Latest news with #Des Moines
Yahoo
2 days ago
- Climate
- Yahoo
Tornado warnings issued in Des Moines, Ames Saturday morning. Are more storms on the way?
A severe weather front rolled across Iowa early Saturday morning. The system brought heavy rainfall, lightning and thunder to parts of the state as well as a few tornado warnings. A radar indicated tornado warning was issued for Story County, specifically Ames and Huxley, at 5:52 a.m. while another was issued for parts of Polk County, including Des Moines, at 6:22 a.m. Sirens went off in Ames around 6 a.m. and near the Drake neighborhood in Des Moines around 6:30 a.m. No tornadoes were confimred to have actually touched down, although the National Weather Service in Des Moines is investigating reports of possible weak tornadoes in Gilbert and northeast of Polk City. More: Madison petition for special election gets signatures, but county mistakes could derail it Strong wind gusts downed tree limbs in the Nevada and Pilot Mound areas but there are no reports of significant damage, according to the National Weather Service. Pea sized hail was reported in Madrid, according to Boone County Emergency Management. How much rain fell in central Iowa? Des Moines saw 0.66 inches of rain Saturday morning, according to reports from the National Weather Service. significantly higher rainfall, with Bode topping the charts. The cities with the most rain were: Bode: 4.85 inches Garner: 2.86 inches Pilot Mound: 2.5 inches More: A movement for college kids to ditch their smartphones is coming to an Iowa college Swaledale: 2.12 inches Eagle Grove: 2.07 inches Ames: 1.64 inches Boxholm: 1.5 inches Is more severe weather headed for Des Moines? Lingering storms are expected to dissipate by midday Saturday, with the possibility of a return in the evening. A severe weather outlook from the National Weather Service predicts a slight risk for severe weather in central and southeastern parts of the state. The NWS warns residents to be on the lookout for 'damaging winds,' and notes that 'brief' tornadoes are possible. Excessive rain is expected as well. More: RAGBRAI Day 1: A look at what's ahead on the journey from Orange City to Milford Thunderstorms are expected to bring heavy rainfall across the state throughout the weekend. Three to five inches of rainfall could be expected into Sunday. The NWS forecasts at least a half inch to an inch of rain, 'especially south of U.S. 20.' Flash flood watch issued for Polk County, several central Iowa counties A flood watch was issued for Polk County and nine other central Iowa counties at 2:52 p.m. on Saturday. Strong thunderstorms are expected to drop heavy rainfall, according to the National Weather Service, increasing the likelihood of flash flooding. The watch extends across portions of central, northeast, south central, southeast, southwest and west central Iowa. The flood watch goes into effect at 7 p.m. and will remain active until 10 a.m. on Sunday, July 20. More: Attorney General Brenna Bird drops lawsuit against Winneshiek County sheriff The National Weather Service said rain is supposed to sweep through central Iowa starting at 7 p.m. with a chance for strong storms developing after 10 p.m. Damaging winds, up to 70 mph, are likely along with a chance for large hail. The storm will move southeast across the state at 25 mph. The National Weather Service predicts rainfall up to two to five inches, with the potential to exceed five inches in some areas. The NWS said a tornado or two is possible. The highest chances for flash flooding is for communities between U.S. Highway 20 and U.S. Highway 34. More storms expected Sunday The threat of severe weather continues through Sunday, July 20 across much of Iowa. The National Weather Service expects scattered severe storms to develop in the early morning hours, producing damaging winds and heavy rain. More storms are expected to roll through in the late afternoon and early evening. The storms will move across the state to the east at 30 mph. (This story was updated to add new information, a video and a photo gallery.) Norah Judson is a reporter for the Register. Reach her at njudson@ This article originally appeared on Des Moines Register: How much rain fell in Des Moines? More storms are on the way Saturday
South China Morning Post
04-07-2025
- Politics
- South China Morning Post
Trump uses antisemitism slur ‘Shylock' in rally, denies knowing it's offensive
US President Donald Trump used an antisemitism slur during a rally in Iowa as he celebrated the passage of his tax cuts and spending bill but insisted he did not know the word was offensive to Jewish people. 'No death tax, no estate tax, no going to the banks and borrowing from, in some cases a fine banker, and in some cases Shylocks and bad people,' Trump told the crowd on Thursday at the Iowa State Fairgrounds in Des Moines. The term 'Shylock' is borrowed from William Shakespeare's The Merchant of Venice. The tale features a Jewish character, who is portrayed as a ruthless moneylender demanding 'a pound of flesh' from a merchant unable to repay a loan. The word refers to loan sharks and has long been considered offensive, playing on stereotypes of Jews and greed. The Trump controversy echoes a similar incident in 2014 when then-Vice-President Joe Biden used the term while describing exploitative lenders. Biden later apologised, calling it 'a poor choice of words'. 03:02 US House passes Trump's bill, sending it to White House for president to sign US House passes Trump's bill, sending it to White House for president to sign 'We see once again how deeply embedded this stereotype about Jews is in society,' Abraham Foxman, then-director of a Jewish activist group, the Anti-Defamation League, said at the time.
The Standard
04-07-2025
- Politics
- The Standard
Trump wants to celebrate 250 years of independence with a UFC fight at the White House
President Donald Trump arrives to speak at a rally at the Iowa State Fairgrounds, Thursday, July 3, 2025, in Des Moines, Iowa. (AP Photo/Charlie Neibergall)
The Independent
04-07-2025
- Politics
- The Independent
Trump accused of using ‘blatant and vile antisemitic slur' during speech at Iowa rally
Donald Trump has been accused of 'blatant and vile antisemitism ' at a rally in Iowa. The president delivered a campaign-style speech during the America250 event at the Iowa State Fairgrounds in Des Moines on Thursday, just hours after the House passed his signature tax-and-spending bill on the eve of the country's 250th birthday. As Trump promised that his megabill would usher in a period of prosperity, the president railed against 'Shylocks' and 'bad people,' before taking a swipe at the Democrats who uniformly opposed the legislation. 'No death tax. No estate tax,' Trump began. 'No going to the banks and borrowing from, in some cases, a fine banker, and in some cases, Shylocks and bad people.' 'They destroyed a lot of families, but we did the opposite,' he added. The term 'Shylock' comes from the character in William Shakespeare's The Merchant of Venice. In the play Shylock, a Jewish moneylender, agrees with another character to take a 'pound of flesh' if he can't repay his loan. The term was later considered offensive because it plays on harmful stereotypes of Jewish people and money. While flying back to Washington, D.C., on board Air Force One, the president said he had 'never heard that' the word could be considered antisemitic and opted to give his own definition of the phrase. 'I've never heard it that way,' he said. 'The meaning of Shylock is somebody that's a money lender at high rates. You view it differently. I've never heard that.' Jewish leaders have condemned the president's rhetoric and claimed his use of the slur was 'no accident.' 'This is blatant and vile antisemitism, and Trump knows exactly what he's doing,' New York Representative Daniel Goldman wrote on X late Thursday. 'Anyone who truly opposes antisemitism calls it out wherever it occurs – on both extremes – as I do.' California Representative Eric Swalwell called on the Anti-Defamation League to take action, adding that if they 'cannot condemn this, they should pack it up.' 'Shylock is among the most quintessential antisemitic stereotypes,' Amy Spitalnick of the Jewish Council for Public Affairs tweeted. 'This is not an accident.' Halie Soifer of the Jewish Democratic Council of America said Trump 'referred to bankers using a centuries-old antisemitic slur.' Former President Joe Biden faced backlash after using the same word at a Legal Services Corporation event, describing 'shylocks' taking advantage of servicemembers facing foreclosures while overseas. Unlike Trump, Biden apologized for his 'poor choice of words' after the ADL's Abraham Foxman urged caution about the use of the term. It's not the first time critics have accused Trump, who positions himself as a staunch ally of Israel, of perpetuating anti-Semitic stereotypes. His comment comes ahead of Trump's meeting with Israel's prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu next week. In 2015, Trump repeatedly told the Republican Jewish Coalition that he did not want their money and promoted memes with antisemitic symbols, according to the Washington Post.
Yahoo
03-07-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Trump visits Iowa to kick off America's 250th anniversary, reassure farmers on trade
By Nandita Bose WASHINGTON (Reuters) -President Donald Trump travels to Iowa on Thursday to kick off celebrations marking America's 250th anniversary next year and to tout recent trade and legislative actions to heartland voters who helped propel his return to the White House. Trump will deliver a campaign-style speech at the Iowa State Fairgrounds in Des Moines, a familiar stop for presidential candidates in the early primary state. Trump won Iowa's 2024 Republican caucuses by a historically large margin and carried the state by 13 percentage points in the general election. His latest visit comes ahead of a Friday deadline he set for Congress to pass his sweeping tax and spending legislation, a cornerstone of his second-term domestic agenda that touches everything from immigration to energy policy. In remarks mixing patriotism and policy, Trump will aim to reassure Iowa's voters that his administration is defending their interests and delivering tangible results, according to a person with knowledge of the speech. Trump's trade policies have whipsawed agricultural communities in Iowa, creating economic uncertainty and testing loyalties. Iowa farmers have been hit hard, especially with China's retaliatory tariffs slashing soybean exports and prices. In a Truth Social post on Tuesday announcing his trip, Trump called Iowa "one of my favorite places in the world." "I'll also tell you some of the GREAT things I've already done on Trade, especially as it relates to Farmers. You are going to be very happy with what I say," Trump said. At recent Republican town halls in Iowa, tensions flared as farmers and constituents pressed congressional leaders, including Republican Senator Chuck Grassley, to push back against Trump's retaliatory tariffs. Some Republicans also worry that deep cuts to the Medicaid health program in their sweeping tax bill will hurt the party's prospects in the 2026 midterm elections. Trump has made several memorable trips to the Iowa State Fairgrounds. In 2015, the reality TV star and presidential candidate gave children rides on his personal helicopter as he aimed to overshadow Democratic rival Hillary Clinton. In 2023, Trump's private jet buzzed low over the crowds in another flashy power move, stealing the spotlight from primary rival Ron DeSantis as he campaigned on the ground below.
