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China says it will work with US to resolve issues related to TikTok

BEIJING (AP) — President Donald Trump’s meeting Thursday with China’s top leader Xi Jinping produced a raft of decisions to help dial back trade tensions, but no agreement on TikTok’s ownership.

“China will work with the U.S. to properly resolve issues related to TikTok,” China’s Commerce Ministry said after the meeting.

It gave no details on any progress toward ending uncertainty about the fate of the popular video-sharing platform in the U.S.

The Trump administration had been signaling that it may have finally reached a deal with Beijing to keep TikTok running in the U.S.

Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent had said on CBS’s “Face the Nation” on Sunday that the two leaders will “consummate that transaction on Thursday in Korea.”

Wide bipartisan majorities in Congress passed — and President Joe Biden signed — a law that would ban TikTok in the U.S. if it did not find a new owner to replace China’s ByteDance. The platform went dark briefly on a January deadline but on his first day in office, Trump signed an executive order to keep it running while his administration tries to reach an agreement for the sale of the company.

Three more executive orders followed, as Trump, without a clear legal basis, extended deadlines for a TikTok deal. The second was in April, when White House officials believed they were nearing a deal to spin off TikTok into a new company with U.S. ownership. That fell apart when China backed out after Trump announced sharply higher tariffs on Chinese products. Deadlines in June and September passed, with Trump saying he would allow TikTok to continue operating in the United States in a way that meets national security concerns.

Trump’s order was meant to enable an American-led group of investors to buy the app from China’s ByteDance, though the deal also requires China’s approval.

However, TikTok deal is “not really a big thing for Xi Jinping,” said Bonnie Glaser, managing director of the German Marshall Fund’s Indo-Pacific program, during a media briefing Tuesday. “(China is) happy to let (Trump) declare that they have finally kept a deal. Whether or not that deal will protect the data of Americans is a big question going forward.”

“A big question mark for the United States, of course, is whether this is consistent with U.S. law since there was a law passed by Congress,” Glaser said.

About 43% of U.S. adults under the age of 30 say they regularly get news from TikTok, higher than any other social media app, including YouTube, Facebook and Instagram, according to a Pew Research Center report published in September.

A recent Pew Research Center survey found that about one-third of Americans said they supported a TikTok ban, down from 50% in March 2023. Roughly one-third said they would oppose a ban, and a similar percentage said they weren’t sure.

Among those who said they supported banning the social media platform, about 8 in 10 cited concerns over users’ data security being at risk as a major factor in their decision, according to the report.

The security debate centers on the TikTok recommendation algorithm — which has steered millions of users into an endless stream of video shorts. China has said the algorithm must remain under Chinese control by law. But a U.S. regulation that Congress passed with bipartisan support said any divestment of TikTok would require the platform to cut ties with ByteDance.

American officials have warned the algorithm — a complex system of rules and calculations that platforms use to deliver personalized content — is vulnerable to manipulation by Chinese authorities, but no evidence has been presented by U.S. officials proving that China has attempted to do so.

Weekly Fuel Report

DES MOINES — The price of regular unleaded gasoline fell 1 cent from last week’s price and is currently averaging $2.80 across Iowa according to AAA.

Crude Oil Summary

  • The price of global crude oil rose this week on the West Texas Intermediate (WTI) by $2.19 per barrel, and is currently priced at $60.88.
  • Brent crude oil rose by $2.45 and is currently priced at $65.18.
  • One year ago, WTI crude sold for $67.48 and Brent crude was $71.09.

Motor Fuels

  • As of Wednesday, the price of regular unleaded gasoline averaged $2.80 across Iowa according to AAA.
    • Prices fell 1 cent from last week’s price and are down 11 cents from a year ago.
    • The national average on Wednesday was $3.04, down 3 cents from last week’s price.
  • Retail diesel prices in Iowa rose 12 cents this week with a statewide average of $3.53.
    • One year ago, diesel prices averaged $3.39 in Iowa.
    • The current Iowa diesel price is 15 cents lower than the national average of $3.68.
  • The current Des Moines Terminal/Rack Prices are $1.87 for U87-E10, $2.06 for Unleaded 87 (clear), $2.51 for ULSD#2, $2.84 for ULSD#1, and $1.93 per gallon for E-70 prices.

Heating Fuels

  • Natural gas prices were up 41 cents at the Henry Hub reporting site and are currently priced at $3.85 MMbtu.
  • Propane prices averaged $1.52 per gallon in Iowa.
  • Home heating oil prices had a statewide average of $3.16 per gallon.

Tips for saving energy on the road or at home are available at energy.gov and fueleconomy.gov.

Mahaska County Conservation to Celebrate 50th Anniversary with Grand Opening of New Nature Playscape

OSKALOOSA — The Mahaska County Conservation Board invites the public to join in celebrating a major milestone the Grand Opening of the new Nature Playscape and the 50th Anniversary of Mahaska County Conservation on Saturday, November 8, 2025, at 10:00 a.m. 

The event will take place at the Environmental Learning Center, located at 2342 Highway 92, Oskaloosa, Iowa. Admission is free, and everyone is welcome to attend.

Event Highlights 

The celebration will begin with a ribbon cutting ceremony, followed by a puppet parade, music by the Oskaloosa Middle School Band, and a variety of family-friendly activities throughout the day. Guests can also enjoy refreshments and tram rides around the Environmental Learning Center grounds. The new Nature Playscape offers a creative, hands-on outdoor experience designed to inspire children to explore, play, and connect with nature. Built as part of Mahaska County Conservations mission to promote outdoor education, the playscape provides an exciting addition to local recreation opportunities. 

Honoring 50 Years of Conservation 

This event marks 50 years of Mahaska County Conservation, which has served the community through land preservation, wildlife protection, and environmental education. Over the past five decades, the Conservation Board has worked to enhance Mahaska Countys natural areas, providing residents with opportunities to learn about and enjoy the outdoors. 

Albia MS Among Four Iowa schools named as 2025 Iowa Blue Ribbon Schools

DES MOINES — Governor Kim Reynolds and the Iowa Department of Education announced that four Iowa schools have been selected as the state’s inaugural Iowa Blue Ribbon Schools for 2025 during a ceremony at the Iowa State Capitol. Formerly the National Blue Ribbon Schools, the prestigious program is now a state-led recognition initiative, honoring some of the state’s top-performing schools.

“I am thrilled to recognize each of Iowa’s Blue Ribbon Schools for their hard work to earn this well-deserved honor and their dedication to helping every student succeed,” Gov. Reynolds said. “This year Iowa was excited to help lead the way in launching this prestigious program as a statewide initiative to continue to honor high-performing schools, highlighting the transformational work that takes place every day in their classrooms.”

Iowa’s inaugural 2025 Blue Ribbons Schools are:

  • Albia Middle School, Albia Community School District
  • Bryant Elementary School, Dubuque Community School District
  • George-Little Rock Elementary, George-Little Rock Community School District
  • Prairie Hill Elementary School, College Community School District

“Iowa’s inaugural Blue Ribbon School designation recognizes these school communities as models of excellence in Iowa and across the nation, celebrating the accomplishments of students, educators, and families across all corners of the state,” said Iowa Department of Education Director McKenzie Snow. “We applaud Iowa’s Blue Ribbon Schools for their leadership to advance evidence-based reading and math instruction, support teachers in doing their best work, and empower students with multiple pathways to postsecondary success. The Department is proud to join Iowans in continuing to honor our exceptional schools that provide all students what they need to meet high expectations and realize their incredible potential.”

The Iowa Department of Education is well positioned to lead this program as a state initiative, having identified, nominated and celebrated more than 200 Iowa schools that have received this honored designation since its inception in 1982.

The U.S. Department of Education (USED) announced in August that it was transitioning the Blue Ribbon Schools recognition program to states, providing the opportunity to celebrate exemplary schools that are achieving their unique educational goals. Previously, the Blue Ribbon Schools program was jointly administered by USED and state departments of education, and the important work of identifying schools for recognition was always done at the state level

In its inaugural year, schools recognized through the Iowa Blue Ribbon Schools program were identified based on the prior National Blue Ribbon Schools requirements. Iowa’s four designees were honored as Exemplary High-Performing Schools, which are measured by state assessments or nationally normed tests. Each of these schools performed in the top 15 percent of all Iowa public schools based on overall performance on school accountability indicators, including student proficiency and growth.

Eligibility criteria in future years for this highly selective designation will also align with Iowa’s state education priorities built on a foundation of vibrant, safe and healthy learning environments, which include:

  • Advancing a strong teacher pipeline through recruitment, development and retention.
  • Strengthening early literacy and numeracy through evidence-based reading and math instruction.
  • Narrowing and closing achievement gaps through accountability and support.
  • Empowering students with multiple pathways to postsecondary success and completion.

Additional information on the Iowa Blue Ribbon Schools program can be found on the Department’s Iowa Blue Ribbon Schools webpage at: https://educate.iowa.gov/pk-12/award-exchange-programs/iowa-blue-ribbon-schools

Isolated flight delays may spread as air traffic controllers go without pay during shutdown

WASHINGTON (AP) — Air traffic controllers missed their paychecks Tuesday because of the ongoing government shutdown, and that has Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy and the head of the controllers’ union concerned that flight delays could multiply as increasingly stressed-out controllers call out sick.

Recent absences have led to a number of isolated delays around the country because the Federal Aviation Administration was already extremely short on controllers prior to the shutdown. The FAA restricts the number of flights landing and taking off at an airport anytime there is a shortage of controllers to ensure safety.

There’s no way to predict when or where delays might happen because even a small number of absences can disrupt operations at times. Sometimes the delays are only 30 minutes, but some airports have reported delays more than two hours long — and some have even had to stop all flights temporarily.

So far, most of the delays have been isolated and temporary. Aviation analytics firm Cirium said that normally about 20% of all flights are delayed more than 15 minutes for a variety of reasons.

The data Cirium tracks shows there has not been a dramatic increase in the total number of delays overall since the shutdown began on Oct. 1. Nearly 80% of the flights at a sample of 14 major airports nationwide have still been on time this month.

Though a two-hour-long staffing-related ground stop at Los Angeles International Airport made national news on Sunday, a major thunderstorm in Dallas that day had a bigger impact on flights when only about 44% of flights were on time. Cirium said 72% of the flights out of LAX were still on time Sunday.

But Duffy and the president of the National Air Traffic Controllers Association Nick Daniels have continued to emphasize the pressure that controllers are feeling. They say the problems are likely to only get worse the longer the shutdown continues.

“Air traffic controllers have to have 100% of focus 100% of the time,” Daniels said Tuesday at a news conference alongside Duffy at LaGuardia Airport in New York. “And I’m watching air traffic controllers going to work. I’m getting the stories. They’re worried about paying for medicine for their daughter. I got a message from a controller that said, ‘I’m running out of money. And if she doesn’t get the medicine she needs, she dies. That’s the end.’”

Controllers gathered outside 20 airports nationwide Tuesday to hand out leaflets urging an end to the shutdown as soon as possible. Worrying about how to pay their bills is driving some to take second jobs to make ends meet.

The number of controllers calling in sick has increased during the shutdown both because of their frustration with the situation and because controllers need the time off to work second jobs instead of continuing to work six days a week like many of them routinely do. Duffy has said that controllers could be fired if they abuse their sick time, but the vast majority of them have continued to show up for work every day.

Air traffic controller Joe Segretto, who works at a regional radar facility that directs planes in and out of airports in the New York area, said morale is suffering as controllers worry more about money.

“The pressure is real,” Segretto said. “We have people trying to keep these airplanes safe. We have trainees — that are trying to learn a new job that is very fast-paced, very stressful, very complex — now having to worry about how they’re going to pay bills.”

Duffy said the shutdown is also making it harder for the government to reduce the longstanding shortage of about 3,000 controllers. He said that some students have dropped out of the air traffic controller academy in Oklahoma City, and younger controllers who are still training to do the job might abandon the career because they can’t afford to go without pay.

“This shutdown is making it harder for me to accomplish those goals,” Duffy said.

The longer the shutdown continues, pressure will continue to build on Congress to reach an agreement to reopen the government. During the 35-day shutdown in President Donald Trump’s first term the disruptions to flights across the country contributed to the end of that disruption. But so far, Democrats and Republicans have shown little sign of reaching a deal to fund the government.

Furbearer season preview

DES MOINES — Iowa’s furbearer season begins November 1, and state wildlife experts say most species populations are in good shape.

“Most species are trending higher, except for gray fox and possibly muskrats,” said Vince Evelsizer, furbearer and wetland biologist with the Iowa Department of Natural Resources. “We do have some indicators that the muskrat population might be higher this year because of water in the wetlands from early spring rains and the huts are showing up.”

Water levels vary across the state, but in general, marshes, streams and rivers are better than last year. “A lot of north Iowa marshes have water in them, which bodes well for species like muskrats, and the weather outlook is favorable heading into the first two weeks of the season. We’re not expecting freeze up for water trappers,” he said.

Roughly 15,000 Iowans participate in the fur harvest season, and that number has been fairly steady since 2020.

Iowa has seen an uptick in trapping interest, thanks to the Iowa Trappers Association, Iowa DNR’s Hunter Ed Program, and DNR Law Enforcement Officers Evelsizer said.

“The Iowa Trappers Association has been hosting beginning trapper workshops, conventions, and ‘how to’ trapping videos. We’re finding that the motivation to attend these workshops is to learn trapping skills, get outdoors, and understand predator management.”

As far as the market goes, prices are similar to last year with a few upticks for badgers, wild mink and striped skunk.

“Each year is different, but indications are that the fur market will be fairly similar to last year, with the potential for demand of certain pelts to change during the season like we saw with striped skunk last year,” he said.

As far as other species, the coyote population is stable to slightly increasing across the state, and bobcat and otters are doing well. The raccoon population is variable due to distemper outbreaks, but stable to slightly increasing overall.

“We encourage everyone to review the trapping regulations, be responsible, ethical trappers, and have a safe trapping season,” Evelsizer said.

Central College Names New CFO and Controller

PELLA — Central College President Mark Putnam announced the appointment of Kayla Flanders as chief financial officer and controller. Flanders served as vice president of finance at Pella Corporation since 2024. She begins her duties at Central Tuesday, Oct. 28.

“Kayla’s professional expertise and extensive background in audit, compliance, risk management and governance are crucial skill sets today for institutions of higher education and certainly Central,” Putnam said. “She has the ability to build relationships, communicate complex scenarios and engage in strategic discussions that will help inform our critical budget and forecasting work. As a community member, Kayla understands the strong partnerships among the college, the city and our business communities. I am pleased to welcome her to the team.”

Flanders served in a series of finance roles at Pella Corporation since 2015 including director of finance – enterprise vinyl; director of corporate accounting; senior manager – corporate accounting; finance manager – national accounts and senior internal audit manager. Prior to that, she served as vice president and senior internal audit manager at Wells Fargo and as ethics and compliance officer at DuPont. Flanders also had professional stops at Layne Christensen Company, H&R Block, HNTB and Deloitte and Touche.

Following the resignation of Karen Tumlinson at the college, Central’s corporate, board-elected treasurer Mike Van Voorst, a 1993 Central graduate and trustee, assisted in the interim. He will continue as treasurer.

“I am deeply grateful to Mike for the work he’s done in his treasurer role over the past few months,” Putnam said. “We are fortunate Mike is able to continue on in his role and I’m grateful for his trustee leadership and financial acumen. He’s been a tremendous asset to the college. As Mike and Kayla have worked together before, I anticipate a successful and seamless transition.”

In this new position, Flanders also brings service experience including the Marion County Development Committee, co-chair of a women’s leadership connection business resource group, Iowa Society of CPAs board and committee service, and board and past president of the Central Iowa Chapter of Institute of Internal Auditors. She has spoken at conferences on governance risk and control.

“I’m thrilled to bring my experience in finance, risk management, governance and control to Central College,” Flanders said. “This role represents a powerful intersection of mission-driven leadership and financial stewardship, and I’m eager to help advance Central’s strategic priorities with integrity and transparency.”

Flanders earned her Bachelor of Science in Accounting from Iowa State University in Ames, her CPA designation and is a native Iowan. She and her husband Doug live in Pella with their two children, Ethan and Emma.

Man Sentenced for Role in Death Concealment in Newton

NEWTON – A Hudson man who was arrested earlier this year during a death investigation was sentenced this week.

47-year-old Thomas Patrick Olofson was one of four men accused of attempting to conceal the death of 66-year-old Tomie Lee Misner Jr. of Des Moines after an investigation into Misner’s death in June. 

According to court records, Olofson and 53-year-old Jeffery Allen Stevens of Newton had been under police surveillance as part of a drug investigation when Olofson attempted to flee from a traffic stop on June 9, resulting in a high-speed chase in which he and a female passenger allegedly threw methamphetamine out of their vehicle and attempted to destroy other evidence. The chase came to an end when Olofson drove the wrong way down I-80 and crashed his vehicle into a fence.

Olofson reportedly told authorities about a body in Stevens’ home after being taken into custody. The body of Tomie Lee Misner Jr. was later found in the basement of Stevens’ home.

Olofson was sentenced for his role in this incident on Monday to a 2-year prison sentence and an $855 fine after pleading guilty to obstructing prosecution, an aggravated misdemeanor. As part of the plea agreement, a felony charge of abuse of a corpse was dismissed.

Jeffery Allen Stevens remains in custody for abuse of a corpse and obstructing prosecution and has a court appearance scheduled for November 3. 36-year-old Alysha Buell of Des Moines also has a court appearance on November 3 for her role in this incident, though she is currently free after posting bond. 63-year-old Scott Ray Mabrier of Des Moines was given a 10-year prison sentence for abuse of a corpse in August for his role in the incident.

NBA starts review of policies after gambling-related arrests of Rozier, Billups

NEW YORK (AP) — The NBA, in reaction to the arrests of Miami guard Terry Rozier and Portland coach Chauncey Billups last week for their alleged role in gambling schemes, has started a review of how the league can protect not just the integrity of the game but its players and coaches as well.

The league made those revelations in a memo sent to all 30 teams, a copy of which was obtained by The Associated Press.

“Given the spread of legal betting to the majority of U.S. states, the recurrence of integrity issues across sports, and the emergence of novel betting formats and markets, this is an opportune time to carefully reassess how sports betting should be regulated and how sports leagues can best protect themselves, their players, and their fans,” read the memo, sent by the NBA’s legal department.

Meanwhile, the quest for answers has reached lawmakers in Washington with the Senate on Monday following a request from a House committee last week in asking the NBA for information.

Sen. Ted Cruz, the Republican chairman of the Commerce Committee, and Sen. Maria Cantwell, the top Democrat on that panel, want information “about how the NBA investigated and handled these allegations as well as what steps the Association is taking to maintain the public’s trust.”

Their specific questions revolve around why the league’s probe of Rozier and the events surrounding a March 23, 2023 game when he was with the Charlotte Hornets.

“This Committee needs to understand the specifics of the NBA’s investigation and why Rozier was cleared to continue playing basketball,” Cruz and Cantwell wrote. “This is a matter of Congressional concern. The integrity of NBA games must be trustworthy and free from the influence of organized crime or gambling-related activity. Sports betting scandals like this one may lead the American public to assume that all sports are corrupt.”

They asked Commissioner Adam Silver to provide answers by Nov. 10.

Two indictments were unsealed last week and nearly three dozen people — most notably, Billups and Rozier — were arrested by federal officials.

Rozier was arrested because federal officials allege he conspired with associates to help them win bets based on his statistical performance in that March 2023 game. The charges are similar to what former Toronto player Jontay Porter faced before he was banned from the league by Silver in 2024.

Sportsbooks detected unusual patterns of wagers on the Charlotte game in question — prop bets involving Rozier were flagged and immediately brought to the NBA’s attention — and the league probed the matter but did not find enough evidence to conclude that Rozier broke any rules.

“While the unusual betting on Terry Rozier’s ‘unders’ in the March 2023 game was detected in real time because the bets were placed legally, we believe there is more that can be done from a legal/regulatory perspective to protect the integrity of the NBA and our affiliated leagues,” the league told its teams. “In particular, proposition bets on individual player performance involve heightened integrity concerns and require additional scrutiny.”

Monday’s moves comes on the heels of several developments last week, including the NFL reminding players of its gambling policy, MLB Commissioner Rob Manfred saying that baseball is moving “as fast as we can” on a probe of two players in that sport, and a Congressional committee asking Silver for a briefing by the end of this week to discuss topics including how “gaps, if any, in existing regulations that allow illegal betting schemes to occur.” Silver has said many times he would prefer federal regulation on sports betting instead of the current state-by-state approach.

It was not clear Monday if Silver would appear before the Committee on Energy and Commerce, which requested the briefing in a letter signed by six members of Congress.

Among the things the league said Monday it will take a look at: injury reports. The league publishes an injury report every hour, and teams are required to disclose statuses of players within certain windows of time before their next game. The NBA added the injury report several years ago in the interest of transparency.

The injury statuses can be used by bettors to decide which wagers to make — and if gamblers get that information before the rest of the public, it’s tantamount to insider trading. Former NBA player Damon Jones now faces charges because officials said he tipped off bettors about the health status of two Los Angeles Lakers players. The details in that indictment clearly show that Jones was discussing the availability of LeBron James and former Lakers center Anthony Davis with bettors before their statuses for certain games was known publicly. There is no indication that James or Davis had any knowledge of what Jones was alleged to be doing.

There were other examples of such tipping with other clubs, federal officials said.

“With sports betting now occupying such a significant part of the current sports landscape, every effort must be made to ensure that players, coaches, and other NBA personnel are fully aware of the dire risks that gambling can impose upon their careers and livelihoods; that our injury disclosure rules are appropriate; and that players are protected from harassment from bettors,” the memo said.

The league also said it is seeking input from teams, if they have any ideas on how to best proceed going forward.

Pheasants flourished after being introduced in Iowa more than 100 years ago

By Dar Danielson (Radio Iowa)

The 100th pheasant season opened Saturday in Iowa for a sport that Iowa DNR wildlife biologist Todd Bogenschutz says had a humble start.

The first pheasants were released from William Benton’s wild game farm near Cedar Falls in 1901 when a storm wrecked their pen. The bird population continued to grow to a point where the State Conservation Commission got complaints of crops being damaged and started to take action. “Game wardens at the time we’re asking land owners to pick up wild eggs in the field or trap wild pheasants in1925, with 60,000 eggs and like 7,000 wild birds that were picked up and delivered to other areas of the state without pheasants,” he says.

The state also started the first pheasant hunt the same year.  “Maybe 75,000 people participated in that first season in 1925. It was 13 counties in north-central Iowa,” Bogenschutz says. “It was a three-day season, you could only hunt from 8:00 a.m. to noon, and that was a three rooster bag limit.” Bogenschutz says they didn’t have any survey back then but he guesses around 250,000 birds were taken.

Bogenschutz says there weren’t large mechanized farms with fence row to fence row planting back then, and the landscape was perfect for pheasants to thrive. “Half the ag landscape either being small grains or hay or pasture, and then corn was the major crop,” he says. “The other crops besides the small grains were, you know, people were growing beets and sweet clover for seed, and a lot of things that you don’t see anymore today. But yeah, that combination of small fields and that much grassy cover. obviously grew a lot of pheasants.”

Surveys soon found hunters taking one million or more birds. Bogenschutz says soybeans started becoming really popular in the 60s and more so in the 70s and that led to a big decline in small grains and hay. “Like from the mid 1950s to about 1980. And so now we’re kind of a corn soybean rotation instead of a corn old hay rotation, so that has impacts on the number of birds that we could grow,” he says.

Bird numbers swung back up during the farm crisis of the 1980s that led to the creation of the Conservation Reserve Program that paid farmers to take less desirable land out of production, creating more grassland. “That was a big boon for pheasants and I on our harvest again approached. You know 1.2 to one and a half million birds,” he says.

Weather has been the other factor that has impacted the pheasant season. Bogenschutz bad winters and springs from. 2007 to about 2011 sent bird numbers way down. )”That was a very unique time frame for us there and it really drove our populations down. We’ve kind of been on an upward trend since then and Mother Nature has been relatively cooperative to us,” Bogenschutz says.

The 100th season started Saturday and will run through January.

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