Unified Republican government in the Iowa statehouse looks to mean a transformation of the state's judicial selection process. GOP powerbrokers in the legislature are moving this week to give themselves almost unfettered power to pick judges, and Gov. Kim Reynolds says she's keen on the idea.
The Des Moines Register got a copy of the bill, which would undo central provisions of a merit-based selection process that Iowans added to their state Constitution more than half a century ago. Under the proposal, a judicial nominating committee – currently dominated by attorneys from across the state – would instead become the province of the legislative leadership.
A woman prepares to cast her vote on May 4, 2025 in Bucharest, Romania. The first round of voting begins in the re-run of Romania's presidential election after six months since the original ballot was cancelled due to evidence of Russian influence on the outcome. Then far-right candidate Calin Georgescu surged from less than 5% days before the vote to finish first on 23% despite declaring zero campaign spending. He was subsequently banned from standing in the re-rerun, replaced this time round by George Simion who claims to be a natural ally of Donald Trump.Getty Images, Andrei Pungovschi
Trump & Hegseth gave Mark Kelly a huge 2028 gift