Renewable fuels on the line

It's his first week on the job. -Messenger photo by Hans Madsen Don Heck, director of the Iowa Central Biofuels Testing Laboratory, talks about their services during a meeting with Iowa Secretary of Agriculture Mike Naig and a group of producers concerned about changes to the renewable fuels standards in the Iowa Central Community College Board Room.

U.S. seeks ‘concrete actions’ from N. Korea before planned talks

U.S. President Donald Trump will not meet with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un unless Pyongyang takes "concrete actions," the White House said yesterday as it faced criticism for agreeing to talks that would boost Kim's standing. "The president will not have the meeting without seeing concrete steps and concrete actions take place by North Korea, so the president will actually be getting something," White House spokeswoman Sarah Sanders told a news briefing.

Congress must take back its authority on trade

President Trump's threats of a trade war, and his recent signing of tariffs on steel and aluminum, can and should be constrained by Congress reasserting its constitutional authority over trade policy. Article I, Section 8 of the United States Constitution grants Congress the authority to regulate trade with foreign nations.

Bangert: Rokita’s fear of the Mourdock moment

Todd Rokita says he'll stand up to the elite, so why is he afraid of debates he considers not conservative enough? 4th District has heard this before Bangert: Todd Rokita's fear of the Mourdock moment Todd Rokita says he'll stand up to the elite, so why is he afraid of debates he considers not conservative enough? 4th District has heard this before Check out this story on jconline.com: http://on.jconline.com/2Gc6B5h Todd Rokita says he'll stand up to the elite, so why is he afraid of debates he considers not conservative enough? The 4th District has heard this one before Senatorial candidate Todd Rokita responds to a question during the Indiana Republican Senate Primary Debate between Rokita and fellow Senate candidates Luke Messer and Mike Braun at Emmis Communications in Indianapolis on Tuesday, Feb. 20, 2018.

Barnes ANG renovated main hangar reopens

Governor Charlie Baker was in Westfield Friday night to mark a multi-million dollar improvement at Barnes Air National Guard base. The state's highest ranking Massachusetts National Guard officer was also on hand to celebrate the renovation and the reopening of the 104th Fighter Group's main hangar.

Lawmakers rethink selection process for University of Minnesota Board of Regents

State legislators are debating proposals to change how members of the University of Minnesota's governing body are picked, a system critics say has sometimes favored the politically connected over the most qualified. The process has drawn fresh attention after the surprise resignation of Regent Patricia Simmons on Wednesday.

Rokita skipping televised Indiana GOP Senate debate

U.S. Rep. Todd Rokita has decided to skip a televised debate planned for next month with the two other candidates seeking the Republican U.S. Senate nomination. The nonprofit Indiana Debate Commission announced Friday that U.S. Rep. Luke Messer and former state Rep. Mike Braun had agreed to the April 30 debate that will be made available to TV stations throughout the state.

Senate Ag Committee Chair Roberts Issues Statement On Tariffs

SENATE AG COMMITTEE CHAIR ROBERTS ISSUES STATEMENT ON TARIFFS Mar. 9, 2018 Source: office of Senator Pat Roberts U.S. Sen. Pat Roberts , a senior member of the Senate Finance Committee, today released the following statement on President Trump's announcement of a 25 percent tariff on steel and a 10 percent tariff on aluminum: "This proposal is not a tariff on steel and aluminum imports; it is a tax on consumers," said Roberts. "As we have seen in past cases of increased tariffs, higher manufacturing costs will inevitably be passed down the supply chain, forcing consumers to bear these costs.

Trump Org says it donated $151,470 in profits to US Treasury

The Trump Organization has donated $151,470 in foreign government profits at its hotels and similar businesses last year to the U.S. Treasury, an executive said in a statement Friday. George Sorial, the executive vice president and chief compliance counsel, said the Feb. 22 voluntary donation fulfills the company's pledge to donate profits from foreign government patronage while Donald Trump is president.

Trump risks trade war to keeping political promise on tariffs

As he blitzed through the industrial Midwest as a presidential candidate, Donald Trump pitched himself as the savior of the "forgotten" men and women in communities where factories had been shuttered and jobs were moved overseas. Now, Trump is risking a trade war to fulfill a political promise to the voters who helped put him in the White House.

Herea s what kind of weapons Marco Rubio thinks should be OK for 18-year-olds to buy

Three and a half weeks ago, Marco Rubio walked into an arena of 7,000 grieving Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School students, parents, teachers and alumni with a message: Young adults should not be able to buy rifles. "I absolutely believe that in this country if you are 18 years of age, you should not be able to buy a rifle and I will support a law that takes that right away," the Florida Republican said at the town hall event in response to a question from Fred Guttenberg, a Parkland father whose 14-year-old daughter, Jaime, was killed in the shooting.

Justice Pat DeWine seeks dismissal of ethics charge

Ohio Supreme Court Justice Patrick DeWine is seeking the dismissal of a judicial ethics charge alleging his improperly used the influence of his office in asking a county prosecutor to hire his son for a summer job. DeWine is not required to respond to another charge - that he has improperly failed to recuse himself from hearing cases involving the office of his father, Attorney General Mike DeWine - until his motion to dismiss receives a ruling from a three-judge panel.

Biofuel plant managers ask Trump to defend RFS

Managers at 150 biofuel production centers across the heartland sent a letter to President Donald Trump, urging the White House to "stand strong in defense of the Renewable Fuel Standard." Growth Energy joined the plant managers in calling for Reid Vapor Pressure relief and asking the administration to reject Sen. Ted Cruz's proposals.