Iowa primaries; Anti-weaponization fund; Bill Pulte : NPR

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Today’s top stories

Trump-backed Congressman Randy Feenstra loses Iowa gubernatorial primary race Last night at businessman Zach Lahn’s. This is a rare blow to President Trump, who has seen almost all of his hand-picked candidates succeed. Farmers in Iowa have been disproportionately affected by Trump administration policies like tariffs and the war in Iran. The state is governed by Republicans, but voters have cast their ballots for Democrats in recent federal and state elections. Democratic voters are strategically selecting candidates they believe will be best positioned to flip seats in November.

• 🎧 Lahn will face Rob Sands in the upcoming midterm electionsDemocratic nominee who was unopposed in the primary. Sands is also the only statewide Democratic elected official. NPR’s Stephen Fowler explains how the race between the two politicians starts out as a real toss-up first up.
• ➡️ here it is Results so far from six states where primaries were held yesterday.
• ➡️ California gubernatorial primary election lives too close to call. Democrat Xavier Becerra and Republican Steve Hilton lead the field, with Democrat Tom Steyer in third.

Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche told members of Congress yesterday that Trump’s $1.776 billion anti-gun funding plan Not moving forward now. His comments come just days after a federal judge temporarily halted the creation of the fund following a lawsuit by Democracy Forward and other organizations.

• 🎧 In a rare occurrence, the fund has prompted many Republicans, particularly in the Senate, to publicly oppose Trump.NPR’s Ryan Lucas says. Many Republicans disliked the possibility that payments could be given to Capitol rioters who attacked police on January 6, 2021. This Republican pushback has blocked some of the administration’s legislative priorities, including funding for immigration enforcement. From the beginning, Democrats have criticized the fund, arguing that it would serve as a waste fund that allows the President to give away nearly $1.8 billion in taxpayer money to his supporters and allies.

Trump announced yesterday that he is appointing Bill Pulte to be the Director of the Federal Housing Finance Agency. Acting Director of National Intelligence. Pulte replaces Tulsi Gabbard, who is stepping down at the end of the month. Her biography on the FHFA website highlights her career experience in housing and philanthropy, but does not mention any background in intelligence.

• 🎧 The law establishing the position of Director of National Intelligence after 9/11 states that all nominees must do so He has “extensive national security experience,” says NPR’s Danielle Kurtzleben. But Pulte is not the nominee. Trump has nominated him as acting director, meaning he will not have to go through Senate confirmation. Kurtzleben says the role is a critical position as the U.S. deals with foreign threats around the world, particularly during the war with Iran. Pulte plans to pursue Trump’s alleged enemies legally. He has used his position as head of the Federal Housing Finance Agency to accuse several people of mortgage fraud, including New York Attorney General Letitia James and Democratic Senator Adam Schiff.

Researchers are speaking out against a new White House web pageSaying it uses dehumanizing language to target immigrants. Site Alins.gov discusses the threat of “aliens” with initial theme x files. The webpage equates undocumented immigrants with aliens. The administration refers to these individuals as “it” and claims “they don’t belong here.” While some may dismiss the play on words as a joke, Ernesto Castañeda, director of the Center for Latin American and Latino Studies at American University, says that “For some people, it could be another license to take violent actions against people they consider undocumented aliens. They could be another incitement to hate crimes and profiling of people.”

life advice

“Forever chemicals” are everywhere, even in our drinking water and food. These substances, also known as per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances or “PFAS”, have been linked to negative health outcomes, including some types of cancer. According to a report from the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine, it will be impossible to eliminate all sources of PFAS from your life. But it makes sense to minimize exposure to pollutants. Here are some ways you can reduce your PFAS exposure:

• 💧 Check if your water has been tested by calling your utility’s customer service or checking online to see if they have released PFAS data in their water quality reports. Under current Environmental Protection Agency rules, utilities must test for PFAS chemicals by 2027.
• 💧 If PFAS levels in your water are above EPA limits, check if your community plans to install filtration systems. There are some treatment systems that work on this contamination, including activated carbon filters and reverse osmosis. If you get your own filter, make sure it’s certified to treat PFAS.
• 💧 Federal regulators recommend not consuming fish from waterways affected by PFAS. Products grown using contaminated water may also pose exposure risks.

For additional guidance on whether or not there are forever chemicals in your drinking water, listen to this episode of NPR life kit. subscribe to life kit Newsletter for expert advice on love, money, relationships and more.

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Iraq War veteran John Follmer leads a group of veteran volunteers who rehabilitate a neglected Japanese garden on the West LA Veterans Affairs campus every Thursday. In 2012, an NPR investigation revealed that the VA was using the complex for questionable purposes while thousands of veterans slept on the streets. After numerous lawsuits, protests, and government promises, housing for more than 1,200 veterans has been built, but construction is years behind schedule. Trump promised to accelerate construction efforts there but failed to allocate funding for a single new bed in this year’s budget request. The VA told NPR that funding will come later. The ultimate goal is to create a community where veterans can choose to live permanently, not just once they get back on their feet. See how this garden is helping veterans.

3 things to know before you go

1. Julia Elliott has won this year’s Carol Shields Prize for Fiction for her collection of short stories, hell. The award honors the work of women and non-binary writers in the US and Canada.
2. Federal regulators are investigating former New York Congressman George Santos for allegedly betting on his appearance at February’s State of the Union address on prediction market site Kalshi.
3. Research from the Federal Reserve Bank of New York shows that companies are less willing to hire young college graduates into roles that can be done remotely. This probably stems from a reluctance to hire candidates who require more training and mentoring.

Who edited this newspaper? Suzanne Nuyen.