Government & Politics

The possible presidential candidate continued to push a message of “American exceptionalism” and hope and unity in a divisive Republican Party that the’s touted in previous visits to the early nominating state as part of his “Faith in America” listening tour.

Coralville’s Fifth Street reconstruction project — which was expected to begin this month — will be delayed a year after bids came in over budget. The project will likely be rebid this fall.

There’s a quote that sums up Wayne Jerman’s approach to being police chief: “The police are the public and the public are the police.” He retired as Cedar Rapids police chief Tuesday with a $241,442.78 severance agreement and reflected on his career in a Gazette exclusive.

Personal information of more than 20,000 Iowa Medicaid members was compromised in a data breach of a state contractor last year, the Iowa Health and Human Services Department announced Tuesday.

Legislation that would require Iowa caucus participants to vote in-person — which would effectively kill Iowa Democrats’ plan for mail-in caucusing in 2024 — was introduced this week in the Iowa House by Republican state lawmaker Bobby Kaufmann, the son of Republican Party of Iowa state chairman Jeff Kaufmann.

Gov. Kim Reynolds has asked the court to allow a court-blocked 2018 law to go into effect; abortion rights groups argue the law should remain blocked.

Victim advocates are urging Republican Iowa Attorney General Brenna Bird to continue allowing the state’s victim compensation funds to cover contraception and abortion care for rape victims, noting a majority of those served by the fund are juvenile victims of sexual abuse.

A boost of over $180 million will more than double the Army Corps of Engineers’ contribution toward construction of the city of Cedar Rapids’ flood control system on the east side of the Cedar River, enabling construction to wrap up by the end of 2026.