flood control system, worth more than $7.4 million, for the 2021 construction season.

Key projects that the city will open for bids this month include demolition of Shaver Road NE Bridge, construction of a permanent levee and gatewell in Czech Village, and wrapping up work to protect the Quaker Oats facility.

City Council member Tyler Olson, who chairs the council’s Flood Control System Committee, said the council remains committed to protecting both the east and west sides of the Cedar River from potential flooding. The city has been attempting to protect itself better ever since a historically bad flood of 2008. Since then, the city has had several near misses of repeat events, but has also learned how to better respond to predictable flood conditions as time has gone on.

This is Stephen Schmidt from the Gazette digital news desk and I’m here with your update for Oct. 7

Your Wednesday weather forecast should be pleasant and sunny. According to the National Weather Service, there should be clear skies all day Wednesday in the Cedar Rapids area with a high of 76 degrees. The evening low will drop to 46 degrees.

More than 1,400 Iowans have died of COVID-19. The grim milestone was reached Tuesday, with hospitalizations for the disease also climbing to 413, 4 short of the highest COVID-19 hospitalization rate seen in the state since the pandemic began. In a bit of good news, recent numbers show that bar closures ordered by Iowa Gov. Kim Reynolds targeting college aged students has drastically lowered the rate of transmission among this age group. Reynolds lifted the ban on the bars on Monday, while still requesting that they follow strict social distancing guidelines.

About 100 employees have been laid off at the Meskwaki Bingo Casino Hotel in Tama. Casino General Manager Dan Stromer said the decision was made last week and is a result of the COVID-19 pandemic, which closed down the casino temporarily in March. He said the layoffs were mainly casino employees who have been furloughed throughout the year since the start of the pandemic tied to food and entertainment positions that were no longer in sufficient amounts even after the casinos reopened July 1.

President Donald Trump on Tuesday called an abrupt end to negotiations with Democrats over additional COVID-19 financial relief, delaying action until after the election despite warnings from his own Federal Reserve chairman about the deteriorating conditions in the economy.

Trump tweeted that House Speaker Nancy Pelosi was “not negotiating in good faith” and said he’s asked Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell to direct all his focus before the election into confirming his U.S. Supreme Court nominee, Amy Coney Barrett.

The economy has been buttressed up to this point by a $2 trillion stimulus package that was passed in March.

The University of Iowa is pausing for two weeks all of its diversity and inclusion training and programming to evaluate whether any of it violates a new executive order from President Donald Trump banning what he referred to as race or sex “stereotyping” or “scapegoating” training for federal workers, contractors or grant recipients.

In a message disseminated over the weekend to the UI president’s cabinet and council of deans, Liz Tovar — interim associate vice president for UI Diversity, Equity and Inclusion — said the temporary stoppage doesn’t alter the campus’ commitment to diversity.

Finally, during its formal meeting, the Iowa City Council unanimously approved City Manager Geoff Fruin’s recommendation to hire El Paso (Texas) Police Lt. Dustin Liston as the city’s new police chief. Fruin has credited Liston’s experience working with a diverse population in the college community of El Paso, working with policing programs and his willingness to lead the department through a period of change.

Liston’s hiring is part of the city’s overall desire to move to a community policing model. These changes will take place over the next year as the city staff hopes to adapt to a summer of unrest against policing both locally and nationally.

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This is Nathan Ford with the Gazette digital news desk and I’m here with your update for Tuesday, Oct. 6.

It will be another sunny day in Cedar Rapids with a high near 73, according to the National Weather Service. Wind gusts could reach 20 miles per hour.

As the Board of Regents accepted his retirement announcement Monday, https://www.thegazette.com/subject/news/education/university-iowa-president-bruce-harreld-succession-20201005 (University of Iowa President Bruce Harreld said UI needs better succession planning, can’t afford to “relax and go on pause,” and should avoid interim leadership). The campus has seen significant administrative turnover in recent years, with many main roles still occupied by interim leaders. Harreld vowed in his announcement to stay on until a successor starts, negating the need for an interim president. “Personally, I think the university has not over the last several decades, done a great job in succession planning, not only for my position but for other positions,” Harreld said.

https://www.thegazette.com/subject/news/business/drifting-dicamba-soybeans-damage-iowa-weedkiller-20201005 (Damage to soybeans and trees from drifting weedkillers — particularly dicamba — is the “most extensive” this year since the popular herbicide was introduced in the 1960s, according to experts.)The distinctive cupping and curling of soybean leaves exposed to airborne pesticides has been reported by agronomists across the state and a record 329 pesticide misuse complaints have been filed with the Iowa Department of Agriculture and Land Stewardship. With less leaf surface area exposed to the sun, plants can’t produce as much food through photosynthesis and it hinders growth.

https://www.thegazette.com/subject/news/business/pedro-cano-columbus-junction-tyson-lawsuit-covid-20201005 (The children of a Tyson Foods worker who died of the coronavirus in April have filed a lawsuit claiming his plant took few safety precautions before he and others became infected in Iowa’s first major outbreak). Pedro Cano, 51, worked on the kill floor elbow-to-elbow with others at Tyson’s pork processing plant in Columbus Junction, according to the lawsuit recently filed in Johnson County. Cano developed COVID-19 symptoms April 2, four days before Tyson announced that two dozen workers had tested positive and that production would be suspended. The lawsuit says Cano was hospitalized April 10 and died April 14. The plant resumed production with new safety measures a week after his death. Cano’s three adult children filed the wrongful death lawsuit, which claims their father worked less than six feet away from others with no barriers in between and wasn’t given a mask by Tyson. In all, state records show that 522 of the plant’s 1,300 workers tested positive for coronavirus, two died and a dozen required hospitalization. Tyson did not respond directly to the lawsuit’s claims but said Monday it formed a coronavirus task force in January, relaxed its attendance policy, encouraged ill workers to stay home, and was one of the first companies to check workers’ temperatures.

https://www.thegazette.com/subject/news/health/iowa-reports-371-covid-19-cases-6-deaths-monday-20201005 (Iowa reported 371 new COVID-19 cases in the 24 hours ending at 11 a.m. Monday, bringing the state’s total to 92,914). The positivity rate was 13.9 percent. The state also reported six new confirmed deaths, bringing the death toll to 1,387.

This is John McGlothlen with the Gazette digital news desk and I’m here with your update for Monday, October 5th.

There will be areas of frost this morning before 7 a.m. Otherwise, sunny, with a high near 65. Expect it to be breezy, with a south wind around 15 to 20 mph by the afternoon. Winds could gust as high as 35 mph. Tonight should be mostly clear with a low around 48.

Two days after being hospitalized with COVID-19, President Donald Trump on Sunday briefly left the hospital to salute supporters from his SUV in a motorcade. Hours earlier, Trump's medical team reported that his blood oxygen level dropped suddenly twice in recent days and that they gave him a steroid typically only recommended for the very sick. The doctors also said his health is improving and that he could be discharged as early as Monday. Meanwhile, former Vice President Joe Biden's campaign said the Democratic presidential nominee again tested negative for coronavirus Sunday.

Back in Iowa, for the first time since Wednesday morning, the number of new daily https://www.thegazette.com/subject/news/health/iowa-coronavirus-cases-ease-after-days-of-spikes-20201004 (cases of COVID-19 reported Sunday) dipped below 1,000. In the 24-hour period ending at 11 a.m., the state recorded 682 new cases, for a total of 92,543 confirmed cases since March. Johnson and Story counties — the public university communities where Gov. Kim Reynolds ordered bars closed for over five weeks until allowing them to reopen starting this week — added just seven cases and 10 cases, respectively, by Sunday morning. Linn County added 40 cases in the same period.

Iowa election https://www.thegazette.com/subject/news/government/iowa-absentee-ballots-go-out-monday-early-voting-begins-20201004 (officials will begin mailing out absentee ballots) today, and it’s the first day voters can go to their county auditor’s offices or satellite locations to vote early in person. Iowa Secretary of State Paul Pate said Friday that 632,549 voters have requested an absentee ballot. Democrats requested more than 335,000 ballots, Republicans requested nearly 187,000 and no-party voters asked for about 108,000 ballots.

This is Stephen Schmidt from the Gazette digital news desk and I’m here with your update for the weekend of Oct. 3 and 4.

Your weather for this weekend is looking to continue the chilly fall trend before temperatures warm up next week. On Saturday, the National Weather Service is predicting cloudy skies and a chance for rain showers in the evening, with a high of 58 degrees. On Sunday it will be sunny with a calm wind, but still with a high of 57 degrees. Lower temperatures for both days will be in the mid 30s.

After announcing he had tested positive for COVID-19 after midnight Friday, President Donald Trump was transported to Walter Reed Medical Center less than 24 hours later for treatment of his symptoms. The president’s doctors announced Friday night that although the president was symptomatic, suffering from fever and fatigue, he was doing well and in good spirits. He also has received antiviral therapy with the drug Remdesvir, which has been shown to shorten hospital stays for patients with COVID-19.

Meanwhile, back in Iowa, as new cases of COVID-19 at Iowa’s public universities remained low, Gov. Kim Reynolds declared Friday that bars in the campus communities of Johnson and Story counties could reopen next week and that wineries, breweries and distilleries in those counties could reopen immediately.

While Iowa has reported more than 1,000 new COVID-19 cases statewide for the last three days in a row — and the state remains the sixth worst in the nation when the average of new cases is weighed against population — the governor did not announce any additional mitigation steps.

After a surge in new COVID-19 cases in August coinciding with the return of students to school, Reynolds initially ordered bars in six Iowa counties to close but later narrowed the scope to only Johnson — home to the University of Iowa — and Story — home to Iowa State University. Bars in these two counties have been closed for over 5 weeks and the state is asking that they enforce strict 6 foot social distancing when they do reopen.

Statewide, according to data from the Iowa Department of Public Health analyzed by The Gazette, Iowa reported 1,158 positive cases bringing the state’s total so far to 90,805. The state also reported nine new deaths bringing the virus death toll in Iowa up to 1,367.

The Iowa Supreme Court has signed an order allowing the state to enforce a federal order halting evictions of residents who cannot pay their rent during the coronavirus pandemic. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention enacted the order Sept. 4, citing the “historic threat to public health” because of the virus.

“Evicted renters must move, which leads to multiple outcomes that increase the risk of COVID-19 spread,” the order said. “Specifically, many evicted renters move into close quarters in shared housing or other congregate settings.”

The order applies to individuals earning $99,000 or less annually or couples making $198,000 or less annually who would be homeless if evicted. If someone has to move within close quarters with family or friends, that also counts.

This is Stephen Schmidt from the Gazette digital news desk and I’m here with your update for Oct. 2.

No it has not been your imagination, it has been getting colder every day this week, so don’t be shocked if you wake up Friday and see frost on the ground. With an overnight low near 36 degrees, the National Weather Service is predicting patchy frost in the Cedar Rapids area. As the day goes on, it should become partly sunny and the high will dethaw up to 53 degrees. The cooling trend should stop Friday, however, with slightly warmer temperatures this weekend leading to a warmer week to come.

The President of the United States announced on Twitter after midnight Friday that he and his wife Melania, have tested positive for COVID-19. Donald Trump’s positive test came just hours after the White House announced that senior aide, Hope Hicks, had tested positive for the virus after traveling with the president several times this week to re-election rallies. Trump said he and The First Lady will be entering their quarantine and recovery process immediately.

After five roller-coaster years bookended by campus protests of his hiring at the beginning and a historic pandemic at the end, University of Iowa President Bruce Harreld announced Thursday he will retire before his extended contract expires in 2023.

Harreld, just months shy of his 70th birthday, last week notified the Board of Regents of his intentions to leave his post atop Iowa’s oldest public university as the campus is in the midst of coping with huge losses from the COVID-19 pandemic and is struggling from an extraordinary decline in the share of state budget support.

https://www.scribd.com/document/478208291/JBH-SUI-Retirement-pdf#fullscreen=1 (In a Sept. 22 letter) delivered privately the day before the board met virtually for a regularly scheduled meeting, Harreld said that while he wants to retire he also plans to stay on until the next Iowa president takes over — negating the need for an interim leader but leaving his departure date up in the air.

Iowa officials announced new changes to COVID-19 guidance to long-term care facilities that allows more indoor visits to take place.

To align with new requirements from the federal level, state public health officials say compassionate care visits are now allowed in nursing homes and other senior living facilities across the state, and this now does not exclusively apply in end-of-life situations. Under the new state rules, indoor visits can now take place in the residents’ rooms and in dedicated visitation spaces within the facility. A variety of new exceptions allowing visits can now be given, mostly aimed at providing more emotional support for residents, such as letting the residents be consoled after the recent loss of a loved one.

Let’s end on a lighter note, albeit one that still might have lifelong Iowans questioning their sanity when they first see it. For the first time in its 52-year history, Casey’s General Store is going through a branding change to its signage and logo. Ankeny-based Casey’s General Stores has dropped “General Store” from its new logo, instead opting to simply go by “Casey’s” The red barn still is part of its logo, with white “Casey’s” text across it. The new logo also has two colors — red and white — instead of the five in the previous logo. Similarly, the new signage-- only up currently at an Ankeny store-- is now only red and white.

The regional gas station chain, ubiquitous especially in rural Iowa, has been making an effort in the last few years to change its offerings to compete as it spreads to other states. Originally based only in Iowa, there are now 2,200 Casey’s gas stations in 16 states.

This is Stephen Schmidt from the Gazette digital news desk and I’m here with your update for Oct. 1.

There could be a rainy beginning to the day again Thursday. According to the National Weather Service, there should be a chance of showers before 10:00 a.m. Thursday in the Cedar Rapids area. After that, there will be partly sunny skies with a high near 57 degrees. It will also be breezy again, with winds of 10-20 mph gusting as high as 30 mph.

Andre Richardson was sentenced Wednesday to 75 years in prison after entering a guilty plea to the shooting death of two 18-year-olds in a vehicle parked outside of a Cedar Rapids smoke shop in May of 2019. Two other passengers were also injured in the shooting.

During the sentencing hearing, Richardson, now 27, said he saw a social media post earlier on the night of the shooting and thought someone who had shot at a house where he and his girlfriend had been weeks earlier were in the vehicle he saw at the smoke shop. He and others had gone to the smoke shop that night and he was in the parking lot when he saw the vehicle pull in, and he decided that the vehicle was the same from the post and that he should shoot in retaliation. In retrospect, Richardson said, he should have told the driver to leave instead of shooting.

Richardson heard emotional impact statements from family members of the two slain 18-year-olds, Royell Abram and Montrell Johnson. He was also confronted about his crime by shooting survivor, Kayla Panos-Blackcloud, who required surgery and facial reconstruction after the shooting.

State public health officials have warned a Cedar Rapids man that if he keeps claiming to be an emergency medical services provider he could face felony charges.

The Iowa Department of Public Health revoked Eric Hansen’s EMS certification in 2016 after incidents going back to 2011 in which he falsely identified himself as a paramedic or emergency medical technician and provided medical services, including administering glucose, to patients without authorization, according to state records.

On Sept. 1, the agency sent Hansen a cease-and-desist letter after seeing an https://www.kcrg.com/2020/08/19/residents-at-disabled-housing-apartment-in-cedar-rapids-still-dealing-with-storm-aftermath/ (Aug. 19 KCRG-TV9 report) in which Hansen was interviewed about providing medical services to residents at a Cedar Rapids apartment complex after the https://www.thegazette.com/subject/news/iowa-derecho-storm-cedar-rapids-timeline-disaster-weather-20200821 (Aug. 10 derecho.) Hansen was shown in the video with a name tag that read “EMT.”

The concerns of Democrats that confirming Judge Amy Coney Barrett to the Supreme Court could spell the end of the Affordable Care Act may be misplaced, according to Iowa Sen. Chuck Grassley. Grassley, a member of the Judiciary Committee that is scheduled to begin hearings on Barrett’s confirmation Oct. 12, said Wednesday he has doubts that the ACA, also known as Obamacare, will be struck down by the court, at least not in its entirety.

The Iowa Republican met with Barrett on Tuesday and came away convinced that she agrees with his position that “judges should interpret the law and constitution based on written word and legislative history.” Barrett was nominated by President Donald Trump to replace Justice Ruth Bader Ginsberg after her death in September.

The supreme court is set to consider whether to uphold the individual mandate, and by extension, Obamacare, on Nov. 10. A week after the election.

This is Stephen Schmidt from the Gazette digital news desk and I’m here with your update for September 30th.

Your Wednesday morning commute could be a little gloomy. The National Weather Service is predicting scattered showers in the Cedar Rapids area, mainly before 8:00 a.m. After that there will be mostly sunny skies, with a high near 68 degrees. It will also be breezy, with a northwest wind of 15 to 25 mph gusting as high as 35 mph.

Iowa is breaking with federal guidance on quarantine recommendations in a move that could allow more students to remain in school after coming into contact with someone who tests positive for COVID-19.

Gov. Kim Reynolds and state epidemiologist Dr. Caitlin Pedati on Tuesday announced that state

guidelines will no longer recommend people quarantine after coming in contact with a person who tests positive for COVID-19 if those individuals were all wearing face masks at the time of contact.

Previously, the state recommended any person who came into close contact with someone who tested positive for the infection should quarantine for two weeks — masks or no. Pedati said the change was recommending after public health spoke with families affected by these quarantines by association, many of whom said they had seemed to quarantine needlessly if they had been wearing masks at the time of contact.

The recommendation came as COVID-19 hospitalizations in Iowa were up to 376 as of Tuesday at 11 a.m., the highest total of hospitalizations for the disease since May 28, according to data analyzed by The Gazette. Statewide, hospitalizations have increased 39 percent in the past eight days. This is the case even as some positive trends downward continue in Johnson County and Story Counties, which saw skyrocketing cases in late August with the return of university students, prompting a ban on local bars.

Coralville has a new City Council member. With 951 votes, Hai Huynh had a comfortable margin in Tuesday night’s special election over fellow challengers Barry Bedford, Nick Burrell and Heather Seitsinger.

Huynh, 42, is the community projects coordinator for the Coralville Food Pantry. She also has served as a paraeducator at Coralville Central Elementary School and as a community volunteer.

Huynh replaces former council member Tom Gill, who quit in July after more than 28 years on the council. Gill’s departure came after he called Black Lives Matter protesters “criminals” during a workshop session. His remarks received condemnation from Mayor John Lundell and other members of the City Council.

A dead body was found Monday alongside Interstate 380 South near Wright Brothers Boulevard SW.

Shortly before 4 p.m., an Iowa Department of Transportation worker notified 911 that a woman’s body had been found, according to the Cedar Rapids Police Department.

Police have not identified the woman. The department has decided not to release details regarding the manner of death or say whether foul play was involved. An investigation into the death is ongoing, however, and they are asking for the public’s assistance if they can provide any details.

This is Nathan Ford with the Gazette digital news desk and I’m here with your update for Tuesday, Sept. 29.

It will be partly sunny today in Cedar Rapids with a high near 62, according to the National Weather Service. There is a 20 percent chance of showers after 2 p.m. and wind gusts could reach 20 miles per hour.

https://www.thegazette.com/subject/news/education/university-of-iowa-reports-hundreds-of-covid-19-complaints-as-police-respond-to-house-parties-20200928 (Over the last two weeks, the University of Iowa has received more than 450 complaints related to violations of the campus’ COVID-19-related student safety expectations) – including seven reports of failure to isolate or quarantine following a positive test or close contact with a confirmed case. And Iowa City police over the weekend handled a rash of loud party, noise, and COVID-19-related complaints as the UI tally of coronavirus cases topped 2,000 since Aug. 18. UI has added 41 more student cases since Wednesday, bringing that total to 1,985. It added six more employee cases over the same period, bringing its worker sum to 44 on the semester. 192 of the UI complaints related to failure to social distance and 186 were for failure to wear a face covering. A total of 84 were found to have violated UI policy, with 66 receiving disciplinary reprimand, 17 getting a written warning, and one ordered to take a bystander course. https://www.thegazette.com/subject/news/education/university-of-iowa-reports-hundreds-of-covid-19-complaints-as-police-respond-to-house-parties-20200928 (Read more details about the complaints at thegazette.com).

https://www.thegazette.com/subject/news/health/iowa-coronavirus-covid-numbers-monday-september-28-20200928 (Iowa saw a drastic decrease in the number of new COVID-19 cases reported Monday, continuing the downward trend seen over the weekend). The state reported 659 new cases in the 24-hour period ending at 11 a.m. Monday, a significant decrease from 834 Sunday and 988 Saturday. There were two additional deaths, including one in Linn County, bringing the state’s toll to 1,317, including 112 in Linn County. The number of hospitalizations, intensive-care patients and patients on ventilators all spiked. The hospitalization total now sits at 353 — an increase of more than 80 from last Monday. There are 96 ICU patients and 39 patients on ventilators.

https://www.thegazette.com/subject/news/linn-county-conservation-board-makes-wanatee-park-name-official-20200928 (Squaw Creek Park now is officially Wanatee Park). The Linn County Conservation Board on Monday retired the now-former name for the 998-acre park, located off Highways 100 and 13. Jean Adeline Morgan Wanatee, for whom the park is now named, was a women’s rights advocate who was inducted into Iowa Women’s Hall of Fame in 1993. Wanatee was born in the Meskwaki settlement near Tama in 1910 and was a Meskwaki language specialist for the Smithsonian Institution, served on the Governor’s Advisory Committee and worked at the Toledo Sanatorium and Sac and Fox Day School. Nationally, Wanatee was the first woman elected to the Meskwaki Tribal Council, serving for two four-year terms. As for Squaw Creek, the Linn County Board of Supervisors will request the U.S. Geologic Survey’s Board of Geographic Names to rename the creek Wanatee Creek. A decision on the request is expected to take several months to a year.

This is John McGlothlen with the Gazette digital news desk and I’m here with your update for Monday, September 28th.

We'll have a slight chance of showers before 9 a.m., then a chance of showers after 1 p.m., according to the National Weather Service. It will be mostly cloudy, with a high near 60. Also breezy, with a northwest wind 10 to 20 mph, with gusts as high as 30 mph. Monday night will be partly cloudy, with a low around 44.

President Donald https://www.thegazette.com/subject/news/nation-and-world/trump-picks-conservative-amy-coney-barrett-for-supreme-court-20200926 (Trump nominated Judge Amy Coney Barrett to the Supreme Court) on Saturday. Republican senators are already lining up for a swift confirmation of Barrett ahead of the Nov. 3 election, as they aim to lock in conservative gains in the federal judiciary before a potential transition of power. Trump, meanwhile, is hoping the nomination will serve to galvanize his supporters as he looks to fend off Democrat Joe Biden. An ideological heir to the late conservative Justice Antonin Scalia, Barrett would fill the seat vacated after the Sept. 18 death of liberal icon Ruth Bader Ginsberg, in what would be the sharpest ideological swing since Clarence Thomas replaced Justice Thurgood Marshall nearly three decades ago. She would be the sixth justice on the nine-member court to be appointed by a Republican president, and the third of Trump’s first term in office.

Under https://www.thegazette.com/subject/news/business/trump-executive-order-prevents-racial-bias-training-at-collins-aerospace-bae-systems-20200926 (an executive order signed this week by President Donald Trump), defense contractors including Collins Aerospace and BAE Systems, both in Cedar Rapids, cannot provide diversity training based on conscious or unconscious bias, white privilege and other topics commonly taught in such programs. The president’s order prohibits the federal government and its contractors from promoting “race or sex stereotyping or scapegoating” or teaching any “divisive concepts.” That includes training that suggests a race or gender may have any privilege, status, moral or ethical values or character traits. Collins Aerospace asked employees to “ensure any planned trainings in these areas are postponed until further notice,” according to an email obtained by The Gazette. The email indicates plans for a “further legal assessment of the impact to our content.”

https://www.thegazette.com/subject/news/public-safety/marion-police-child-pedestrian-died-20200927 (A 4-year-old child who was struck by a vehicle in Marion last week has died), Marion police said Sunday. At 4:20 p.m. Wednesday, Marion police, Marion firefighters and ambulance personnel responded to a report of a child who was struck by a vehicle in the 2300 block of 31st Street. The child had crossed the street in front of a motorist and was hit. The child was taken by ambulance to a hospital. The driver was not injured. On Sunday, the Marion Police Department was notified that the child had died.

Iowa's Republican U.S. Sen. Joni Ernst will face Democratic challenger Theresa Greenfield at 7 p.m. Monday in a debate televised by Iowa PBS. Ernst, of Red Oak, and Greenfield, of Des Moines, will take questions from reporters and discuss their platforms, concerns, and future plans. David Yepsen, host of Iowa Press, will moderate the debate, which can be https://www.thegazette.com/election-2020-joni-ernst-theresa-greenfield-us-senate-iowa-debate (watched at thegazette.com).