the event is taking place in des joni ernst's special appearance on trail... after rubio received an endorsement from the des moines register. deborah meanwhile, democratic front runner hillary clinton is also planning a few last minute pushes of her own. clinton will be meeting with supporters at a "get out the caucus event" in adel on wednesday. at the event she plans to discuss what is at stake for iowans in the february first caucus. the caucus event is being held at the adel family fun center at 10:45 am. deborah the snow has finally stopped falling in the east winter storm has moved on. but now the big dig-out is under way. cnn's martin savidge takes a look at the blizzard of 20-16. "from above the monster storm looks peaceful - almost serene. but on the ground - it's caused death, misery and destruction. from fatal accidents, to huge snow piles - flooding and the complete shutdown of major cities - the blizzard of 2016 is one for the record books... (gov. tom wolf (d) pennsylvania) "this is a historic snowstorm. this is a huge challenge for pennsylvania

joni ernst replied by saying "i am opposed to president obama's over-reaching and unilateral actions; the american people should have a voice in this process instead of the president's top- down approach that side-steps congress and the people we were elected to represent." senator chuck grassley echoed a similiar statement saying, quote history has taught us that simply focusing on limiting access to guns does not lead to drops in gun crimes. maryland, illinois, california and even washington, d.c...have some of the nation's strictest gun laws yet they have some of the highest numbers of gun- related crimes in the country." there are 6 gun shows planned in iowa just in this month alone.. and many are worried that these new plans will affect them. hear what retailers and buyers are saying- in the story at 6. we've got you covered, lauren moss kwwl news. thanks lauren- you can read more on the statements from senator grassley and senator ernst at our website, kwwl.com. there is snow in the forecast. let's go to storm track seven chief meteorologist mark schnackenberg - he's tracking sn

mark: marco rubio got joni ernst to appear within many is now edging up in the polls. he got the des moines register endorsement. to be thebest poised establishment alternative if he can perform in new hampshire. john: rubio is one of the winners. all of those new hampshire establishment republicans are winners. because the patriots lost yesterday. sunday newwl hampshire will not be fixated on the super bowl, it will be fixated on politics. those establishment republicans will get all the attention they need. for ine you looking iowa? which candidate connection to get hot and tries the same message every day on the stump? john: i want to see hillary clinton. much of the question for her is her ground game. kennett match sanders enthusiasm? have dated plus the master of the ground game. live from san francisco. we are on twice a day. if you're watching in washington, you can also listen on the radio. fm. mark: all week will be in iowa covering the caucuses. thanks for watching. keep watching us. sayonara. ♪ hii'm here to tell homeowners that are sixty-two and older ab

joni ernst's special appearance on the campaign trail... comes just days received an endorsement moines register. push is also gearing up for a major push ahead of the caucus. bush has several stops planned the weekend before the caucus. carroll.....sioux center...and right here in sioux city 29th. the following okoboji....clear falls...and dubuque. deborah big news for fans of ragbrai... the route for the annual event has the ride kicks off in glenwood then heads to shenendoah... from there riders are off to creston.....leon.... centerville...ottu ma......washington.. .and it all ends in muscatine. this year's route is 420 miles long...the 3rd shortest route in history. organizers believe this year's event featrues another great mix of places to visit. t.j. juskiewice, ragbrai director: "we go to some great, great traditional iowa towns with center squares, towns like centerville and leon have got a really neat downtown, so ragbrai is going to feel really welcome there. " more than 100- thousand people are expected to participate in the ri

one such opponent, republican senator fromive joni ernst says "we all want clean water. this rule is not about clean water but ramp how much authority the federal government and unelected wrong kratz should have to regulate what's done on private lands." still, water storges -- shortages are an escalating concern and facing the ongoing drought in california, businessman scott slater is seeking to supply los angeles with water by pumping 00 billion from s of l 2 o 200 miles the mojave desert. who is right? eleanor: these are two separate stories. the first story about the congressional resolution was introduced by senator joni ernst primarily to protect iowa pig farmers who were dumping hog waste into the waterways. that's a bad bill. it will be vetoed. the second story about pumping all that water from under the desert, i think that needs a whole lot more examination. that is a protected area. dianne feinstein, senator, thought of that a number of years ago. all kinds of ramifications if you're draining water from under the water table turned desert. it's a money-make ve

according to the national pork producers council, the house is looking at iowa senator joni ernst's resolution of disapproval, which would end wotus. that passed the senate in court has temporarily halted the implementation of the water rule and a lawsuit alleging the epa violated federal administrative procedures through an advocacy campaign moving multiple times to block wot. our top story... a fresh layer of snow caused problems for drivers overnight... crews were forced to shut down interstate 235 after an accident blocked the roadway. things are back open this morning... but still partially covered in some areas. blowing snow is expected through the day. a lacona father is accusing his son of pulling the trigger on his own mother... shirley carter was gunned down at her home last june... now her husband says their son, 44- year-old jason carter is to blame. he has filed a wrongful death suit against jason... jason has yet to be arrested. the iowa division of criminal investigation is now investigating. president obama will deliver his final state of the union address to a joint session of

the bill was originally drafted up by iowa senator joni ernst and passed the senate in a 53 to 44 vote in november. however, both vote totals are short of the two-thirds majority needed to override what will likely be a presidential veto. supporters of wotus argue getting rid of the rule would leave an unworkable one in its place, weakening environmental protections. opposition to the rule say it is an epa power grab. the iowa farm bureau says the expanded definition of the water rule our top story... des moines public schools want more our top story... des moines public schools want more of the state's education budget... officials say they deserve more money... because they have to support a large number of students in poverty. three fourths of the district's students qualify for free or the search is on for the lucky winners in the record powerball jackpot. so far, none of the winners have come forward to claim their massive 1- point-5 billion prize... they're likely somewhere in florida, california, and tennessee...that's where the three winning tickets were sold. each of the store

and palin came in pretty early when it was still a risky bet and joni ernst being a woman, there was a lot of mama grizzly talk, but palin endorsed joni ernst early and she went on to sweep to the republican nomination and then have very little trouble beating democrat bruce braley when it came down to it. so palin played a pivotal reel there and obviously ted cruz has talked about how she played that role in his own race. but i do think if you look at the state of iowa, it was pretty clear that palin had an effect on this electorate. and i remember this caucus process, they were caucusing for joni ernst at that time as well. -- partially because donald trump has so little problem stepping into a spotlight that she also had that rare talent to be able to sort of step into and grab onto. and so i think that her doing this, potentially will attract a lot of those voters and helps her in many ways, as much as it helps trump. >> kasie hunt in our d.c. bureau. nicole wallace, what are the other remaining, big-ticket endorsements in this race? who are they? >> well, i think if you go back

senator joni ernst was chosen to deliver the republican response last year, and this year she's giving out advice to south carolina governor nikki haley, who will deliver the gop response on tuesday. "just be calm, relax and deliver a great speech and i think she's going to do a great job. " stephanie: ernst is on a leg of her 99-county tour this weekend across iowa. she spoke in ames stephanie/ram and senator chuck grassley is in the news - this time for his comments on former secretary of state hillary clinton's emails while at the state department. grassley isn't happy with the way the department handles freedom of information requests to recover clinton's emails. grassley says in part that quote there are systemic failures at the agency...from actually searching for responsive emails...and extensive delays...to fulfill a request. jack/lam: as expected, president obama vetoed legislation that would have repealed the affordable care act and cut federal funding for planned parenthood. it's one of many repeal measures pushed by republican lawmakers since 2010, when obama signed the hea

ernst says she isn't endorsing a candidate... but she is welcoming several of them to town.. give a great very warm.. to ernst appeared with florida morning... rubio endorsed her prior to the primary election during ernst's campaign for senate. rubio offered up another endorsement today... he's a big fan of ikea... i think bernie sanders is a good candidate for president of sweden and he should run... i was saying norway but i got a little heat from the norwegians have nothing against sweden either. i like sweden..ikea is swedish. i think i confirmed this yesterday...i like ikea so." with the iowa caucuses still a week away.. the cyclones have this monday all to themselves... and tonight they're at home...as the underdog against number four kansas. we'll take you there live as iowa state looks to keep its big 12 championship hopes alive. and a des moines school employee is accused of abusing a student... hear her explanation of what investigators say they're the world a president has to grapple with, sometimes you can't even imag

during last year's state of the union address -- iowa's freshman senator joni ernst gave the republican response. always controversial iowa representative steve king telling a reporter today he thinks governor nikki haley could be the face of the republican party. an associated press congressional correspondent tweeting this during an interview with king -- he doesn't think she's a principaled conservative, but quote "i think she's beautiful so i'd be happy if she's the face of the party." new at five... despite governors across the country saying they do not want syrian refugees coming to their states, including our own governor schoolers have become pen pals with syrian refugees from a world away. kwwl's kristin rogers spoke directly with the students involved today as well as their teacher who helped get them involved, kristin? ten linn mar high school students have been taking part in this. their teacher, david swaney tells me it all started last school year when his friend who works for un high comission on refugees contacted him. he was asked if his students would want to pen pal

senator joni ernst is back in iowa on the way to completing her 99- county tour. in ames today... she talked about gun rights...saying how we define mental health issues needs to be addressed.. but she also says gun rights are being unfairly stripped from ernst says we need a president who is responsive to terror threats... but she declined to say which candidate she would endorse. 43 as a united state senator.... and then support that candidate. 1:02 ernst also visited fort dodge, webster city and carroll.. president obama vetoing legislation that would have repealed the affordable care act... the bill would have cut federal funding for planned parenthood. it's one of many repeal measures pushed by republican lawmakers since 20-10, when obama signed the health care program into law. the bill goes back to the republican- led congress, which does not have the votes to override the veto. presidential candidate, ted cruz, is criticizing president obama's ability to keep the country safe... charges yesterday. both men came into the u-s as refugees from iraq. while in mason city, senat

in today's agribusiness report, senator joni ernst's reaction to helped write. but right now, here's a look at today's opening farm markets. good morning! good morning, this is the agribusiness report, i'm david geiger. ---- a bill stopping the environmental protection agency's new water rule was vetoed by the president yesterday.. the veto was expected.. though a lot of ag groups still expressed disappointment with president obama's decision.. the resolution of disapproval.. which passed both the house and senate with bipartisan votes.. was authored by iowa senator joni ernst... she also was disappointed by the veto.. and immediately led a bipartisan vote to override it.. but if that doesn't work there are other methods.. groups against the waters of the u-s rule.. will try to use litigation to get rid of it.. but that may take a while.. and be very expensive. "ncba is very disappointed that chose to veto over the will of congress both chambers of congress passed this wotus resolution by strong bipartisan majorities and we're very disappointed that the presiden

jenna: iowa senator joni ernst released a statement following the president's announcement saying quote: "i aopposed to president obama's overreaching and unilateral actions; the american people should have a voice in this process instead approach that sidesteps congress and the people we were elected to represent. ernst says she remains committed to working to counter the president's decision locally, gun store owners are feeling the effects, and in n some cases the benefits from recent gun control talks. abc9's bria bell has more. bria: jenna, a lot of discussion surrounding president obama's executive action plan centered around strengthening gun laws to lower our country's gun violence. the debate on guns in washington and recent mass shootings have increased gun sales in the siouxland area, as people are either fearful of their lives or the 2nd amendment being taken away. dave rem-e shhh-ni-der says that this past december , he sold a aund hald of his inventory. according to him, the customers kept rolling in which caed him to have several products on back order. he believes that t

senator joni ernst is responding to president obama's state of the union speech. she applauded the president's support of renewable fuels and wind energy.... but says phasing out the use of fossil fuels and coal entirely would hurt some iowans. 6:34 many of us in iowa... those of us in southwest iowa know this very well — we have reliable affordable energy that comes form electricity generated from coal. and as we more toward use of more renewables, there is a cost to many of those families in our current economy who simply cant afford the increased cost those renewables would force 7:01 ernst also says the president missed an opportunity in his address, to lay out a new food truck will be on the road soon... and it's not your typical chef driving the menu. disabilities involved in the industry. and erin... i know it was a little tough coming back to work today... so i'm guessing you bought a powerball ticket... when we come back... what experts say you should do when... notice i said is the economy rigged? well, the 15 richest americans acquired more wealth

jack: and you may remember last year, senator joni ernst did the republican response to the state of the union. she was hand- picked by republican party leadership to deliver the response. stephanie/1shot: the spirit of bipartisanship the president called for already on display among the iowa delegation. check it out -- republican congressman david young and democrat dave loebsack sat together during tweeting this picture. congressman steve king skipped out on the speech last night... instead opting to pray in a private chapel in the capitol for a new president who will quote "restore the soul of america." stephanie: on the campaign trail, republican candidate jeb bush calling the president out -- saying he's a divider, just like donald trump. we need a president that will try to find common ground with people and forge consensus, and stand on principle but never as the first impulse, divide us. the front running candidate for the republican nomination has this does." stephanie: republican candidates on the next debate.... tomorrow night in south carolina. but some faces you're used

my lieutenant governor and joni ernst and -- islands are spoiled by attention. their responsibilities seriously and often times they want to meet a candidate to or three times before they decide who they want to work for. do you see marco rubio? how do you see him faring right now? could you see a top two finish with him? how do you rate his prospects right now? he had a strong showing in the debate. -- the only poll that counts is the one they take on election day or caucus night so i think he has momentum going into it. my sense is that he doesn't have a strong enough organization as the other candidates but there does seem to be a lot of interest and enthusiasm for his candidacy. she come in second to donald a poll that was done by the secretary of state among students. and i can tell you from my tend toce, students vote like their parents and maybe he has an advantage being a younger candidate. i think you have to take that into consideration. certainly, he is one to watch. chris christie is another one who had a really good debate performance and we will se

ernst in iowa. while she is still picking favorites, her seal after approval comes with no guarantees. take 2010. she endorsed 64 candidates and just 33 won. palin is now as much a pop culture figure as a political one. spoofed on snl. while her influence has faded, trump is betting on a cold night in iowa, palin could still fire up the base. news, washington. >>> and there is news of the race. bernie sanders is giving hillary clinton's campaign another reason to worry. a brand-new poll shows clinton has an incredible amount of ground to make up in new hampshire if it holds up. we have more from nbc's andrea mitchell. >> reporter: he's moving on up. bernie sanders today riding in a spanking >> i walk around, these comfortable seats. but the purpose of this bus is just to help us get around your beautiful state. and that is what we're going to do. >> reporter: with 13 days to go, it is hillary clinton's nightmare scenario. the possibility that bernie sanders youth brigade could topple her in iowa. it

iowa senator joni ernst made it clear she is not endorsing any candidates. rubio did make comparisons between himself and ernst.. saying both of them ran for u-s senate because they thought the u-s was heading in the wrong direction. rubio told the crowd he's the candidate that can bring voters to the polls because of his conservative beliefs... he also said if a democrat is elected into the oval office... it will just be more of the same... sen. marco rubio 13:17:50-13:17:15 "if hillary clinton is elected president our standing in the world will continue to decline. our relationship with israel will continue to erode. bernie sanders by the way is running as well, why do you chuckle? at least he admits he's a socialist. and i think bernie sanders is a good candidate for president.. of sweden and he should run. " rubio also said he would undo all of president obama's executive actions. since it's inception 15 years ago... more than 300-thousand iowans have lost more than a million pounds... over the next ten weeks, teams will track their activity or weight lo

today in des moines, iowa senator joni ernst joined senator marco rubio on the campaign trail. although, she has promised not to endorse anyone, she was on hand to introduce rubio to the crowd. during his remarks, rubio talked about something he rarely talks about on the trail..his pro-life philosophy. in iowa falls, senator bernie sanders consoled a woman after she broke down into tears. the woman was telling sanders about her struggles cycling through minimum wage jobs, fighting to get disability on her parents for survival. sanders listened to several other people with similar stories during the rally. around this time next monday, many of you will go to your caucus locations to cast your vote for the next presidential candidates for some eastern iowans high school students, this will be their first-ever caucus kwwls olivia mancino caught up with some of those kids at east buchanan high school well ron this is a uniqiue situation because these sutdents are being forced to go-- a government and history teacher at the high school is requiring his students to at least attend th

you'll recall, last year's response was given by newly-ected iowa senator joni ernst. today, ernst tweeted a photo saying she texted governor haley "good luck." right now, on the iowa campaign trtrl, democrats have a new frontrunner. the latest quinnipiac university poll shows vermont senator bernie sanders with 49-percent support. it's the first time he's led the state outside the margrg of error. hillary clinton holds 44-percent of likely caucus goers. it's interesting to note, while sanders leads in iowa, most iowans believe clinton has a better shot at winning in november. during a campaign stop in iowa today, clinton tore into the new frontrunner on issues from health care to gun control. clinton sat down with cbs 2 news - totoght on the cbs 2 2 news ten at ten, hear *her take on what the future of medicaid should be. on the g-o-p side today, a meeting with eastern iowa voters. mike huckabee held a meeting atathe erican legion in coralville this afternoon. jeb bush greeted a full room of supporters at the coralville library.and at six tonight, donald trump will sp

also in attendance at the march for life rally were senator joni ernst and republican presidential candidate carly fiorina. this year's theme was "pro-life and pro-woman go hand- in-hand." in continuing coverage... a man arrested for allegedly rbbing a bank is now accused of calling in a bomb threat shortly before the robbery. iowa city police say this guy - clifton brinkmeyer - robbed a u-s bank in iowa city on tuesday. he was arrested for the robbery - and through investigation, officers determined the 911 call reporting the threat came from his car. that bank was robbed 20 minute after the bomb threat was called into west high school. more than two thousand students were shipped to a different locations as officers and drug dogs combed investigators now say a fre that killed two young sisters was an accident. crawford county wisconsin sheriff's deputies say the fire started at the center of the home in wauzeka... which kept the girls from being able to escape using the staircase. lena and trinity bartels died as a result of the fire. investigators haven't been able to determine the exact

he was welcomed to des moines this morning by senator joni ernst. rubio also made a campaign stop in ankeny today... despite the round-the-clock campaigning... he still found time to sit down with channel 13 political director dave price. 37:12-37:32 we can't elect hillary clinton.. gonne be better than its ever been rubio plans to campaign everyday in iowa until the caucuses. his day will begin at 7-30 tomorrow morning at central college in pella. a famous broadcaster entertained the crowd at tonights annual dinner for the greater des moines partnership.... tom brokaw said he wants people to understand why our political system 'ive been thinking about that a lot more. and i think my one little hint is it began with 9/11. there was a succession of events after that that separated people from what their expectations about america were." join us tomorrow night at ten for dan winters in-depth interview with the legendary news anchor. brokaw talks about the impact cancer has had on the way he approaches the news... his idea for getting rid of iowas firs

u-s senator from iowa joni ernst today spoke to anti-abortion rights protesters today in washington d-c. there, ernst spoke about her efforts to divert federal dollars from planned parenthood, which provides abortions. today, protesters marched from the washington monument to the supreme court. 43 years ago today, the supreme court decided on the roe versus wade case, which legalized abortion. heavy snow is falling on much of the east coast as some areas prepare for as much as 30 inches. those predicted blizzard-like conditions are canceling flights, and impacting millions of while the east coast digs out from a potentially record storm high pressure keeps control of the weather in eastern iowa. after a quiet saturday the high slides to the east bringing a bit more southerly air into the state. despite more clouds on sunday it looks like a milder day with highs in the lower to middle 30s should occur. the next chance for measureable snowfall comes on monday. have a great night and a safe weekend. winds: n 5-10tomorrow: mostly sunny high: 26-32 winds: sw 5-15tomorrow night: partly cloudy

lou: joni ernst, senator of iowa. >> thee she had 140,000 people turn out. it's a snowy, rainy night. it's not easy, who has the organization to get them out. lou: this is my continuing frustration on this broadcast is night after night we're talking about this, talking with some of the best political minds in this country. no one can give me a solid reading how effective, how broad, how experienced those folks are. we do know, for example, trump is bringing in the iowa wrestlers and football team which is going command attention of you, i think? >> a lot of viewers are going to watch you at 7:00 and not bother to participate. that's the segment we have to worry about. lou: this hurts me to say it. i have to encourage them not to do that. >> still dominated the media as he always has. lou: but i want everybody to redouble their efforts over the ensuing week. >> tape and watch the late show. lou: ed rollins, good to have you here. >> thanks so much. lou: vote in tonight's poll, the question tonight -- i got to tell you, i won't tell you, i'll tell you after y

congress is full of palin beneficiaries, including arizona's jeff flake and iowa's joni ernst. according to data from open secrets, of the congressional candidates who received the most money from sarah palin's pac since 2010, about two-thirds have won their "it is a major, major endorsement. you know she's kind of like the anti establishment candidate." but can this famous friend of the underdog, really boost the current top dog? "palin-type voters are already with donald trump, and it's not going to mean a lot of momentum." south carolina"probably hurts cruz more than it helps trump." in a conversation that we had with sarah palin last month, she seemed clear that she identified with trump in the way the republican establishment sneers at him. presidential candidate"if we want to restore what's great about america, we have to win this. shame on the g-o-p establishment if they essentially boot a top-tier candidate out." hillary clinton might have the most influential endorsement... a former president... today bill clinton campaigned in new hampshire trying to shore up his wife

ernst says shshs excited about caucus night, which is always an important time in the state. like some presidential candidates, ernst has been trying to meet with as many iowans as she can in recent weekek she'll host several town hall meetings this weekend. ernst says she isn't campaigning for any specific republican candidate, but she has advice for all of them leading up to momoay night. "i'm just trying to encourage all of them to get out and talk to as many voters as possible." and we encourage you to stay with kcrg t-v nine monday night for completete caucus coverage. we'll have reporters live in des moines and across eastern iowa, along with expert analysis. we'll broadcast live from eight to nine p-m on kcrg nine point two. then from nine all the way through t-v nine. it's been a warmer and quieter day across eastern iowa. joe, does thatt continue through the weekend? we need to take time to enjoy our sasarday with more active weather on the horizon with a partly cloudy sky and highs near 40 expected. a mix of rain/snow develops saturday night and continues into sunda

ernst in iowa. while she is still picking favorites, her seal after approval comes with no guarantees. take 2010. she endorsed 64 candidates and just 33 won. palin is now as much a pop culture figure as a political one. spoofed on snl. while her influence has faded, trump is betting on a cold night in iowa, palin the base. peter alexander, nbc news, washington. >>> and there is news on the democratic side of the race. bernie sanders is giving hillary clinton's campaign another reason to worry. a brand-new poll shows clinton has an incredible amount of ground to make up in new hampshire if it holds up. we have more from nbc's andrea mitchell. >> reporter: he's moving on up. bernie sanders today riding in a spanking new campaign bus in iowa. >> i walk around, these comfortable seats. but the purpose of this bus is just to your beautiful state. and that is what we're going to do. >> reporter: with 13 days to go, it is hillary clinton's nightmare scenario. the possibility that bernie sanders youth briga

ernst led the fight to block the proposed "waters of the united states" rule... implemented by the obama administration. ernst argues the rule would give the e- p- all land and waterways in the state of iowa. the president vetoed a congressional resolution of disapproval. and now democrats in the senate have blocked republican efforts to override that veto. meanwhile... the rule has been temporarily blocked by federal courts... who are reviewing states. 3 3 iowa's senior u- s senator was blocked vote.calling the rule an attempt by the e- p- a to stretch the bounds of its authority, grassley lamented the filibuster tactic used to block the veto override attempt."unfortunately," he says in a statement, "political theater has ruled the day, and the democrats filibustered a bipartisan resolution to override a presidential veto and end this massive power grab by the e- p- a." 3 3 nebraska senator ben sasse and oklahoma senator jim inhofe are asking the justice department to investigate the e- p- a over what they call a "propaganda campaign" to support the waters of th

also in attendance at the "march for life" rally were senator joni ernst and republican presidential candidate carly fiorina. this year's theme is "pro-life and pro-woman go hand- in-hand." a man leads police on a chase area. 26-year-old devon blanchard is facing charges of eluding and operating intoxicated. police responded thursday morning to the mcdonald's on the 600 block of iowa street, where doing doughnuts in the parking lot. they tried to pull him over, but he led them on a chase -- going through several stop signs and driving twice the speed limit. countdown to the iowa caucus... donald trump's bid for president got another reality star throwing support behind his campaign. 'duck dynasty' star willie robertson introduced and endorsed trump thursday night at the outdoor sportsman awards in las vegas. trump thanked willie for his endorsement, and reaffirmed his support for the second amendment. this comes only a week after willie's controversial relative phil robertson endorsed trump's rival ted cruz. and mike huckabee will be jamming out on stage tonight in iowa. huckabee wil

republican senator joni ernst opposes the president's actions saying, the american people , should have a voice in this process, instead of the president's top-down approach that sidesteps congress, and the people we were elected to represent. loebsack said, "i believe that improving our background check system can help to address the safety of our communities while also protecting those 2nd amendment rights." several presidential candidates, now in iowa, are also letting their opinions be known. ms. clinton: and i am very proud of president obama's announcement today to try to have some sensible gun safety measures to protect the american people. in fact, i feel really good because i called for some of those measures a couple of months ago. sen. rubio: these new rulings that he's coming out with that amendment, on my first day in office, they're gone. cynthia: in other news the , jackpot for tomorrow's powerball drawing has jumped to $450 million. it is now the sixth biggest in north american history. the largest was $656 million in a 2012 mega millions drawing. jackpot since november

jenna: coming off the president's state of the union address, iowa senator joni ernst spoke critically of the president's plans for the future. during her weekly conference call, ernst also talked about her resolution of disaproval for the expanded waters of the u-s ruling that was passed through the house today. our farmers and ranchers know how to care fofoand conserve thier ownland without the harmful interference of washington beaurocrats from the epa telling them what's best. the re-definition of the waters of the u-s would grant the e-p-a extended jurisdiction to protect waters under the clean water act. ernst say's the joint dissaproval of the ruling would help iowans in rural communities calling the passing of the wotus rule a "blatent power grab" by the epa. tim: projojts for a power line and a pipeline are in the hands of the iowa utilities board. iowa lmakers are keeping a close eye on the process for the bakken pipeline and the rock island clean line. amanda krenz from our des moines affiliate has more. "bobby 20:26 i think certainly the legislature could impact both decisi

tomorrow - senator - joni ernst - joins rubio - for a rally in des moines. one person who managed to get out of the snowstorm and head to iowa - was new jersey senator cory booker. booker.he's coming through, campaiging for hillary clinton this weekend.in marion, he told the crowd he was backing clinton not only for her personal achievements and positions -- but for how he thinks she'll be able to unite americans. "rugged individiualism is an honored tradition in our country, we value it, it's why many of us are here today but we also know that rugged individualism did not get us to moon" moon"some political analysts are saying senator booker is on the short list for v-p, if nomination.tomorrow - exactly one week from the iowa caucuses - c-n-n will host a democratic presidential debate live in des moines. as some of you probably saw - - they're back !!tonight - scully and moulder - re- opened the x - files. but in the four-teen years - - since the drama left the air - real** life questions about aliens - and the para-normal have jususgrown - loloer**. where

iowa senator joni ernst will join rubio for a rally in des moines later today. here's a reminder of how much we can accomplish. when one man's life changed dramatically a decade ago, he found a path forward that's taken him to heights he never dreamed of. gadi schwartz has the story. on this bright, snowy, step will fall. "that's a good forest with his dog tennille. especially, if you're trying to keep up.. "this is not easy to do at all!" he's quick to say hello to those he passes along the to the fact that trevor doesn't see them, he only hears them. behind his shades- trevor thomas. is completely blind. when they find out you are blind." trevor: "it's one of the times i trevor and his faithful dog have trekked across some of the nation's longest ...and toughest trails, 2175 miles of the appalachian trail- and all 2654 miles of the pacific crest trail totaling more than 1000 days and nights alone in the back country.... "i take each step as a gift" ten years ago, he lost his sight to a rare eye disease. but everything changed when he met erik weihenmayer, anot

. >> reporter: iowa, joni ernst appeared with marco rubio. it gave momentum to a campaign vying for a strong third in her home state. >> she made a promise. i respect that. i was glad she was here to introduce us to the people of iowa. >> rubio supporters, define a strong finish in iowa anything above 15%. scott, that is a figure they argue would separate rubio from bush, christie and kasich and give him a shot at second place in new hampshire. >> major investigate, thanks. >>> another new york billionaire, flirting with the presidential run, former mayor michael bloomberg, democrat turned republican, turned independent. so we will turn to our cbs news "face the nation" john dickerson. what do we know about bloomberg's plans? >> he is seriously considering jumping into the race. long wanted to run for president. he would run if it looks like it is going to be a general election race between donald trump or ted cruz and bernie sanders. he believes those representatives of the wings of the two parties would create an appetite for a candidate in

joni ernst issued a statement saying "i am opposed to president obama's over-reaching and unilaterl actions; the american people should have a voice in this process instead of the president's top- down approach that side-steps congress and the people we were elected to represent." but on the other side of the aisle- democratic congressman dave loebsack backs president obama's plans saying "as a native iowan, i was raised with an appreciatin for iowa's hunting traditioo and am a strong supporter of our second amendment rights. i believe that improving our background check system can help to address the safety of our communities while also president obama is also asking congress for a half billion dollars more for mental health care. we've got you covered, lauren moss kwwl news. thanks lauren- many presidential candidates are speaking out as well... republican presidennal cannidate senator marco rubio held a town hall meeting this morning in cedar rapids. the presidential hopeful has promised to reverse any executive measures on gun contrl if he is elected. he echoed that sentiment to the med

just four months after iowans elected republican joni ernst to the senate and sent republican rod blum to congress in the first district in 2014 -- it was time to start the campaign season all over again. again.tetes senator ted cruz was the first candidate to officially start his campaign for the white house in march. in the beginning of april -- he showed up in cedar rapids for the first time -- talking a lot about the battle between the major political parties over religious liberty. "unfortunately today, the modern democratic party is more interested in partisan politics and an extreme partisan suport for mandatory gay marriage in all 50 states than it is in protecting the first amendment ririts of every american paul -- hillary clinton -- marco rubio and bernie sanders jump into the race. race.but the storylines back then were as much about the candidates not officially decacaed as it was about who was campaigning.many voters were waiting until wisconsin governor scott walker got into the race.then -- at the end of april -- we sat down with donald trump on his airplane. he hadadt

he will speak at a town hall meeting tonight in mount pleasant, with iowa senator joni ernst. stacey: right now, we've just learned three republican presidential candidates won't be in iowa on caucus night. jeb bush, chris christie, john kasich will all be in new hampshire, instead. all three are performing better bush is in western iowa today, though, explaining how he would fix congressional gridlock. the former florida governor spoke to about 150 people in carroll, saying political opponents should not paint each other as enemies. and chris christie was in johnston this morning for a send-off rally at his campaign headquarters. it kicks off a full weekend of events leading up to the caucuses. the new jersey governor plans to attend 10 town halls and three rallies across the state, before monday. he told the crowd of about a hundred people that he's the best candidate for the job. gov. chris christie: when i sit in the chair of the oval office for the first time on january 17, i won't spin around and say, "gee wiz, i'm president." that chair will feel familiar. stacey: chris

tim: iowa senator joni ernst released a statement following the president's announcement saying quote: "i am opopsed to president obama's overreaching and unilateral actions; the american people should have a voice in this process instead approach that sidesteps congress and the people we were elected to represent. ernst says she remains committed to working to counter the president's decision locally, jenna: a lot of discussion surrounding president obama's executive action plan centered around strengthening gun laws to lower our country's gun olence. a gun kingsley iowa gununtore owner dave rem- en-s-sh-ni-der says that this past december , he sold around hald of his inventory. according to him, the customers kept rolling in which caused him to have several products on back order. he believes that the presiden'ts speech today could cause him even more traffic. "so we've sold a lot of guns here lately and i suspect with him talking about more gun control, i think sales will increase even more," said riemenschneider. riemenschneider offers conceal carry classeseand makes customers com

i want you to give a great, very warm, heartfelt welcome to marcus: iowa senator joni ernst rubio. but rubio is the first republican presidential candidate ernst has introduced in iowa. rubio says he is happy to have the people. he then dove into his message that this year our nation is facing a crossroads. sen. rubio: it will either be the year that we rediscover and reimbrace all the things that made us the greatest country in the world or it will be the eyar , -- the year america settles and under the obama policies, and as a result, becomes a , nation in decline. marcus: senator rubio says making america great again will take change change he will start -- will take change, change he will start his first day as the country's commander in chief. by cutting current obama policies and deals and standing up for christian values and immigration that makes sense and will fight for our national security. he says this election is vital. sen. rubio: if i'm our nominee we will be hillary clinton and reverse the damage barack obama has done to america. presidential candidates have their l

senator joni ernst is the featured speaker at a fundraiser benefiting veterans in north carolina. senator ernst will speak tonight at the airborne and special ops museum foundation in fayetteville. she is the only female combat veteran to ever serve in the us -- in the u.s. senate. next at 5:00, education. it's the next topic in our 8 issues 8 weeks series. , why it's a big concern for parents but not politicians. steve: plus, car salesman kidnapped. how he managed to escape his armed abductors. and later, slick street. how number 2 is the number one reason why crews were forced to shutdown this road in rome. 5:00. announcer: this is iowa's news leader. this is kcci 8 news at 5:00 with steve karlin, stacey horst, and chief meteorologist john mclaughlin. steve: 8 issues in 8 weeks. it's our special series focusing on the topics that are on your mind in the run-up to the iowa caucuses. cynthia: today, education. a big concern among parents, but so far, not a big talker in the race for president. kcci's nikole killion is in washington to explain why. nikole: when concerns of terror h

so in des moines, iowa senator joni ernst joined fellow reblican -- andndsenator -- marco rubio on the campaign trail. ernst has said she won't endorse anyone, but she was there to introduce rubio to the crowd. senator grassley has done the same thing with other candidates. yououknow joni in so many ways exemplifies what i hope the lot of advantages, but through free enterprise and limited government are able to improve their lives and the lives of their families." stops today in the state -- including in pella and marshalltown. donald trump will also be in marshalltown. he has a rally there and at the universiiy of iowa fiellhouse in iowa city. senator ted cruz is getting a boost from a former contender. rick perry -- former texas governor -- is endorsing cruz for presient. perry said of thos with a chance to win the republican primary right now, he believes cruz is by far "the most consistent conservative." cruz has at least seven more campaiain stops in iowa today. this after spending yesterday in eastern iowa. he talked to a room full of supporters in manchester. we asked him what

joni ernst will be with ted cruz later. perry on "morning joe" talking about cruz. he's endorsed him. does this matter anymore or the statement we heard repeatedly with trump being in the race is all of this has changed. his access to the media, his high profile seems to eat up a lot of these endorsements that may have counted in the past. >> when you're running especially in the iowa caucuses where it's more involved than going to a voting booth and then leaving. at a caucus, you have to really pull out people to go and stand in someone's living room or a school cafeteria and publicly pledge their support to you. so if joni ernst helps, if glenn beck helps, every little thing these endorsements, people question whether they're effective or not. but when you're the candidate on the line, especially in iowa, you will take every amount, little bit of help you can get. especially in the 2016 race, when you've got someone like donald trump in the race, you have to pull out all the stops. nothing is too small here. >> quickly to pick up on what vaughn mentioned, ted cruz

stacey: rubio was in des moines this afternoon at a rally downtown where senator joni ernst introduced him. tomorrow, republican front-runner donald trump will high school roundhouse gym. that starts at 5:00. rally at a marshalltown school tomorrow. clinton's rally is at miller middle school at 8:30. because of the extra traffic surrounding those events, marshalltown schools will dismiss classes at 1:00 tomorrow afternoon. rick santorum, mike huckabee, marco rubio, ben carson, ted cruz, carly fiorina, and bernie state tomorrow as well. commute than normal. taking a live look at statewide road conditions. a lot of pink out there. that means a lot of completely covered roads. the blue areas mean partially covered roads. frank: the good news, most of that snow off to the east. some lingering flurries in a quick inch to two inches around the metro. off to the north, up around noon and ames, two inches estimated. newton, two inches. around 34 tama and marshalltown. winter weather advisory remains in effect until midnight. the snow system starts to push its way off to the east. through the o