(Radio Iowa) – Both of Iowa’s U-S Senators have signed onto a letter asking federal agents to investigate whether pro-Palestinian groups on college campuses are linked to Hamas. Senator Chuck Grassley says he’s concerned Hamas is using “Students for Justice in Palestine” chapters to shape U-S public opinion. If that’s the case, Grassley says those student groups should be registered as foreign agents. Grassley recently gave a speech about the Foreign Agents Registration Act.

“We ought to know who’s working for foreign countries as they try to influence foreign policy in this country,” Grassley said. Senator Joni Ernst says student groups can sometimes get federal funding or tax-exempt status and, if Hamas is funding National Students for Justice in Palestine chapters, those federal benefits should be cut off.

“If they are engaging in violent protests, if they are encouraging violent protests, then funding needs to be cut off or they need to re-register,” Ernst says. “We want to make sure that they are following federal government guidelines.” Over the past year, other groups of U-S Senators and dozens of Americans whose loved ones were killed in the October 7th attacks in Israel have called on the U-S attorney general to investigate whether the Students for Justice in Palestine is operating as an unregistered branch of a terrorist organization.

A year ago, Florida’s governor ordered that the group’s chapters on Florida campuses be shut down. In a statement to “Jewish Currents” magazine last year, Students of Justice in Palestine said their critics are trying to shift attention away from Israel’s atrocities in Gaza.

ATLANTIC—The Cass Health Foundation is hosting their inaugural Handbag Bingo Night on Thursday, November 14 at Bluebird Hill. This new event will wrap up the Cass Health Foundation’s 2024 campaign to purchase endoscopy equipment. 

Cass Health Community & Guest Relations Director Beth Spieker spoke on the anticipation of this new event saying, “This is a unique, fun ladies’ night out complete with delicious food, bingo, and great prizes including designer purses. Best of all, this final event wraps up our successful 2024 campaign, and we’re so close to our goal thanks to the generosity of our community.” 

Each $50 ticket for the evening includes dinner, six bingo cards per game for all ten “regular” games throughout the night, and five raffle tickets for the purse raffle. Bingo game winners will earn extra raffle tickets to enter for a chance to win a purse of their choice at the end of the night. Registration begins at 5:30 pm, with dinner at 6:00 pm, and bingo to follow. Stay tuned to Cass Health on social media to see the prizes that will be featured at the event.

Tickets to the event are limited; both single tickets and table sponsorships are available. For more information, please call Beth Spieker at 712-243-7545 or visit casshealth.org/bingo to view the details or pay online. 

(Radio Iowa) – Iowa now has a second Safe Haven baby box where an unwanted newborn baby can be turned over. Safe Haven founder Monica Kelsey says the box adds something to Iowa’s existing law. “The Safe Haven baby box program allows anonymity where the Safe Haven law that was passed 25 years ago allows for confidentiality, but not anonymity,” she says. “And so having a box that allows anonymity for a parent that doesn’t want to walk in and hand their child to a person, but still wants to surrender their child is important to some of these women.”

The new Safe Haven baby box is at MercyOne Medical Center in Des Moines and it follows the first that was installed at the Fort Dodge Fire Department in 2023. Kelsey started Safe Haven baby boxes out of her own beginnings.  “I was abandoned as an infant, and so when I started this organization, I knew that I wanted to start it as a nonprofit, because I never wanted to profit off of the backs of babies that were being saved or babies that were being dumped,” Kelsey says. “And so I started as a nonprofit. We do everything by donations and fundraising. We don’t take any government funding from the state or the federal government.” Kelsey says the national abortion fight has brought some attention to her organization.

“It has brought more awareness to the safe haven law. Some good, some bad, of course, because of the controversy between the abortion debate and parenting or placing for adoption. But you know, the states that have the highest number of abandonments are actually the states where abortion is legal through all nine months of pregnancy. You know, New Mexico is one, California is one, Illinois is one,” she says. Kelsey says Safe Haven boxes and Safe Haven laws aren’t really an issue.

“It really doesn’t have a lot to do with abortion, you know and abandonment together. We’re dealing with a different type of crisis from these women,” Kelsey says. “These babies are born, you know, these babies are going to go in an unsafe place or in one of our boxes. And so I think we all can agree that a baby in a box is a better option than a baby in a dumpster.” Kelsey says the Safe Haven box in Fort Dodge hasn’t been used yet.

The Safe Haven Baby Box. (photo from SHBB)

“But we have helped women do hand-off’s in your state, and that’s just as important as the boxes. You know, these are the women that will walk into the fire stations and hand their child to a person, and we have helped multiple women do that,” she says. She says they will likely get more boxes installed here.

“Well, we are working with multiple locations in Iowa right now. You know, we’re working in almost every state trying to get women these options, given this option that’s available to them, and and so I would say, probably, within probably six months, you’ll probably see a second and a third box coming into Iowa,” according to Kelsey.

You can find out more about Safe Haven boxes, or make a donation to the organization at shbb.org.

(Radio Iowa) – Iowans who have loved ones in central Florida are being encouraged to give blood in their honor, as hospitals in that region are overwhelmed following Wednesday night’s strike by Hurricane Milton. Shay Willis, at LifeServe Blood Center, says one shipment was rushed south before the big storm came ashore. “We have sent more than 250 blood products, red cells and platelets both, to the area being impacted by Hurricane Milton,” Willis says. “We’ll see today if there’s any additional need, but this is just one way that we can help our fellow community blood centers, but also the hospitals down there that may need to be able to treat patients.”

Blood supplies are very scarce in Iowa, Willis says, while the entire nation is seeing a worrisome shortage. “So when we have these emergencies like this, that obviously puts an additional strain on the supply,” Willis says. “So what we’re encouraging Iowans to do is to find a local LifeServe Blood Center Donor Center, or mobile blood drive near them, schedule an appointment, and keep that appointment, and come out and give the gift of life.” Blood centers across Iowa are urging people to donate a pint, whatever their blood type.

LifeServe photo

“Type O-negative most commonly is in the critically low level, because it is the universal blood donor,” Willis says, “but I truly think the message is, all blood types matter, because no matter your type, the product that we’re able to receive from you is going to help someone.” LifeServe provides blood products to 175 hospitals primarily in Iowa, South Dakota, Nebraska, and Illinois. LifeServe has donor centers in Ames, Des Moines, Fort Dodge, Mason City, Marshalltown, Sioux City, and Urbandale. Call 800-287-4903 or visit www.lifeservebloodcenter.org.