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Iowa early News Headlines: Friday, Feb. 22nd 2019

News

February 22nd, 2019 by Ric Hanson

Here is the latest Iowa news from The Associated Press

JOHNSTON, Iowa (AP) — Iowa Rep. Steve King says he will seek re-election despite Republican House leadership’s move to strip him of his committee assignments after his racist statements about white supremacy. Asked Thursday about his future, King said “I am running in 2020.” King sparked an uproar and was stripped of his committee assignment after being quoted in a New York Times story saying, “White nationalist, white supremacist, Western civilization – how did that language become offensive?”

DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) — The state of Iowa is appealing a federal judge’s ruling last month that found unconstitutional a 2012 law that made it illegal to get a job at a livestock farm to conduct animal cruelty undercover investigations. The Des Moines Register reports that Iowa Attorney General Tom Miller filed a motion Wednesday to appeal the case to the Eighth Circuit U.S. Court of Appeals.

OMAHA, Neb. (AP) — A monthly survey of rural bankers in parts of 10 Plains and Western states shows nearly two-thirds of banks in the region have raised farm loan collateral requirements on fears of weakening farm income. The Rural Mainstreet survey for February showed nearly one-third of banks report an increase in the farm loan rejection rate for the same reason.

URBANDALE, Iowa (AP) — Is the “ugly produce” trend already reaching the end of its shelf life? Walmart and Whole Foods are among the grocers that tried selling discounted fruits and vegetables to help reduce food waste. But several of them have stopped selling the produce that isn’t quite the right size, shape or color. Still, startups offering home delivery hope people will be drawn by the goal of salvaging food that would otherwise go to waste.