Gazette Daily News Briefing, March 6

This is John McGlothlen with The Gazette digital news desk and I'm here with your update for Monday, March 6th.

According to the National Weather Service, we’ll have patchy fog before 10 a.m. in the Cedar Rapids area. Otherwise, mostly cloudy, with a high near 50. Breezy, with a northwest wind 5 to 10 mph increasing to 15 to 20 mph in the afternoon. Winds could gust as high as 30 mph. Then tonight, mostly cloudy, with a low around 31 - and blustery.

Several hundred people crowded the west steps of the Iowa State Capitol to protest LGBTQ-related bills lawmakers are considering this year. Democratic lawmakers, teachers, LGBTQ organizers and students who spoke at the rally said the bills being advanced by the state’s Republican majority contradict the notions of freedom and liberty the Republican Party champions in other areas. Lawmakers have advanced bills out of committees this year banning gender-affirming medical care for transgender minors, prohibiting instruction on gender identity and sexual orientation in early grades, requiring school employees to notify parents if they believe a child is transgender, and requiring students to use only bathrooms that align with their biological sex. Republicans supporting the bills said they are a reaction to concerns brought by constituents and parents, and they give parents more input in their child’s education.

In Iowa women’s basketball, Caitlin Clark had 30 points, 17 assists and 10 rebounds in her 10th career triple-double for the Iowa Hawkeyes, who built a 37-point halftime lead and beat Ohio State 105-72 on Sunday to win the Big Ten Tournament for the second straight year. Clark was named the tournament’s most outstanding player.

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🎹 Podcast music: “Dubstep” by Emily McGlothlen