Gazette Daily News Briefing, December 23 and 24
Welcome to the weekend!
This is Stephen Colbert from the Gazette Digital News Desk, and I’m here with your update for Saturday, December 23rd, and Sunday, December 24th, 2023.
According to the National Weather Service, Saturday will have a patchy drizzle before 8am with widespread fog before noon. Otherwise it’ll be a toasty high of 54. Saturday night will still see patchy fog with a low of 46.
Sunday will be a rainy and foggy Christmas eve with an even warmer high of 57. Sunday night will have a low of around 48.
Iowa rejects millions in federal summer food aid for children
Iowa will turn down federal funding to pay for summer food aid to children, opting instead for a state-funded program officials say will provide better nutrition and avoid spending $2.2 million a year on administration.
Family advocates decried the decision, announced Friday, and questioned the Iowa Department of Health and Human Services’ estimate of costs for running the three-month program.
“Federal COVID-era cash benefit programs are not sustainable and don’t provide long-term solutions for the issues impacting children and families,” Gov. Kim Reynolds said in a statement. “An EBT card does nothing to promote nutrition at a time when childhood obesity has become an epidemic.”
Instead, Iowa will continue to support Iowa children eligible for food assistance year-round by enhancing and expanding already existing childhood nutrition programs, she said.
Iowa’s unemployment rate ticks up in November
Iowa’s unemployment rate ticked up to 3.3 percent in November, the state’s workforce development department reported this week.
The jobless rate was 3.2 percent in October, and 3.1 percent last November, according to the department.
The U.S. unemployment rate dropped to 3.7 percent in November, down from October’s 3.9 percent.
The number of unemployed workers in Iowa increased to 57,200 in November, up from 56,000 in October.
The number of working Iowans decreased to 1,672,000 in November from October’s 1,679,900. This November’s total of working Iowans was 3,800 more than last November.
University of Iowa appoints new leader of Mercy Iowa City integration
As the University of Iowa continues its takeover of Mercy Iowa City, administrators are sharing more details about the transition — including the appointment this week of Deborah Berini to lead management and integration with the now-bankrupt community hospital.
Berini — with more than two decades experience leading health systems like Penn State Health, the University of Texas Medical Branch Health System and University of Wisconsin Health — will start as UIHC chief integration officer and interim chief administrative officer Jan. 2.
Have a good weekend, and Merry Christmas everyone.
