Gazette Daily News Podcast, June 3

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Your Wednesday weather forecast looks to be sunny and a bit cooler than Tuesday, as early morning rain could roll through the area. According to the National Weather Service, there should be a high of 87 degrees in the Cedar Rapids area Wednesday. Wind speed should be calm for much of the day, slowing to 5 mph Wednesday night with a low around 64 degrees.

It was primary night Tuesday in several states, with Iowa one of being those setting up matchups this November. Some highlights from the evening...

[naviga:li style="font-weight: 400;"]Longtime Republican Congressman Steve King, often known more for his white nationalist ties and racist remarks than anything he did in congress,

lost his primary to fellow conservative Randy Feenstra. Feenstra will be the heavy favorite to fill King's spot in Iowa's Republican leaning fourth district against Democratic challenger J.D. Scholten. [naviga:li style="font-weight: 400;"]It wasn't in the same national profile, but there was also

a longtime incumbent Democrat who got ousted Tuesday night, as well. Vicki Lensing, who has represented Iowa City for 20 years in the Iowa House, lost to University of Iowa law professor Christina Bohannan. Lensing was in one of the few districts favorable to Democrats in the Iowa House in recent years, but she was challenged by Bohannan, who outwardly agreed with her on many issues, for not being aggressively progressive enough. [naviga:li style="font-weight: 400;"]State Rep. Ashley Hinson, of Marion, a former local television news personality,

won the right to take on first time incumbent U.S. Congresswoman Abby Finkenauer in the competitive first congressional district. [naviga:li style="font-weight: 400;"]Marianette Miller-Meeks is very persistent. She won her fourth try at Iowa's Democratic leaning 2nd Congressional District. Her longtime foe, Dave Loebsack, is retiring from his seat, so she will be facing someone new this year-- Rita Hart, a long state senator who also was a candidate for lieutenant governor candidate in 2018. [naviga:li style="font-weight: 400;"]

Theresa Greenfield topped a four-candidate field to win the opportunity to take on first time incumbent U.S. Senator Joni Ernst.

A day after Iowa matched one of the lowest daily coronavirus death tallies since the early days of the pandemic here, the state Tuesday matched the second-highest single-day total with 21 virus-related deaths in a 24-hour period.

The new deaths recorded Tuesday were more than the previous three days' totals combined, at least temporarily halting what had been a downward trend in new daily deaths.By Tuesday afternoon, the state also surpassed 20,000 total confirmed cases since the virus was first detected March 8 in Iowa, according to state public health data.

There were several protests again in Iowa Tuesday night arguing for racial justice in general, and legal justice for George Floyd, who died last week while being forcibly arrested in Minneapolis by four officers. One officer has already been charged with murder in the death of Floyd, a black man, and protesters would like to see the other three officers charged as well.

Despite some minor tension, protests in Iowa remained in the large part peaceful Tuesday night.

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