Trump-Endorsed Candidate Feenstra Loses Iowa Primary to Lahn

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Today’s Headlines

In a surprising upset, Iowa’s gubernatorial primary race has concluded with Congressman Randy Feenstra, endorsed by Trump, losing to Zach Lahn, a businessman. This marks a rare defeat for President Trump, whose endorsements typically fare well. Iowa’s farmers and agricultural community have felt the impact of Trump administration policies, such as tariffs and the conflict with Iran, influencing the political dynamics in this Republican-governed state. Despite its leadership, Iowa voters have recently shown support for Democrats in both state and federal elections. Democrats are strategically nominating candidates they believe can win seats in the upcoming November elections. Read more

• 🎧 In the upcoming midterm elections, Lahn will compete against Rob Sand, the Democratic nominee who ran unopposed in the primaries. Sand is also the only statewide Democratic elected official. The race between the two politicians begins as a true toss-up, NPR’s Stephen Fowler tells Up First.
• ➡️ Here are the results so far for the six states that held primaries yesterday.
• ➡️ The California governor’s primary election remains too close to call. Democrat Xavier Becerra and Republican Steve Hilton lead the field, with Democrat Tom Steyer in third.

Plans for Trump’s $1.776 billion anti-weaponization fund are facing setbacks as Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche informed Congress that the initiative is currently paused. This decision follows a judge’s order to halt the fund’s creation due to a lawsuit filed by Democracy Forward and other groups. Read more

• 🎧 The fund has sparked unusual opposition from Senate Republicans, NPR’s Ryan Lucas reports. Concerns revolve around potential payments to January 6 Capitol rioters. This resistance has delayed some of Trump’s policy goals, particularly those related to immigration enforcement. Democrats have labeled the fund a “slush fund” that could allow the president to distribute nearly $1.8 billion to his allies. More details here.

Federal Housing Finance Agency Director Bill Pulte is poised to become the acting director of national intelligence, succeeding Tulsi Gabbard. Although Pulte’s experience is rooted in housing and philanthropy, his biography omits intelligence credentials. Read more

• 🎧 The post-9/11 law mandates extensive national security experience for director of national intelligence nominees, notes NPR’s Danielle Kurtzleben. As an acting director, Pulte bypasses Senate confirmation. Given the international focus on threats, particularly concerning the Iran war, this appointment is significant. Pulte has leveraged his FHFA role to pursue legal actions against Trump’s adversaries, targeting figures like New York Attorney General Letitia James and Senator Adam Schiff.

A new White House web page has raised alarms among researchers for its controversial language on immigration. The site, aliens.gov, likens undocumented immigrants to extraterrestrials, drawing on The X-Files theme. Critics argue that such language could incite violence and hate crimes. Ernesto Castañeda from American University states, “for a few people, it may be another license to act violently against people that they may think are aliens, undocumented. They may be another incitement to hate crimes and to profiling people.” Learn more

Health and Safety Tips

“Forever chemicals,” or per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS), are prevalent in our environment, including water and food. These chemicals are linked to health risks, such as cancer. While complete avoidance is impossible, reducing exposure is recommended. Explore ways to minimize exposure:

• 💧 Verify if your water has been tested for PFAS by contacting your utility. By 2027, utilities are required to test for these under EPA guidelines.
• 💧 If PFAS levels exceed EPA limits, investigate community plans for filtration systems. Effective treatments include activated carbon filters and reverse osmosis. Ensure personal filters are certified for PFAS.
• 💧 Avoid consuming fish from PFAS-affected water bodies. Produce from contaminated water sources may also pose risks.

For further insights into PFAS in drinking water, listen to this episode of NPR’s Life Kit. Subscribe to the Life Kit newsletter for expert advice on various topics.

Community Highlights

Every Thursday, Iraq war veteran John Follmer leads a team of veteran volunteers in reviving a Japanese garden at the West LA Veterans Affairs Campus. An NPR investigation in 2012 brought attention to the misuse of the campus while veterans remained homeless. Legal actions and protests have since resulted in housing for over 1,200 veterans, though progress is slow. Despite Trump’s promises, this year’s budget request lacks funding for new housing. The long-term ambition is to establish a permanent community for veterans. Discover how the garden aids veterans.

Quick Facts

1. Julia Elliott has been awarded the Carol Shields Prize for Fiction for her short story collection, Hellions. The prize recognizes women and nonbinary authors in the U.S. and Canada.
2. Federal regulators are probing former Congressman George Santos for alleged insider trading regarding his attendance at the State of the Union address on Kalshi, a prediction market site.
3. Research from the Federal Reserve Bank of New York indicates a decline in remote job offers for young college graduates, likely due to the increased need for training and mentorship. Learn more.

This newsletter was edited by Suzanne Nuyen.