Share on FacebookShare on X (formerly Twitter)Share on PinterestShare on LinkedInSIOUX CITY (KTIV) - On Sunday two graffiti artists and a tattoo studio owner collaborated to bring the gift of art to downtown Sioux City Throughout the day, Donald “Scribe” Ross and Won “Revise” Kim turned what was a regular storefront into a large mural at Park Avenue Tattoo Studio According to the business owner Jeremy Boddy the collaboration was a celebration of 7 years in business my clients and all who come downtown are in for a treat.” Boddy said “I look forward to all the joyful smiles this will bring to our area.” The artists are known across the globe as world class graffiti artists adding his own special blend of art to children’s hospital walls and to books for young readers “Scribe’s work can be found nationally and internationally,” Boddy said and Illustrator whose works can be seen in multiple mediums.” a Korean-Polish fusion restaurant that has a ever changing graffiti mural on the backside of his building The store says Revise is always cooking up something in his kitchen of choice and eyes on a tasteful ride through an experience that’s nothing shy of brilliant,” Boddy said “Chef Won can be found feeding the masses in his Fusion Restaurant Kimiski The two artists will be back working on the mural Monday May 5 for people to come by and say hi and enjoy the new addition to downtown Sioux City Want to get the latest news and weather from Siouxland’s News Source? Follow these links to download our KTIV News app and our First Alert Weather app A recreational park in western Iowa was named among the best places to travel in the Midwest in 2025 Midwest Living, a magazine dedicated to the region's culture and lifestyle released its best travel destinations in the Midwest for 2025 Here is the only Iowa destination featured on the list and how to check it out yourself Cone Park was among three other spaces dedicated to the outdoors that Midwest Living highlighted in its list Cone Park in Sioux City offers year-round recreational activities across its 35 acres Highlights during its winter season include a 700-foot tubing hill a 5,400-square-foot ice skating rink and a lodge the ice rink becomes a splash pad and mountain bikers can venture out on over 10 miles of soft-surface trails a two-mile paved trail loop and jump lines in the mountain bike park of Cone Park The tubing hill also operates in the summer with misters and a paved pump track for building skills Cooper Worth is a service/trending reporter for the Des Moines Register Reach him at cworth@gannett.com or follow him on X @CooperAWorth SIOUX CITY -- A Michigan man with numerous felony convictions who was arrested in Sioux City was sentenced Friday to 15 years in federal prison on drug and gun charges District Court in Sioux City found Caleb Root guilty in October of two counts of possession with intent to distribute a controlled substance and single counts of possession of a firearm by a felon and possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug-trafficking crime Root must serve eight years of supervised release after completing his prison sentence A Sioux City police officer stopped Root's vehicle May 23 after observing Root driving in a suspicious manner Root initially lied to the officer about not having an ID and saying he couldn't remember his birth date Root eventually identified himself and admitted he was a convicted felon Officers looking into his pickup truck could see marijuana in plain view officers searched the truck and a trailer and found about 4 pounds of marijuana a loaded shotgun and more than 12 grams of methamphetamine he was stopped for speeding in Adair County and was found in possession of more than 1 pound of marijuana and 1 gram of meth Root has four previous federal convictions for drug The Journal’s Jared McNett shows how to download and browse the Sioux City Journal's app Get the latest in local public safety news with this weekly email Email notifications are only sent once a day It’s easy to prevent being a victim of car-related thefts Here are some steps to help prevent your contents from being stolen from your vehicle also is charged with forging signatures on checks in an alleged scheme to defraud a bank Putnam and others conspired to sell nearly 10 pounds of meth in the Sioux City area from January 2021… Alpacino Lewis attempted to flee from a traffic stop on Feb Get up-to-the-minute news sent straight to your device Account processing issue - the email address may already exist Invalid password or account does not exist Submitting this form below will send a message to your email with a link to change your password An email message containing instructions on how to reset your password has been sent to the email address listed on your account The call came from a driving school in a Waco Employees had noticed a steady stream of men entering and leaving a nearby Asian massage parlor Employees at the driving school suspected human trafficking Downtown Waco is shown in this 2024 file photo Waco city police had dismissed their concerns so they turned to the county sheriff instead But that call would set in motion the gathering of evidence of just how violent life in an illicit massage parlor can be Scaramucci became one of the few outsiders to get a detailed look at daily life inside these establishments He would also use an approach that experts now consider a model for tackling the exploitation of immigrant women trapped in the human trafficking trade Asian massage parlors masquerade as legitimate businesses while illegally offering sexual services to male clients look over material before a 2017 press conference announcing their latest sex-buying sting But the women inside these parlors are often among society’s most vulnerable — isolated by language barriers The driving school had tried to shut down the parlor by taking down license plate numbers using its unique access to look up the owners and sending letters to their homes letting them know that they may be supporting human traffickers Scaramucci said no one in his office knew what to do at first Police eventually decided to put the massage parlor under surveillance nobody would tell us anything,” Scaramucci said Authorities exit the former Vegas Buffet restaurant in Waco after raiding the business as part of a labor trafficking investigation in June 2018 It seemed the only option to get the needed evidence was to go undercover Scaramucci himself went into the business and asked for a $60 massage He was using his cell phone as a hidden wire with other detectives in unmarked vehicles listening from the parking lot detectives obtained a court order to review the business’s utility bills They discovered who the owner of Le Barre Massage was and that he had a second business A key decision was not to arrest the women being trafficked “Our only kind of sustaining rule was that the women didn’t go to jail for prostitution,” he said leader of the counter human trafficking unit in the McLennan County Sheriff's Office talks Tuesday about recent arrests in Los Angeles and Chino Hills Scaramucci will travel to Poland next week with Unbound to train Polish authorities working to protect Ukrainian refugees from exploitation Those mug shots would likely be broadcast to family back home on the Chinese app WeChat shaming the women and making their cooperation all the more unlikely and it’s never going to stop the business,” Scaramucci said later pleaded guilty to promoting prostitution and was sentenced to 100 days in jail and 10 years' probation Scaramucci went from not knowing much about illicit massage parlors to looking at sites online and realizing there were many of them Scaramucci took the list off one site called Backpage and started going down it to do time-consuming undercover operations What Scaramucci would soon discover would cement his resolve that these women are victims He did another undercover operation at two more massage parlors When he arrived at the business with a search warrant Scaramucci remained at the center of the property while his partners searched One soon came back with an alarm clock that seemed suspicious ‘What the (expletive) would make you think that's a camera Scaramucci took it back to the station and put it in a computer The alarm clock was a hidden camera that the owner had set up to monitor the women There was another one at the other location Vegas Buffet in the Westview Village shopping center at Valley Mills and Waco drives was the site of a June 2018 raid for human trafficking The cameras had captured 90 days of activity within the massage parlors Scaramucci would become one of the few outsiders who witnessed what happened in these businesses very shocking to me was actually the amount of forcible rape that occurred where men were chasing the women around the room pinning them down and actually forcibly raping them,” Scaramucci said Scaramucci recalls watching at least five rapes And that was in 90 days with two parlors that only employed about five women One video clip in particular remains seared into Scaramucci’s memory An obese man on a bed kept grabbing the massage therapist and pulling her to him “The whole time he was smirking and smiling And you could tell by the way they were moving … He was manhandling her,” Scaramucci recalls The sheriff’s office was able to identify three of the men suspected of rape But Scaramucci says the prosecutor couldn’t file charges because the women couldn’t testify against the men Scaramucci said more than 400 customers were on the tapes All but a couple of them are on the video engaging in sex One of the men worked in the sheriff’s office Scaramucci also witnessed the daily lives of these women “They slept on the beds that all this was going on You would see them doing these things all day long Most of the women turned over all the fees and half their tips to the owners He remembers one owner charging $300 for rent and $100 for groceries McLennan County sheriff’s deputies detain Yali Yang during a labor trafficking raid at Vegas Buffet restaurant in Waco Prosecutors filed charges against the female owner of those two massage parlors Members of the McLennan County Sheriff deputies detain Zhi “Jimmy” Lin shortly after officers enter the Vegas Chinese Buffet during a human trafficking raid in June 2018 Scaramucci says human trafficking is very difficult to charge because you have to have a victim testify that the owners coerced them And the women in these illicit parlors are afraid to do that there just aren't any involving massage parlors but I'm not able to find them,” said Scaramucci the prosecutor instead would charge the owners with the promotion of prostitution state lawmakers increased the possible sentence to five to 99 years as a way to combat human trafficking “So it's smarter for me to just take the aggravated promotion of prostitution charge,” which didn’t require the women’s cooperation Many women working in these massage parlors came from Flushing Joseph Scaramucci talks about his trip next week to the Polish border with Ukraine where he will help Polish authorities prevent human trafficking and aid victims many sex trafficking victims are in debt and cannot speak English fluently they are funneled into a network of massage parlors and so the sheriff’s office started to treat the cases as organized crime investigations Prosecutors would ultimately file charges for racketeering and money laundering complex charges that require expertise from law enforcement Scaramucci estimates he worked on 10 investigations starting in 2016 But he’s done far more investigations of human trafficking he says those investigations resulted in arrests of more than 680 sex buyers and 163 people for human trafficking and related offenses He left the sheriff’s office in 2023 and now works for a nonprofit focused on sex trafficking he says Waco is now free of illicit massage parlors Joseph Scaramucci announce 17 solicitation of prostitution arrests in a recent sting operation in July 2023 Four of the people arrested were accused of soliciting minors Xieuwen Zhang speaks about her arrest at XF Massage shuffling from one illicit massage parlor to another coerced into providing massages with so-called "happ… President Donald Trump says he is directing his government to reopen and expand Alcatraz the notorious former prison on a California island The Guatemalan woman apprehended south of Tucson was initially facing expedited deportation and the choice to take her newborn — a US citizen … Milwaukee County Circuit Judge Hannah Dugan faces federal charges of concealing an individual and arrest and obstructing or impeding a proceeding The move is the latest part of President Donald Trump’s effort to crack down on illegal immigration President Donald Trump's administration said Monday it will pay $1,000 to immigrants who are in the United States illegally and return to their home country voluntarily Closures & Delays Local News | Sioux City leaders to vote on restoring funding to anti-discrimination watchdogs Iowa (RI) – Leaders in Sioux City may reconsider a plan which drastically reduced the budget for the local human rights commission The city council slashed the panel’s budget in February by $140,000 supporters of the Sioux City Human Rights Commission packed the council chambers Dan Moore is the mayor pro tem and one of two council members who support fully funding the commission Many residents spoke out at the hearing in favor of restoring funding to the commission which helps to enforce anti-discrimination laws The council voted in April to decide on whether to reinstate the budget for the next fiscal year The panel’s chair says if the money isn’t reinstated and some of the most vulnerable in the community will suffer DC — Congressman Randy Feenstra (R-Hull) has announced that his office will host two in-person passport fairs — one in Iowa — This is National Correctional Officers’ Week Sioux County Sheriff Jamie Van Voorst says that this week Iowa — Over 50 area projects are sharing over $150,000 in grants from an area non-profit gambling license-holder some northwest Iowans may find their driver’s license is no longer an acceptable form of ID Office: 712-324-2597 | Text: 712-324-2597 | Studio: 712-324-5377 Contact us: newstips@kiwaradio.com An aerial view of the proposed site for a  new early childhood center and fifth and sixth grade intermediate school in South Sioux City as part of their bond issue An aerial view of the proposed site for a new K-4 elementary school in South Sioux City as part of their bond issue South Sioux City Schools administration posing for a photo at the proposed site for a new early childhood center and fifth and sixth grade intermediate school in the Flatwater area at the intersection of Foundry Road and Tallgrass Drive South Sioux City Schools administration posing for a photo in front of a proposed site for a new K-4 elementary school on the west side of the city north of the intersection of Lake Avenue and 142nd street SOUTH SIOUX CITY -- As South Sioux City school officials continue to campaign for its upcoming $127 million bond issue the district has identified two new locations for two of the proposed new schools The two locations are for a new early childhood center a new fifth and sixth grade intermediate school and a new kindergarten through fourth grade school A new early childhood center and and fifth and sixth grade intermediate school would be built in the Flatwater area A new K-4 grade is proposed the city's west side "Our community’s voice has been at the heart of our planning You told us clearly that the future of our schools must be in the west and east — and that we must move away from the congestion near G Street," Superintendent Rony Ortega said in a news release "We are planning ahead to serve the growing Flatwater area and to better support the families in our western neighborhoods where Covington and Lewis & Clark are so vital today." The proposed new schools are part of a $127 million bond issue that will be decided in an mail-in election culminating on May 13 The $127 million plan favored by the majority of local residents who participated in the process features the following element; -- Construction of a new school for 5th and 6th grade students; -- Combine Covington and Lewis & Clark into a school for grades K-4; -- Update the middle school and high school campus The plan would include adding classes for 7th and 8th grade students and career pathways space -- Update the Dakota City elementary school with more classrooms and improvements to the building's library -- Update the Harney and Cardinal elementary schools with additional classroom space and security upgrades Ballots have been mailed out to all registered voters Completed ballots must be returned to the Dakota County Courthouse by 5 p.m Get our local education coverage delivered directly to your inbox Teachers represented by the Sioux City Education Association (SCEA) will receive a $360 increase to the base salary The Northwest Area Education Agency has its new chief administrator won the 2025 "Are You Smarter than Our Fourth Graders?" competition at East High School Thursd… and improved paving around the track with construction expected to begin mid-May VOTING IN THE 127-MILLION DOLLAR SOUTH SIOUX CITY SCHOOL BOND ISSUE IS UNDERWAY VOTERS SHOULD HAVE RECEIVED THEIR BALLOTS FOR THE MAIL-IN ONLY ELECTION IN THE LAST WEEK OF APRIL AND DISTRICT SPOKESMAN LANCE SWANSON SAYS THERE IS LESS THAN TWO WEEKS TO TURN THEM IN: SWANSON SAYS THE DISTRICT HAS HEARD THE NEED TO GROW TO THE WEST AND EAST AND TO EASE CONGESTION NEAR G STREET HE SAYS PLANS ARE TO BETTER SERVE THE WESTERN NEIGHBORHOODS SUPPORTED BY COVINGTON AND LEWIS & CLARK SCHOOLS WITH A NEW K-4 ELEMENTARY SCHOOL: THE OTHER NEW SCHOOL IS NEAR THE FLATWATER AREA AND SIOUXLAND FREEDOM PARK PART OF TOWN: SSCVOTE3 OC……..SOME MORE SPACE SWANSON SAYS THE PLAN WOULD NOT BE POSSIBLE WITHOUT THE STRONG PARTNERSHIP WITH THE MAYOR The Journal resumes its From the Archives columns which looks back at what was happening in Siouxland 150 who keeps the vegetable garden just north of town and he informs us that the citizens of that town have made up a purse to pay a detective to arrest and return L.J the defaulting banker who left there a year ago The detective claims that he can put his hands on Barton in forty-eight hours from the time he leaves Storm Lake has leased his fine residence and 140 acres of land at that place to W.S and is making preparations to erect for himself another dwelling there This new improvement will be located just above Dr and will be completed in a couple or three months The locating of the above mentioned parties at Morning Side increases the population of that community just nine Western League's Opening: Amid the blare of brass bands and the splitting shouts of thousands of fans who have gone hungry for good professional baseball these many years the six teams of Thomas Jefferson Hickey's new Western Baseball league will inaugurate their seasons today in three different cities of the west Sioux City is scheduled to play at Des Moines while only one is in the eastern part of the league who have taken to unite themselves under the name of "Indians," made their departure for the scene of their struggle for the league pennant yesterday afternoon leaving via the Chicago and Northwestern railway at 5:30 o'clock Second victim of Alcoholism in 3 Days Found Dead: Alcoholic poisoning has claimed the lives of two men in Sioux City within the last three days As the result of what was said by authorities to have been a drinking party which started Saturday evening in a shack at the rear of 105 South Howard Street is dead from acute alcohol poisoning and two of his companions are being held at police headquarters for investigation died at a hospital of acute alcoholic poisoning on Saturday after five days' illness Bishop Heelan Catholic High School is shown circa 1960 Name School 'Heelan High': The memory of their late beloved spiritual leader will be enshrined in a permanent productive institution by Sioux City Catholics Sunday with the blessing and dedication of the new Heelan High School known up until now as Catholic High School will be dedicated to the memory of the Most Rev Bishop Heelan served as ordinary of the Sioux City Diocese from 1919 until his death Sept Brown's Lake Dispute Aired: The Iowa Supreme Court heard the state's arguments that 150 acres of the 840-acre Brown's Lake near Sioux City actually belongs to the state told the court that District Judge George W Prichard never should have quieted title in the property to Harvey E He said the Iowa Supreme Court should set aside the lower court decree Emery traced what he termed "a comedy of errors" in the handling of the title to the property since the first government patent was issued in 1852 Tremendous Loss to Boys' Club: The executive director of the Sioux City Boys' Club were killed in a collision Friday afternoon in Berryhill's Volkswagen The group had driven north to sell candy as part of the club's annual springtime fundraising drive Sioux County Sheriff Ted Hoogland said Berryhill's northbound car was hit head-on by a southbound car on U.S about four and a quarter miles south of Sioux Center The two surviving children were taken to a Sioux Center hospital and later transferred to St Luke's Medical Center in Sioux City where they underwent emergency surgery Friday night bishop of Sioux City from 1919 until his death in 1948 is the namesake of Sioux City's Bishop Heelan Catholic Schools County Likely to Need More Jail Cells: Several of Woodbury County's questions about its jail could be answered soon and it's likely that one of the answers will include building more jail cells A study by the Chicago corrections consultant Huskey & Associates last fall said as many as 300 new beds might be needed by 2004 That number would depend on the success of of any programs the county may implement to reduce the number of inmates 2002 deadline to have a permanent solution to its overcrowding problem Bishop Blesses Site of New Parish: The new Mother Teresa Catholic Parish in Dakota Dunes celebrated the blessing of a 15-acre site that will one day hold a church and other buildings "Today we bless some beautiful Bermuda grass and a little dirt something that is a sign of the love and appreciation of the people of this faith community," said the Rev before sprinkling holy water on a portion of the site Archives Manager at the Sioux City Public Museum talks about the history of the Wetmore Building in Sioux City and why he feels it deserved to be saved With a weekly newsletter looking back at local history singer and pianist Ben Folds will perform with the Sioux City Symphony Orchestra on Sept SIOUX CITY -- Emmy Award-nominated singer-songwriter Ben Folds will be joining the Sioux City Symphony Orchestra (SCSO) for a special performance Sept Folds is a widely regarded entertainer whose body of work has included pop albums with Ben Folds Five and multiple solo albums He has also performed with many of the world's greatest symphony orchestras according to SCSO executive director David Gross this concert will be a collaboration between SCSO and the Orpheum Theatre "We think Ben Folds' pop audience will be introduced to the symphony orchestra while the symphony's fans will appreciate Ben's music," said Orpheum Theatre general manager Nick Pamiotti at a Monday morning news conference Tickets will go on sale at 10 a.m. Friday at Orpheumlive.com or by visiting the Primebank Box Office at the Tyson Events Center Subscribe to our Daily Headlines newsletter A Woodbury County jury in March found Hough guilty of second-degree sexual abuse and lascivious acts with a child A Plymouth County jury in March found Harms guilty of second-degree murder and attempted murder for the death of Mike Gomez A preliminary police investigation showed the eastbound motorcycle which was being operated by a male and female rear-ended the SUV SIOUX CITY -- A Sioux City man was sentenced Friday to 25 years in prison for sexually abusing a girl must serve 17.5 years before he's eligible for parole District Judge Tod Deck placed him on a lifetime special sentence in which he will remain under court supervision as if on parole after he's released from prison If he were to violate terms of the special sentence Hough also must register with the Iowa Sex Offender Registry for life Hough had sexual contact with the girl from approximately April 2017 through April 2022 His first trial ended in a mistrial in November was found guilty in Woodbury County District Court of second-degree sexual abuse and lascivious acts with a child Diaz-Flores was arrested in February after South Sioux City police received a report that he had admitted to having sexual contact with the tw… Thomas punched her and struck her with a belt numerous times DEAR ABBY: The woman I've been married to for the last 10 years is spending her time away from home She isn't seeing another man or hanging out in bars She leaves at any time of the day and goes to the casino She also plays online throughout the day or evening She stays out all night until sometimes 8 or 9 o'clock the next morning I have tried talking to her calmly -- and I've tried the angry way which will lead to the end of our marriage How can I get through to her that what she's doing isn't good for our relationship I'm very close to saying "Enough!" and it's time for us to go our separate ways DEAR FRUSTRATED: If what your wife is doing affects the financial stability of your marriage your wife is addicted to the rush she gets from gambling Suggest that she join Gamblers Anonymous for help and you should explore a support group called Gam-Anon for yourself consult an attorney and tell your wife that if she doesn't seek help you will be forced to separate your finances DEAR ABBY: My sister has stopped communicating with my parents and me she still maintains contact with members of our extended family What's strange is that none of us is sure what we did to cause this We have asked her to share her side of the story she says it's because I'm spoiled and get everything; other times He's a quiet person who mostly keeps to himself Our parents are getting older and could use some support Do you think I'll ever be able to let go of my anger or will it linger until my parents are no longer with us DEAR BROTHER: Accept that you can't change your sister After your parents are gone and it is too late to make amends your sister may feel guilty for her unwillingness to mend fences with them over their perceived slights Family counseling might facilitate some healing but only if everyone is willing to participate As to your anger over your sister's behavior it may take a session or two with a licensed psychotherapist to move beyond it do the best you can to ensure that your parents know you love them and are grateful for all they have done for you Dear Abby is written by Abigail Van Buren, also known as Jeanne Phillips, and was founded by her mother, Pauline Phillips. Contact Dear Abby at www.DearAbby.com or P.O What happens when the intern hits on the boss letters and editorials sent directly to your inbox weekly DEAR ABBY: I've known "Bianca" since high school DEAR ABBY: Our son and his girlfriend had our first grandchild 18 months ago We helped them move out of their rental house before the baby wa… "Allie," (whom I've raised as my own since she was 2) has banned my 39-year-old daughter's 19-year-old girlfriend… Morningside University track & field assistant coach Garret Ehlers races in the men's 3000 steeplechase at the Sioux City Relays at Elwood Olsen Stadium on April 12 Graduates from the class of 2024 are shown during the commencement ceremony for Morningside University at Elwood Olsen Stadium in Sioux City Morningside's Kumunule Gbaley (left) wins his heat of the men's 100-meter dash preliminaries against Briar Cliff's Wilton George (middle right) at the Sioux City Relays at Elwood Olsen Stadium on Friday in Sioux City SIOUX CITY -- Morningside University has received a $1.5 million estate gift for renovations to Elwood Olsen Stadium according to a news release from the university Construction on the project is expected to begin mid-May but the university said it was from "a friend of the university whose life and legacy reflected a commitment to the Siouxland region and beyond." "This extraordinary gift demonstrates the profound impact that friends of Morningside can have on our campus community,” said Morningside President Albert Mosley “The new turf will not only elevate our track but will also serve as a testament to the donor’s belief in the transformative power of athletics and education Elwood Olsen Stadium is home to the university's football It also hosts Morningside's commencement ceremony each spring The stadium was built in 1940 as a Public Works Administration project Morningside entered into an agreement with the Sioux City Community School District in 2004 as part of a 99-year lease of then Roberts Stadium the longtime home of Morningside athletics That partnership opened the door for a $2.5 million renovation project including installation of the stadium's first FieldTurf playing surface former human resources director for the Sioux City Public Schools has entered into a settlement agreement with the Iowa Board… As the South Sioux City Schools continues to campaign for their upcoming $127 million bond issue the district has identified two locations fo… Chrissy Houlahan and CNN Political Commentators Ashley Allison and Kristen Soltis Anderson discuss Trump saying he doesn’t know if he has to uphold the Constitution as well as growing concerns over his handling of the economy — President Donald Trump is circumspect about his duties to uphold due process rights laid out in the Constitution saying in a new interview that he does not know whether U.S citizens and noncitizens alike deserve that guarantee President Donald Trump holds a document with notes about Kilmar Abrego Garcia as he speaks with reporters in the Oval Office of the White House on April 18 in Washington He also said he does not think military force will be needed to make Canada the “51st state” and played down the possibility he would look to run for a third term in the White House interview with NBC’s “Meet the Press" came as the Republican president's efforts to quickly enact his agenda face sharper headwinds with Americans just as his second administration crossed the 100-day mark according to a recent poll by The Associated Press-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research made clear that he is not backing away from a to-do list that he insists the American electorate broadly supported when they elected him in November Here are some of the highlights from the interview with NBC's Kristen Welker that was taped Friday at his Mar-a-Lago property in Florida and aired Sunday Critics on the left have tried to make the case that Trump is chipping away at due process in the United States they cite the case of Kilmar Abrego Garcia a Salvadoran man who was living in Maryland when he was mistakenly deported to El Salvador and imprisoned without communication Trump says Abrego Garcia is part of a violent transnational gang The Republican president has sought to turn deportation into a test case for his campaign against illegal immigration despite a Supreme Court order saying the administration must work to return Abrego Garcia to the U.S citizens and noncitizens both deserve due process as laid out in the Fifth Amendment of the Constitution I don’t know,” Trump said when pressed by Welker The Fifth Amendment provides “due process of law,” meaning a person has certain rights when it comes to being prosecuted for a crime the 14th Amendment says no state can “deny to any person within its jurisdiction the equal protection of the laws.” and they are going to obviously follow what the Supreme Court said.” He said he was pushing to deport “some of the worst most dangerous people on Earth,” but that courts are getting in his way “I was elected to get them the hell out of here and the courts are holding me from doing it,” Trump said The president has repeatedly threatened that he intends to make Canada the “51st state.” Fareed assesses the first 100 days of President Donald Trump’s second term with Jon Meacham Pulitzer Prize-winning presidential biographer Before his White House meeting on Tuesday with newly elected Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney Trump is not backing away from the rhetoric that has angered Canadians told NBC that it was “highly unlikely” that the U.S would need to use military force to make Canada the 51st state He offered less certainty about whether his repeated calls for the U.S to take over Greenland from NATO-ally Denmark can be achieved without military action “Something could happen with Greenland,” Trump said we need that for national and international security economy is in a “transition period” but he expects it to do “fantastically” despite the economic turmoil sparked by his tariffs He offered sharp pushback when Welker noted that some Wall Street analysts now say the chances of a recession are increasing some people on Wall Street say,” Trump said Some people on Wall Street say that we’re going to have the greatest economy in history.” He also deflected blame for the 0.3% decline in the U.S “I think the good parts are the Trump economy and the bad parts are the Biden economy because he’s done a terrible job,” referring to his Democratic predecessor Trump doubled down on his recent comments at a Cabinet meeting that children might have to have two dolls instead of 30 denying that is an acknowledgment his tariffs will lead to supply shortages “I’m just saying they don’t need to have 30 dolls The president has repeatedly suggested he could seek a third term in the White House even though the 22nd Amendment of the Constitution says that “No person shall be elected to the office of the President more than twice.” Trump told NBC there is considerable support for him to run for a third term “But this is not something I’m looking to do,” Trump said “I’m looking to have four great years and turn it over to somebody Trump's previous comments about a third term sometimes seem more about provoking outrage on the political left The Trump Organization is even selling red caps with the words “Trump 2028.” he has suggested he was seriously looking into a third term Vice President JD Vance waves waves as he departs Charleston after touring Nucor Steel Berkeley in Huger Trump said in the interview that Vice President JD Vance is doing a “fantastic job” and is “brilliant.” Secretary of State Marco Rubio whom Trump last week tasked to simultaneously serve as acting national security adviser But Trump said it is “far too early” to begin talking about his potential successor He is confident that his "Make America Great Again" movement will flourish beyond his time in the White House The limited-edition nutcrackers titled "Resolute Desk of the President," featuring a seated figure signing a "presidential proclamation," is seen at the Steinbach-Volkskunst nutcracker factory in Marienberg A woman works on nutcrackers of a cowboy at the Steinbach-Volkskunst nutcracker factory in Marienberg A woman uses hairspray to fixe the hair on a nutcracker titled "Resolute Desk of the President," featuring a seated figure signing a "presidential proclamation," at the Steinbach-Volkskunst nutcracker factory in Marienberg manager and owner of the Steinbach-Volkskunst nutcracker factory Fabrics for nutcracker costumes are stored on the shelf at the Steinbach-Volkskunst nutcracker factory in Marienberg Nutcrackers are displayed at the Steinbach-Volkskunst nutcracker factory in Marienberg The desk of the limited-edition nutcracker titled "Resolute Desk of the President," featuring a seated figure signing a "presidential proclamation," is seen at the Steinbach-Volkskunst nutcracker factory in Marienberg A nutcracker commemorating the coronation of Britain's King Charles III stands alongside other nutcrackers at the Steinbach-Volkskunst nutcracker factory in Marienberg A man walks on the road near the Steinbach-Volkskunst nutcracker factory in Marienberg A man works on a lathe in the carpentry of the Steinbach-Volkskunst nutcracker factory in Marienberg Two limited-edition nutcrackers titled "Resolute Desk of the President," featuring a seated figure signing a "presidential proclamation," are seen on a table at the Steinbach-Volkskunst nutcracker factory in Marienberg A woman fixes a coat on a nutcracker titled "Resolute Desk of the President," featuring a seated figure signing a "presidential proclamation," at the Steinbach-Volkskunst nutcracker factory in Marienberg An Uncle Sam nutcracker with an American flag stands between other nutcrackers at the Steinbach-Volkskunst nutcracker factory in Marienberg nutcrackers showing Britain's King Charles III Statue of Liberty and Uncle Sam are displayed at the Steinbach-Volkskunst nutcracker factory in Marienberg A woman combs the hair on a nutcracker titled "Resolute Desk of the President," featuring a seated figure signing a "presidential proclamation," at the Steinbach-Volkskunst nutcracker factory in Marienberg Get the latest local business news delivered FREE to your inbox weekly Guacamole has been spared from tariffs for now and Kristen Soltis Anderson discuss Tru… Nurse Yudy Cruz is shown at UnityPoint Health - St YEARS IN THE NURSING PROFESSION: 10 + years Nurse Yudy Cruz is the manager of the Sioux City hospital's behavioral health unit I became a nurse to help people and make a difference in someone’s life There are endless opportunities within this role that I can explore I am able to support the diverse community it is both rewarding and personally fulfilling to help those in their most vulnerable moments It is rewarding because the road to get to where I am today was not easy It was a tough journey that required a lot of time away from family My job is rewarding because I have built meaningful relationships with my peers and patients It is rewarding because I get to reflect on how grateful I am for my life when I help others in need Nurses play a pivotal role in the healthcare system and provide emotional and psychological support we collaborate with multidisciplinary professionals to provide high-quality care What was your most challenging time in the profession The most challenging aspects of my profession include dealing with loss and grief and the emotional drain that comes with working with vulnerable populations What do you want others to know about the profession with numerous opportunities to grow professionally I also want others to see it as a rewarding career instead of focusing on the financial aspect of the profession People need nurses who are passionate about helping others Someone should become a nurse if they want to make a difference in someone’s life and many opportunities for leadership and teaching Nursing is a challenging but rewarding profession that makes a significant impact on public health What don’t patients realize about medicine Patients do not realize that medicine often requires trial and error and they base their profession on evidence-based practice Healthcare is so complex that it can be frustrating for patients especially when it comes to billing and treatment approval It requires a team behind the scenes to ensure comprehensive care Medications have side effects that are beyond the provider's control in how they affect the body Prevention is key to avoiding serious health issues My family has been instrumental in my success It has not been an easy road to get to where I am now Without the support of my loving and caring family resilience and self-care play a huge part in my success My typical day as a nurse starts by taking care of myself ready to make a difference in someone else’s life whether it’s by listening or handing them a cup of coffee Patients and staff can have a good or bad day I am able to adjust to emergency situations I make sure my staff takes care of their needs such as taking lunch breaks while I cover for them Or does working in health care change the way you view the profession but I find time for self-care to protect my own mental health I have gained experience and deepened my understanding of healthcare and I continue to have a strong desire to help others even when they do not want to help themselves empathy and compassion are key to a healthy workplace environment and to avoid burden in healthcare Five nurses are honored for their service during a ceremony presented by Bruce Miller 2025 'Nurses -- the heart of health care' nominee: Renee Loutsch/UnityPoint Health-St 2025 'Nurses -- the heart of health care' nominee: Trisha Beaulieu Family and Sports; Parking lot flea market fundraiser; Carmelite board meeting; Plant sale; and more They’ve lived there long enough now that for them it’s home If you want to know about even more events happening around the Sioux City area The Sioux City Journal's Weekender's got you covered Carmen (Maya Lahyani) is surrounded by fellow "bandits" in the Sioux City Symphony Orchestra's production of "Carmen."  right) confronts Micaela (Cecilia Violetta Lopez) and Don Jose (John Riesen) in the Sioux City Symphony Orchestra production of "Carmen."  There was plenty to admire about the Sioux City Symphony Orchestra’s production of “Carmen” Sunday night Cecilia Violetta Lopez’s work as the innocent maiden Micaela was the standout Opening the opera as a courier for Don Jose’s mother she seemed like the perfect match for the military man she got another shot at happiness and an aria that was breathtaking A brief encounter with the vampish Carmen (a powerful Maya Lahyani) was enough to turn Don Jose’s head and seal a relationship Carmen had someone else to distract – the toreador Escamillo (Donovan Singletary) who had the fan base of a rock star (even wearing a white fur on one entrance) Don Jose abandoned his military career and agreed to join Carmen and a group of bandits stage director Robert Neu dropped visual references to everything from “Rent” to “Evita.” He didn’t specify where or when it takes place but its costumes were definitely contemporary That made the French lyrics and Spanish trappings difficult to peg the production gave Georges Bizet’s familiar themes new relevance Adding to the refresh: Yana Biryukova’s projections they helped set the scene and underscore important moments When Carmen and a pair of bandits consulted their cards Throughout the three-hour performance musicians were able to grab their own moments an upstage choir and four dancers augmented scenes particularly when she faced her final encounter with Don Jose While the lovers’ fate was written in the cards it was difficult not to feel their Shakespearean ends Music Director/Conductor Ryan Haskins once again proved varied musical offerings are good for the symphony crowd While Sunday’s performance should have started earlier (it made for a long Sunday night) it was great to sample something new and anticipate what might lie ahead  Bruce Miller is editor of the Sioux City Journal Receive the latest in local entertainment news in your inbox weekly Former composer of the year Hilary Purrington and women in the orchestra talked about the struggles the composers faced and how those moments … he’s only on stage 11 or 12 minutes of the performance But heavy is the head that wears the crown Fearing financial losses if they don’t do something surprising the companies’ leaders agree to a talent swap Younger people aren't getting married at the same rate as their elders Marriage licenses issued recently in Woodbury County: Sioux City; Nicholas Charles Richard Thoney South Sioux City; Christopher Franssua Esquivel Perez Money is a sensitive topic and it is one of the top reasons couples end their relationship and even their marriage Take a look at marriage licenses issued recently in Woodbury County Marriage licenses issued recently in Woodbury County The Washington Senate has passed a bill to try and stop habitual speeders in their tracks A teenager who admitted being "addicted to speed" behind the wheel had totaled two other cars in the year before he slammed into a minivan at 112 mph in a Seattle suburb killing the driver and three of the five children she was transporting for a homeschool co-op After sentencing Chase Daniel Jones last month to more than 17 years in prison the judge tacked on a novel condition should he drive again: His vehicle must be equipped with a device that prevents accelerating far beyond the speed limit Chase Daniel Jones cries as attorney Brad Barshis gets up to read a letter Jones wrote to the families of his victims at the Maleng Regional Justice Center in Kent Virginia this year became the first state to give its judges such a tool to deal with the most dangerous drivers on the road already is using it and similar measures await governors' signatures in Washington state and Georgia New York and California also could soon tap the GPS-based technology to help combat a recent national spike in traffic deaths "It's a horror no one should have to experience," said Amy Cohen who founded the victims' advocacy group Families for Safe Streets after her 12-year-old son was killed by a speeding driver in front of their New York home more than a decade ago the minivan driver who was killed when Jones ran a red light was building a backyard greenhouse with her husband to help educate several kids who shuttle between homes during the school day Also killed in the March 2024 crash near Hudson's home in Renton were Boyd "Buster" Brown and Eloise Wilcoxson Hudson's two children were sitting on the passenger side and survived "You always hear of these horrific accidents comforts Rivka Wilcoxson after Wilcoxson spoke about her family's loss during Chase Daniel Jones' sentencing on April 25 at the Maleng Regional Justice Center in Kent who reached out to offer condolences and tell him she was sponsoring legislation to mandate intelligent speed assistance devices as a condition for habitual speeders to get back their suspended licenses Leavitt predicts it will have an even more powerful impact than revoking driving privileges citing studies showing around three-quarters of people who lose their licenses get behind a wheel anyway the state saw a 200% increase in drivers cited for going at least 50 mph over the speed limit according to the Washington Traffic Safety Commission "I guess I don't understand why someone is compelled to want to drive that fast," Leavitt said "But if they choose to drive that fast with the speed limiter which Washington legislators passed last month and Democratic Gov using the first letters of the names of the four victims: Buster didn't receive a speeding ticket in his two previous crashes he likely wouldn't have been required to use the speed-limiter ahead of the fatal one And because it could be 2029 before the law takes effect the judge's requirement at sentencing only applies to his time on probation after being released from prison Competing tech companies that joined forces to lobby for ignition interlock requirements for drunken drivers have been working in unison again the last few years to pitch intelligent speed assistance chief government affairs officer at one manufacturer said fleet vehicles including school buses in the nation's capital have been trying it out for years But it took a lot of refinement before the GPS technology could instantly recognize speed limit changes and compel vehicles with the devices installed to adjust accordingly "We've got a lot more satellites in the sky now," said Ken Denton a retired police officer who is the chief compliance officer at Cincinnati-based LifeSafer for a vigil honoring the four people killed in a car crash the devices would prevent cars from exceeding speed limits or whatever threshold regulators set An override button allows speeding in emergencies but states can decide whether to activate it and authorities would be alerted any time the button is pushed which beeps to alert drivers when they are going too fast is required for new cars in the European Union Gavin Newsom vetoed a similar proposal last year explaining vehicle safety requirements are set by the federal government and he was concerned a patchwork of state laws could stir confusion near where a speeding motorist crashed into a minivan killing four people and seriously injuring two Patrick Hope agreed to sponsor the proposal in the Virginia Legislature which was calibrated to not go more than 9 mph over the speed limit "That was my first question: Is it safe?" Hope said Not only did he come away convinced it was safe Hope is now pondering whether to install it on the cars of his three children the price could be hefty: $4 per day and a $100 installation fee The fee would be reduced for low-income offenders which provides support services to the loved ones of crash victims knows firsthand the kind of impact slowing down speeders can make A year after her son was struck and killed in front of their New York apartment The decision to impose tariffs comes amid claims that Mexican growers are undercutting U.S tomato producers in the competitive market While President Donald Trump put threatened tariffs on Mexican avocados on pause government plans to put a nearly 21% duty on fresh Mexican tomatoes starting July 14 A duty — like a tariff — is a tax on imports and this one would impact the 4 billion pounds of tomatoes the U.S Tomatoes imported from Mexico are for sale in a supermarket in Miami as the United States imposed 25% tariffs on goods from Canada and Mexico starting a trade war with its closest neighbors and allies Proponents say the import tax will help rebuild the shrinking U.S tomato industry and ensure the produce eaten in the U.S Mexico currently supplies around 70% of U.S "Unless we even the playing field in terms of fair pricing you're not going to have a domestic industry for fresh tomatoes in the very near future," Robert Guenther the trade group's executive vice president but most of California's crop is turned into sauces and other products Opponents say the duty will make fresh tomatoes more expensive for U.S a San Antonio-based company that grows tomatoes in Mexico as well as the U.S. said it will be paying millions of dollars each month in duties if the decision isn't reversed "We will look for ways to adapt or streamline our operations we are always doing that so we run an efficient business already," said Skip Hulett We're determining what portion of the cost we could absorb but these added costs will most certainly need to be passed on to the consumer." a professor at the Morrison School of Agribusiness at Arizona State University retail prices for tomatoes to rise by around 10.5% if the duty goes through Mexico's government said last month it was convinced it could negotiate over the issue Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum has hinted her country may impose duties on chicken and pork legs imported from the U.S The tug-of-war over tomatoes has a long history shortly after the North American Free Trade Agreement went into effect Department of Commerce investigated allegations that Mexico was exporting tomatoes to the U.S government agreed to suspend the investigation if Mexico met certain rules including selling its tomatoes at a minimum price the agreement has been subject to periodic reviews but the two sides always reached an agreement that avoided duties the Commerce Department announced its withdrawal from the latest agreement saying it had been "flooded with comments" from U.S tomato growers who want better protection from Mexican imports said even though Mexican exporters are required to charge a minimum price industry because it costs 40% to 50% less to grow tomatoes there labor is cheaper and inputs like seeds and fertilizer cost less industry typically relies on immigrant workers through the H-2A visa program That program required farmers to pay workers an average of $16.98 per hour last year an amount that has jumped as labor has become harder to find Richards estimates that workers on Mexican tomato farms earn about one-tenth that rate NatureSweet acknowledges that it's more cost-effective to grow tomatoes in Mexico but says climate is one of the biggest reasons The company's Mexican greenhouses don't need lighting heating or cooling systems because of the year-round weather conditions but you can't relocate climate agriculture," Hulett said the president of the Fresh Produce Association of the Americas which represents importers of Mexican tomatoes said Florida doesn't produce the vine-ripened tomatoes that U.S Florida tomatoes are picked when they're green and shipped to warehouses to ripen "Florida doesn't grow the kinds of specialty tomatoes that have taken off but they want to get protection," Jungmeyer said "Their market share is dropping for reasons of their own choice." "If you put a Florida tomato up against a Mexican tomato I think it would do very well in taste test," he said an upscale Mexican restaurant in Fort Worth He compares it to fine wine; if he wants a good cabernet sauvignon If he wants a good tomato that reminds him of his childhood "We know the flavors they are going to bring to the salsas and moles We don't want to compromise flavors," Burciaga said Burciaga said his restaurant uses 300 to 400 pounds of Roma tomatoes from Mexico every week He currently pays $19 for a 25-pound crate of tomatoes He doesn't relish paying the additional cost Burciaga said the tomato duty — and the threat of Trump implementing the paused 25% tariff on many other products from Mexico — are making it difficult to run his business A small or medium restaurant budgets things out We know in advance that in six months things will increase "But we don't know these things in advance AP Reporter Maria Verza in Mexico City contributed Sioux City Symphony Orchestra music director Ryan Haskins developed the "Composer in the Classroom" for the Sioux City Community School District philanthropist and University of South Dakota alumnus Gary Ellis will deliver the commencement address at USD’s 138th Commencement Ceremonies Saturday May 10 in the Sanford Coyote Sports Center and graduated USD with a bachelor's degree in accounting in 1978 He began his career as a certified public accountant with Price Waterhouse in Minneapolis Ellis left the firm in 1989 to join Medtronic Ellis began his three-decade career with Medtronic in the Corporate Controller’s office and continued in various finance leadership roles in the U.S and Europe before becoming chief financial officer (CFO) and senior vice president in 2005 His current and former corporate board positions include the Toro Company His nonprofit board work includes the American Heart Association – serving as national chairman from 2007-2008 He served six years on the USD Alumni Association & Foundation board He continues to be active and support Coyote activities and students The fund is intended to help "bridge gaps in students’ financial aid needs making higher education more accessible," USD said in its announcement a finance and analytics lab that that utilizes Bloomberg Terminals providing business students with hands-on experience They have two children and six grandchildren talks about why she enrolled in a football officiating class offered at the University of South Dakota SIOUX CITY -- The city of South Sioux City has announced a planned outage of its payment processing system Tuesday The  city will be conducting scheduled maintenance on its system beginning at 8 a.m both online and in-person payments will be temporarily unavailable "This planned outage is necessary to perform system upgrades that will enhance the reliability and performance of the city's payment services The maintenance window is expected to last several hours," the city said in a statement issued Monday "The city will notify the public once the payment system is fully operational." Residents and businesses with urgent payment needs or questions are encouraged to contact City Hall at 402-494-7500 The Journal’s Jared McNett shows how to download and browse the new Sioux City Journal app SIOUX CITY -- Two people were hospitalized with serious injuries late Sunday after the motorcycle on which they were riding struck an SUV on U.S when Sioux City police officers and rescue personnel responded to the crash scene in the eastbound lanes of U.S 20 between Interstate 29 and the South Lakeport Road exit Both motorcycle operators were transported to MercyOne Siouxland Medical Center with life-threatening injuries The police department has not released the names of the people injured talks about the fire service's year over year increase in calls for service an… Cotton was the driver of an Oldsmobile Alero that rolled over Feb on southbound Interstate 29 near mile marker 132 and came to rest… Firefighters responding to the fire found burnt fabric soaked in a liquid accelerant inside the oven in the kitchen was sentenced in Woodbury County District Court to a maximum of 55 years in prison for two counts of vehicular homicide and one cou… People hold up signs protesting carbon capture pipelines at the Republican Party of Iowa state convention on Saturday A sign opposing a CO2 pipeline is seen in a farm field near the intersection of Ivanhoe Rd DES MOINES — State policy regarding private property rights and hazardous liquid pipelines has created legislative drama between some Iowa Republican state lawmakers and their party's leaders That drama has increased exponentially as legislators have neared the end of their work for the year In the past seven days in which the Iowa Senate has met eight Republican senators have taken the floor to call on their party's leaders to allow for a debate and vote on legislation that would address property rights eminent domain and carbon capture pipelines a dozen Republican senators signed a letter that said they will not vote to approve any budget bills until House-approved property rights legislation is called up for debate and a vote The growing and increasingly public pressure from within the majority party in one chamber of the Iowa Legislature and toward its leaders is an uncommon sight at the Iowa Capitol "We believe addressing eminent domain is more important than the budget or any other priority for the 2025 session and pledge to vote against any remaining budget bill until a floor vote occurs on the clean (House-passed) bill," the letter reads Senate Republicans — of which there are 34 in the chamber — would not have enough votes on their own to pass a budget bill often disagree with and thus vote against budget bills drafted by the majority party Meaning the property rights and pipelines debate could delay lawmakers' ability to set state spending levels for the budget year that begins July 1 and the Iowa Legislature's ability to finish its work for the 2025 session Lawmakers already — on Friday — surpassed the 110-day mark the day when legislators' per diem payments run out The expiration is designed to motivate lawmakers to conclude their work on or around the date Legislative leaders in the Republican-led Iowa House and Senate — primarily but not exclusively House Speaker Pat Grassley of New Hartford and Senate Majority Leader Jack Whitver of Grimes — will spend the coming days and weeks negotiating various budget and policy items The massive carbon capture pipeline in the Midwest has been thrown into uncertainty after South Dakota’s Public Utility Commission denied its route permit application The commission voted 2-1 Tuesday to deny the application by Iowa-based Summit Carbon Solutions with Commissioner Kristie Fiegen saying it was “incomplete” and lacked “the form and content required.” Summit Carbon Solutions is requested an extension for its permit application timeline in South Dakota The company says it can make the current route work by eliminating branches of the route that face significant landowner opposition Whitver also must contend with the division within the ranks of Senate Republicans over property rights and pipeline projects The letter was signed by Republican Iowa Sens Taylor and Westrich — have spoken on the Iowa Senate floor in support of property rights and called for a debate and vote on the House-passed bills R-Spillville) know where you stand on this," Evans said on the Senate floor on April 22 His was the first of many floor remarks by Senate Republicans on the topic over the next week-plus Let's vote on it and let's protect the rights of property owners in our state,'" Evans said The issue of property rights and eminent domain has percolated in the Iowa Legislature for the past four years ever since three carbon capture pipeline projects were proposed to cross the state Summit Carbon Solutions has proposed a 2,500-mile CO2 pipeline through five states to capture the greenhouse gas from ethanol plants and bury it in North Dakota Defenders of carbon capture pipeline projects say they will boost Iowa's ethanol industry and reduce carbon dioxide emissions said 75 percent of Iowa landowners on the project's proposed route had signed voluntary easements and that the company was working to increase that number A Summit spokeswoman said the company has invested four years and nearly $175 million into negotiating voluntary easement agreements in Iowa signing agreements with more than 1,300 landowners "We are committed to building this project and remain focused on working with legislators — including those with concerns," Summit spokeswoman Sabrina Ahmed Zenor said The Iowa Utilities Commission last year approved Summit's pipeline permit request in Iowa It said construction could not start in Iowa until Summit received approval from the Dakotas While North Dakota has approved the project South Dakota has not — and in March adopted a law outlawing the use of eminent domain for CO2 pipelines in that state Republican lawmakers in the Iowa House have approved a series of bills over the past four years related to property rights The bills have ranged from placing limits on eminent domain usage to bills designed to effectively kill the proposed pipeline projects But the Republican-led Iowa Senate has not "It is way past time that this chamber finally does address this issue," Alons said on the Senate floor Tuesday "I do commit to not voting for a budget and I think it's important we have this debate." The company behind a massive proposed carbon pipeline in the Midwestern U.S filed hundreds of lawsuits against landowners in recent years An analysis by Lee Enterprises and The Associated Press found that the company brought 156 eminent domain lawsuits in South Dakota The legal salvo generated so much outrage among local farmers that South Dakota’s governor signed a bill into law last month that bans the use of eminent domain for building carbon dioxide pipelines A Summit spokesperson says the company’s priority is voluntary agreements and that the vast majority of easements for the project "have been and continue to be” secured voluntarily There are two House-approved bills in play this year: House File 943 would ban the use of eminent domain for hazardous liquid pipelines while House File 639 contains multiple provisions including insurance requirements for pipeline projects public meeting attendance requirements for state regulator meetings restricting when and how pipeline companies and sue landowners and prohibiting the renewal of a pipeline project's permit after 25 years bipartisan support: House File 943 was approved on an 85-12 vote and House File 639 on an 85-10 vote Senate Republicans did advance House File 639 through the chamber's Commerce Committee significantly amended the bill in ways that prominent property rights activist Jess Mazour said "doesn't address property rights." Bousselot is a previous head of external relations for Summit Agricultural Group That is why some of those Republican senators speaking out have called for a debate on a "clean" version of House File 639 meaning the version of the legislation as it passed the House The letter signed by the dozen Republican senators also calls for a voted on the "clean" version of House File 639 have a voice in this issue," Alons said on the Senate floor Whitver issued a statement this week saying Republican senators still are working on property rights and pipeline issue as the session nears its end "A number of Republican Senators are working on policy surrounding eminent domain and pipeline issues and I am optimistic we will find a legislative solution," Whitver said in the statement many Republican senators have described the issue as a matter of constitutionality They say hazardous liquid pipelines do not meet the definition of a public use project and thus should not be allowed under the U.S and Iowa constitutions to use eminent domain — the process of the government acquiring private land for use in an infrastructure project — and that because of that they believe state regulators' decision to approve Summit Carbon Solution's permit request was erroneous "The utilities board made the wrong decision when they granted that permit to Summit and I think it's up to the State of Iowa to try to correct that mistake," Taylor said this week on the Senate floor "And if we're able to do that by voting on those House bills Campbell said he campaigned on the issue of property rights and eminent domain Campbell ran in the 2024 Republican primary election against former Republican Sen Brown had been seen as one of the Republican senators opposed to eminent domain legislation Brown narrowly defeated Campbell in that 2024 primary election then resigned weeks later to take a job in the private sector Campbell earned the party's nomination for the general election and in November was elected to the Senate "I ran on this issue," Campbell said this week "This is what (the people in Campbell's district) want government exists to protect the individual rights of citizens not to surrender (those rights) to the private corporations under the guise of economic development Yet over the past few years Iowa officials have repeatedly failed to defend the property rights of everyday Iowans We are witnessing the dangerous misuse of public power for private gain." Butler County landowner Kim Junker speaks about carbon capture pipelines during a rally in 2023 Five Senate Democrats also have spoken on the floor in support of debating and voting the House-passed property rights bills has on multiple occasions challenged Senate Republicans and their leaders Senate Democrats attempted to change the chamber's rules to allow for floor debate and a vote on property rights legislation While the Senate considered a batch of rules that govern the chamber's legislative procedures Democrats proposed an amendment that would allow for discharge petitions in which a majority of legislators could require a bill to be brought up for debate and a vote Discharge petitions are designed to give legislators a tool to force a vote on bills that legislative leaders have declined to advance with a majority of Republicans voting it down De Witt and Salmon voted with Democrats in support of the attempt "Who is going to stand up over there and move this bill to the floor," Bisignano asked Senate Republicans during his remarks from the Senate floor this week Stand up for the Iowans (advocates) who have been here for four years Mazour and her group of landowner activists have been at the Capitol throughout the 2025 session to lobby lawmakers there are 28 Iowa senators — those 12 Republicans and all 16 Democrats — who support the House-passed bills Mazour said she is pleased to see the momentum growing among Senate Republicans but that she and her fellow activists want to see a bill passed and sent to Gov Reynolds has not taken a public stance on eminent domain legislation "I am thrilled that we're finally important enough to them to be talked about on the (Senate) floor but then I'm so frustrated because actions speak louder than words then you haven't actually done anything for us," Mazour said this week "So we want champions that … practice what they preach." The Iowa Legislature returns to work Monday but most lawmakers are not expected at the Capitol while leaders negotiate the final deals of the 2025 session Stay up-to-date on the latest in local and national government and political topics with our newsletter family is seeking answers as to why their 9-year-old boy with autism was not being "properly supervised" Monday at school w… Lynn Evans and Dave Rowley are a part of a group of state legislators pled… Impacts of the Trump administration’s Department of Government Efficiency-driven staff layoffs and grant cuts at federal institutions that sup… Kim Reynolds this week signed a slate of bills into law Among them is legislation designed to make it easier for health care provid… Secretary of Homeland Security Kristi Noem speaks during a cabinet meeting at the White House (AP) — Dakota State University hasn't experienced the student protests taking place at other U.S most of the nearly 4,000 students have been focused on their studies or job hunts The university administration decided to award an honorary doctorate to Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem and invited her to give a commencement speech May 10 students have planned a rally on graduation day opposing the former South Dakota governor and the Trump administration and expect protestors from across southeast South Dakota to join them They want to speak out against the federal government’s immigration policies which are being implemented with Noem's oversight on behalf of peers who fear for their legal status They also are expected to protest Noem's anti-LGBT actions during her time as governor Some students and faculty also said they thought the honorary degree was too high an honor to bestow upon her many are unsure if they should join the objections or stay quiet to avoid the kind of punishments suffered by students at more outspoken colleges “The atmosphere is tense,” humanities instructor Daniel Spencer said “Students are afraid of making their voices heard.” Students studying in its renowned cybersecurity program have traditionally been hesitant to take political stances because they fear potential blowback when they later seek government and private sector jobs a small town about an hour’s drive northwest of Sioux Falls “Many of our students are from rural South Dakota and there's a bit of an unwillingness to confront authority,” Professor Emeritus Dale Droge said “We don't have very many students in the political sciences or history where they might be thinking about these more civil rights kind of actions.” Hundreds of international students who attend DSU and haven't yet been affected by recent DHS actions are weighing their participation options. The agency had terminated the legal status of more than 1,000 international students before reversing course and outlining a new policy for those terminations “I have international students coming to me from outside of the senate who expressed to me that they don’t want to get involved in any of this because they have fears of getting their visas revoked,” said Anden Wieseler a DSU junior and student senate vice president DSU selected Noem because she was an “unwavering champion of Dakota State” during her time as governor university spokesperson Andrew Sogn said in a written statement to The Associated Press Noem supported the university's cybersecurity initiatives and helped secure millions of dollars in funding cementing the school's standing as a national cybersecurity leader “She was asked to share remarks with DSU’s graduates based on her distinguished and ground-breaking career in public service and her many efforts to support the citizens of the state of South Dakota and the nation,” Sogn said Noem's office did not respond to a request for comment DSU President José-Marie Griffiths nominated Noem to receive an honorary doctorate though the university declined to provide details of the offer The general faculty and student senate voted against the nomination with only one of the 15 student senators voting in favor of the nomination “There is a fear among a lot of the international student body on speaking on this matter just a result of the current political climate,” said Tyler Sprik “That's part of the reason me and several other senators have become so involved — it's because a lot of our colleagues can't." Faculty members also are apprehensive to share their opinions publicly. Some said the administration discouraged them from speaking to media and joining student rallies. Some cited President Donald Trump's heightened scrutiny on higher education as reason for caution Other students said they feared reprisal from the administration and spoke to the AP on condition of anonymity because they didn’t want to jeopardize their jobs While faculty members are welcome to speak with the media DSU faculty are afforded fewer protections than in other states due to a 2020 state law outlawing faculty unions at public colleges Droge is troubled by the reluctance to speak out “It is very concerning to me that we’ve reached a point in not just Dakota State but in so many institutions that people are afraid to speak freely even on issues like this of free speech and principles and ethics,” Droge said “These things aren’t against the university in any way but it’s about allowing people to speak their minds freely.” Some faculty members also said having a high-profile figure at commencement may take attention away from the graduates “The biggest chatter I've heard from students and other faculty is first and foremost concern that there will be a disruption to the commencement which we all feel is so important to the students that are there,” said Stephen Krebsbach Give commencement back to the graduates and listen to us,” Sprik said rewritten or redistributed without permission THE MINI: Did you go to the recent Sioux City Library book sale As I looked over the thousands and thousands of unwanted books I pondered their value and realized that a book's value is not the physical book Opinions expressed in the Mini Editorial are those of the writer and do not necessarily reflect the views of The Journal Between 200 and 300 people attended a Saturday afternoon protest in downtown Sioux City on the corner of 4th Street and Nebraska Street Protesters were seen chanting and waving signs at passing cars The current administration is a "Clear and Present Danger." Blubbering sycophants included LETTER: It is outrageous what is going on in our beautiful free country LETTER: “If today the Executive claims the right to deport without due process and in disregard of court orders LETTER: Trump has said Americans will experience some pain I believe he should have said Americans wil… THE MINI: Kristi Noem had her purse stolen Forget the question of how the person who is responsible for safeguarding America's homeland can h… tensions at church and cheating at her workplace Am I doomed to always hear her never-ending problems She creates them herself by jumping to conclusions and suspecting everyone has ill intentions While I understand this is to protect herself it's exhausting to listen to and to advise when I know nothing will change The worst part is that I can't confide in her She talks to no one else like this and refuses to go to therapy I'm a senior in high school and plan to go to college DEAR CAPTIVE CONFIDANT: The best chance you have of helping your emotionally dependent mother would be to start by helping YOURSELF Begin making plans about where you will go to college creating plenty of physical space between you and Mom tell her you don't have time to listen and that she should discuss it with a contemporary who has more life experience than you (It's the truth.) She won't like hearing it and may try to make you feel guilty Keep repeating to your mother that her problems are more than you can handle and that talking to you about them hasn't helped her which is why you want her to talk with a licensed mental health professional DEAR ABBY: I have a disagreement with my fiancee "Fran" has been a widow for nearly six years I have been divorced for 34 years from a woman who gave me two sons Our disagreement is about two portraits of her late husband she has hanging in her home in plain sight for everyone who comes into the house to see I put my wedding photos with my ex-wife on display she hit the roof and demanded that I take them down since she refuses to give her son and daughter her portraits gone and not a threat to your relationship with her Retaliating by hanging pictures from a marriage that didn't make it to the finish line 34 years ago was petty If gazing at those wedding photos actually brings you joy She isn't seeing another man or hanging o… even though he has much more money than I'll ever have he often asks me to send him money mostly to play games whil… said his office will host two in-person passport fairs in Sioux City and Council Bluffs Sioux City's passport fair will be held from 9 a.m The passport fair in Council Bluffs will be held from 9 a.m May 13 at the Council Bluffs Chamber of Commerce office Iowans interested in attending must register beforehand by either emailing Feenstra's office at IA04passports@mail.house.gov or calling 202-225-4426 Constituents who wish to get a new passport or renew an existing passport must come with a completed application a State Department approved 2”x 2” printed passport photo Read through the obituaries published today in Sioux City Journal Not many animals have shown an ability to identify and move to a beat -- with humans parrots and some primates being notable exceptions a bright-eyed sea lion that’s caused scientists to rethink the meaning of music Ronan the sea lion can still keep a beat after all these years But the 15-year-old California sea lion's talent shines most in bobbing to disco hits like “Boogie Wonderland.” California sea lion Ronan in 2023 in Santa Cruz “She just nails that one,” swaying her head in time to the tempo changes a behavioral neuroscientist at New College of Florida who has spent a decade studying Ronan’s rhythmic abilities Not many animals show a clear ability to identify and move to a beat aside from humans a bright-eyed sea lion that has scientists rethinking the meaning of music she burst to fame around a decade ago after scientists reported her musical skills she has been a resident at the University of California where researchers including Cook have tested and honed her ability to recognize rhythms Ronan joined a select group of animal movers and shakers — which also includes Snowball the famed dancing cockatoo — that together upended the long-held idea that the ability to respond to music and recognize a beat was distinctly human What is particularly notable about Ronan is that she can learn to dance to a beat without learning to sing or talk musically “Scientists once believed that only animals who were vocal learners — like humans and parrots — could learn to find a beat,” said Hugo Merchant a researcher at Mexico’s Institute of Neurobiology who was not involved in the Ronan research But in the years since since Ronan came into the spotlight questions emerged about whether she still had it Was Ronan better than people at keeping a beat published Thursday in the journal Scientific Reports This time the researchers focused not on studio music but on percussion beats in a laboratory They filmed Ronan bobbing her head as the drummer played three tempos: 112 Two of those beats Ronan had never been exposed to allowing scientists to test her flexibility in recognizing new rhythms And the researchers asked 10 college students to do the same “No human was better than Ronan at all the different ways we test quality of beat-keeping,” said Cook adding that "she's much better than when she was a kid,” indicating lifetime learning The new study confirms Ronan's place as one of the “top ambassadors” of animal musicality said University of Amsterdam music cognition researcher Henkjan Honing Researchers plan to train and test other sea lions Cook suspects other sea lions can also bob to a beat — but that Ronan will still stand out as a star performer Two-month-old baby hippo Moo Deng and her mother Jona are seen at the Khao Kheow Open Zoo in Chonburi province A crow and a seagull fight for a prey in Tallinn Bay A Stag in rut bellows in early morning mist Bushy Park southwest London Deer cross a road in the woods of the Taurus region near Frankfurt A deer walks on a road in the woods of the Taurus region near Frankfurt A raptor after killing a pigeon in a garden in Frankfurt A one horned rhinoceros and its calf graze in Pobitora wildlife sanctuary on the outskirts of Guwahati A spider waits for his prey at the center of its net covered by water droplets in the forest outside Tallinn Giraffes roam their enclosure at the Living Desert Zoo and Gardens in Palm Desert at the Khao Kheow Open Zoo in Chonburi province A fawn and its mother stand together in a forest of the Taunus region in Frankfurt A swan family watches Sunday walkers at Lake Baldeney in Essen A beetle basks in the sun on a city meadow in Tallinn Butterflies feed on flowers nectar in a forest outside Tallinn A bee and a sunflower are silhouetted against the setting sun in a field Saturday draws thousands of visitors during the weeklong late summer blossoming of the flowers Panda Yuanyuan eats her birthday cake for her 20 years old at the Taipei Zoo in Taipei Yuanyuan was a gift from China to mark warming ties with Taiwan in 2008 A sea lion is covered in sand on San Carlos beach in Monterey A bee flies to a sunflower on a field in the outskirts of Frankfurt Flamingos in their enclosure at the Tierpark zoo in Berlin A snail looks up as it carries its house on the back at a terrace in Gelsenkirchen during a name giving event at the Tierpark zoo in Berlin Two storks stand in their nest in Wehrheim near Frankfurt A flock of birds fly past turbines at a wind farm Icelandic horses play at a stud farm in Wehrheim near Frankfurt and mother "Indi" play in an area visible to zoo visitors for the first time Geese stand on an outdoor table in a flooded neighbourhood in Ostrava A fourteen-pointer rests in the forest as rutting time begins in the Taunus region in Frankfurt West of Rafah border crossing between Egypt and the Gaza Strip in Al Arish it's no secret that coffee is the drink of choice for many starting their day From the importance of sourcing high quality green beans We take an inside look into the coffee roasting process Reneé Colón stands on a stepladder in the rented corner of a warehouse pouring Brazilian coffee beans into her groaning old roasting machine The beans are precious because they survived severe drought in a year when environmental conditions depressed coffee production globally doubling the price of raw beans in just months coffee is going to become more scarce," said Colón founder and roaster at Fuego Coffee Roasters "Seeing that dramatic loss of the Brazilian crop is a perfect example." Losses from heat and drought have cut production forecasts in Brazil and Vietnam Global production is still expected to increase but not as much as commodity market investors had expected largely because of continued high demand in Europe Prices peaked in February but have remained high forcing roasters like Colón to weigh how much of that cost to absorb and how much to pass on to consumers The beans Colón was roasting cost her $5.50 per pound in early March more than double what they cost in September Specialty coffees — grown in delicate climates to slow growth and add flavor — can cost even more President Donald Trump's current 10% tariffs cover most coffee-producing countries and are expected to drive up costs for Americans Amid his chaotic tariff pronouncements — at one point he threatened 46% tariffs on Vietnam imports and 32% on Indonesia imports before pausing them — American coffee roasters are rethinking their supply chains "With all these changes in coffee maybe we should open our own damn farm," Colón muses Coffee beans fall into the cooling tray of a roasting machine at Fuego Coffee Roasters' roasting facility The world's best coffee thrives near the equator where slow growing allows beans to gather flavor either — labor costs are too high and she worries about the increasing risk of crop-damaging hurricanes She shrugs off buying coffee from Hawaii and California global coffee green exports were down 14.2% from a year earlier according to the International Coffee Organization's market report The shortage led to the highest price ever for raw coffee in February breaking the record set in 1977 when severe frost wiped out 70% of Brazil's coffee plants Climate isn't the only thing driving up prices a buyer for San Francisco-based Ritual Coffee Roasters She described being in Mexico in April seeking to finalize contracts between Trump's fits and starts on tariffs It reminded her of being in Colombia a month earlier as Trump threatened and then backed away from tariffs that would have affected coffee prices because at the end of the day it didn't exist," Whalen said Some of the recent rise in coffee prices may be from importers buying extra in anticipation of the tariffs Colón believes prices will go still higher as import taxes begin being paid And with consumer confidence hitting a 12-year low Colón could see a decrease in demand for her premium coffee "It is tough on our end because it drives the price up tough on the consumer end because they have to pay more and tough on the farmers' end because they may be experiencing really significant losses," Colón said make coffee at Fuego Coffee Roasters in Rochester she and her husband took out a $50,000 loan to buy a custom coffee roaster from Turkey that will triple capacity They're trying to increase sales by adding new wholesale clients like coffee shops and selling directly to homes via a beans-of-the-month-style subscription service The Colóns have raised the wholesale price on a pound of roasted beans by 25 cents They're considering doing the same for pour-overs and espresso drinks at their two retail locations one couple said they don't look at the coffee's price on the receipt "We know we could go find coffee cheaper somewhere else," said Rob Newell as he held a cooing infant daughter alongside his wife "Maybe it's just because we're new parents cabin fever staying in the house all day." The warehouse where she roasts has some extra space so she's weighing stacking up more bags of raw beans there to save as much as $500 on monthly storage costs in port cities She's tried to cultivate relationships with farmers to minimize price spikes and control bean quality She described working with a farmer in Colombia as coffee prices were spiking in February to lock in a one-year contract that avoided the worst of the increase she's had to get used to the complexity of tariffs she turned down a pitch from a Montreal coffee importer who suggested the U.S dollar's strength in Canada would allow her to save money by importing through their warehouse She feared that tariffs on Canada could increase prices the coffee would have to cross an extra border And the value of the dollar has been up and down "I want things to be less complicated instead of more," she said The Associated Press' climate and environmental coverage receives financial support from multiple private foundations. AP is solely responsible for all content. Find AP's standards for working with philanthropies, a list of supporters and funded coverage areas at AP.org a nurse at MercyOne Siouxland Medical Center is shown at a telehealth station at the Sioux City hospital Employment: I have been a nurse for going on 17 years I worked as a unit nurse/charge nurse on that unit Trisha Beaulieu works as part of MercyOne's telehealth team I became a nurse because I knew it is a profession that was versatile and that will always be around I knew there would be opportunities if I needed to go anywhere I do enjoy caring for people and there are not many things that faze me when it comes to caring for patients Obviously watching patients recover and progress; patients and families who are truly grateful for the care that we provide And also watching and being a part of your coworkers growing and learning I think nurses and bedside staff in general are truly the heart of healthcare We’re with people day and day out through major and minor life events comfort and assistance with things that many people take for granted Now is the most challenging time in the profession Patients in general tend to be so much more complicated and acutely ill I mean the things we need to do our job but also the people we need to do the job Nursing is a very hard profession to work in Just because I’m a nurse (doesn't mean) I know the answer to all of your medical questions please don’t ask me to look at something and tell you what I think or tell me all your symptoms and want me to diagnose you Because there’s a shortage and we really need the help If you find one area you’re not happy with there are plenty of other areas that you can try until you find the right fit there’s not always an answer for what is going on with you If you’re not going be an equal participant in your recovery and healthcare your outcomes probably aren’t going be what you want I spent 2 1/2 years in college right after high school not knowing what I wanted to do with myself and then I made the decision to pursue nursing I put in the effort to gain the knowledge and skills I credit my coworkers as well as they’ve helped me grow and learn as a nurse There’s no such thing as a typical day in a hospital setting Or does working in healthcare change the way you view the profession I haven’t been in the position of being a patient with the exception of having babies In most situations specifically when I’ve had a family member hospitalized I prefer it not being known that I’m a nurse because there are many things that I don’t know and I don’t want it to be assumed that because I am a nurse I do know things 2025 'Nurses -- the heart of health care' nominee: Yudy Cruz SIOUX CITY — A new $2.1 million apartment complex could be coming to Sioux City's north side City staff is currently working with Apache View Townhomes LLC to construct a new apartment complex at 3540 Indian Hills Drive The developer proposes constructing 12 two-bedroom apartments which would each be roughly 850 square feet The Sioux City Council will be asked Monday to approve a resolution setting a public hearing on proposed amendment No 1 to the Amended and Restated Teton Urban Renewal Plan for the Teton Urban Renewal Project Area where the apartment complex would be located "To help keep rents at an affordable level for tenants has requested city assistance in the form of property tax rebates," city documents stated "Staff is working on a Development Agreement that provide 60% property tax rebates on the new incremental taxes created by the value added to the property for a period of ten years," city documents stated In order for the city to provide financial assistance for the project the urban renewal plan needs to be amended building would celebrate the history of music on West Seventh Street The council will be asked to approve a resolution directing the city manager to execute a $40,000 reimbursement agreement with 712 Market Street LLC so that a mural can be installed at 712 Market St The mural would be visible to traffic on Wesley Parkway and celebrate the history of music on West Seventh Street the city applied for a Gilchrist Foundation grant for the West Seventh St Wells has exhibited work nationally and internationally Her works are held in both public and private collections globally which will be completely covered by the grant The mural would "create a destination for visitors and instill community pride in residents," the documents stated Sioux City historian Jim Tillman talks about the 711 club a venue at 711 West 7th Street that was owned by musician Clarence Kenner and that became Sioux City's epicenter of jazz in the early 1960s A request to approve three resolutions that would reverse a series of diversity The changes are necessary in order for the city to maintain federal funding for local infrastructure projects Failure of the city to become compliant could result in the loss of millions of dollars of federal funding In a April 24 letter to the city and other recipients of U.S Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy warned they risked losing funding if they continue DEI policies fail to cooperate with federal immigration enforcement actions or defy other directives from the Trump administration "Federal grants come with a clear obligation to adhere to federal laws," Duffy said in a news release "It shouldn't be controversial – enforce our immigration rules These values reflect the priorities of the American people and I will take action to ensure compliance." One of the resolutions would reclassify the diversity and inclusion coordinator position in the Human Resources Department to a human resources specialist position The pay grade for the coordinator is $63,589 to $92,864.47 and the specialist $67,405.05 to $98,436.59 "There will be an immediate financial impact of $1,588.40 to place the incumbent on a step within the Human Resources pay scale Future salary impacts at the maximum rate of the Human Resources pay scale will be $6,908.67," the documents stated The other resolutions would dissolve the Inclusive Sioux City Advisory Committee and rescind a resolution that adopted an inclusive language notice for the city The notice was included on forms of communications from the city the council approved a resolution to create the diversity and inclusion coordinator position which replaced the previous community inclusion liaison position The city hired Nancy Li as the coordinator Mayor Bob Scott was the lone council member to vote against the creation of the diversity and inclusion coordinator position Before the council voted to add the position Scott told his colleagues: "I'm just not comfortable especially in this age where you have to be even careful doing this type of stuff This position is going to have a real significant impact on our operations." The city created the diversity and inclusion coordinator position following the May 28 2024 firing of the city's first and only community inclusion liaison had been on administrative leave since Feb She was ultimately fired for violating general standards of conduct according to documents obtained by The Journal Ghebrekidan reported to then-city manager Bob Padmore The new diversity and inclusion coordinator was assigned to the Human Resources Department the coordinator continues to work with the City Manager's Office on diversity programming and also staffs the inclusion committee the council approved a resolution to establish the Inclusive Sioux City Advisory Committee which provides guidance on matters relating to diversity The committee's goal is to represent the interests of and enhance the quality of life for all who live in the city A Douglas Street building that used to share a wall with the now demolished old Sioux City Auditorium doesn't have any major structural issues… is coming into compliance with what they're requiring," Mayor Bob Scott said of the U.S The Woodbury County Board of Supervisors approved a 2 percent increase for elected officials for the next fiscal year Sioux City Parks and Recreation Director Matt Salvatore said the proposed rates are up 10% on average we hit the 110-day mark of the legislative session and potential job cuts at the Rock Island Arsenal On Iowa Politics is a weekly news and analysis podcast that aims to recreate the kinds of conversations that happen when you get political reporters from across Iowa together after the day’s deadlines have been met Tackling anything from local to state to national On Iowa Politics is your weekly dose of analysis and insight into the issues affecting Iowa This episode was hosted by the Gazette Des Moines Bureau Chief Erin Murphy It features Lee Des Moines Bureau Chief Maya Marchel Hoff Jared McNett of the Sioux City Journal and Sarah Watson of the Quad City Times This episode was produced by Gazette Social Video Producer Bailey Cichon It is outrageous what is going on in our beautiful free country "Due Process" the best two words in our constitution It is sad that the seating President Trump has hijacked these words It is sad that our Republican-led Congress has remained silent I am not a lawyer BUT I have done ample reading on the Constitution It is sad that the FBI arrested Wisconsin Judge Dugan and accused her of obstructing immigration officials Kash Patel should be arrested and or sent to law school because Mr If Kash Patel thinks Judge Dugan's opinion was wrong I want to enjoy the beauty of our Mother Earth and to live in peace 2026 in voting all the Republicans out of office Our Voice is more powerful than terrified lawmakers "Let the Judicial system follow the Constitution." -- Maria Rundquist Immigration attorney Heidi Oligmueller talks about the impact of removing Siouxland's immigrant community The end of the Iowa Legislative session is a lot like the start of highway construction season – a lot of things get torn up before anything appears to get better legislators put off their budget obligations in order to handle a bunch of silly bills that shouldn’t have been considered in the first place Those time-wasters put off the inevitable and start the conversation about extending the session Iowa Senate Majority Leader Jack Whitver addresses lawmakers on the first day of the 2025 session on Jan Whether this is a way for them to stay in Des Moines a little longer is up for you to decide but it clearly points up the need to work on the budget much sooner than they do Those bills designed to legislate behavior ban books and deny rights should appear only after the budget has been settled the Legislature has toyed with students passing a civics test as a condition of high school graduation the proper placement of vehicle license stickers and open cans of beverages with THC Lawmakers also leaned heavily on what Iowa schools should – and shouldn’t – do with everything from athletic participation to school lunch they certainly should be able to balance the checkbook many of those making these decisions campaigned on the very idea that taxes needed to be lowered but neither made it to either chamber’s floor for a vote which includes a $50,000 property tax exemption for every household elimination of the state’s “rollback” for residential and commercial properties a 2 percent cap on most revenue grown and a shift of approximately $426 million in funding for K-12 schools from local property taxes to the state Friday was 110th day of the 2025 session – the last day lawmakers could receive a stipend for housing and meals It’s time to go to work and get Job One done A new $2.1 million apartment complex could be coming to Sioux City's north side The council will be asked to approve a resolution directing t… A recent state law that would have banned the sale of most vaping products in Iowa has been blocked by a federal judge Weird History Food is giving you a pick-me-up with the History of Starbucks Coffee and Zev Siegl sought to open up a coffee store They knew they wanted it to reflect both the culture of the Northwest and the seafaring coffee traders who first brought … There's a new pour from Starbucks: Its first 3D printed store in the U.S The Seattle-based coffee giant with more than 17,000 locations nationwide has never had a store quite like the one opening this week in the Texas city of Brownsville where a computer-controlled robotic arm did much of the work by pouring one layer of concrete atop another A passerby looks at a 3D-printed Starbucks building Monday in Brownsville The location — which is drive-thru only — is set to open Friday and makes Starbucks one of the nation's few big retailers that tinkered with 3D printing for commercial construction. Builders mostly used the technology in residential construction as they look to innovate to tackle an affordable housing crisis Starbucks didn't say whether more stores like it are on the horizon or why the company chose Brownsville which has about 190,000 residents and at least four other locations in the area the compact rectangular building with the Starbucks logo looks like any other but a close look reveals ridged walls that resemble stacked tubes An exterior view of a 3D-printed Starbucks in Brownsville Starbucks is updating its employee dress code requiring baristas to wear solid black shirts and khaki Construction experts say the store is an example of an industry figuring out ways to use the technology director of the Institute for Smart Structures at the University of Tennessee "I'm happy to see people doing all of these different things with it and I think at some point we'll figure out what its best use is But right now I think you're going to see lots of experimentation The shop is on a busy thoroughfare where Faviola Maldonado was among those who watched the construction gradually take shape who operated a jewelry store next door before recently moving Starbucks confirmed this is its first 3D printed store in the U.S A construction worker adjusts a speaker Monday at a 3D-printed Starbucks in Brownsville associate director of research and innovation at the Myers-Lawson School of Construction at Virginia Tech construction using 3D technology still costs more than traditional wood framing it helps address a labor shortage and can be a way to get something built faster He expects it eventually will become more cost competitive "You are starting to see the technology is getting faster Functional mushrooms are having a moment. Varieties like Lion’s Mane, Chaga, and Reishi are packed with vitamins and boast benefits like improving cognitive function, supporting brain health, boosting your immune system, and preventing cell damage. Beyond Brew’s antioxidant-rich coffee alternative contains a blend of six powerful mushrooms If you also use coffee to get your digestive system moving in the morning some mushroom coffee alternatives also contain prebiotics and probiotics to support gut health just like you would your normal morning cup of joe Our weekly round-up of letters published in the Sioux City Journal Talk about Welfare Queens…Nebraska wears the crown Big Corp are grabbing tax cuts…laughing all the way to the bank Repubs “have controlled the Nebraska state government.” Fiscal conservatives “Every election cycle they’ve preached to cut property taxes.” promises are cheaper than the paper they are written on “property taxes are higher than ever.” Turns out like Kansas in the 2010s “due to huge income tax cuts for the wealthy.” Predictions “A huge economic boom that never materialized.” For Nebraska “a staggering $1.5 billion will be spent on corporate tax incentives.” In addition we learn that the Big Red train “is running a projected $289 million deficit.” Given that a couple Republicans and Democrats had doubts -- GOP Sens Curt Friesen and Paul Schumacher and Democratic Sen DeBoer stated: “We are giving an extraordinarily large tax cut to the wealthiest Nebraskans…and a much smaller cut to the middle class.” Nebraska’s high property taxes and budget deficit “is one of the most generous welfare programs in America.” Given that the legislature passed the Nebraska Advantage Act in 2005 and ImagiNE Nebraska Incentive Act in 2020 “Those programs have showered billions of dollars in taxpayer money that they will create jobs.” these are all the fault of Joe Biden and the Democrats If they had simply followed the law and defended our border against this migrant invasion The Democrats all claimed that nothing could be done about the border because the Republicans refused to pass new laws What has been proved is that we did not need new laws Illegal border incursions are down over 95% why would anyone ever trust the Democrats ever again Forget the question of how the person who is responsible for safeguarding America's homeland can have leave her purse unprotected Maybe it was a McCook Lake resident trying to some compensation for the homes she destroyed SIOUX CITY -- The 10-time Platinum-selling band MercyMe will be bringing their "MercyMe Live 2025" tour to the Tyson Events Center on Oct along with nine-time Grammy nominee Natalie Grant and newcomer Sam Wesley Billboard Music Award and Dove Award-winning band MercyMe were named Billboard’s Top Christian Artist of the 2010 decade and in 2020 received their eighth American Music Award nomination MercyMe have sold out venues throughout the United States and Canada including Radio City Music Hall and Red Rocks Amphitheatre Tickets will go on sale at 10 a.m. May 9 at TysonCenter.com or by visiting Tyson Events Center's Primebank Box Office personnel manager and librarian of the Sioux City Symphony talks about third-floor renovations that will provide a new home for the orchestra's music library Randy Feenstra (R-Hull) announced that his office will host two in-person passport fairs in Council Bluffs and Sioux City Iowans interested in attending must register beforehand by either emailing his office at IA04passports@mail.house.gov or calling his office at 202-225-4426 “I’m excited to announce that our office will hold two passport fairs in Council Bluffs and Sioux City These events are a great opportunity for Iowans to have their questions answered by professionals and submit applications to get a new passport or renew an existing passport,” said Rep “I encourage anyone who needs help with their passport to attend one of our passport fairs I urge Iowans who need assistance with federal agencies to contact our office online at Feenstra.House.Gov or by phone at 202-225-4426.” The passport fair in Council Bluffs will be held on Tuesday May 13th from 9 AM – 4 PM at the Council Bluffs Chamber of Commerce office The address is 149 West Broadway Council Bluffs The passport fair in Sioux City will be held on Wednesday May 14th from 9 AM – 4 PM at the Sioux City Public Library in the Gleeson Room The address is 529 Pierce Street Sioux City (Photo courtesy of Randy’s Roundup Newsletter) Randy Feenstra (R-Hull) announced that Ella Strudthoff – a The MOC-Floyd Valley Board of Education announced this morning that they have hired Mr The water main has been replaced from 5th St Iowa’s agricultural community saw a mix of modest gains and subtle shifts The Sioux Center Community Foundation has announced its 2025 Generations Grant recipients A $150,000 campaign aimed at discouraging Sioux Falls residents from giving money to panhandlers is now live the city's homelessness services coordinator said that in addition to a revamp of existing signs regarding panhandling social media ads and window clings with similar messages are now in place They feature a link to a city website encouraging people to instead donate to organizations equipped to provide food Treasure said the campaign is intended to "really challenge and engage our community" to be more creative in how they get involved with giving She cited "some pretty scary anecdotal stories" from panhandlers about what they did with money that was given to them saying they were generally pretty honest about where it was going — and that most of the time it was going toward alcohol Treasure praised the downtown Lewis Drug location saying they had evaluated some of the brands of vodka they sold and removed some from the shelves Treasure said it was important to note that the spirit of wanting to help someone is a good one just one that they're trying to direct somewhere else “We really don’t want to discourage people getting involved discourage someone from giving someone a coat “Handing out cash is really what this campaign was directed toward.” The campaign is expected to run through the end of August with a video ad and some sidewalk graphics coming soon “When someone gets involved with an organization or with one of our street teams," Treasure said "there’s a sense of community that is initiated within and a sense of support and relationship building that is much more productive than handing a five dollar bill out the window.” Discussions around the campaign have been ongoing since the summer of 2024 when Mayor Paul TenHaken held a press conference regarding "nuisance behavior" in downtown Sioux Falls that he said was being driven by a minority of the city's homeless population who "don't want help they want to take advantage of our community." More: TenHaken asks Sioux Falls to stop giving to panhandlers as 'nuisance behavior' increases Police Chief Jon Thum — who is featured in a video on the campaign's website — has agreed with the mayor saying that the city can't "arrest our way out of issues" and needs to find other solutions homelessness and the housing of at-risk populations." The campaign comes shortly after the March 5 vote to approve a proposal in which the city will lease and fence in a parking lot in front of the Bishop Dudley Hospitality House a controversial decision that led to several tense public meetings where some residents said the city was ineffectively addressing homelessness along with the executive director of the BDHH replied that the fence was a public safety measure that was not intended to solve the city's homelessness problem.