NEW YORK (AP) — Billionaire presidential prospect Michael Bloomberg is heading to Iowa. The former New York City mayor, who formally registered as a Democrat last month, is scheduled to appear in Iowa’s capital city at a Dec. 4 screening of a film on climate change, according to senior adviser Howard Wolfson. Iowa traditionally hosts the nation’s first contest of the presidential primary season. The 76-year old Bloomberg told The Associated Press earlier in the month that he would decide whether to enter the 2020 contest by January or February.

Should he run, Bloomberg would bring virtually limitless resources and a pragmatic governing approach to what is expected to be a massive 2020 Democratic field. He has spent tens of millions of dollars to promote liberal priorities on climate change, gun control and immigration.

CLIVE, Iowa (AP) — Authorities have accused a woman of pouring gasoline on a man and setting him aflame in a suburb of Des Moines. Polk County court records say 24-year-old Kaydee Cuesta is charged with willful injury causing serious injury. Her next hearing is scheduled for Dec. 6. Her attorney, Trever Hook, told The Des Moines Register that Cuesta will plead not guilty and says she denies the accusation.

Police say Cuesta grabbed a gas container outside a Clive home on Oct. 18 and tried to splash gas on the man. Then she approached him again, poured gas on the front of his clothing and used a lighter to start the blaze. The man was treated at an area hospital and then transferred to a burn center at the University of Iowa Hospitals & Clinics in Iowa City.

(Radio Iowa) — A Johnston-based company which tracks the use of debit cards finds the dynamics of Black Friday and the Cyber Monday shopping continue to change. SHAZAM spokesman, Patrick Dix, says the number of transactions across the Midwest fell for stores which opened Thanksgiving evening to get a jump on Friday. “I thought that was interesting because we also have seen some retailers sort of reject the idea of opening early on Thanksgiving,” Dix says. ” After a few years of everyone saying — yes, let’s push Black Friday earlier and earlier — we had some say no, we’re going to stay closed on Thursday of Thanksgiving.”

He says the numbers were also down for the six a-m Friday to noon period. But there was still plenty of money flowing. “The average transaction size was still up. So, there may have been fewer transactions, but the average transaction was still up a little bit,” Dix says.  The average transaction was 29 dollars compared to 24 dollars in 2017. Dix says waiting in line to get in when stores open early seems to have lost some of its luster.  “That is not nearly the busiest part of the day on Black Friday. In fact, the numbers show that far fewer people were shopping shopping between midnight and six a-m than they were say between ten a-m and four p-m,” according to Dix. “That really was the peak time of the day — really a normal , normal business day, normal shopping hours. People have figured out that they can go almost anytime on Black Friday and get good deals.”

They can track transactions that are not happening in stores and found some similar patterns in Cyber Monday shopping. “What we saw again this year — a little bit of an increase from midnight to six a-m in transaction numbers, but a very slight in increase. And a little bit of a decrease between six a-m and noon, which I thought was kind of interesting” Dix says. “But again, the average spent this year was up anywhere between 20 and 25 percent is kind of where we’ve seen it.” Dix says the increase in spending in stores an online could be an indicator as the shopping season moves along. He says that could be a reflection of the good economy, or people could have little more to spend this year.

The average online purchase was 28 dollars — or up about five dollars compared to 2017. Dix does not have an individual break out on Iowa shopping, but says the overall midwest numbers give a pretty good view of what is happening here.

Sheriff’s deputies in Montgomery County conducted a traffic stop early this (Tuesday) morning, and arrested a woman for Providing False Information, and Driving While Suspended. 48-year old Tracey Marie Kimmet, of Essex, was arrested at around12:45-a.m. and transported to the Montgomery County Jail, where she was being held without bond, pending an appearance before the Magistrate.

A call to police in Red Oak about a domestic assault, Monday evening, resulted in an arrest. Authorities say 24-year old David Lorenzo Harris, of Red Oak, was arrested at around 8:20-p.m. in the 100 block of E. Prospect Street. Harris was brought to the Montgomery County Jail and charged with Domestic Assault/1st offense. He was being held in the jail without bond, pending an appearance before a Magistrate.

Here is the latest Iowa news from The Associated Press at 3:35 a.m. CST

IOWA CITY, Iowa (AP) — Inspectors found some violations at a large Iowa day care center when it was owned by Acting Attorney General Matt Whitaker, including deficiencies in 2007 that prompted a downgrade in its license status. Whitaker and his wife owned Little Endeavors in his hometown of Ankeny, Iowa, a center with a capacity for 204 children from newborn to school-age, from 2003 until 2015. Inspection records paint a mostly positive picture but also find some occasionally serious and persistent concerns.

IOWA CITY, Iowa (AP) — An investigation that found a hostile environment at Iowa’s labor department prompted the state to cut ties with two top administrators, including the longtime chief investigator for workplace deaths and injuries. The case has also produced a whistleblower complaint alleging Commissioner of Labor Michael Mauro and his deputy run the office “like a high school clique,” where friends receive favoritism and others are ridiculed, threatened and called names.

DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) — A new audit says Iowa’s savings from privatizing Medicaid is barely half as much as former Gov. Terry Branstad projected when he forced the change two years ago. The report by Auditor Mary Mosiman also found officials and lawmakers have failed to file quarterly financial reports as required by state law. When Branstad’s administration changed the system for overseeing health care for more than 600,000 poor and disabled Iowans, he projected it would produce $232 million in savings.

NEVADA, Iowa (AP) — A man charged with murder in the death of an Iowa State University golfer has been granted a new attorney over the objections of his current lawyer. The Des Moines Register reports Story County District Court Judge Bethany Currie granted a request Monday by 22-year-old Collin Richards for a different attorney. He cited a “communication issue.” Richards’ current attorney, public defender Paul Rounds, objected, saying there weren’t grounds for the change. Richards has pleaded not guilty.

The Mills County Sheriff’s Office reports 19-year old Faith Leeann Clemmons, of Emerson, was arrested at the Mills County Courthouse Monday morning. Clemmons was taken into custody on a warrant for Failure to Appear, on an original, Possession of a Controlled Substance, charge, and on a warrant for Failure to Appear on Criminal Mischief in the 2nd Degree, Trespass and Assault charges. Her bond was set at $7,000.

At around 2-a.m. Friday, 21-year old Ariana Mersaydeze Parker, of LaVista, NE, was arrested following a traffic stop on Interstate 29, on charges that include Possession of a Controlled Substance, Child Endangerment, and Speeding. Her bond was set at $3,000. And, at around 12:05-a.m. Friday, 22-year old Hawa Mabior Akur, of St. Joseph, MO., was arrested on I-29 for Driving Under Suspension, of Failure to show proof of insurance. Bond was set at $300.

Late Thursday night, 26-year old Dylan Michael Betts, of Omaha, was arrested following a traffic stop on I-29, and charged with Possession of a Controlled Substance. His bond was set at $1,000. At around 2:30-a.m. Thursday, 24-year old Brett Michael Zeski, of Glenwood, was arrested in Mills County for OWI/1st offense. Bond was set at $1,000.

And, on Nov. 21st, 28-year old Aaron James Smith, of Pacific Junction, was arrested in Mills County for Possession of a Controlled Substance. His bond was also set at $1,000.

(Radio Iowa) — The leaders of Iowa’s three public universities made their budget pitches to Governor Kim Reynolds, Monday. University of Iowa president Bruce Harreld is asking lawmakers to approve seven million dollars in additional financial aid for undergrads who are Iowa residents. “I’m aware, very aware, that I must sound like a broken record as I’m consistently commenting on the need to increase resources to the university,” Harreld said. “…We cannot cut our way to quality.”

University of Northern Iowa president Mark Nook says enrollment at the Cedar Falls school is down, but Nook says tuition and fees average about 25-hundred dollars ABOVE universities around the country that are like U-N-I.  “We don’t have the resources and scholarships and things to compete on the same level with Iowa and Iowa State, so it is impacting our enrollment in a pretty significant way,” Nook says. Nook is asking lawmakers for a four million dollar budget boost for U-N-I in each of the next five years.

Iowa State University president Wendy Winterstein says her staff has combed through this year’s budget and reallocated 12 million in spending. “Iowa State is proud to be recognized for our lean organizational structure, but we can’t continue to deliver excellence on efficiencies alone,” Winterstein says. “New resources are needed to be able to assure that we can continue to fulfill our land grant mission and serve the state.”

Winterstein is also asking the governor and the legislature to send I-S-U seven MILLION more state tax dollars for student financial aid. The president of the board that governs the three universities says ensuring tuition is affordable makes a college degree accessible for more Iowans.

DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) — Iowa saved $126 million this year from privatizing its Medicaid system, barely half what former Gov. Terry Branstad projected when he forced the change in 2016, according to an audit released Monday. The report by Auditor Mary Mosiman also found officials and lawmakers have failed to file quarterly financial reports as required by state law.

She said they “should have worked together to establish a method to estimate the program cost savings” when moving from state-managed Medicaid to a system managed by for-profit health care companies. When Branstad’s administration changed the system for overseeing health care for more than 600,000 poor and disabled Iowans, he projected it would produce $232 million in savings.

His successor, Gov. Kim Reynolds, and the Department of Human Services provided a wide range of new savings estimates last year, spanning from $47 million to $234 million. Mosiman found both of those were inaccurate. A $141 million estimate released this past May was the most accurate measure, the audit said, and recommended that method of calculation be used going forward. She updated that figure to $126 million on Nov. 7.

Democratic Sen. Pam Jochum, who called for the audit, says Mosiman’s report is incomplete and doesn’t include millions of dollars the managed care organizations running the program owe doctors, hospitals and mental health care providers. “The partial review of the Medicaid privatization disaster by the departing state auditor is a big pile of excuses with no good answers for Iowa taxpayers who are being ripped off,” Jochum said in a statement.

Mosiman, a Republican lost her bid for re-election to Rob Sand, a Democrat and a former Iowa assistant attorney general who promised a full investigation into the Medicaid finances. “I was elected to provide truth, integrity, and accountability to Iowans, and they deserve more answers,” Sand said. “I will continue to dig into this issue when I assume office in January, as I promised voters.”

Democratic critics and some health care providers have questioned whether the Medicaid change really is producing any savings. DHS has poured more money into Medicaid because insurance providers claimed they were sustaining losses. Iowa officials said in August they were giving Amerigroup and UnitedHealthcare, the two companies that manage the program, an additional $103 million over last year’s funding. Jochum and others have complained Medicaid recipient care has deteriorated under the privatized system. Hospitals, doctors and mental health care providers have said they’re not paid in a timely manner and must often fight to get paid. Jochum called on Reynolds to return Iowa to a publicly managed system.

Reynolds’ Democratic opponent, Fred Hubbell, said he’d return the program to state management, but he was defeated by Reynolds in this month’s general election. Reynolds’ spokeswoman, Brenna Smith, said Iowa like 39 other states adopted privatized managed care because Medicaid was growing at an unsustainable rate. “Our state is now on a path to sustainability, and the governor is working to ensure Iowa has a program that better helps improve patient health,” she said. “The governor has already made positive changes to the program since taking office and will continue to do so.”

DHS Director Jerry Foxhoven said in a statement he hopes the audit can put to rest the question of whether privatization generates savings. “We will continue to focus on providing the needed services to Iowa’s Medicaid members and ensuring the long-term sustainability of Iowa’s Medicaid program,” he said.

DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) — Most of the state’s corn and soybean crop have been harvested ahead of a snowstorm that blanketed much of southern and eastern Iowa. The U.S. Department of Agriculture reported Monday that 96 percent of Iowa’s corn crop had been harvested as of Sunday. While the percentage is even higher in northwest, north-central and central Iowa, 13 percent of corn remained to be harvested in southwest Iowa.

That statewide percentage is four days behind the five-year average. Iowa’s soybean harvest was 98 percent complete. That’s 12 days behind the five-year average.