Gov. Jim Pillen signed an executive order Wednesday that narrows the definition of male and female to be based solely on biological sex, according to the Sioux City Journal.
Pillen signed the executive order Wednesday, which he titled the “Women’s Bill of Rights,” dictating that males and females are defined specifically by their reproductive systems, and hinted at future legislation to restrict the participation of trans women in women’s athletics.
The executive order comes just a few days after former University of Kentucky swimmer Riley Gaines met with Pillen and other Nebraska officials to push for restrictions against trans athletes.
State Sen. Megan Hunt of Omaha, a vocal supporter of trans rights, said on Twiiter that the order puts Nebraska at risk of losing federal funding intended to protect marginalized communities from discrimination.
The latest There’s been an 18% increase in extreme drought conditions since last week’s report.
State Climatologist Justin Glisan tells Radio Iowa there’s a persistent area of extreme drought in southeast Iowa. Some farmers have begun chopping corn for silage because most leaves on the stalks have died.
Small sections of Fremont and Ringgold Counties are the only areas of Iowa considered to be drought-free and Glisan says 99.49% of the entire state is now in some level of drought.
The southern two tiers of Iowa got an average amount of rainfall during the past month. On this last day of August, there is no rain in the forecast anywhere in Iowa.
An Iowa State University committee’s has voted keep Carrie Chapman Catt’s name on a campus building for the time being. The committee was formed in 2021 after accusations that Catt used racist language and tactics in her effort to get the 19th Amendment passed.
The building was named in Catt's honor in 1990 for her efforts to ratify the 19th Amendment giving women the right to vote.
There is a public input period that will last through October 29th, and the committee will then take a final vote.
Kids are back in school across the country and most of them need internet connectivity to succeed in class. The Federal Communications Commission has a program available to offset those costs. The Affordable Connectivity Program (ACP) helps eligible households get the internet they need for work, school, health care and more.
The ACP provides eligible households a savings of $30* per month toward internet service. Alejandro Roark is Chief of the Consumer and Governmental Affairs Bureau. He says the service started as way to address connectivity needs during the COVID pandemic.
“Since then has been put on more permanent footing as the Affordable Connectivity Program. And this is just a really great moment as a lot of kids go back to school, as a lot of us realize, this a an essential tool that we all need to have access to.”
Participating providers apply the monthly savings from the program directly to internet bills for households signed up for the ACP. For households on qualifying Tribal lands, the savings is $75 per month. Eligible households can also receive a one-time savings of up to $100 toward the purchase of a laptop, desktop computer or tablet from participating providers.
There are now over 20 million eligible households enrolled in the ACP. Of these, 3 million are rural households.
