Gazette Daily News Briefing, March 2
This is Stephen Schmidt from the Gazette digital news desk and I’m here with your update for Wednesday, March 2.
Wednesday will conclude the pleasant, uncomplicated, sunny part of the week. We will then progress to confused temperature fluctuations leading to rain or snow, depending on the day.
According to the National Weather Service on Wednesday it will be mostly sunny with a high near 62 degrees. As Wednesday night passes into Thursday morning there will be increasing chances of snow, with a low around 24 degrees.
President Joe Biden vowed in his State of the Union address Tuesday night to check Russian aggression in Ukraine, tame soaring U.S. inflation and deal with the fading but still dangerous coronavirus.
President Biden tried throughout his speech to maintain the delicate balance between describing the dangers the nation faces while painting an optimistic picture of its future. One such danger, Russian President Vladimir Putin, was mentioned numerous times as an example of an autocrat who must be stopped by the United States and its Democratic Nato Allies.
"Throughout our history we've learned this lesson — when dictators do not pay a price for their aggression, they cause more chaos," Biden said. "They keep moving. And the costs and threats to America and the world keep rising."
Ahead of the speech, White House officials acknowledged the mood of the country is "sour," citing the lingering pandemic and inflation. Biden used his remarks to highlight the progress from a year ago with the majority of the U.S. population now vaccinated and millions more people at work, but also acknowledged that the job is not yet done, a recognition of American discontent.
Iowa Gov. Kim Reynolds was selected to give the Republican rebuttal to Biden’s speech.
Wearing dual American and Ukrainian flag lapel pins, and with the Iowa Capitol in the background, Reynolds spoke for roughly 15 minutes shortly after Biden’s address.
Reynolds blamed Biden for inflation, rising crime, a botched departure from Afghanistan and Russia’s military invasion of Ukraine.
Reynolds said Biden’s actions helped pave the way for Russian President Vladimir Putin’s decision to invade Ukraine, specifically citing the Biden administration’s waving of sanctions on an oil pipeline in Russia and, according to Reynolds, “focusing on political correctness rather than military readiness.”
Gov. Reynolds also used her speech to tout what is being done in Iowa, such as an accelerated demasking during the COVID-19 pandemic and the $1.9 billion in state income tax cuts that she signed into law earlier Tuesday.
One of the Fairfield teens charged with killing his high school Spanish teacher is asking the court to prohibit the public — including the media — from a hearing later this month regarding a motion to move the cases into juvenile court.
Lawyers for Jeremy Everett Goodale, 16, in a motion argue that testimony at the reverse waiver hearing will include confidential information that would “hinder” Goodale’s ability to have an impartial jury if the information is released to the public before this case is resolved. Under Iowa law, the court can exclude the public from hearings if a judge determines the “possibility of damage or harm to the child outweighs the public’s interest in having an open hearing,” according to the motion.
Allen Cook and J. Nicole Jensen, in their motion, also point out that expanded media coverage — cameras, electronic equipment and use of social media in the courtroom — doesn’t have to be allowed if a judge determines the coverage would interfere with the defendant’s right to a fair trial.
Goodale is one of two teens accused of killing Nohema Graber last November. Graber had taught at Fairfield High since 2012.
Support for this news update was provided by New Pioneer Food Co-op. Celebrating 50 years as Eastern Iowa’s destination for locally and responsibly sourced groceries with stores in Iowa City, Coralville and Cedar Rapids; and online through Co-op Cart at newpi.coop.
