Gazette Daily News Briefing, August 28 and August 29
This is Stephen Schmidt from the Gazette digital news desk and I’m here with your update for Saturday, August 28, and Sunday, August 29.
So Friday was a day of thunderstorms as was foretold, but most of these storms headed northward, with the heaviest rain in north central Iowa.
For your weekend forecast there will still be a chance of isolated showers and thunderstorms in the Cedar Rapids area for much of Saturday, according to the National Weather Service. But for most of the day it will be sunny, with a high near 93 degrees. The heat index could reach as high as 101 degrees. On Sunday the chance for thunderstorms will come to an end in the morning, and it will be a little bit cooler, with a high near 88 degrees. Next week is predicted to be cooler in general.
Marion police said they were investigating the death of an infant Friday after emergency responders were called to an apartment building on 10th Street and Boyson Road the day before.
First responders attempted to resuscitate the infant on Thursday at Azure Apartments but were unsuccessful, and the baby was pronounced dead, according to Marion police.
Although police confirmed the death is being investigated, no further details were provided Friday.
The Iowa Supreme Court on Friday issued an order requiring individuals entering any Iowa courthouse must wear a face covering, regardless of vaccination status.
In the order, Chief Judge Susan Larson Christensen said the court is balancing the need to take measures to reduce the spread of coronavirus with “its commitment to conduct the important work of the courts.”
The court, Christensen said, has reviewed guidance from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention regarding the wearing of masks in public indoor settings in areas of substantial or high transmission.
As of this week, the entire state of Iowa now has high or substantial community transmission of the virus, according to the CDC. More than 7,000 new COVID-19 cases were reported in Iowa in the past week, state officials said Thursday.
Pat Garrett, spokesman for Iowa Gov. Kim Reynolds, said Friday the Supreme Court order “doesn’t change the legislation the governor signed into law, ” referring to a bill passed in May by Iowa lawmakers and signed by Reynolds that bars schools, cities and counties from mandating masks.
Iowa Republican U.S. Rep. Mariannette Miller-Meeks called on President Joe Biden to resign in the aftermath of a terrorist attack near the airport in Kabul, Afghanistan.
“Joe Biden’s withdrawal of Afghanistan has been a failure and has ended with needless deaths and injuries,“ Miller-Meeks, a U.S. Army veteran and member of the House Homeland Security Committee, tweeted late Thursday. ”Joe Biden should resign as Commander-In-Chief!“
Miller-Meeks added that National Security adviser Jake Sullivan, Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin and Secretary of State Anthony Blinken also should “hand in their resignations.”
Miller-Meeks on Friday introduced legislation that would prohibit the distribution of federal funds to Afghanistan until all Americans and U.S. allies have been safely evacuated from the country.
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