2 weeks Ago
Iowa running back Kaleb Johnson, center, gets a block from Logan Jones as he scores a touchdown during the second quarter of the Sept. 14 game against Troy. Iowa won the game 38-21.
The latest Des Moines Register/Mediacom Iowa Poll showed former President Donald Trump leading the state by just 4 percentage points. The poll was released over the weekend and surveyed 811 Iowans between Sept. 8-11.
Of 656 likely voters, 47% said they would vote for Trump and 43% said they would vote for Democratic nominee Vice President Kamala Harris. The results tighten the race from the June poll, when President Joe Biden was still the presumptive Democratic nominee. In that poll, Trump had an 18 point advantage, 50% to 32%.
FAFSA: Iowa’s state university officials are hopeful going into the next federal student aid cycle this winter. The Free Application for Federal Student Aid, or FAFSA, was delayed and faced other issues this past cycle. It caused difficulties for schools and families, especially for low-income and first-generation students.
Officials expect a smoother, though again delayed, roll-out this year. RESIDENCY: A LeClaire resident has requested the Office of Congressional Ethics to investigate Rep. Mariannette Miller-Meeks’ voting address.
The request alleges Miller-Meeks is registered to vote at an apartment in Davenport but truly lives in Ottumwa. Her congressional office told The Gazette she resides in Davenport. Representatives must live in the state they represent, but are not required to live in their district.
The LeClaire resident alleges Miller-Meeks violated state voting laws, though no county or state agency has investigated whether Miller-Meeks has broken any laws. An Associated Press report this week revealed a group called the Patriots Run Program had recruited far-right, pro-Trump candidates to run in several key U.S.
House races, seemingly as spoiler candidates for the Republican nominees. The group, which appears to have ties to Democratic consulting firms, targeted congressional districts in which the election is likely to be close. That included Iowa’s 1st and 3rd districts, though neither of the recruited candidates will be on the ballot.
The candidates, who were recruited to run as independents or Libertarians, said they were contacted online and had limited in-person contact with the people encouraging them to run. UNI: The University of Northern Iowa plans to create a Center for Civic Engagement. The center would provide services like professional development, civic-engagement events and learning opportunities for teachers.
Iowa State University and the University of Iowa also plan civic-education initiatives. PACKAGES: The Iowa Secretary of State’s Office was among election officials in at least six states that received suspicious packages on Monday. The Lucas State Office Building in Des Moines was evacuated as a result.
Several states said a white powder was found in envelopes sent to the officials. Testing in some of the states found it to be harmless. “Despite Democrat fearmongering, IVF access is not in jeopardy.
It’s legal in all 50 states, and all Senate Republicans support nationwide access, including me.” Iowa U.S.
Senator Chuck Grassley on his vote against a bill that would establish a federal right to access fertility treatments. “Today, Iowa Senators Chuck Grassley and Joni Ernst showed once again that Republicans have no interest in creating exceptions to their extreme abortion laws and that they don’t care about the effects that these harmful laws have on Iowans.” Iowa Democratic Party Chair Rita Hart on Iowa’s U.
S. Senators’ votes against a bill that would establish a federal right to access fertility treatments. SHOOTING: Two police officers were injured and the suspect killed in a shootout in Des Moines on Monday.
A driver fled a traffic stop around 1:40 a.m. and crashed.
During a struggle when police removed him from his car after using a Taser on him, he pulled out a handgun and started shooting. Three officers returned fire and killed him. NURSING HOMES: Iowa’s auditor issued a report Monday claiming the state is failing to meet federal requirements for the frequency of nursing home inspections.
Democrat Rob Sand’s report said 85% of the state’s certified nursing homes went longer than the federally required 15.9 months between inspections. The director of the state’s inspection agency disputes Sand’s claims IVF: Iowa’s U.
S. senators, Republicans Chuck Grassley and Joni Ernst, joined most of their GOP colleagues to vote against a bill that would have established a federal right to access fertility treatments. Republican senators have their own bill that would ban states from Medicaid funding if they bar IVF services, but does not guarantee a right to those services.
ENDORSEMENTS: Former President Donald Trump has endorsed incumbent Ashley Hinson in Eastern Iowa’s 2nd Congressional District. Hinson, a Republican, is running against Cedar Falls’ Sarah Corkery. In addition, Republican incumbent U.
S. Reps. Zach Nunn and Randy Feenstra announced they had been endorsed by the political arm of the Iowa Farm Bureau.
By now, the headlines are likely familiar: The "most unusual job market in modern American history." The "Great American Labor Shortage." The massive disruption to the job market wrought by the COVID-19 pandemic, when by the latter half of 2021 almost half of American companies were reporting a worker shortage, impacted every corner of the nation.
Since then, however, the job market has shifted back to more typical levels of employment, giving many Americans a renewed sense of normalcy. But some industries and parts of the country are still hurting for workers—a trend with ongoing ramifications for consumers and workers alike. JobTest.
org analyzed Bureau of Labor Statistics data compiled by the Chamber of Commerce to illustrate the current state of Iowa's ongoing labor shortage based on a national analysis . The analysis uses the most recent data available at the national and state levels, from July and June 2024 respectively. According to government jobs data, there were 8.
2 million open jobs in the U.S. in July and only 7.
1 million unemployed workers. Even if every unemployed worker had a job, the nation would still have millions of unfilled positions. A shortage of workers can be a double-edged sword for consumers.
When there are jobs available, it can give workers some leverage to negotiate higher wages. But a worker shortage can also cause companies to raise the price of the goods and services they offer to cover wage increases to attract more job candidates. In the case of industries like health care or public education, difficulty finding skilled professionals to fill open positions can also make it harder for institutions to provide necessary services to the communities they serve.
Not every unemployed worker is suited for the jobs available, however. As seen in recent years, workers in some metro areas have seen their cost of living rise so dramatically that the jobs offered in industries for which they may be qualified—such as hospitality, food service, and retail—are no longer appealing or even feasible to cover basic expenses like housing, food, and transportation. With job openings clustered in specific areas, location also influences companies' ability to find qualified workers that fit open positions.
Only three states—Washington, Nevada, and California—had more unemployed workers than job openings. Over the last few years, as job openings far exceeded the unemployed population, reports have suggested that labor shortages could be due in part to discrepancies between workers and employers, with mismatched expectations on wages being among the most prominent. In response, employers have raised pay in certain industries like hospitality to attract viable candidates.
Take a look at how your state stacks up below. June Iowa employment at a glance - There were 62 workers for every 100 jobs available in the state. - Companies in the state had 28,000 fewer workers compared to what would be needed for full employment.
- The unemployment rate for the state was 2.8%. Top 10 states where jobs outpace available workers 10.
Montana: 52 workers per 100 jobs. 9. Wyoming: 50 per 100 jobs.
8. Maine: 50 per 100 jobs. 7.
New Hampshire: 49 per 100 jobs. 6. Mississippi: 49 per 100 jobs.
5. Virginia: 48 per 100 jobs. 4.
Maryland: 48 per 100 jobs. 3. Vermont: 44 per 100 jobs.
2. South Dakota: 40 per 100 jobs. 1.
North Dakota: 35 per 100 jobs. This story features data reporting and writing by Dom DiFurio and is part of a series utilizing data automation across 50 states and Washington D.C.
This story originally appeared on JobTest.org and was produced and distributed in partnership with Stacker Studio. Stay up-to-date on the latest in local and national government and political topics with our newsletter.
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