Iowa Senator Joni Ernst — a combat veteran — is praising President Trump’s decision to launch air strikes in Syria. Senator Joni Ernst says Trump “followed through with the red line drawn by the Obama Administration.” Ernst called Syria’s president a “war criminal” for using chemical weapons against civilians and she blasted Russia for backing the Assad regime.

Syria’s civil war “has gone on far too long,” according to Ernst. Ernst says Trump “is showing global leadership.” She adds, though, it’s time to “find an end to the root causes of this crisis.”

(Radio Iowa)

Here is the latest Iowa news from The Associated Press at 3:40 a.m. CDT

DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) — Iowa lawmakers gave final approval to a gun-rights bill Thursday, approving a stand-your-ground provision and concealed carry on Capitol grounds. The Iowa House voted 57-36 for the legislation. It now heads to Gov. Terry Branstad, who in the past has supported gun-rights legislation. The final bill represents weeks of back-and-forth between the House and Senate to finesse sweeping changes to the state’s gun laws. GOP lawmakers have tried for years to expand Second Amendment rights in Iowa.

IOWA CITY, Iowa (AP) — The Navy is denouncing an incident in which members of its officer training program at Iowa State University posted explicit photographs on a Facebook page. The March 4 incident involved seven members of the school’s NROTC program. A spokesman says Navy leaders learned about the photographs the next day and responded quickly, saying such behavior “does not comport with our core values.”

DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) — Aetna says it will stop selling individual health insurance policies in Iowa. The announcement Thursday comes just days after a similar one from Wellmark Blue Cross & Blue Shield. The Des Moines Register reports that tens of thousands of Iowa residents who aren’t insured through an employer or the government are currently covered by the individual policies Aetna will stop selling. Only one other insurer, Medica, sells individual policies in most Iowa counties.

DAVENPORT, Iowa (AP) — A 54-year-old Davenport man has pleaded not guilty to kidnapping and sexual assaulting a woman in January. The Quad-City Times reports that Alan Ray Cassias filed a written plea Thursday through his attorney. Police say Cassias offered a ride to a woman he saw walking on Jan. 18. She asked to be taken to her job, but police say Cassias instead drove to his apartment, where he choked and tied up the woman before sexually assaulting her.

DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) — Iowa lawmakers have given final approval to a gun-rights bill that includes a stand-your-ground provision and the right to carry concealed firearms on state Capitol grounds. The Iowa House voted 57-36 Thursday for the bill, which had already cleared the Senate. It heads to Gov. Terry Branstad, who in the past has supported gun-rights legislation.

Most elements would take effect July 1 but a provision to allow minors under 14 to use handguns with parental or guardian supervision would take effect immediately.

Democrats, who largely opposed the bill, focused criticism on so-called Capitol carry and stand-your-ground language. The stand-your-ground language allows deadly force even if alternative actions are available or an assessment of danger is incorrect.

The National Conference of State Legislatures says 24 states have approved similar laws.

The Fremont County Sheriff’s Office is reporting two arrests took place today (Thursday). 25-year old Skylar Lair, of Randolph, was arrested at around 8:40-a.m., after deputies were called to the 1800 block of Highway 59, north of Shenandoah, for a report of a possibly intoxicated female who had entered a business at the location. Lair was charged with Public Intoxication and Possession of Methamphetamine.  She was being held at the Fremont County Jail on a $1,300 bond.

Lair

And, 22-year old Joseph William Michael Haughton, of Hamburg, was arrested on a warrant for violation of probation. He was previously arrested twice before by Fremont County Deputies. Haughton faces charges that include Possession of Drug Paraphernalia on March 12th, and Violation of a No Contact Order on March 18th. Haughton was released on his previous charges from jail on April 1st. He was being held without bond on the new charges, pending court proceedings.

Haughton

(Update 4:17-p.m.)  A Cass County resident has died as the result of a boating accident at Lake Anita State Park. According to dispatch reports from the scene, the body of a man was discovered floating in the water near the second silt pond, just before 3:30-p.m. Anita Fire Chief Josh Peach told KJAN’s Ric Hanson that the man was in a kayak when the accident occurred. A life jacket was not found near his body, but Peach said it may have gotten hung-up somewhere. The winds were creating turbulent conditions on the water today, and Peach said “It’s not a good day to be out on the lake on a small boat or canoe/kayak type of thing.”

The victim has been identified, but his name is currently not available.

DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) — Another health insurer has announced it will stop selling individual policies in Iowa, just days after Wellmark Blue Cross & Blue Shield made a similar announcement. The Des Moines Register reports Aetna informed Iowa regulators Thursday that it would stop selling individual policies, which cover tens of thousands of Iowans who don’t have access to employer-provided coverage or government plans.

Like Wellmark, Aetna cited instability in the insurance market. Aetna had already had stopped selling such policies in most states for 2017, citing turmoil in the wake of the Affordable Care Act.

Aetna says it had not decided whether to pull out of the three remaining states where it sells individual policies: Nebraska, Delaware and Virginia.