Coming up next on KCCI eight News closer. We're coming up on K. CC eight News. Close up we know we're going to need more than a million new nurses over the next few years. Critical nursing shortage. What needs done to recruit Iowans to the medical field? This work is hard, this work is draining, pushing for change in Iowa, how the racial justice movement continues to get things done. They just didn't have the will to fight the people that I was around sharing perspective what a metro veteran is saying about the war on terror ending in Afghanistan. This is Iowa's news leader. This is K C C I eight news. Close up. Good morning and thank you for joining us. A big announcement thursday from president biden. He's now requiring vaccines. This is not about freedom or personal choice. It's about protecting yourself and those around you. The people you work with, The people you care about, the people you love fellow Americans. The president laid out six steps to his plan, focusing on public health schools and the economy. It includes increasing testing and requiring mass. It also aims to protect economic recovery and improve care for those with COVID-19 All federal workers must be vaccinated and must be tested regularly. The labor Department will require all businesses within with 100 or more employees get vaccinated or tested once a week. Right now. 52% of excuse me, All eligible Iowans are fully vaccinated including 64% of Iowans 18 and older Right now 554 Iowans are in the hospital fighting coronavirus Of those hospitalized, 79% are not fully vaccinated. And the pandemic isn't the only thing causing strain for metro hospitals. Many are dealing with a nurse shortage. The Iowa Board of Nursing tells K. C. C. I. What needs done to fix it. We were starting to see a a worsening of the nursing shortage. Pre uh the pandemic, pre the onset of covid. We were starting to get the word even here in Iowa that some of our hospitals, especially long term care. Certainly we're having more and more difficulty replacing registered nurses and and having a full workforce. And that was partly driven by what's continued to be a problem of an ageing workforce um but also of um decreased demand to a certain degree and changes in where nurses are being utilized. So more nurses are finding jobs outside of direct care. So they're working with um business, they're working um in insurance, they are doing a wide variety of things at the same time, the needs of the country. We're increasing, especially with the baby boomers. Um So many of them have chronic disease that requires ongoing care and then the pandemic hit and that took a tremendous toll on the nursing workforce as well as other direct care providers. Many of them emerged from their first round of covid saying, I can't do this again and have left the career or have changed to careers. Um career options that are less stressful and less demanding. We cannot meet the capacity needed right now. We can't meet it because we don't have enough educators who are out there ready to teach new nurses. We don't have enough capacity and programs and they were already having difficulty finding adequate clinical space. Fleet are replacement so that students could get that real experience before they become licensed and enter the profession. And that got significantly worse during Covid, when many hospitals denied students opportunities. Um and what we're finding is those students who finished their education during the pandemic and who had limited and very um reduced opportunities to practice as other practice professions have done where they go out and spend time with experts in their field as that was denied. We are seeing that their success rate in entering the profession has decreased. We know we're going to need more than a million new nurses over the next few years, if you will. Um certainly over the next 5 to 10 years and that's gonna be very hard to do. We need to find ways to make uh nursing um pay better, especially in Iowa, which is consistently ranked at the bottom of the nation or pay rates. We need to incentivize programs to um maximize enrollment, but also to make it um lucrative. If you will um to have to appeal to nurse educators, we have a bottleneck. We don't, we can't educate enough nurses. We can't keep the nurses, we have. And yet the demand from americans is just increasing with more older adults, more chronic disease with the long term covid and other kinds of health issues that we are seeing become more dominant in our society. The need for nurses is increasing dramatically at the same time that the available nurses entering practice is shrinking. It's not a good situation. Well, the delta variant continues to cause Covid 19 cases to rise in the state. It shows 4000 more Iowans tested positive for the virus on friday 6300 Iowans with covid 19 have died since the pandemic began. In a new variant of the coronavirus is being found in nearly every state. An infectious disease expert tells K. C. C. I why it's concerning since about january of 2021. Uh the W. H. O. And others have recognized this variant which has been dubbed mu. Uh it was first recognized in Colombia I think and has gained some widespread distribution mostly in south America. It appears uh that it has been detected in all 49 states in the us uh with the exclusion of Nebraska for some reason. Uh it remains a very tiny proportion of the cases that are out there. Uh you know, 99.9% of the cases sequenced are are the delta. But there is this small fraction of mu in the U. S. Lab studies in the test tube, so called in vitro studies show that uh you know, this particular variant may have the capacity to escape some of the um protective effects of the vaccine. But those, you know, those studies are to be interpreted cautiously because in the real world and people that might not be the case on a day to day basis, uh we are we don't have access to uh knowledge of exactly what variants we may be seeing. All we know is we know broadly that uh you know, 99% of what we're seeing currently and I was delta. We should continue to worry about Covid 19 in general right now. Delta is the predominant thing. And uh if it's not, you, you know, it'll be something else down the road as long as we have enough susceptible people out there. So the way not to worry about it is to get uh in a population that's highly vaccinated. So the more people that we have vaccinated, the less chance the virus has a chance of establishing shop and somebody's nose and and the less chance it has of developing a variant and friday. A polk County judge denied a temporary injunction on a lawsuit filed on the mask mandate ban in Iowa. The lawsuit filed by Francis par last month says the band causes harm to her twin boys. But the judge says her attorney didn't show the ban on mask mandates causes irreparable harm to her kids. It went on to say that even if the band was reversed, there's no evidence. The council bluffs school district would create its own mandate pars application for a permanent injunction is still pending. Also friday, there was a federal court hearing over the state's ban on mask mandates in Iowa schools. The A. C. L. U. Of Iowa filed the lawsuit on behalf of a group of 11 parents who claim Iowa's new law discriminates against their Children. Those parents say their kids have been forced out of school because they're at a higher risk of serious complications from Covid 19. The families are asking for a temporary restraining order to block the law, the impact from last year's racial justice movement. What organizers are doing to advocate for change? Why pay more to sell your home next generation real deal? Well, last week we showed you the progress activists are pointing to just one year after the nationwide movement for racial justice took to the streets, but they say there's still more work to be done. K. C. C. I. S race bigger Takes a look at the movement today and why communication is key in the first part of this series. We focus on changes in legislation and how D M. P. D. Says they're moving forward to help unify the city. Now we're looking into the hurdles of the black community as well as the resources that are looking to make it better and what needs to change to unify the community And so when you have more and more diverse um group of people who are saying, we want to, we're looking we're watching, we want to make sure that you're accountable and that you're treating everybody right. Betty Andrews president of the Iowa Nebraska HCP chapter is hoping that more diversity means more transparency. There have been changes in legislation and more accountability on police years prior, but especially after the 2020 protest programs and outreach of change to including approaches to accountability from city government organizations, there is a committee that has the responsibility of informing our legislators on criminal justice. So what did we do? We went to that committee and found out that there were some um challenges, I'm gonna say challenges, but more so that they needed the input, they needed our voice. So the education part looks like consulting with legislative groups about perspectives of color and organizations like des Moines Police Department. The MPD says they've had implicit bias training for several years reevaluating what the community needs. But what may be missing is community participation. But I really think what we need to do is work hard on this next training with regards to the community and try and make sure that we're bringing the community in and having those interactions because I really feel like, as was mentioned earlier, it's really powerful when you can have the officers meet with different representatives from the community and learn about each other and or at least have some really, you know in many cases difficult conversations. Gene Hanson and Chuxing stock, how built the curriculum for implicit bias training. Although they admit there are helpful moments, they also believe there are deeper perspectives that need to grow. You see a scene like some of the officers kneeling with some of the protesters and it's so powerful in that moment but in that moment they are together and in that moment they are seeing each other as people your person and I'm a person which can be seen as a moment of respect. But Betty andrews says how that gesture translates to everyday life will be the true test of change in the meantime. Andrew says they're organizing and educating in order to meet the pillars. Community organizers in this movement have constantly asked for. Some include an alliance formed between the city and social activist groups. A stop to racial profiling, restore voting rights to felons who have done their time and decriminalizing marijuana traffic stops. Um african americans are stopped way exponentially more than um white people. So all of those things matter among other disparities. The A. C. L. U. Reports that black people were more likely to get arrested for marijuana possession in every state and in some states they were 6 to 10 times more likely in 2018 Montana Kentucky Illinois, West Virginia and Iowa where the states with the highest racial disparities in marijuana possession to be arrested more than white people. D. M. P. D. Sent us a statement in part to the response to medical marijuana arrest quote, there is most often a triggering event that brings the officer into contact with a person and the possession of marijuana charges are incidental to the purpose of the contact. We will continue to be appropriately aggressive and our efforts to eradicate drug dealers from our neighborhoods. Med Farm believes their program could be a good solution to legally get marijuana for medical purposes. But more people need to know about it specifically. More access to communities of color is because Med Farm and I think the medical cannabis program in Iowa sees firsthand that minority participation in the program is extremely low, if not non existent. And we think that perhaps, you know, the task force was onto something by talking about this topic because there's probably a lot of minorities justifiably so, given the impact that prohibitions had on them over the years that are very hesitant to take to participate in this program that's legal and overseen by the state. Medford, take years to develop in Iowa going from a little over 1000 participants in the first year to a little over 6300 this year and now their focus is to get the knowledge of the program to black communities in hopes of being part of the solution when it comes to a decrease in black arrests. Things that used to be in place, it is no longer is that you used to not be able to be a used to be able to have had a felony on your record and to be a patient. They removed that in 2020 that the legislature removed that prohibition. That's been if someone wants to take part in the medical marijuana program, they need doctor approval for specific ailments like PTSD and chronic pain away to legitimately possess marijuana. While the first priority of the medical marijuana program was to add approved, you got a concern that the building is going to fall down and hit you or there something you can't really breathe well and everything they're trying to figure out how to do what needs to be done ailments. The focus has shifted to outreach work is hard, this work is draining and um people are not getting paid to to say these things and and to share their experiences. So it is difficult work. But I think that as citizens who want to see things improved and of course we as black people and people of color who want to see things improved were absolutely for doing that. And when we see that that is effective. Um that's cool, consistent work conversations and outreach. The same elements continue to move us forward. Although many activists are sure we have a long way to go in policy, many are optimistic that maybe if we stopped long enough to just listen without the intention of responding. We can really hear each other until next time for project community. I'm real speaker. Well still to come special election. Next meet the two candidates vying for votes in Iowa's House District 37 race on Tuesday every case. Well, voters in Anthony in northeast polk county head to the polls Tuesday for a special election. I have a house district 37 was left vacant after the death of john Landon in late july democrat Andrea phillips was formerly the vice chair of the Iowa Democratic Party Republican. Mike Bustillo was chief of staff to governor Branstad and the former budget director for governor Reynolds Kcc is James Stratton introduces us to both of them. I can tell you what's resonating at doors for a guy who's never served in an elected position. Mike Buffalo has spent a lot of time in the capital for both the Branstad and Reynolds administrations. I've been proud of my service and I was excited to put my name on the line uh, to, to serve my community after john Landon passed away a top issue for buffalo public safety. I think that's priority number one because having a safe community allows people to invest in our community. Those investments lead to jobs for islands and better hopes and futures for our Iowa families and what he calls accountability between schools and parents so parents can choose what's right for their kids. Parents get to make choices at their kitchen table for their families, which leads to the question, does he support the ban on mask mandates in schools in Iowa, I don't think that choice should be taken from parents. I think that's the ultimate form of local control. Further. The Republican says state government is doing enough to protect Iowans from Covid 19. We have a high vaccination rate and I trust Iowans to make the decisions that are best and safest for them and their families. And with just a month between the announcement, he's running an election day, He says he's wasting no time. I'm trying to earn the vote of as many people in House District 37 as possible. Get the awareness out of of this special election on September 14 and really just doing my best to share my message. I've been getting really positive responses from people Andrea phillips wants to bring her international business background to Iowa state politics. The now grad student is studying partisanship and polarization, hoping to apply it in des Moines. I think people are ready for a little more balance at the statehouse balance. She says that doesn't include rushing bills through the state House and attaching unrelated items to other bills. I think they've passed a lot of extreme divisive legislation that Iowans don't support other top issues for the democrat who has run for the seat twice in the past before include funding schools, making health care more affordable and supporting clean energy and more when it comes to covid 19 having a leader at the top who is following the science and following the recommendations from the CDC would be helpful. Phillips believes the state can do more to protect Iowans from the virus and that a mask mandate in schools should be locally chosen. I think that decision should be with the school board. That's what we elect them for. That's what they're therefore they know their local community better than anyone else. Phillips has run for the seat in a normal election year. She says the month long special election campaign is difficult but still feels the same or you have to make sure people are aware of the election and uh you know, listen to their concerns in Anthony James Stratton Kcc. I ate news Iowa's news leader. Well the winner of Tuesday's special election will serve the remainder of the term until 2022 still to come witnessing the shift first hand A retired military pilot shares his frustrations as the war on terror in Afghanistan comes to an end. Our growing family can't afford 7%. Mhm Thursday. The Taliban agreed to allow 200 people including the last of American troops to leave Afghanistan. The Biden Administration estimates 65,000 vulnerable Afghans will be brought to the US by the end of the month and a war veteran from the metro is sharing his perspective on the US withdrawal K. C. C. I. S. Tommy clark talked with a recently retired pilot about his decades of service and why he believes the war wasn't winnable june 1st of last year I retired 38 years and two days of military service brian O'keefe has worn a lot of hats over the years from des Moines fire inspector to chief warrant officer for a pilot in the U. S. Army. His service started as a Roosevelt grad looking for an adventure. I remember that feeling. You know at 18 the veteran finished his military career in Afghanistan up in the valley, spent 1/4 of july up there in 2015 because the Afghan had abandoned the border. He had a bird's eye view from a black hawk were like the Goodyear blimp over over the battlefield so we would look for high value targets. We would do patterns of life as O keefe did his job. He says, frustration grew watching the US start to pull out and hand over control to the Afghan army. I know there's some people that have worked directly with some really good operators and afghan soldiers but what I saw they just didn't have the will to fight the people that I was around his purpose went beyond the battlefield. I just never saw it as a winnable war. Um The reason I willing and wanted to go serve was to protect my fellow service members. Any loss of life is terrible. I saw a lot of backside of C130s with caskets in it. Yeah. Excuse me. Mhm. That's why being a mentor to the next generation of soldiers meant so much when you can give some comfort first time to hear something blow up near him or they're hitting the ground laying there. What's you know that was important to me. As the last soldier left Afghanistan O'keefe felt relief for his comrades. We'll serve with a purpose and the tactics and politics of it currently don't support us or give us the opportunity to succeed. So I don't think that we should be there. But now it's time for him to put on his most cherished hat yet you know I enjoyed the service. It's a blessing. But I have five grandkids now. It's something that I'm not gonna take lightly now that I have this new phase of my life. I'm Tommy clark Casey CNN news. I was news leader. Well thank you for joining us for K. C. C. I. Eight News close up. We will see you back here same time next sunday >> COMING UP ON CLOSE-UP, CRITICAL NURSING SHORTAGE, HOW MANY PEOPLE ARE SAID TO LEAVE THE MEDICAL FIELD AND WHAT NEEDS TO BE DONEO TRECRUIT IOWANS. >> COMING UP ON KCCI 8 NEWS CLOSE-UP -- >> WE KNOW WE ARE GOING TO NEED MORE THAN ONE MILLION NEW NURSES. OVER THE NEXT FEW YEARS. >> CRITICAL NURSING SHORTAGE, WHAT NEEDS DONE TO RECRUIT IOWANS TO THE MEDICAL FIELD. >> THIS WORK IS HARD, IT’S TRAINING. >> PUSHING FOR CHANGE IN IOWA, HOW THE RACIAL JUSTICE MOVEMENT CONTINUES TO GET THINGS DONE. >> THEY DIDN’T HAVE THE WILL TO FIGHT THE PEOPLE I WAS AROUND. >> SHARING PERSPECTIVE, WHAT A METRO VETERAN IS SAYING ABOUT THE WAR ON TERROR ENDING IN AFGHANISTAN. [KCCI CAPTIONING IS BROUGHT TO YOU BY THE IOWA CLINIC.] >> THIS IS IOWA’S NEWS LEADER THIS IS KCCI EIGHT NEWS CLOSE-UP. >> THANK YOU FOR JOINING US, A BIG ANNOUNCEMENT THURSDAY FROM THE PRESIDENT HE IS REQUIRING VACCINES. PRES. BIDEN: THIS IS NOT ABOUT FREEDOM OR PERSONAL CHOICE. IT IS AOUT PROTECTING YOURSELF AND THOSE AROUND YOU. THE PEOPLE YOU WORK WITH, THE PEOPLE YOU CARE ABOUT, THE PEOPLE YOU LOVE. >> THE PRESIDENT LAID OUT SIX STEPS TO HIS PLAN FOCUSING ON PUBLIC HEALTH, SCHOOLS, AND THE ECONYOM INCLUDING INCREASING TESTING AND REQUIRING MASKS. IT AIMS TO PROTECT ECONOMIC RECOVERY AND IMPROVE CARE FOR THOSE WITH COVID-19. ALL FEDERAL WORKERS MUST BE VACCINATED AND TESTED REGULARLY. THE LABOR DEPARTMENT WROTE -- WILL REQUIRE BUSINESSES WITH 100 OR MORE EMPLOYEES GET VACCINATED OR TESTED ONCE A WEEK. 52% OF ELIGIBLE ISLANDS ARE FULLY VACCINATED RIGHT NOW INCLUDING 64% OF ISLANDS 18 AND OLDER. 554 IOWANS ARE IN THE HOSPITAL FIGHTING CORONAVIRUS, OF THOSE HOSPITALIZED, 79% ARE NOT FULLY VACCINATED. THE PANDEMIC IS NOT THE ONLY THING CAUSING STRAIN FOR METRO HOSPITALS, MANY ARE DEALING WITH A NURSE SHORTAGE. THE IOWA BOARD OF NURSING TELLS KCCI WHAT NEEDS TO BE DONE TO FIX IT. >> WE WERE STARTING TO SEE A WORSENING OF THE NURSING SHORTAGE PRE-PANDEMIC. WE WERE STARTING TO GET THE WORD EVEN IN IOWA, THAT SOME OF OUR HOSPITALS ESPECIALLY LONG-TERM CARE, OR HAVING DIFFICULTY REPLACING REGISTERED NURSES AND HAVING A FULL WORKFORCE. THAT WAS PARTLY DRIVEN BY WHAT HAS CONTINUED TO BE A PROBLEM OF AN AGING WORKFORCE. BUT ALSO, OF DECREASED DEMAND TO A CERTAIN DEGREE AND IT CHANGES IN THE WHERE NURSES ARE BEING UTILIZED. MORE NURSES ARE FINDING JOBS OUTSIDE DIRECT CARE. THEY ARE WORKING WITH BUSINESS, THEY ARE WORKING IN INSURANCE, THEY ARE DOING A WIDE VARIETY OF THINGS. AT THE SAME TIME, THE NEEDS OF THE COUNTRY ARE INCREASING ESPECIALLY WITH THE BABY BOOMERS. MANY HAVE DISEASE THAT REQUIRES ONGOING CARE. THEN, THE PANDEMIC HITS. THAT TOOK A TREMENDOUS TOLL ON THE NURSING WORKFORCE AS WELL AS OTHER DIRECT CARE PROVIDERS. MANY OF THEM EMERGED FROM THEIR FIRST ROUNDS OF COVID SAYING, I CAN’T DO THIS AGAIN. AND HAVE LEFT THE CAREER OR HAVE CHANGED TO CAREERS THAT ARE LESS STRESSFUL AND LESS DEMANDING. WE CAN’T MEET THE CAPACITY NEEDED RIGHT NOW. WE DON’T HAVE ENOUGH EDUCATORS OUT THERE READY TO TEACH NEW NURSES, WE DON’T HAVE ENOUGH CAPACITY AND PROGRAMS, AND THEY WERE ALREADY HAVING DIFFICULTY FINDING ADEQUATE CLINICAL SPACING -- OR PLACEMENT, SO STUDENTS COULD GET THAT REAL EXPERIENCE BEFORE THEY BECOME LICENSED AND ENTER THE PROFESSION. THAT FELT SIGNIFICANTLY WORSE DUNGRI COVID ONE MANY HOSPITALS DENIED STUDENTS OPPORTUNIESTI. WHAT WE ARE FINDING IS THOSE STUDENTS WHO FINISH THEIR EDATUCION DURING THE PANDEMIC AND HAD LIMITED AND REDUCED OPPORTUNITIES TO PRACTICES A OTHER PRACTICE PROFESSIONS HAVE DONE WHEN THEY SPEND TIME WITH EXPERTS IN THEIR FIE.LD AS THAT WAS DENIED, WE ARE SEEING THE SUCCESS RATE IN ENTERING THE PROFESSION HAS DECREASED. WE KNOW WE ARE GOING TO NEED MORE THAN ONE MILLION NEW NURSES. CERTAINLY OVER THE NEXT FIVE TO 10 YEARS. THAT WILL BE HARD TO DO. WE NEED TO FIND WAYS TO MAKE NURSING YPA BETTER, ESPECIALLY IN IOWA WHICH IS CONSISTENTLY RANKED AT THE BOTTOM OF THE NATION F PORAY RATES. WE NEED TO INCENTIVIZE PROGRAMS TO MAXIMIZE ENROLLMENT BUT ALSO TO MAKE IT LUCRATIVE, IF YOU WILL, TO APPEAL TO NURSE ED UCATORS. WE HAVE A BOTTLENECK, WE CAN’T EDUCATE ENOUGH NURSE WS,E CAN’T KEEP THE NURSES WE HAVE AND GET, THE DEMAND FROM AMERICANS IS INCRSINGEA WITH OLDER ADULTS, MORE CHRONIC DISEASE WITH LONG-TERM COVID AND OTHER HEALTH ISSUES WE ARE SEEING BECOME MORE DOMINANT IN OUR SOCIETY, ETH NEED FOR NURSES IS INCREASING DRAMATICALLY AT THE SAME TIME SHRINKING. IT IS NOT A GOOD SITUATION. >> THE DELTA VARIANT CONTINUES TO CAUSE COVID-19 CASES TO RISE IN T SHETATE. IT SHOWS 4004 IOWANS TEEDST POSITIVE FOR THE VIRUS FRIDAY, 6300 IOWANS WITH COVID-19 HAVE DIED SINCE THE PANDEMIC BEGAN. A NEW VARIANT OF THE CORONAVIRUS IS BEING FOUND IN NEARLY EVERY STATE, AND INFECTIOUS DISEASE EXPERT TELLS KCCI WHY IS CONCERNING. >> SINCE ABOUT JANUARY OF 2021, THE WHO AND OTHERS HAVE RECOGNIZED THIS VARIANT WHICH HAS BEEN DUBBED NEW -- MU. IT WAS FIRST RECOGNIZED IN COLUMBIA AND HAS GAINED SOME WIDESPREAD DISTRIBUTION MOSTLY IN SOUTH AMERICA. IT APPEARS THAT IT HAS BEEN DETECTED IN ALL 49 STATES WITH THE EXCLUSION OF NEBRASKA FOR SOME REASON. IT REMAINS A TINY PROPORTION OF THE CASES THAT ARE OUT THE.RE 99% -- 99.9% OF CASES SEQUENCED OUR ETH DELTA. THERE IS A SMALL FRACONTI OF M --MU IN THE.S U.. STUDIES SHOW THAT THIS VARIANT MIGHT HAVE THE CAPACITY TO ESCAPE SOME OF THE PROTECTIVE EFFECTS OF THE VACCINE. THOSE STUDIES ARE TO BE INTERPREDTE CAUTIOUSLY, IN THE REAL WORLD IN PEOPLE, THAT MIGHT NOT BE THE CASE. ON A DAY-TO-DAY BASIWES ARE -- WE DON’T HAVE ACCESTOS KNOWLEDGE OF EXACTLY WHAT VARIANTS WE MIGHT BE SEEING. ALWEL KNOW IS, WE KNOW BROADLY THAT 99% OF WHAT WE ARE SEEING CURRENTLY IN IOWA IS DELTA. WE SHOULD CONTINUE TO WORRY ABOUT COVID-1IN9 GENERAL, DELTA IS THE PREDOMINANT THING. IF IT IS NOT MU, IT WILL BE SOMETHING ELSE DOWN THE ROAD. AS LONG AS WE HAVE ENOUGH SUSCEPTIBLE PEOPLE OUT THERE. THE WAY NOT TO WORRY ABOUT IT IS TO GETN A I POPULATION THAT IS HIGHLY VACCINATED. THE REMO PEOPLE WE HAVE VACCINATED, THE LESS CHANCE OF ESTABLISHING SHOINP SOMEBODY’S NOSE IN THE LESS CHANCE IT HAS OF DEVELOPING A VARIANT. >> FRIDAY A JUDGE DENIED A TEMPORARY INJUNCTION OAN LAWSUIT FILED ON THE MASS COMMANDED BAN IN IOWA. THE LAWSUIT FILED BY FRANCIS BARR LAST MONTH SAYS THE BAND CAUSES HARM TO HER TWIN BOYS. THE JUDGE SAYS HER ATTORNEY DID NOT SHOW THE BAN ON MASKED MANDATES CAUSES IRREPARABLE HARM TO HER KIDS. HE WENT ON TO SAYF I THE BAN WAS REVERSED THERE IS NO EVIDENCE THE DISTRICT WOULD CREATE ITS N OW MANDATE. AS FAR AS APPLICATION FOR A PERMANENT INJUNCTION IT’S STILL PENDING. THERE WAS A FEDERAL COURT HEARING FRIDAY OVER THE STATE’S BAN ON MASKED MANDATES IN IOWA SCHOOLS. THE ACLU OF IAOW FILED L AAWSUIT ON BEHALF OF A GROUP OF 11 PARENTS WHO CLAIM IOWA’S NEW LAW DISCRIMINATES AGAINST THEIR CHILDREN. THOSE PARENTS SAY THEIR KIDS HAVE BEEN FORCED OUT OF SCHLOO BECAUSE THEY ARE AT A HIGHER RISK OF SERIOUS COMPLICATIONS FROM COVID-19. THE FAMILIES ARE ASKING FOR A TEMPORARY RESTRAINING ORDER TO BLOCK THE LAW. THE IMPACT FROM LAST YEAR’S RACIAL JUSCETI MOVEMTEN WHAT ORGANIZERS ARE DOING TO ADVOCATE FOR CHANGE. >> LAST WEEK WE SHOULD BE THE PROGRESS ACTIVISTS ARE PORTING TO ONE YEAR AFTER THE NATIONWIDE MOVEMENT FOR RACIAL JUSTICE TOOK TO THE STREETS TYHE SAY THERE IS STILL MORE WORK TO BE DONE. KCCI’S RHEYA SPIGNER TAKES A LOOK AT THE MOVEMENT TODAY AND WHY COMMUNICATION IS KEY. >> IN THE FIRST PART OF THE SERIES WE FOCUSED ON CHANGESN I LEGISLATION AND HOW D MPD SAYS THEY ARE MOVING FORWARD TO HELP UNIFY THE CITY. NOW, WE ARE LOOKING INTO THE HURDLES OF THE BLACK COMMUNITY AS WELL AS THE RESOURCES THAT ARE LOOKING TO MAKE IT BETTER AND WHAT NEEDS TO CHANGE TO UNIFY THE COMMUNY.IT >> WHEN YOU HAVE MORE -- A MORE DIVERSE GROUP OF PEOPLE SAYING WE WANT -- WE ARE LOOKING AND WATCHING, WE WANT TO MAKE SURE YOU ARE ACCOUNTABLE AND TREATING EVERYBODY RIGHT. >> BETTY ANDREWS, PRESIDENT OF THE IOWA AND NEBRASKA NAACP CHAPTER IS HOPING THAT MORE DIVERSE THE MEANS MORE TIME AND -- MORE DIVERSITY MEANS MORE TRANSPARENCY. THERE HAS BEEN ACCOUNBITALITY ON POLICE YEARS PRIOR BUT ESPECIALLY AFTER THE 2020 PROTEST. OUTREACH HAS CHANGED INCLUDING APPROACHES TO ACCOUNTABILITY. FROM CITY GOVERNMENT TO ORGANIZATIONS. >> THERE IS A COMMITTEE THAT HAS THE RESPONSIBILITY OF INFORMING OUR LEGISLATORS ON CRIMINAL JUSTICE. WHAT DID WE DO? WE WENT TO THE COMMITTEE AND FOUND OUTHERE T WERE CHALLENGES, I WILL SAY CHALLENGES BUT MORE SO THAT THEY NEEDED THE INPUT ANDUR O VOICE. >> THE EDUCATION PART LOOKS LIKE CONSULTING WITH LEGISLATIVE GRPSOU ABOUT PERSPECTIVES OF COLOR AND ORGANIZATIONS LIKE DES MOINES POLICE DEPARTMENT. MPD SAYS -- THE MPD SAYS THEY HAVE HAD IMPLICIT BIAS TRAINGIN FOR YEARS. WHAT MIGHT BE MISSING IS COMMUNITY PARTICIPATION. >> I THINK WHAT WE NEED TO DO IS WORK HARD ON THIS NEXT TRAINING WITH REGARDS TO THE COMMUNITY AND TRY TO MAKE SURE WE ARE BRINGING THE COMMUNITY AND HAVING THOSE INTERACTIONS. I FEEL LIKE AS WAS MENTIONED EARLIER, IT IS POWERFUL WHEN YOU CAN HAVE THE OFFICERS ETME WITH REPRESENTATIVES FROM THE COMMUNITY. AND, LEARN ABOUT EACH OTHER OR ATEA LST HAVE SOME IN MYAN CASES, DIFFICULT CONVERSATIONS. >> THESE TWO HELPED BUILD THE CURRICULUM FOR IMPLICIT BIAS TRAINING. ALTHOUGH THEY ADMIT THEY ARE ARE HELPFUL MOMENTS, THEY BELIEVE THERE ARE DEERPE PERSPECTIVES THAT NEED TO GROW. >> YOU SEE A SCENE LIKE SOME OF THE OFFICERS KNEELING WITH SOME OF THE PROTESTERS. IT IS SO POWERFUL IN THAT MOMENT , THAT THEY ARE TOGETHER IN THAT MOMENT AND IN THAT MOMENT, THEY ARE SEEING EACH OTHER AS PEOPLE. YOU ARE A PERSON AND I AM A PERSON. >> WHICH CAN BE SEEN AS A MOMENT OF RESPECT, BETTY ANDREWS SAYS HOW THAT GESTURE TRANSLATES TO EVERYDAY LIFE WILL BE THE TRUE TEST OF CHAN.GE ANDREW SAYS THEY ARE ORGANIZING AND EDUCATING IN THE MEANTIME TO ETME THE PILLARS IMMUNITY ORGANIZERS IN THIS MOVEMENT HAVE CONSTANTLY ASKED FOR. SOME INCLUDE, AN ALLIANCE FORMED BETWEEN THE CITY AND SOCLIA ACTIVIST GROUPS, A STOP TO RACIAL PROFILING, RESTORE VOTING RIGHTS TO FELONS WHO HAVE DONE THEIR TIME, AND DECRIMINALIZING MARIJUANA. >> TRAFFIC STOPS OF AFRICAN AMERICANS ARE STOEDPP WAY -- EXPONENTIALLY MORE THAN WHITE PEOP.LE ALL THOSE THINGS MATTER. >> AMONG OTHER DISPARITIES, THE ACLU REPORTS THAT BY PEOPLE OR MORE LIKELY TO GET ARRESTED FOR MARIJUANA POSSESSION IN ERYVE STATE. AND IN SOME STATES THEY WERE SIX TO 10 TIMES MORE LILYKE IN 2018. MONTANA, KENTUCKY, ILLINOIS, WEST VIRGINIA AND IOWA ARE STATES WITH THE HIGHEST RACIAL DISPARITIES IN MARIJUANA POSSESSION TO BE ARRESTED MORE THAN WHITE PEOPLE. D MPD SENT US A STATEMENT IN PART A RESPONSE TO MEDICAL MARIJUANA ARRESTS QUOTE, THERE IS MOST OFTEN A TRIGGERING EVENT THAT BRINGS THE OFFICER INTO CONTACT WITH THE PERSON AND POSSESSION OF MARIJUANA CHARGES ARE INCIDENTAL TO THE PURPOSE OF THE CONTACT. WE WILL CONTINUE TO BE APPROPRIATELY AGGRESSIVE IN OUR EFFORTS TO ERADICATE DRUG DEALERS FROM OUR NEIGHBORHOODS READ -- OUR NEIGHBORHOODS. THEY BEGIN- -BELIEVE THEIR PROGRAM IS A GOOD PROGRAM BUT MORE PEOPLE NEED TO KNOW ABOUT IT, SPECIFICALLY MORE ACCESS TO COMMUNITIES OF COLOR. >> MEDPHARM AND I THINK THE PROGRAM IN IOWA SEES FIRSTHAND THAT MINORITY PARTICIPATION IN THE PROGRAM IS EXTREMELY LOWF I NOT NONEXISTENT. WE THINK THAT PERHAPS THE TEST GOES ON TO SOMETHING BY TALK ABOUT THE TOPIC BECAUSE, THERE ARE PROBABLY A LOT OF MINORITSIE , GIVEN THE IMPACT PROHIBITION HAS HAD ON THEM, THAT ARE HESITANTO T TAKE -- TO PARTICIPATE IN THE PROAMGR THAT IS LEGAL AND OVERSEEN BY THE STATE. >> MEDPHARM TOOK YEARS TO DEVELOP AND IOWA GOING FROM A LITTLE OVER 1000 PARTICIPANTS IN THE FIRST YEAR TO TTLILE OVER 6300 THIS YEAR. NOW THEIR FOCUS IS TO GETHE T KNOWLEDGE OF THE PROGRAM TO BLACK COMMUNITIES IN HOPES OF BEING PART OF ETH SOLUTION WHEN IT COMES TO A DECREASE IN BLACK ARRESTS. >> THINKS THAT USED TO BE IN PLACE THAT ARE NO LONGER, USED TO NOT BE ABLE TO HAVE HAD A FELONY ON YOUR RECORD TO BE A PATIENT. THEY REMOVE THAT IN 2020. >> IF SOMEONE WANTS TO TAKE PART IN THE PROGRAM, THEY NEED DR. APPROVAL FOR A SPECIFIC ELEMENT LIKE PTSD OR CHRONIC PN.AI A WAY TO LEGITIMATELY POSSESS MARIJUANA, WHILE THE FIRST PRIORITYF O THE MEDICAL MARIJUANA PROGRAM WAS TO ADD APPROVAL. >> THERE IS CONCERN THAT A BUILDING WILL FALL DOWN AND HIT YOU, THE AIR YOU CAN BREATHE WELL AND TRYING TO FIGURE OUT HOW TO DO WHAT NEEDS TO BE DONE. >> THE FOCUS HAS SHIFTED TO OUTREACH. >> THE WORK IS HARD, IT IS TRAINING AND PEOPLE ARE NOT GETTING PAID TO SATHY ESE THINGS AND TO SHARE THEIR EXPERIENCES. IT IS DIFFICULT WORK, BUT, I THKIN THAT AS CITIZENS WHO WANT TO SEE THINGS IMPROVE AND AS BLACK PEOPLE, AND PEOPLE OF COLOR, WHO WANT TO SEE THINGS IMPROVE WE ARE ABSOLUTELY FOR DOING THAT AND WHEN WEEE S THAT THAT IS EFFECTIVE, THAT IS COOL. >> CONSISTENT WORK, CONVERSATIONS, AND OUTREH.AC THE SAME ELEMENTS CONTINUE TO MOVE US FORWARD. ALTHOUGH MANY ACTIVISTS ARE SURE WE HAVE A LONG WAY TO GO WITH POLICY, MANY ARE OPTIMISTIC THAT MAYBE IFE W STOP LONG ENOUGH TO JUST LISTEN, WITHOUT THE INTENTION OF RESPONDING, WE CAN HEAR EACH OTHER. >> STILL TO COME, SPECIAL ELECTION, NEXT, MEET THE CANDIDATES OF BUYING -- VYING FOR VOTES IN HOUSE DISTRICT 37 RACE ON TUESDAY. ♪ ♪ [thunder] At 3 o'clock, Carter's campaign for class president will go live. His platrmfo? Thirsty for change? Vote for Carter. Juice boxes for all. And win. Yes. YES! 5At, Brandy will stream her first concert and gain her first fan. Which is why at 2, I'm down the street preparing for the storm. So no matter what, the show will go on. After all, with nationwide network built by locals, for locals. US Cellular. >> VOTERS IN ANKENY HAD TO THE POST TUESDAY FOR A SPECIAL ELECTION. IOWA HOUSE DISTRICT 37 WAS LEFT VACANT AFTER THE DEATH OF JOHN LANDONN I LATE JULY. MCGRATH, ANDREW PHILLIPS, WAS FORMERLY THE VICE CHAIR OF THE IOWA DEMOCRATIC PARTY, REPUBLICAN, MIKE ALEUTIAN L,OW WAS CHIEF OF STAFF TO GOVERNOR BRANSTAD AND THE FORMER BUDGET DIRECTOR GOVERNOR REYNOLDS. JAMES STRATTON INTRODUCES US TO BOTH OF THEM. >> I CAN TELL YOU WHAT IS RESONATING. >> FOR A GUY WHO HAS NEVER SERVED IN THE ELECTED POSITION, MIKE HAS IN THE CAPITAL FOR THE BRAND AND REYNOLDS ADMINISTRATIONS. >> I HAVE BEEN PROUDF OMY SERVICE AND I WAS EXCITED TO PUT MY NAME ON THE LINE TO SERVE MY COMMUNITY AFTER JOHN LANDON PAEDSS AWAY. >> A TOP ISSUE, PUBLIC SAFETY. >> I THINK THAT IS PRIORITY NUMBER ONE. HAVING A SAFE COMMUNITY ALLOWS PEOPLE TO INVEST IN OUR COMMUNITY. AS INVESTMENTS LEAD TO JOBS AND BETTER HOPES AND FEATURES FOR OUR FAMILIES. >> AND, WHAT HE CALLS ACCOUNTABILITY BETWEEN SCHOOLS AND PARENTS, SO PARENTS CAN CHOOSE WHAT IS RIGHT FOR THEIR KIDS. >> PARENTS GET TO MAKE CHOICES AT THEIR KITCHEN TABLE FOR THEIR FAMILIES. >> WHICH LEADS TO THE QUESTION, DOES HE SUPPORT THE BAN ON MASKED MANDATES IN SCHOOLS IN IOWA QUESTION MARK >> I DON’T THINK THCHE OICE SHOULD BE TAKEN FROM PARENTS. I THINK THAT IS THE ULTIMATE FORM OF LOCAL CONTROL. >> HE SAYS IT STATE GOVERNMENT IS DOING ENOUGH TO ISLANDS FROM COVID-19 >>E WHAVE A HIGH VACCINATION RATE AND I TRUST ISLANDS TO MAKE THE DECISNSIO THAT ARE BEST AND SAFEST FOR THEM AND THEIR FAMILIES. >> WITH JUST A MONTH BETWEENHE T AMOUNTS MEANT IS RUNNING AN ELECTION DAY, HE SAYS HE IS WASTING NO TIME. >> I AM TRYING TO EARN THE VOTE AS -- OF HIS MANY PEOPLE AS POSSIBLEND A GET THE AWARENESS OUT OF THIS SPECIAL ELECTION ON SEPTEMBER 14 AND DOINGY M BEST TO SHARE MY MESSAGE. >> I THINK GETTING POSITEIV RESPONSES FROM PEOPLE. >> ANDREA WANTS TO BRING HER INTERNATIONAL BUSINESS BACK ONTO IOWA STATE POLITICS. THE GRAD STUDENT IS STUDYING PARTISANSHIP AND POLARIZATION HOPING TO APPLY IT IN DES MOINES. >> I THINK PEOPLE ARE READY FOR A BIT REMO BALANCE IN THE STATE HOUSE. ON THE BALANCE SHE SAYS THAT DOES NOT INCLUDE RUSHING BILLS THROUGH THE STATEHOUSE AND ATTACHING UNRELATED ITEMS TO OTHER BILLS. >> I THINK THEY HAVE PASSED A LOT OF EXTREME DIVISIVE LEGISLATION THAT IOWANS DO NOT. >> OTHER TOP ISSUES INCLUDED FUNDING SCHOOLS, MAKING HEALTH CARE MEOR AFFORDABLE, AND SUPPORTING CLEAN ENERGY AND MORE. WHEN IT COMES TO COVID-19 -- >> HAVING A LEADER AT THE TOP WHO IS FOLLOWING THE SCIENCE AND FOLLOWING THE RECOMMENDATIONS FROM THE CDC WOULD BE HELPFUL. >> SHE BELIEVES THE STATE CAN DO MORE TO PROTECT ISLANDS FROM THE VIRUS. AND WITHOUT A MASK MENDED IN SCHOOLS SHOULD BE LOCALLY CH OSEN. >> I THINK THAT DECISION SHOULD BE WITH THE SCHOOL BOARD. THAT IS WHAT WE ELECT THEM FOR, THAT IS WHAT THEY ARE THEREFORE, THEY KNOW THEIR LOCAL COMMUNITY BETTER THAN ANYONE ELSE. >> PHILLIPS HAS RUN FOR THIS SEAT IN A NORMAL ELECTION YEAR, SHE SAYS THE MONTH-LONG SPECIAL ELECTION CAMPAIGN IS DIFFICULT BUT STILL FEELS THE SAME. >> YOU HAVE TO MAKE SURE PEOPLE ARE AWARE OF THE ELECTION A,ND LISTEN TO THEIR CONCERNS. >> THE WINTER DUB OF TUESDAY SPECIAL ELECTION WILL SERVE THE REMAINDER OF THE TERM UNTIL 2022. STILL TO CE,OM WITNESSING THE SHIP FIRST HAND, A RETIRED MILITARY PILOT SHARES HIS FRUSTRATIONS AS THE WAR ON TERROR IN AFGHANISTAN COMES TO IRAN. >> THURSDAY, THE TALIBAN AGREED TO ALLOW 200 PEOPLE INCLUDING THE LAST OF AMERICAN TROOPS, TO LEAVE AFGHANISTAN. THE BIDEN ADMINISTRATION ESTIMATES 65 1000 VULNERABLE AFGHANS WILL BE BROUGHT TO THE U.S. BY THE END OF THE MONTH. A WAR VETERAN FROM ETH METRO SHOWING HIS PERSPECTIVE ON THE U.S. WITHDRAWAL. KCCI’S, TOMMIE CLARK, TALK WITH A RECENTLY RETIRED PILOT ABOUT HIS DECADES OF SERVICE AND WHY HE BELIEVES THE WAR WAS NOT WINNABLE. >> JUNE 1 OF LTAS YEAR I RETIRED FROM A 38 YEARS INTO DSAY OF MILITARY SERVICE. >> BRIAN O’KEEFE HAS WORN A LOT OF HATS OVER THE YRSEA, FROM DES MOINES FIRE INSPECTOR TO CHIEF WARRANT OFFICER FOAR PILOT IN THE U.S. ARMY. HIS SERVICE STARTED AS A ROOSEVELT GRADUATE LOOKING FOR AN ADVENTURE. >> I REMEMBER THAT FEELING AT 18. >> THE VETERAN FINISHED HIS MILITARY CARREE IN AFGHANISTAN. >> UP IN A VALLEY, I SPENT FOUR OTHF JULY UP THERE IN 2015 BECAUSE THE AFGHANS HAD A BEND IN THE BORDER. >> HE HAD A BIRDS EYE VIEW FROM A BLACK HAWK. >> WE WERE LIKE THE GOODYEAR BLIMP OVER THE BATTLEFIELD. WE WOULD LOOK FOR HIGH VALUE TARGETS, WE WOULD DO PATTERNS OF LIFE DURING >> AS HE DID HIS JOB, HE SAYS FRUSTRATION GREW WATCHING THE U.S. STARTED TO PULL OUT INTEND HAND OVER CONTROL TO THE AFGHAN ARMY. >> ANOERTH HAVE -- ARE PEOPLE WHO HAVE WORKED WITH GOOD OPERATORS ANDFG AHANS BUT, WHAT I SAW, THEY DIDN’T HAVE THE WILL TO FIGHT. THE PEOPLE I WAS AROUND. >> HIS PURPOSE WON’T BE ON THE BATTLEFIELD. >> I NEVER SAW IT AS A WINNABLE WAR. THE REASON I WILLING AND WANTED TO GO SERVE WAS TO PROTECT MY FELLOW SERVICEMEMBERS. ANY LOSS-OF-LIFE IS TERRIBLE. I SAW A LOT OF C-130S WITH CASKETS IN THEM. EXCUSE ME. >> THAT IS WHY BEING A MENTOR TO THE NEXT GENERATION OF SOLDIERS MEANT SO MUCH. >> WHEN YOU GIVE SOME COMFORT FOR FIRST TIME YOU HEAR SOMETHGIN BLOWUP OR THEY ARE HITTING THE GROUND LAYING THERE, THAT WAS IMPORTANT TO ME. >> AS THE LAST SOCIAL FTLE AFGHANISTAN, O’KEEFE FELT RELIEF FOR HIS COMRADES. >> WE WILL SERVE WITH A PURPOSE, AND THE TACTICS AND POLITICS OF IT APPARENTLY DON’T SUPPTOR US -- OR GIVE US THE OPPORTUNITY TO SUCCEED. I DON’T THINK WE SHOULD BE THERE. >> NOW, IT IS METI TO PUT ON HIS MOST CHERISHED TAX YET. >> I ENJOYED THE SERVICE, IT’S A BLESSING. IAV HE FIVE GRANDKIDS NOW, IT IS SOMETHING I WILL NOT TAKE LIGHTLY NOW THAT I HAVE THIS NEW PHASE OF MY LIFE. >> THANK YOU FOR JOINING US FOR KCCI 8 N