The Gazette Daily News Podcast

Featured Stories:– Cedar Rapids schools back to the drawing board on Harrison Elementary plans– Here’s how Cedar Rapids is working to address Hy-Vee’s closure of First Avenue store– ‘Swine Republic’ makes Library of Congress’ ‘Great Reads’ listSign up for Gazette newsletters here or listen to the award-winning On Iowa Politics Podcast.This episode was hosted and produced by Bailey Cichon.

Featured Stories– Lisa Bluder announces retirement as Iowa women’s basketball coach– Iowa DNR asks Attorney General to seek penalties against co-op that caused massive fertilizer spill– Iowa AG Bird attends Trump trial in NYC, expresses support for former presidentThis episode was hosted and produced by Bailey Cichon.

Featured Stories- Seeking long-term mental health treatment in Iowa- Iowa schools draw fewer candidates for superintendentjobs- Motherhood takes Cedar Rapids native to highest highsand lowest lows

Featured Stories:– Authorities seek Iowa sex trafficking victim who killed alleged abuser– Budget cuts, homelessness among topics in annual Linn County address– Orchestra Iowa among area organizations receiving Inspire Iowa grants– Consider taking the Daily News Podcast SurveyThis episode was hosted and produced by Bailey Cichon.

Featured Stories– Justice Department, civil rights groups sue to block Iowa immigration law – First Avenue Hy-Vee to close, leaving urban grocery gap in northeast Cedar Rapids– Bud & Mary’s to sell cannabis vapes in Missouri– Mucha artistry on display at Cedar Rapids museum– Consider taking the Daily News Podcast SurveyThis episode was hosted and produced by Bailey Cichon.

Featured Stories– West Union loses over $60K to email scam– Iowa facility that mistreated residents with intellectual disabilities nears closure– Two annual Cedar Rapids beer festivals merge into Cedar Rapids Brewing Society Benz Fest, debuting this weekConsider taking the Daily News Podcast Survey. Find a full transcript of this episode at thegazette.com. This episode was hosted and produced by Bailey Cichon.

- Mount Mercy, St. Ambrose considering becoming ‘one institution’- Second autopsy of David Schultz to proceed without body- Reynolds signs new law to bolster early reading- Consider taking our Daily News Podcast Survey

Featured Stories:Iowa universities propose tuition increases for next yearCedar Rapids teachers get 3% base wage increase next yearIowa Republicans call to rally around Trump at state conventionConsider taking our Daily News Podcast Survey - we're considering changes but want to hear from you first!Find episode transcripts on thegazette.com. This episode was hosted and produced by Bailey Cichon.

 Featured Stories- Why Iowa struggles to pass hands-free driving laws- New law protects bikers, mobile pedestrians in crosswalks- Time Check Neighborhood- Daily News Podcast SurveyEpisode TranscriptWelcome to The Gazette’s Daily News Podcast for Monday, May 6, 2024. This podcast provides the latest headlines from the Gazette newsroom. I’m Becky Lutgen Gardner.First, despite broad support, Iowa struggles to pass hands-free driving laws. Bills mandating hands-free technology to limit cellphone use while driving have been introduced in the Iowa Legislature since 2019, but all attempts at passage have been unsuccessful. More than 30 other states have passed such laws. Why doesn’t Iowa?Advocates, fueled by personal tragedies like Ellen Bengtson's death in 2020, have relentlessly urged lawmakers to follow suit. Ellen was fatally struck by a distracted driver who was checking an app on his phone while doing over 55 miles an hour.The absence of a hands-free law in Iowa resulted in the judge dismissing the case against the driver. Despite bipartisan and law enforcement backing, the latest distracted driving bill faced staunch resistance, notably from a libertarian faction within the GOP, citing concerns about individual liberties.Rep. John Wills believes the focus should be on broader measures to curb distracted driving, not solely on phoneuse. He argues, "Let’s not make the phone the enemy... Let’s cure thedisease rather than putting a Band-Aid on it."Such arguments are drawing criticism. Luke Hoffman, executive director of the Iowa BicycleCoalition rejects the idea of a false choicebetween freedom and safety. "What is the first responsibility ofgovernment? It is to protect the people," Hoffman asserts.Ellen's mother, JoAnn Bengtson, urgesdrivers to prioritize safety and emphasize personal responsibility: "Putyour phone away... Turn your notifications off."Despite these pleas, the legislative impassepersists, leaving families like the Bengtsons grappling with profound loss."Justice in this case doesn’t bring our daughter back," PeterBengtson laments. "As a parent, you want to protect your daughter. It’ssomething we’ll never get over."Next,advocates say a new law signed Fridayby Gov. Kim Reynolds will make Iowa’s roads and crosswalks safer.The legislation extends the state’s crosswalk protection law. Drivers in Iowa are now required to yield to pedestrians in crosswalks.The new law expands that requirement by requiring vehicles to yield tobicyclists and pedestrians using mobility devices in crosswalks. Iowa Bicycle Coalition executive director Luke Hoffman said, “Whether youare out on the trails as a cyclist, a person with disabilities in a wheelchair,a senior citizen on an electric scooter, a kid on a...

Featured Stories:– Iowa’s graduation rates have been incorrectly calculated for the last 10 years– Justice Department intends to sue to block Iowa immigration law– 300 tornadoes hit U.S. in April, second-most everConsider taking our Daily News Podcast SurveyWe're considering some changes to the Gazette Daily News Podcast, but we want to hear from you before doing so. This episode's description has a link to a brief survey or you can visit thegazette dot com slash survey. We hope you take a few minutes to share your thoughts on this show. Thank you!This episode was hosted and produced by Bailey Cichon.