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President of Iowa Ready-Mix Concrete Company Pleads Guilty to Price Fixing

The president of an Iowa ready-mix concrete company pleaded guilty to participating in a conspiracy to fix prices for sales of ready-mix concrete.



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Executives of Iowa-Ready Mix Concrete Companies Sentenced to Serve Prison Sentences for Price Fixing and Bid Rigging

Two Iowa ready-mix concrete executives were sentenced to serve jail time and pay criminal fines for their participation in separate conspiracies to fix prices and rig bids for sales of ready-mix concrete.



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Construction Manager of Iowa Building Renovation Pleads Guilty to Environmental Crimes

The construction manager for a renovation project at the Equitable Building in Des Moines, Iowa, pleaded guilty today in federal court to conspiracy to violate the Clean Air Act and for violating the Clean Air Act’s work practice standards related to asbestos removal.



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Justice Department Signs Agreement with Des Moines, Iowa, and Des Moines Public Library to Ensure Civic Access for People with Disabilities

An agreement has been reached with the city of Des Moines, Iowa, and the Des Moines Public Library, to improve access to all aspects of civic life for persons with disabilities.



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Owner of Renovated Des Moines, Iowa Building Pleads Guilty to Environmental Crimes

The owner of the Equitable Building in Des Moines, Iowa, pleaded guilty today in federal court in Des Moines to conspiracy to violate the Clean Air Act and to violating the Clean Air Act’s work practice standards related to asbestos removal.



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Justice Department Settles Allegations of Immigration-Related Employment Discrimination in Iowa Against LF Staffing Services Inc.

The Justice Department today announced that it has reached a settlement agreement with LF Staffing Services Inc., located in Cedar Rapids, Iowa, to resolve allegations that LF Staffing Services engaged in employment discrimination by improperly pre-screening job applicants and rejecting valid work authorization documents presented by certain groups of immigrant workers.



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Terra Industries Inc. to Pay $625,000 Clean Air Act Penalty and Spend $17 Million to Install Pollution Controls at Acid Plants in Iowa, Mississippi and Oklahoma

Terra Industries Inc., one of the nation’s largest producers of nitric acid and nitrogen fertilizers, has agreed to pay $625,000 in civil penalties to settle alleged violations of the federal Clean Air Act at nine of its plants in Iowa, Mississippi and Oklahoma.



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Iowa Ready-Mix Concrete Company Pleads Guilty to Participating in Price-Fixing and Bid-Rigging Conspiracies

An Iowa ready-mix concrete company pleaded guilty to participating in three separate conspiracies to fix prices and/or rig bids for the sales of ready-mix concrete.



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Iowa Ready-Mix Concrete Company Pleads Guilty to Participating in Price-Fixing Conspiracy

An Iowa ready-mix concrete company pleaded guilty to participating in a price-fixing conspiracy for the sales of ready-mix concrete.



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Iowa Man Sentenced to 41 Months in Prison for Conspiring to Violate the Clean Air Act

Bobby Joe Knapp, the former owner and operator of the Equitable Building in downtown Des Moines, Iowa, was sentenced today by U.S. District Judge James E. Gritzner to 41 months in prison for conspiring to violate the Clean Air Act and the Clean Air Act’s asbestos work practice standards for his role during the renovation of more than 10 floors of the building between 2005 and 2008.



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Iowa Company Pleads Guilty to Participating in Ready-Mix Concrete Price-Fixing Conspiracy

An Iowa-based company pleaded guilty today to participating in a price-fixing conspiracy for the sales of ready-mix concrete.



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Federal Court Permanently Shuts Down Iowa Tax Preparers

A federal court has permanently barred Howard Musin, his wife Jill Schwartz-Musin and their three companies from preparing federal tax returns for others.



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Justice Department Seeks to Require Iowa Construction Company to Pay Employment Taxes It Withholds from Employees’ Wages

The United States has filed a lawsuit in an Iowa federal court against a Des Moines, Iowa, metro area company, Advanced Underground Construction LLC and its principal, William David Ward II, the Justice Department announced today.



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Iowa Company Pleads Guilty to Participating in Ready-Mix Concrete Price-Fixing and Bid-Rigging Conspiracy

An Iowa ready-mix concrete company pleaded guilty today to participating in a price-fixing and bid-rigging conspiracy for the sales of ready-mix concrete.



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Justice Department Settles Housing Discrimination Lawsuit in Waterloo, Iowa

The lawsuit alleges that Michael Nieman, the former on-site manager of Park Towers, sexually harassed female tenants in violation of the Fair Housing Act.



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Federal Court Orders Iowa Construction Company to Pay Employment Taxes

A federal court has ordered Advanced Underground Construction LLC and William David Ward II to begin paying employment taxes to the United States on a timely basis.



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Iowa Insurance Agent to Pay US to Resolve False Claims Allegations on the Federal Crop Insurance Program

Russell Hawley and Hawley Insurance Inc. of Vail, Iowa, have agreed to pay the United States $834,897.50 to settle allegations that they caused false claims to be submitted to the Federal Crop Insurance Corporation.



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Former Des Moines, Iowa, Police Officers Indicted for Civil Rights Violations and Obstruction of Justice

A federal grand jury in Des Moines, Iowa, returned an indictment today charging two former Des Moines Police Department Officers Mersed Dautovic and John Mailander with violations of federal criminal laws related to an incident involving an alleged assault against a civilian on Sept. 13, 2008.



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Federal Court Orders Iowa Man and Eight Companies to Pay Employment Taxes

A federal court has ordered James Watts and eight corporations to begin paying employment taxes to the United States on a timely basis, the Justice Department announced today.



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Justice Department Reaches Americans with Disabilities Act Settlement with Trinity Health Systems in Iowa

The Justice Department announced today a settlement under the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) with Trinity Health Systems to ensure that Trinity Regional Medical Center in Fort Dodge, Iowa, provides effective communication to individuals who are deaf or hard of hearing.



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Mid-America Pipeline Company and Enterprise Products Operating to Pay $1 Million for Spills in Iowa, Kansas and Nebraska

Mid-America Pipeline Company LLC (MAPCO), and Enterprise Products Operating LLC, of Houston, have agreed to pay a civil penalty of more than $1 million to the United States to settle violations of the federal Clean Water Act related to three natural gasoline pipeline spills in Iowa, Kansas and Nebraska.



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Roquette America Inc., to Pay $4.1 Million Penalty to Settle Violations of Clean Water Act at Its Keokuk, Iowa, Facility

Roquette America, Inc., has agreed to pay a $4.1 million civil penalty to settle alleged violations of the Clean Water Act and its National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (NPDES) permit at its grain processing facility in Keokuk, Iowa.



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Justice Department Settles with Apple Tree Children’s Center in Norwalk, Iowa

The Justice Department announced today that it reached a settlement with Apple Tree Children’s Center of Norwalk, Iowa, to remedy alleged violations of the Americans with Disabilities Act.



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Justice Department Reaches Settlement to Resolve Claim of Citizenship Status Hiring Discrimination in Waterloo, Iowa

The Justice Department announced today that it has reached an agreement with the city of Waterloo, Iowa, resolving allegations that the city violated the anti-discrimination provision of the Immigration and Nationality Act (INA).



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Iowa Man Pleads Guilty to Sexually Exploiting 10-year-old Girl

An Iowa man pleaded guilty today in the District of Massachusetts to federal child exploitation charges moments before his jury trial was scheduled to begin this morning.



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Iowa Company and Top Executives Plead Guilty in Connection with Distribution of Adulterated Eggs

Quality Egg LLC (Quality Egg), Austin “Jack” DeCoster and Peter DeCoster pleaded guilty today in federal court in Sioux City, Iowa, in connection with the distribution of adulterated eggs in interstate commerce.



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Former Iowa State Senator Pleads Guilty to Concealing Federal Campaign Expenditures

A former Iowa State Senator pleaded guilty today to concealing payments he received from a presidential campaign in exchange for switching his support and services from one candidate to another and to obstructing a subsequent investigation into his conduct.



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Collapsible Candidates from Iowa to New Hampshire

After his first place finish in Iowa, which was supposed to propel him to a New Hampshire victory, “change” is probably a word Barack Obama does not like as much anymore. But, his support did not really change much between these two elections. He won 38 percent of Iowa’s delegates and 36 percent of New Hampshire’s vote. It was Hillary Clinton and John McCain who were the big change candidates.

What happens when a presidential candidate that does well in a primary or caucus state, does not do so well in the next? The dynamic of the presidential election can swiftly and stunningly change, as it did in New Hampshire on Tuesday.

How Barack Obama wishes John Edwards showed up in New Hampshire.

Edwards was awarded 30 percent of Iowa’s delegates, barely denying Clinton a second place finish. He finished a distant third in New Hampshire, receiving only 17 percent of the vote. There are strong indications that a shift among his supporters helped propel Hillary Clinton to her New Hampshire victory.

According to the exit polls, Edwards did 8 percentage points worse in New Hampshire among women, while Clinton did 16 percent better. Obama’s support was virtually identical, dropping a statistically insignificant 1 percentage point.

Obama’s support among young people remained strong, if slightly increasing among 18-24 and 30-39 year olds. Clinton’s support remained strong and slightly increased among those 65 and older. Edwards won Iowa’s middle-aged voters, age 40-64, but it was Clinton who decisively won this coveted age demographic in New Hampshire. And where these people were 38 percent Iowa caucus attendees, they were 54 percent of New Hampshire voters. (To understand why their turnout increased, see my analysis of Iowa’s turnout .)

Moving forward, the generational war is still a strong dynamic in the Democratic race, as evident in the candidates’ speech styles following the election results. In Iowa, Clinton was flanked by the ghosts of the Clinton administration. In New Hampshire, she shared the stage with a sea of young voters. In Iowa, Obama spoke of change, a message that resonates with younger people who are not part of the establishment. In New Hampshire his slogan was a message that echoes the can-do spirit of the greatest generation, “Yes, we can!”

In the days between Iowa and New Hampshire, Edwards spoke about how he wanted the election to become a two-way race. One should be careful with what one wishes for. Edwards and Clinton are vying for the same support base, that when united can defeat Obama, at least in New Hampshire. In the short-term, Obama most needs Edwards to do better so that support can continue to be divided.

Among Republicans, John McCain recreated his magic of eight years ago and bounced back strong from a poor Iowa showing to win New Hampshire.

The Iowa and New Hampshire electorates are so different it is difficult to compare them. In Iowa, Evangelical Christians were 60 percent of the electorate, while in New Hampshire, they were only 23 percent. Mike Huckabee’s move from first in Iowa to third in New Hampshire can be clearly attributed to the shrinking of his base. His collapse paved the way for a new winner to emerge.

It is thus tempting to attribute McCain’s victory solely to the different electorates, but he still had to defeat Mitt Romney to win New Hampshire.

According to the exit polls, the battle between McCain and Romney is a referendum on the Bush administration. Surprisingly, McCain, who has tried to rebuild bridges with the Bush establishment since his defeat in the 2000 presidential election, is still seen as the outsider and agent of change by voters participating in the Republican nomination process.

In both Iowa and New Hampshire, McCain drew his support from those who said they are angry or dissatisfied with the Bush administration. Romney drew his support from those who said they are enthusiastic or satisfied. Not surprisingly, McCain is also drawing more support from self-described Independents and Romney from Republicans.

The candidates seem to understand this dynamic, too, as they gave their speeches following the election results. In a contrived bit of acting, Romney showed up on stage without a podium and shoved a prepared speech back into his pocket (if he had needed a podium, his advance team would have provided it). He appeared relaxed, delivering his speech in a personable style reminiscent of Huckabee, who is competing with Romney for those who support Bush. But he also seemed to be reaching out to Independents with a message of change. In stark contrast, McCain delivered a carefully written, almost sedate speech designed to reassure Republicans of his conservative credentials.

This three-way dynamic between Huckabee, McCain, and Romney should prove fascinating as the Republican nomination process moves forward. Where Evangelicals are strong, Huckabee should do well. Where they are not, the rules governing if Independents can or cannot participate will dictate how McCain and Romney do. And we have yet to see regional candidates like Fred Thompson have their day in the sun. And then there is Rudy Giuliani, who is lying in wait in the larger states where his name recognition should give him a significant boost over the other candidates. All of this points to an extended campaign among Republicans.

Michael P. McDonald is an Associate Professor at George Mason University and a Non-Resident Senior Fellow at the Brookings Institution. He studies voter turnout and is a consultant to the national exit poll organization.

     
 
 




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Around the halls: What Brookings experts hope to hear in the Iowa debate

Iran and the recent the U.S. strike that killed Quds Force commander Qasem Soleimani will loom large for the Democratic candidates participating in the debate in Iowa. It may be tempting for the candidates to use this issue primarily as an opportunity to criticize the current administration and issue vague appeals for a return to…

       




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First Iowa Cellulosic Ethanol Plant Gets $105m Loan Guarantee From DoE

If it seems like you've read a variation of the above headline before you're not wrong, and as much as anything it's a sign of the rock road cellulosic ethanol and biofuels in general have had in the past few years. The details: The Department of




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Iowa State Spiderman Discovers Super Heat Conducting Properties of Spider Silk

When an Iowa State professor of mechanical engineering followed his hunch about spider webs, it paid off: he proved biological materials can rival metals in conducting heat.




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Kenyan students design biowaste reactor to harvest dormitory waste

Opportunities are everywhere. Even in poop.




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Agenda 21 Update: Tinfoil Hats in Iowa, Republicans Fight Back

It's Crazytown in Des Moines as Republicans fight Soviet style collectivism, AKA sustainable development




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Iowa man, 65, arrested for 'following a woman around Walmart while masturbating'

Gary Sheriff, 65, was charged with indecent exposure over the shocking act, which took place in a Walmart supercenter in Marion on Saturday.




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Joe Biden gets back on the campaign trail in Iowa with new endorser John Kerry after

Former Vice President Joe Biden continues his 'No Malarkey' bus tour in Iowa Friday - a day after getting in a heated confrontation with an 83-year old voter he called a 'damn liar.'




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Democratic presidential wannabes descend on Iowa State Fair for make or break moment

Iowa State Fair has a long history of photo-ops: Donald Trump arriving in a helicopter; Hillary Clinton and a cow; Barack Obama riding bumper cars with Sasha and candidates like Joe Biden politicking.




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Joe Biden 'confuses Saddam Hussein and Osama bin Laden' during rally in Iowa

The former Vice President, 77, reportedly made the gaffe in Des Moines last weekend while responding to a voter who had concern's about his foreign policy decisions.




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Marco Rubio's plane makes safe emergency landing as he misses Iowa rally for possible presidential running mate Mitt Romney

Florida Senator Marco Rubio had to make an emergency landing in New Mexico after a sensor went off on his private jet that indicated electrical problems.




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Marco Rubio rallies Republicans at Iowa fundraiser, fueling rumors he has his eye on a run in 2016

Sen. Marco Rubio (R-Fla.) spoke on Saturday at Iowa Gov. Terry Branstad's (left) birthday party in Altoona, Iowa, an annual Republican fundraiser in the early nominating state.




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Marco Rubio at Iowa State Fair as his family get giddy over Carrie Underwood

The Florida Senator tossed around a pig skin with his sons Dominic and Anthony and other children in a Des Moines suburb this evening. Tomorrow he's taking his family to the fair.




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Marco Rubio hits Iowa boy in the face with a football

The presidential hopeful was playing catch with his sons and a few Iowans between pork chops at a picnic on Monday night when he let the pigskin slip.




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Marco Rubio swats at Ted Cruz's 'desperation' in airing new attack ads in Iowa

Marco Rubio had a response for Ted Cruz who has been labeling him the 'Republican Obama' in new attacks ads – a shrug and a smile.




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Marco Rubio crowns Ted Cruz the Iowa 'frontrunner'

Marco Rubio slapped Ted Cruz again today by setting expectations for him to win tomorrow night's Iowa caucuses, which polls predict will go to longtime GOP frontrunner Donald Trump.




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Marco Rubio may bring out the man heels if he exceeds expectations in Iowa

Marco Rubio plans to stand head and shoulders above the competition – that is, if he does well tomorrow night in Iowa. Rubio told folks hey might be seeing those infamous black high-heeled booties.




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Elizabeth Warren promises Iowa supporters the party will 'come together' after primaries

Senator Elizabeth Warren kept up her frenetic - and compressed - campaign schedule by storming into Ames, Iowa for an event at the Iowa State University Memorial Union Sunday.




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Democrats will FINALLY start voting as Iowa caucuses begin 2020 race

After some candidates have campaigned for more than a year, Monday night's Iowa caucuses will finally kick off the Democrats' presidential primary race.




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Bernie wins the first Iowa caucus: Group of meatpackers back him 14-1

Sen. Bernie Sanders will win the first delegates of the Iowa caucus, largely thanks to a group of Ethiopian immigrants who work at a pork processing plant.




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Iowa Democratic caucus results in crisis as party says it has found 'INCONSISTENCIES'

Voting officials admitted a string of failures in a panicked conference call which saw their app collapse, the backup call center not working, and local officials fail to record results properly.




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Pete Buttigieg declares VICTORY in Iowa amid Democratic vote fiasco despite NO official results

The former South Bend, Indiana, mayor, 38, declared himself the sensational victor in Iowa despite there being no official results because an app crashed and results are delayed for hours.




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Democratic presidential candidates scramble to put the Iowa fiasco behind them

Democratic presidential candidates deployed across New Hampshire Tuesday for campaign events, after a snafu in Iowa kept the state party from releasing results.