(Radio Iowa) – Iowans who are collecting unemployment will see federal benefits extended under President Trump’s executive order, which he signed as the U-S House and Senate still disagree over a new COVID-19 relief package. Iowa Senator Chuck Grassley says the president’s plan is for Uncle Sam to pick up 75-percent of the cost of those updated jobless benefits, leaving states to pay the remaining 25-percent. “It would go $300 of enhanced federal money,” Grassley says, “and out of the $150-billion that went to states or their own money, they have to put up $100.”

The added federal jobless benefits ran out July 31st and while they lasted, were providing many unemployed people an additional 600-dollars a week. Grassley says the new 400-dollars-a-week plan is the result of compromise. Grassley says, “That $400, I think, was probably selected because it was halfway between the $200 figure that was in the Senate bill and the $600 that we have right now.”

The 400-dollar payments are on top of the regular state unemployment benefits, so some people are able to make more money by not returning to work. Grassley says 600-dollars was way too much and hurt businesses of all sizes as they couldn’t get people to come back to their jobs.”Maybe the $400 is still a disincentive for people to go back to work, but obviously it wouldn’t be as much of a disincentive as the $600,” Grassley says, “and I think it runs for two months.”

Negotiations over the new COVID relief package fell apart late last week. Democrats propose spending some three-trillion dollars through their plan, the HEROES Act, while Republicans favor a one-trillion dollar rescue effort called the HEALS Act.

Here is the latest Iowa news from The Associated Press at 3:15 a.m. CDT

IOWA CITY, Iowa (AP) — Hundreds of thousands across the Midwest remained without electricity after a powerful storm packing 100 mph winds battered the region. Monday’s storms caused widespread property and crop damage, and the deaths of at least two people in Indiana and Iowa. The storm known as a derecho tore from eastern Nebraska across Iowa and parts of Wisconsin and Illinois. In Iowa, three mobile coronavirus testing sites were temporarily closed after suffering storm damage. Iowa Gov. Kim Reynolds said early estimates indicate 10 million acres have been damaged in the nation’s top corn producing state.

WATERLOO, Iowa (AP) — Police have identified a woman killed after the bicycle she was riding was hit by a car in Waterloo earlier this week. The Courier reports that 18-year-old Nicole Kulaszewski, of Waterloo, died Sunday at an Iowa City hospital, hours after the crash. Investigators say Kulaszewski was heading home on the bike from a friend’s house around 2 a.m. Sunday. Police say she was traveling against traffic in the eastbound lanes of Broadway Street when a car driven by a 26-year-old Waterloo woman hit her. The driver pulled over and called 911. She told police she didn’t see Kulaszewski before she hit her.

OTTUMWA, Iowa (AP) — Authorities say an off-duty Iowa sheriff’s deputy has died in an accidental shooting. The Ottumwa Police Department said in a news release that officers responded Tuesday morning and found that 35-year-old Brian Rainey had sustained a gunshot wound to his torso. WHO-TV reports that the deputy with the Mahaska County Sheriff’s Office died from his injuries. Police say the firearm was discharged accidentally.

CEDAR RAPIDS, Iowa (AP) — One of eastern Iowa’s largest employers has revealed it plans to lay off 72 workers at its Cedar Rapids plant. The company, which manufactures aviation and military equipment, had announced on July 30 that it would lay off workers, but declined to say how many. The Gazette reported Monday that it revealed the number in a recent notice to Iowa Workforce Development. The cuts come amid declining sales numbers during the global coronavirus outbreak. Collins Aerospace President Stephen Timm says the cuts primarily affect Collins Aerospace’s commercial business functions.

The Iowa State Patrol today (Tuesday), released information about a fatal motorcycle accident that took place late Saturday morning, in Adams County. Authorities say at around 11:50-a.m., a 2018 Honda CBR100 operated by 33-year old Michael Dean Boles, of Creston, was traveling north on Corning Carl Road, about one-half mile south of 150th Street, when for reasons unknown, the machine went off the road to the right, and entered the east ditch.

The cycle came to rest in a field. Boles died at the scene. The accident remains under investigation.

OTTUMWA, Iowa (AP) — Authorities say an off-duty Iowa sheriff’s deputy has died in an accidental shooting. The Ottumwa Police Department said in a news release that officers responded Tuesday morning and found that 35-year-old Brian Rainey had sustained a gunshot wound to his torso. WHO-TV reports that the deputy with the Mahaska County Sheriff’s Office died from his injuries. Police say the firearm was discharged accidentally.