Government Policy and Law

The Ankeny City Council voted unanimously last night to name Assistant City Manager Jim Spradling as the interim city manager while the city continues to look for a replacement for retiring City Manager Carl Metzger. …

The Internal Revenue Service (IRS) will close 43 offices across the U.S., to save on rent costs, which is projected to save $17.2 million. None of the offices that are closing have walk-in tax help …

Led by improvements in production-related indicators, the Federal Reserve Bank of Chicago’s national activity index rose to 0.11 in April from -0.44 in March. Of the four broad categories of economic indicators that make up …

Iowa’s unemployment rate dropped to 5.1 percent in April from 5.2 percent in March. The state’s jobless rate stood at 5.9 percent one year ago. The number of unemployed Iowans dropped to 85,200 in April …

The Iowa Court of Appeals will hear arguments in two cases as part of the 89th annual Lawyers’ Chautauqua at the Arrowwood Resort and Conference Center in Okoboji. Judges will consider a case involving a …

Moody’s Investors Service Inc., has reaffirmed the city of Ankeny’s credit rating of Aa2 for long-term debt and MIG1 for short-term bond debt, according to a release.

Aa2 is the third-highest rating for long-term debt, …

The Greater Des Moines Partnership hosted Florida Sen. Marco Rubio yesterday during its annual lobbying trip to Washington, D.C. Rubio spoke on a variety of issues, from immigration reform to tax policy and American exceptionalism, …

Gov. Terry Branstad appointed Christopher McDonald judge for the District Court in Judicial District 5C Thursday afternoon. McDonald is presently senior counsel to Aviva USA. Prior to his current position, he was in private practice. …

Import prices in April recorded their largest drop in 10 months, as energy costs tumbled, according to the U.S. Department of Labor, Reuters reported.

Overall import prices fell 0.5 percent, the Labor Department said. March’s …

First-time claims for jobless benefits fell last week to a one-month low, helping allay concern that the labor market may suffer an extended setback, Bloomberg reported.

Jobless claims dropped by 1,000 to 367,000 in the …