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Sen. Grassley Visists Missippi River Flood Zone, Sen. Ernst Praises North Atlantic Trade Deal, 5:32

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The Trump administration reached agreements with Canada and Mexico to lift tariffs on metals imported from those countries.  The deal resolves a yearlong standoff that inflamed North Atlantic tensions and complicated efforts to ratify a revised trade deal.

Iowa Governor Kim Reynolds and U.S. Senator Joni Ernst praised the deal.  Ernst issued a statement saying the deal was huge news for Iowa, especially the state’s farmers and manufacturers.   

Iowa’s senior U.S. Senator met with residents affected by record flooding on the Mississippi River Friday. Recent floods crested higher and lasted longer than ever before.

Some Iowa researchers, residents and Democratic presidential candidates have said the recent floods in Iowa are due to climate change. Questioned by reporters in Davenport, Grassley said it is a factor.

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“If you’re asking me, is global warming real? And if you’re asking me if the temperature has risen in the last hundred years, the answer is yes.”

In the context of a changing climate, some Iowa scientists say the state should rethink development in the floodplain – even consider taking vulnerable farmland out of production. Grassley says he’s not totally convinced. 

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“I think…I think in some places. But not up and down every river.”

The water has receded, but with more rain expected, forecasters are warning the Mississippi may rise again in the coming days.

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