Gazette Daily News Briefing, October 7
This is Stephen Schmidt from the Gazette digital news desk and I’m here with your update for Friday, October 7.
The cold has arrived once again. According to the National Weather Service it will be sunny in the Cedar Rapids area on Friday with a high near 55 degrees. On Friday night it will be mostly clear, with a low of around 32 degrees. Widespread frost is likely Friday night into Saturday morning.
In a debate between the candidates for U.S. Senate in Iowa, both candidates agreed that incumbent Republican Chuck Grassley has been in office for a long time.
Where they differed Thursday night was the value of that seniority.
It was the first and only scheduled debate between Grassley and Democratic challenger former Navy Admiral Mike Franken, as each tried to persuade voters they would be the better representative for Iowans in Washington.
Grassley touted his seniority, noting that he would be the longest-serving and most senior senator after the election, should he be elected to an eighth term. Franken said Grassley’s time in the Senate has been defined by failure to solve problems and a lack of leadership. Franken said he would be an energetic and new voice for Iowa.
In addition to age range discussions, Grassley and Franken jousted on the topic of abortion, accusations of sexual harassment against Franken, inflation, health care, and Grassley’s association with former president Donald Trump.
President Joe Biden is pardoning thousands of Americans convicted of “simple possession” of marijuana under federal law, as his administration takes a dramatic step toward decriminalizing the drug.
According to reporting from the Associated Press, Biden is also calling on governors to issue similar pardons for those convicted of state marijuana offenses, which reflect the vast majority of marijuana possession cases.
Biden is also directing the secretary of Health and Human Services and the U.S. attorney general to review how marijuana is scheduled under federal law. Rescheduling the drug would reduce or potentially eliminate criminal penalties for possession. Marijuana is currently classified as a Schedule I drug, alongside heroin and LSD. The White House did not set a timeline for the review.
But Biden said he believes that as the federal government and many states ease marijuana laws, they should maintain limitations on trafficking, marketing and underage sales.
Iowa women’s basketball coach Lisa Bluder revealed Thursday that it is unlikely that recruit Ava Jones will ever play basketball again after a tragic crash in July.
Bluder said a recent MRI revealed that all four major ligaments in both of Jones’ knees are torn.
Coach Bluder said the women’s basketball program already has committed to honoring Jones’ scholarship, regardless of whether she’s able to play basketball again.
The crash ha ppened July 5. Jones and her fa mily were on a sidewalk in Louisville when a 33-year-old man who admitted to taking hydrocodone before driving hit them, according to reports.
Her father Trey did not survive the accident, and her mother Amy suffered serious injuries. Her brother had minor injuries.
A GoFundMe page has raised more than $150,000 for the family, with many of the donations coming from Iowa fans.
