Takeaways from Iowa's primaries. And, DOJ nixes Trump's 'anti-weaponization' fund

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Today's top stories

Trump-endorsed Congressman Randy Feenstra lost the Iowa gubernatorial primary race last night to businessman Zach Lahn. It's a rare blow to President Trump, who has seen almost all of his chosen candidates succeed. Farmers in Iowa have been disproportionately impacted by Trump administration policies like tariffs and the war in Iran. The state is governed by Republicans, but voters have cast their ballots for Democrats in recent federal and state elections. Democratic voters are strategically selecting candidates they believe will best position them to flip seats in November.

Voters fill out ballots at Lowe Park Arts and Environment Center on Tuesday in Marion, Iowa. Iowans voting in today's primary election will nominate candidates for governor, U.S. Senate, and U.S. House in advance of this fall's midterm elections. Stephen Maturen/Getty Images hide caption

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Stephen Maturen/Getty Images

• 🎧 In the upcoming midterm elections, Lahn will compete against Rob Sand, the Democratic nominee who ran unopposed in the primaries. Sand is also the only statewide Democratic elected official. The race between the two politicians begins as a true toss-up, NPR's Stephen Fowler tells Up First.
• ➡️ Here are the results so far for the six states that held primaries yesterday.
• ➡️ The California governor's primary election remains too close to call. Democrat Xavier Becerra and Republican Steve Hilton lead the field, with Democrat Tom Steyer in third.

Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche told members of Congress yesterday that plans for Trump's $1.776 billion anti-weaponization fund are no longer moving forward. His remarks come just days after a federal judge temporarily blocked the creation of the fund after Democracy Forward and other organizations filed a lawsuit.

• 🎧 In a rare occurrence, the fund has prompted many Republicans, especially in the Senate, to publicly oppose Trump, NPR's Ryan Lucas says. Many Republicans disliked the possibility that payouts could go to Capitol rioters who attacked police on Jan. 6, 2021. This Republican pushback has stalled some of the administration's legislative priorities, including funding for immigration enforcement. From the beginning, Democrats have criticized the fund, arguing that it would serve as a slush fund that allows the president to give nearly $1.8 billion in taxpayer money to his supporters and allies.

Trump announced yesterday that he is appointing Federal Housing Finance Agency Director Bill Pulte as the acting director of national intelligence. Pulte will replace Tulsi Gabbard, who is stepping down at the end of the month. His biography on the FHFA website highlights his career experience in housing and philanthropy, but it does not mention any background in intelligence.

• 🎧 The law that established the director of national intelligence position after 9/11 says that all nominees must have "extensive national security experience," NPR's Danielle Kurtzleben says. But Pulte isn't a nominee. Trump has named him as the acting director, meaning he won't go through a Senate confirmation. Kurtzleben says this role is a key position as the U.S. engages with foreign threats worldwide, especially during the war with Iran. Pulte has used his position as head of the Federal Housing Finance Agency to legally pursue Trump's perceived enemies. He has accused multiple people of mortgage fraud, including New York Attorney General Letitia James and Democratic Sen. Adam Schiff.

Researchers are speaking out against a new White House web page, saying that it uses dehumanizing language to target immigrants. The site aliens.gov discusses the threat of "aliens," accompanied by the opening theme of The X-Files. The webpage equates undocumented immigrants with extraterrestrials. The administration refers to these individuals as an "it" and claims "they do not belong here." While some may dismiss the wordplay as a joke, Ernesto Castañeda, director of the Center for Latin American and Latino Studies at American University, says that "for a few people, it may be another license to act violently against people that they may think are aliens, undocumented. They may be another incitement to hate crimes and to profiling people."

Life advice

Drinking water is one of the main ways people are exposed to per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances, or "PFAS." These chemicals have been linked to negative health outcomes, including certain cancers. show999/Getty Images hide caption

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show999/Getty Images

"Forever chemicals" are everywhere, even in our drinking water and food. These substances, also known as per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances, or "PFAS," have been linked to negative health outcomes, including certain types of cancer. Eliminating all sources of PFAS in your life would be impossible, according to one report from the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering and Medicine. But it is worthwhile to minimize your exposure to the contaminants. Here are some of the ways you can reduce your PFAS exposure:

• 💧 Check whether your water has been tested by calling your utility's customer service or checking online to see if they've released PFAS data in water quality reports. Utilities must test for PFAS chemicals by 2027 under current Environmental Protection Agency regulations.
• 💧 If your water has PFAS levels above EPA limits, check if your community plans to install a filtration system. There are a few treatment systems that work on this contamination, including activated carbon filters and reverse osmosis. If you get your own filter, ensure it's certified to treat PFAS.
• 💧 Federal regulators advise against consuming fish from waterways affected by PFAS. Produce grown using contaminated water may also pose exposure risks.

For additional guidance on whether there are forever chemicals in your drinking water, listen to this episode of NPR's Life Kit. Subscribe to the Life Kit newsletter for expert advice on love, money, relationships and more.

Picture show

John Follmer prunes back plants at the Japanese garden on the West LA Veterans Affairs campus in April. Stella Kalinina for NPR hide caption

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Stella Kalinina for NPR

Iraq war veteran John Follmer leads a group of veteran volunteers who rehabilitate a neglected Japanese garden on the West LA Veterans Affairs Campus every Thursday. In 2012, an NPR investigation revealed that the VA was using the campus for questionable purposes while thousands of veterans slept on the streets. After many lawsuits, protests and government promises, housing for more than 1,200 veterans has been built, but construction is years behind schedule. Trump promised to accelerate building efforts there but failed to allocate funding for a single new bed in this year's budget request. The VA told NPR that funding will come later. The ultimate goal is to create a community where veterans can choose to live permanently, rather than just when they are getting back on their feet. Take a look at how this garden is helping veterans.

3 things to know before you go

Author Julia Elliott won for her short story collection Hellions. Forrest Clonts/Tin House hide caption

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Forrest Clonts/Tin House

1. Julia Elliott has won this year's Carol Shields Prize for Fiction for her collection of short stories, Hellions. This award honors work by women and nonbinary authors in the U.S. and Canada.
2. Federal regulators are investigating former New York Congressman George Santos for allegedly betting on his attendance at February's State of the Union address on the prediction market site Kalshi.
3. Research from the Federal Reserve Bank of New York finds that companies are less inclined to hire young college graduates into roles that can be done remotely. This likely stems from a reluctance to hire candidates who require more training and mentoring.

This newsletter was edited by Suzanne Nuyen.