(Radio Iowa) – There are more than 470-thousand Catholics in Iowa, most of whom will be watching closely as cardinal electors convene in the Sistine Chapel starting today (Wednesday) for the secretive conclave to choose a new pope. University of Iowa religious studies professor Kristy Nabhan (NAB-han) -Warren says millions of dollars in contracts are being traded in online prediction markets as people bet on the next pope’s identity.

For centuries, there’s been enthusiastic speculation about the picking of a pontiff, but betting on the outcome could be grounds for excommunication.

Kristy Nabhan-Warren

Nabhan-Warren says the papal selection process is fascinating to millions around the globe, and she predicts many Iowans will be keeping an open screen on their computers or phones to watch that famous chimney in Vatican City.

Pope Francis, who died April 21st at age 88, was the first Latin American pope and the first pope from Argentina. Nabhan-Warren says his influence will be evident as a successor is chosen.

Francis was also the first pope to be a Jesuit, the first pope from the Southern Hemisphere, and the first born or raised outside Europe since the 8th century — Syrian pope Gregory III.

(Radio Iowa) – Governor Reynolds has signed a bill into law to make it a crime for unauthorized drones to be flown over anything on an Iowa farmstead that covers at least 40 acres. A 2024 has already prohibited drones from flying over animal feeding operations and homesteads. The new law will forbid secret surveillance of farm equipment, crops and any farm animal as well as barns, sheds and other structures on the farm. Representative Derek Wulf, a farmer from Hudson, says it’s an important expansion of last year’s law.

Senator Dan Zumbach (ZUM-bah), a farmer from Ryan, says drones scare livestock.*

It will be a simple misdemeanor to fly a drone over a farmstead — and a serious misdemeanor if the drone can capture audio or video. The law will not apply to farm property that is within city limits.

***********

Other bills signed-into law Tuesday by Governor Reynolds include:

Washington, D.C., May 6, 2025 — The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Food and Nutrition Service (FNS) will require States to make certain all records associated with Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) benefits and allotments are shared with the federal government. The announcement was made today (Tuesday), but U-S Ag Secretary Brooke Rollins, who said “President Trump is rightfully requiring the federal government to have access to all programs it funds, and SNAP is no exception. “

Rollins said “For years, this program has been on autopilot, with no USDA insight into real-time data. The Department is focused on appropriate and lawful participation in SNAP, and today’s request is one of many steps to ensure SNAP is preserved for only those eligible.”

On March 20, 2025, President Trump signed Executive Order 14243, Stopping Waste, Fraud, and Abuse by Eliminating Information Silos, requiring agency heads to “take all necessary steps, to the maximum extent consistent with law, to ensure the federal government has unfettered access to comprehensive data from all State programs that receive federal funding, including, as appropriate, data generated by those programs but maintained in third-party databases.”

The Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program is federally funded, administered by States, and includes relationships with processors and retailers, among others, all of which are information siloes. Today’s guidance prioritizes program integrity and will allow FNS, for the first time, transparency into the data long only held by States and Electronic Benefits Transfer (EBT) processors.

(Radio Iowa) – A state board has agreed to pay a four-point-two MILLION dollar settlement to the brother of a 16-year-old who died of starvation in her adoptive parents home in Perry. Radio Iowa’s O. Kay Henderson reports.

(as said) – Investigators say Sabrina Ray was abused and starved to death by her adoptive mother, who’s serving a life prison sentence, and her adoptive father, sentenced to serve 80 years in prison. Sabrina, who died in 2017, and three of her siblings had been in the foster care system. In 2023, two of the siblings were each paid five MILLION dollars to settle their lawsuits against the state. This latest settlement is with a third sibling who allegedly witnessed and suffered abuse in the same home. The lawsuits claimed state officials failed to properly investigate reports that the children were being abused and neglected.

(Council Bluffs, Iowa) – Officials with the Connections Area Agency on Aging report Farmers Market vouchers are available for seniors meeting income requirements. Vouchers can be used at participating area Farmers Markets to buy $50.00 worth of fresh, locally grown fruit, vegetables, herbs and honey. The Vouchers are valid June 1st through October 31st. Connections says they regret that not being able to distribute vouchers at the same level as in previous years. The USDA provided Connections with 1900 sets of vouchers in 2024. This year the Agency received 750 sets of vouchers for its 20-county service area.

Applications will automatically be mailed to anyone that received vouchers in 2024. Individuals will be randomly selected to receive Farmers Market vouchers. Only one set of vouchers per household.

2025 Farmers Market Process:

• Applications will automatically be sent to last year’s voucher recipients
• Applicants must complete an application and meet eligibility criteria to receive vouchers.
• ONE set of vouchers per household is allowed.
• Voucher distribution is limited. Completed applications must be returned no later than May 30th.

Farmers Market distribution will be done by mail ONLY.

Connections encourages citizens to voice their support for the program by contacting your US members of Congress and share why the program is important to you:

Joni Ernst DC Office (202) 224-3524 Zach Nunn DC Office (202) 225-5476

Chuck Grassley DC Office (202)224-3744 Randy Feenstra DC Office (202) 225-4426

(Radio Iowa) – The Dubuque City Council passed an ordinance Monday against feeding or harassing bears. During discussion of the ordinance, the D-N-R’s Ross Ellingson said the idea is take away the things that lure the bear in.

Ellingson said bears are becoming more prevalent in Iowa due to the large populations of black bears in neighboring states.

Brian Preston. (photo from Dubuque Council meeting video)

Dubuque County Conservation executive director, Brian Preston, said there is one bear that now lives near the city.

Preston said they are trying to emphasize that feeding the bears is not a good thing.

People who feed the bears could face a fine of up to 750 dollars. The ordinance could also require a resident to take down a bird feeder to deter bears. Residents are advised to stay away from bears and not follow them to try and get a picture or video. Harassing bears to get them to go away is not allowed under the ordinance, as the expert said that could lead to more unwanted interaction with the bears.

(Radio Iowa) – Hundreds of Iowa students will be walking or riding bikes to class tomorrow (Wednesday), as part of Walk, Bike and Roll to School Day. Matt Burkey, the Safe Routes to Schools coordinator at the Iowa Bicycle Coalition, says he’s thrilled they’re seeing such a big boost in Iowa schools that are taking part in this twice-a-year promotion.

“We’ve been seeing, in the last two years, an uptick in schools participating,” Burkey says. “I’ve been averaging about 10 new schools every time, but we’ve doubled our numbers from over 60 schools last October, to now, the count is 127 registered schools all across the state of Iowa to promote Walk, Bike and Roll to School Day.”

Burkey says it’s a fun and active way to kick off the school day. “Back in the 1960s, about 60% of people walked or biked to school, and these days it’s less than 10%,” Burkey says. “So if we can get a few families here and there across the state to say, ‘Hey, I don’t need to drive to school and drop off my young students, if I could just walk or bike with them, get the exercise, get some sunshine, wave at the neighbors.’ It’s a great way to start your day and rebuild a sense of community across Iowa.”

While the official day for the event is Wednesday, Burkey says any day in May will do if you’d still like to sign up. “All you have to do is go to WalkBiketoSchool.org and they’ll have a link right there,” Burkey says. “Anyone can sign up their school. It could be the principal or a teacher, or it could just be a parent that says, ‘Hey, I’m going to get a couple families together and we’re going to walk to school together or bike to school together.’”

The day is part of a national movement to promote safe routes to school and active lifestyles for kids of all ages. By participating, Burkey says schools promote safe walking and biking, raise awareness about traffic safety, and encourage positive change in their communities.

(Radio Iowa) – The Iowa Pork Producers Association is now taking nominations for the Best Breaded Pork Tenderloin contest. Spokesperson . Kelsey Sutter (Soo-ter) says they expect to hear from a lot of people.

You can nominate your favorite place to get a pork tenderloin through the end of this month.

The panel will select the top tenderloin in October.

You may nominate your favorite eatery at www.iowapork.org. The Dairy Sweet of Dunlap won the 2024 top breaded tenderloin contest.

(Radio Iowa) – Iowa Senator Chuck Grassley says he supports work requirements for some Medicaid recipients, and confirms he’d at least consider cutting spending on the nation’s public health insurance program for low-income residents by 800-billion dollars — or more.

Congress is working to find common ground on a plan to cut spending in order to pay for President Trump’s plans to extend tax cuts, and to boost spending on defense. Grassley was asked for specifics on the Medicaid work requirements.

About 673-thousand people are covered by Medicaid in Iowa. If you’re able to work, you should be working, Grassley says, adding, most people who have health insurance get it through their employer. He says there would be a long list of Medicaid recipients who would -not- have to work.

Grassley says the work requirement proposal could save the federal government tens of billions of dollars, perhaps 200-billion. He says Medicaid recipients wouldn’t necessarily have to take full-time jobs.

The State of Iowa has already asked the Trump Administration to approve a work requirement plan for some of the Iowa adults enrolled in Medicaid. Governor Kim Reynolds said it’s about “promoting a culture of work” among “able-bodied” adults under age of 65 who get government-paid insurance coverage. The waiver request would require at least 100 hours of work per month.

(Radio Iowa) – Republican Lieutenant Governor Chris Cournoyer has kicked off her campaign for state auditor.

Cournoyer has a computer science degree and she’s been a web developer. She says artificial intelligence can be deployed to make the state auditor’s office more efficient.

Cournoyer’s first campaign for public office was in 2012, for a seat on the Pleasant Valley School Board. Cournoyer served nearly six years in the Iowa Senate before Governor Kim Reynolds appointed her lieutenant governor in December. Less than a month ago, Cournoyer was planning to be the governor’s 2026 runningmate, but that all changed when Reynolds announced she won’t run for re-election.

Governor Reynolds has endorsed Cournoyer’s bid for state auditor, calling her a true fiscal conservative. Over the past two years, Cournoyer led Senate debate of the governor’s bills that reduced the number of state government agencies and boards and commissions.

Democrat Rob Sand, the current state auditor, is expected to run for governor in 2026.