skip to main content
skip to newscasts

Sunday, May 11, 2025

Public News Service Logo
facebook instagram linkedin reddit youtube twitter
view newscast page
play newscast audioPlay

Trump administration poised to accept 'palace in the sky' as a gift for Trump from Qatar; 283 workers nationwide, including 83 in CO, killed on the job; IL health officials work to combat vaccine hesitancy, stop measles spread; New research shows effects of nitrates on IA's most vulnerable.

view newscast page
play newscast audioPlay

The Pentagon begins removing transgender troops as legal battles continue. Congress works to fix a SNAP job-training penalty. Advocates raise concerns over immigrant data searches, and U.S. officials report progress in trade talks with China.

view newscast page
play newscast audioPlay

Volunteers with AmeriCorps are reeling from near elimination of the 30-year-old program, Head Start has dodged demise but funding cuts are likely, moms are the most vulnerable when extreme weather hits, and in California, bullfrogs await their 15-minutes of fame.

Critics push back on Des Moines' homeless ordinance

play audio
Play

Monday, October 7, 2024   

The Des Moines City Council has passed an ordinance to reduce the homeless population and help people find alternatives to being on the street. Critics call it mean-spirited and regressive.

The ordinance bans tent camping, and makes sleeping in public a crime that can result in a $15 fine.

City officials say the move is designed to get people off the street, adding that Des Moines' ultimate goal is to help them find permanent shelter.

But American Civil Liberties Union of Iowa Executive Director Mark Stringer argued that unhoused people should not be criminalized.

"If you don't have anywhere to sleep and you fall asleep in a public place, you are now a criminal in the eyes of this ordinance," said Stringer. "It's a small fine, but it's still a fine - and that fine puts you into the criminal justice system."

Des Moines announced over the summer that it would take a harder-line approach to getting people off the street, and would help get them into assistance programs to improve their lives.

Documents uncovered by a local group show the city has been working with companies and nonprofits to penalize homelessness in Des Moines since early 2023.

Stringer said he believes the ordinance is driven by people who want to shape the image of the city.

The focus has been on gentrifying its downtown with high-end housing, restaurants and entertainment venues - where he added that people living on the streets can be considered an eyesore.

"It seems like there are people who want to not have to look at the homeless, and that's really what's driving this," said Stringer. "The presentation of the idea has its gloss of 'we want to help the homeless.' Well, you don't help the homeless by criminalizing them."

Stringer added that the downtown Des Moines makeover has added to the city's affordable housing shortage, and increased the number of unsheltered people - a problem many U.S. cities currently face.




get more stories like this via email

more stories
The California Parent and Youth Helpline has helped almost 113,000 people since its inception in 2020. (kieferpix/Adobe Stock)

Social Issues

play sound

The California Parent and Youth Helpline turns five years old today - just in time for a brand new study that confirms its effectiveness. The study…


Environment

play sound

A Michigan group is speaking out after a top congressional leader's comment that lawmakers will most likely scrap the $7,500 federal tax credit for bu…

Environment

play sound

The Mississippi River is the drinking water source for 20 million people and its starting point in northern Minnesota has new protections following co…


The National Wildlife Federation said managed grazing is one of the top conservation practices used by South Dakota farmers and ranchers. (Adobe Stock)

Environment

play sound

A new mapping tool shows South Dakota is a big player on the farm conservation scene. The online feature coincides with a new poll, revealing most …

Social Issues

play sound

Sunday is Mother's Day, and what moms may need most is a day off. Research shows that inequities persist in the amount of time moms and dads spend …

Nevadans could save 16% on their utility bills by 2035 by pursuing cost-saving energy-efficiency measures, according to the National Renewable Energy Lab. (Scott Habermann/Adobe Stock)

Environment

play sound

Nevada clean-energy proponents have launched a new website to help connect Nevadans to energy and cost-saving programs. One of the nonprofits behind …

Social Issues

play sound

Ahead of Mother's Day, one Kentucky middle-school student has received recognition for honoring his grandmother in a "Grandparent of the Year" essay …

Environment

play sound

Nonprofits, businesses, organizers and leaders have signed a letter calling for more climate solutions in Arizona and around the country. They claim …

 

Phone: 303.448.9105 Toll Free: 888.891.9416 Fax: 208.247.1830 Your trusted member- and audience-supported news source since 1996 Copyright © 2021