MINNESOTA – A Minnesota state senator and his wife who were attacked as part of an assassination attempt over the weekend have deep Iowa ties. KCCT-V reports State Senator John Hoffman and his wife Yvette spent several years in central Iowa. John co-founded the West Des Moines Democrats organization, while Yvette worked at Star 102.5 five for 13 years. Both were shot in an attack allegedly organized by 57-year-old Vance Boelter, who works for a security company. He’s accused of killing Minnesota Representative Melissa Hortman and her husband Mark over the weekend. DES MOINES – An estimated crowd of 7,000 gathered at the Iowa State Capitol and hundreds of others participated in rallies at 35 total events in Iowa as part of protests against President Donald Trump and his administration. Deemed “No Kings Day,” the Des Moines Register reports dozens of political groups in Iowa helped organize the event over concerns that the current leadership in the White House is violating the U.S. Constitution, especially in matters related to immigration. Trump responded to questions earlier this week, claiming the protests across the country were unnecessary and insisting that his administration is following the law. IOWA – An active weather pattern continues early this week for many as more rounds of thunderstorms could bring severe weather. The National Weather Service has issued a slight risk primarily in northwest Iowa today and over other portions of the state on Tuesday. Many locations, especially along and north of Highway 20, have had multiple severe thunderstorm warnings since late last week. However, up to 80% of the state now rates as abnormally dry on the latest U.S. Drought Monitor. Heavy rain is possible across many Iowa communities through Wednesday.

CEDAR RAPIDS – A motorcyclist led police on speeds nearing 177 MPH during a chase on Wednesday. KCRG-TV reports police attempted to pull over a pickup and a motorcycle on Highway 100 after witnesses claim the vehicles were performing stunts on the road. The driver of the truck stopped, but the motorcycle kept going. An Iowa State Patrol airplane helped other officers track down Kyle Ward, who at one point, was allegedly traveling 177 MPH. TAMA – Two people are in the custody of federal immigration authorities following drug-related arrests in Tama. KCCI-TV reports the Tama Police Department responded to a noise complaint and received a warrant after finding drugs in a yard. Three suspects were arrested, and two were taken by Immigration and Customs Enforcement officers — 23-year-old Jesus Abarca-Gomez and 22-year-old Jose Delmar Hernandez-Gomez.

DES MOINES – Near-record levels of pollutants in drinking water may make it dangerous if demand does not drop. AP News reports Central Iowa Water Works issued its first-ever ban on lawn watering in the region shows nitrates are up to 9 milligrams per liter now — just under federal regulations. The watering ban went into effect for Des Moines and several surrounding communities. DES MOINES – Multiple Republican house members in Iowa have called out a veto by Governor Kim Reynolds related to a bill aiming to curb the use of eminent domain for private pipeline projects. Iowa Capitol Dispatch reports Representatives Steven Holt and Bobby Kaufmann both promised to block legislation proposed by Reynolds in the upcoming session in reaction to the move they claim was done for business purposes. Reynolds cited issues over vague legal standards and potential harm for other development projects as to why she vetoed HF639, which passed with a unique split of Republicans and Democrats just before the end of the session. IOWA – The Governor’s Traffic Safety Bureau (GTSB) is partnering with the Central Iowa Traffic Safety Task Force and law enforcement across Iowa June 17-19 to educate drivers about the importance of yielding to vehicles on the shoulder displaying flashing lights. Expect to see extra law enforcement on the road looking for those in violation of Iowa’s Move Over Law. The Move-Over Law has been in effect since 2002 in Iowa. It requires motorists to change lanes or slow down if changing lanes is not possible when approaching a vehicle on the shoulder displaying flashing lights. This includes emergency vehicles, tow trucks, commercial trucks, and passenger vehicles with flashing lights or hazard lights illuminated.

DES MOINES – Governor Kim Reynolds vetoed a bill that aimed to reduce the use of eminent domain for carbon capture pipelines on Wednesday. The Des Moines Register reports Reynolds believes the bill as written would have caused economic development damage and other issues for future pipeline projects that don’t use the government’s ability to acquire land. House Speaker Pat Grassley called for a special session to override the Governor’s veto; Senate Majority Jack Whitver supported the Governor’s move. IOWA CITY – The Iowa Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) is reporting the state’s third measles case of 2025 and is notifying the public due to potential exposure in public areas. The investigation has determined this measles case is not related to the first two cases in Iowa. The third case is in an unvaccinated child from the Eastern region of the state who was exposed during international travel. Iowa HHS and local health officials have identified locations visited by the individual while contagious, where the public might have been exposed to measles. This includes Costco and Marshall’s in Coralville and an Iowa City Walmart on June 4th and 5th. CEDAR RAPIDS – Another challenger has entered the Democratic primary for U.S. Senate. WHO-13 reports State Senator Zach Wahls has officially announced his intent to run in the June election ahead of a potential challenge with incumbent Republican Joni Ernst. Wahls joins State Representative J.D. Scholten and outgoing Knoxville Chamber of Commerce Director Nathan Sage as those officially declaring their candidacy.

DES MOINES – A second person in Iowa has tested positive for measles. KCCI-TV reports the Iowa Department of Health and Human Services confirmed the case this week in a vaccinated man. The first instance in Iowa was reported in May for an unvaccinated woman who had been traveling. These are the first two Measles cases in Iowa since 2019. IOWA – A lawsuit involving Casey’s General Stores and a member of the Iowa Board of Regents was settled out of court, as it related to accusations for collusion. Iowa Capital Dispatch reports the suit was filed in late March by JF Acquisitions of North Carolina. The group accused JC Risewick and Caseys of being involved in a conspiracy to limit competition in the construction of convenience store pumps. Neither were named defendants in the case. DES MOINES – The Iowa DNR is investigating a Des Moines lake for a fish kill. On Tuesday, the Iowa Department of Natural Resources received reports of dead fish in Dean Lake, and that the water was dark colored and smelled of possible septic waste. Dean Lake drains into multiple basins leading into the Des Moines River.