HONOLULU (AP) – Political controversy persists over a conference planned for federal judges on Maui, with Republican Iowa Senator Charles Grassley calling for the event to be canceled or at least scaled back. Grassley is questioning the need to hold the August conference at the Hyatt Regency Maui Resort and Spa. The 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals has said the gathering will be for serious business meetings and the venue is within the circuit’s jurisdiction.

CEDAR RAPIDS, Iowa (AP) – The chief executive of an Iowa-based commodities brokerage accused of embezzling $200 million in customer funds has appeared in court. Russell Wasendorf Senior made his initial federal court appearance in Cedar Rapids yesterday on charges that he made false statements to financial regulators. Wasendorf appeared healthy during the hearing. He’d been hospitalized after attempting suicide outside the company’s headquarters on Monday.
 
SIOUX CITY, Iowa (AP) – A Sioux City man is charged with vehicular homicide and drunken driving in an accident that killed a passenger last winter. Eighteen-year-old Oscar Ramirez appeared in court yesterday. An arraignment is set for July 27th.
 
PARK RIDGE, Ill. (AP) -The Big Ten and Pac-12 have scrapped their plan to schedule games against each other in all sports. Big Ten Commissioner Jim Delany said yesterday that the league recently learned from Pac-12 Commissioner Larry Scott that coordinating a non-conference football schedule for 24 teams across two leagues was too complicated to pull off.