Thursday morning read: Adoptions begin for animals rescued from Vinton, Brad Hart's first State of the City, and legislative updates

Adoptions begin after hundreds of animals seized from Vinton home: Thanks to a flurry of donations, volunteers and veterinarians working for free, rescuers of hundreds of animals seized in January from a Vinton home have begun putting the pets up for adoption — starting with some 75 parakeets, cockatiels and other birds. Read more >

7 take-aways from Hart's first State of the City speech: From flood protection to affordable housing to the possibility of new downtown hotel options, Cedar Rapids Mayor Brad Hart used his first State of the City speech to convey the progress made as the 10-year flood anniversary approaches in June and showcase what's to come. Read more >

Court chief warns: Iowans losing access to justice system: Due to budget shortfalls and open positions, court cases are being delayed for up to a year. Iowa Supreme Court Chief Justice Mark Cady warned lawmakers of 'ominous signs' that insufficient resources for the Judicial Branch 'tear at the very fabric of our operation and mission.' Read more >

Statehouse news: Senate Republicans passed a sweeping tax relief and simplification plan Wednesday they called a bold initiative to eventually cut individual and corporate income tax rates by $1 billion a year and spur growth, but a Democrat warned they are riding 'a bobsled to bankruptcy.' Also in the Senate, a "heartbeat" abortion ban moved forward, which would make it illegal for a doctor to perform an abortion in Iowa once a fetal heartbeat is detected. Many see this as a first step toward a legal battle aimed at overturning the 1973 landmark U.S. Supreme Court decision legalizing abortion. Keep up with all of our statehouse coverage here >

Aggression in "combat" carries Iowa basketball to another day at Big Ten tournament: Playing with energy and playing together, as Iowa Coach Fran McCaffery put it after the game, stopped the Hawkeyes from going home, winning their Big Ten tourney opener for the first time in four years. They took the lead with 16:45 left in the first half and withstood repeated threats to get a 96-87 victory over Illinois in Madison Square Garden. Read more >