DMPD ends 30×30 initiative to comply with state law banning DEI
DES MOINES, Iowa — A bill signed by Governor Reynolds to remove DEI initiatives, policies, and programs is impacting law enforcement agencies in Des Moines, as the city announced it's withdrawing from a national initiative aimed at recruiting and retaining more women in law enforcement.
To comply with House File 856, which was signed into law on May 27, Des Moines is eliminating its 30×30 program. A national initiative to improve and grow the representation of women in law enforcement. The Des Moines Police Department joined the initiative in late 2021, with the goal of growing women in police recruitment classes to 30% by 2030.
The change comes just after the police department celebrated its most diverse class of recruits yet in 2024. Increasing the number of Asian, Black, and Hispanic officers and increasing bilingual officers on the force.
Currently, the City of Des Moines said that the Des Moines Police Department has 43 sworn female officers, representing roughly 11% of sworn officers.
Forecast: Mild temps and tiny rain chances
City Manager Scott Sanders was unavailable for an on-camera interview on Wednesday, but did provide a list of answers to questions WHO 13 had about the change.
When asked about the importance of diverse officers on the force to better serve the community, Sanders said, 'There are many important factors to our police department's success serving the Des Moines community. The top of that list is our officers and their passion for helping our residents and visitors. Whether responding to a call or building relationships in the community, it is our officers' collective goal to protect both lives and property for every member of our community to the best of their ability.'
When asked about ensuring future law enforcement career opportunities are open to all individuals, Sanders said, 'The Des Moines police remains committed to providing an attractive workplace for all potential recruits, including women, as it also strives to be a welcoming employer to all officers who are qualified and dedicated to serving the Des Moines community.'
When asked about the 30×30 initiative and the decision to withdraw, Sanders said, 'The DMPD's participation in the 30×30 initiative was a goal to increase the presence of women in the Des Moines Police Department. The discontinuation of the 30×30 program means that there will no longer be a hiring goal for the number of women hired by Des Moines Police to comply with state law.'
Metro News:
DMPS selling student-run radio station KDPS 88.1 FM
DMPD ends 30×30 initiative to comply with state law banning DEI
'Suspicious package' found near Federal Building shuts down downtown DSM road
Hundreds of volunteers needed for National Speech and Debate Tournament in Des Moines
Des Moines man guilty of fatally shooting man at hotel sentenced to prison
Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Newsweek
an hour ago
- Newsweek
Video of Bernie Sanders Reacting to Trump's Iran Strike Live Goes Viral
Based on facts, either observed and verified firsthand by the reporter, or reported and verified from knowledgeable sources. A video of progressive Senator Bernie Sanders, a Vermont independent, reacting live at a rally to the news that President Donald Trump had carried out strikes on Iranian nuclear sites has gone viral on social media. Sanders posted the clip from his "Fight Oligarchy" tour on X, formerly Twitter, late on Saturday. "I learned about Trump's unconstitutional attack on Iran at a large rally in Tulsa, Oklahoma. Here is the response," the senator, who caucuses with Democrats, wrote. As of the time of writing on Sunday afternoon, the video has been viewed more than 5 million times. It has been reposted by 20,000 X users and liked by 101,000. Why It Matters The progressive lawmaker's response came after the U.S. carried out attacks targeting three nuclear sites across Iran—at Fordow, Natanz, and Isfahan. Trump described the operation as a "very successful attack" and has now called for "peace," while Iran has said it will retaliate. Trump's decision came after Israel and Iran have exchanged consistent strikes since June 13. Israel had urged the U.S. to target Iran's nuclear facilities, saying that Tehran was moving close to creating a nuclear weapon. Iran maintains that its nuclear program is for civilian, not military, purposes. The strikes have sparked concerns from some Democrats and some Republicans about a wider war breaking out—with some lawmakers accusing the president of violating the U.S. Constitution with the strikes. Smoke rises as a location targeted by Israel is ablaze in Tehran amid the third day of Israel's waves of strikes against Iran on June 15. Inset: Senator Bernie Sanders, a Vermont independent, is seen... Smoke rises as a location targeted by Israel is ablaze in Tehran amid the third day of Israel's waves of strikes against Iran on June 15. Inset: Senator Bernie Sanders, a Vermont independent, is seen on May 14 in Washington, D.C. More Khoshiran/Middle East Images via AFP/What to Know In the 1-minute and 13-second clip, Sanders reads Trump's statement on the Iran strikes to the crowd of rally attendees. Immediately, a loud chorus of boos can be heard from the crowd, demonstrating the attendees' displeasure with the news. The crowd then begins to chant "no more war," with Sanders nodding in agreement. The camera pans out, showing the animated audience raising their fists in the air as they chant, with an American flag visible and being waved by at least one rally goer. "I agree," the senator eventually responds, after allowing the chorus of chants to continue for several seconds. "And I want to tell you something, not only is this news, that I've just is so grossly unconstitutional," he said. "All of you know that the only entity that can take this country to war is the U.S. Congress. The president does not have the right," Sanders said. His remarks drew a large cheer from the crowd. Last week, in anticipation of a strike on Iran, Representative Thomas Massie, a Kentucky Republican, and Representative Ro Khanna, a California Democrat, introduced a War Powers Resolution in a bid to curb the president from escalating the conflict with Iran. After the attack was announced, Massie was quick to respond on X, writing on Saturday: "This is not constitutional." I learned about Trump's unconstitutional attack on Iran at a large rally in Tulsa, Oklahoma. Here is the response: — Bernie Sanders (@BernieSanders) June 22, 2025 What To Know About U.S. Bombing Iran The U.S. struck Fordow, roughly 60 miles south of Tehran, as well as the Natanz complex to the southeast and Isfahan, southwest of Natanz, Trump said. The president hailed the attacks as a "spectacular military success," adding: "Iran's key nuclear enrichment facilities have been completely and totally obliterated." Experts said it was too early to tell exactly how much damage has been done to Iran's network of nuclear sites. U.S. Air Force General Dan Caine, the chairman of the U.S. joint chiefs of staff, said on Sunday morning that initial assessments of the operation dubbed "Midnight Hammer" indicated "all three sites sustained extremely severe damage and destruction," but analysis was ongoing. Israel continued attacking Iran into Sunday, and Tehran launched fresh strikes on several Israeli cities. Ash from airstrikes covers much of the area, and several of the entrances to Fordow's tunnel network appear to be blocked with dirt, Maxar, an American space technology company, said. Images separately published by Planet Labs on Sunday also showed ash covering the area around Fordow. Fordow is built under a mountain, a facility that was secret until 2009 and Israel has been unable to destroy it with its weapons. While Israel has carried out strikes on Iran's nuclear sites—including Natanz and Isfahan—since it started its campaign over a week ago, the U.S. is considered the only country able to reach the deeply buried sites like Fordow using B-2 bombers and "bunker buster" bombs. These huge bombs had never been used before in combat. What People Are Saying Representative Ro Khanna, a California Democrat said in a statement emailed to Newsweek on Sunday: "Stopping Iran from having a nuclear bomb is a top priority, but dragging the U.S. into another Middle East war is not the solution. Trump's strikes are unconstitutional and put Americans, especially our troops, at risk. Congress needs to come back to DC immediately to vote on Rep. Thomas Massie and my bipartisan War Powers Resolution to ensure there is no further conflict and escalation." President Donald Trump on Truth Social on Saturday evening: "ANY RETALIATION BY IRAN AGAINST THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA WILL BE MET WITH FORCE FAR GREATER THAN WHAT WAS WITNESSED TONIGHT. THANK YOU!" Iranian Foreign Minister Seyed Abbas Araghchi on X on Sunday: "The United States, a permanent member of the United Nations Security Council, has committed a grave violation of the UN Charter, international law and the NPT by attacking Iran's peaceful nuclear installations. The events this morning are outrageous and will have everlasting consequences. Each and every member of the UN must be alarmed over this extremely dangerous, lawless and criminal behavior. In accordance with the UN Charter and its provisions allowing a legitimate response in self-defense, Iran reserves all options to defend its sovereignty, interest, and people." Vice President JD Vance to NBC News' Meet the Press on Sunday: "We're not at war with Iran. We're at war with Iran's nuclear operation was really extraordinary. These guys flew from Missouri. They didn't land a single time. They dropped 30,000-pound bombs on a target the size of a washing machine and then got back home safely without ever landing in the Middle East or ever stopping other than to briefly refuel." Representative Thomas Massie, a Kentucky Republican, on X on Sunday: "When two countries are bombing each other daily in a hot war, and a third country joins the bombing, that's an act of war. I'm amazed at the mental gymnastics being undertaken by neocons in DC (and their social media bots) to say we aren't at war... so they can make war." What Happens Next? Iran's foreign minister said after the attack that his country reserves "all options to defend its sovereignty." The U.S. military is preemptively preparing for any attack from Tehran in response. It's unclear whether the War Powers Resolution sponsored by Khanna and Massie, which aims to curb Trump's ability to take military action against Iran, has the support to move forward in the House. However, with Republican control of both chambers, it is not widely expected to succeed.
Miami Herald
4 hours ago
- Miami Herald
Some Johns Hopkins, UMD research stopped after Trump cuts. Others are scrambling to resume
BALTIMORE - Some Maryland university research projects on the Trump administration's chopping block have been fully discontinued, while others are scrambling to resume after a pause in funding. Johns Hopkins has lost more than $800 million in federal grant money. The University of Maryland lost tens of millions of dollars. But some cuts have been blocked by legal challenges, though litigation is ongoing. Researchers describe disappointment and uncertainty as they determine how to move forward. Alternative funding has been secured for a clinical trial in Bangladesh aimed at managing life-threatening diarrheal diseases in children, which was previously halted because of U.S. Agency for International Development funding cuts. The work has yet to resume. "It just takes a long time to rebuild the teams and get things in place again to start," said Judd Walson, chair of the Department of International Health at Johns Hopkins University, which partnered on the project. "The disruptions that are happening are really catastrophic." Over the past several weeks, 17 NIH awards have been terminated or had an unclear status, including two training awards supporting doctoral-level researchers, Walson said. "We're not getting a lot of communication, so it's a little bit hard to say exactly what the status of some of these awards are," he said. The National Institutes of Health didn't respond to questions about funding cuts to Maryland research institutions. In a lawsuit challenging NIH research cuts, lawyers for the federal government wrote in a recent court filing that its terminations of grants for DEI-related studies were "sufficiently reasoned," and that the NIH has "broad discretion" to decide what grants to provide. Johns Hopkins is a plaintiff in two lawsuits involving caps on reimbursement of indirect costs for research - one challenging the NIH and the other against the Department of Defense. The latter suit also lists the University of Maryland, College Park, as a plaintiff. Both schools have also filed a brief in support of a lawsuit filed by Harvard University against the Trump administration's funding cuts. New grant terminations have been arriving "nearly every week," Johns Hopkins University said in a recent update published on its website. There's also been a nearly two-thirds decrease in new awards compared with last year, the university said. Johns Hopkins atmosphere and ocean sciences researcher Darryn Waugh was disappointed upon receiving notice that his NASA grant to study air pollution in Baltimore was canceled by the Trump administration. The termination came as a result of President Donald Trump's executive order, "Ending Radical and Wasteful Government DEI Programs and Preferencing." "It wasn't clear to me that this actually falls under this diversity, equity, inclusion," Waugh said. "It was research that I think we still wanted to do - to understand how the air pollution varies through the city - and the environmental justice was only actually a relatively small component of it." Waugh was working through the second year of a three-year grant, totaling $1,465,950. "We've got kind of a preliminary analysis," he said, regarding the research. "But to get anything conclusive, we would need more than one year of funding." Waugh said he intends to find ways of continuing the research without the NASA grant. Daniel Mullins, at the University of Maryland School of Pharmacy, had a grant canceled for a "Health Equity Research Hub," which examined how to encourage greater participation in health-related research. Mullins said the loss of the grant affected five positions, and the individuals will be removed from the university because of lack of funding. He added that the termination stated that the grant was DEI-related, which he disputes. "I think under the DEI umbrella, a lot of times, the government will refer to it as just one racial ethnic group," he said. "We've worked in different geographies, in different racial and ethnic populations, but what's cool about what we do is it really does apply to all patients in all populations." Mullins said his research group has additional funding from other agencies and is writing new proposals. Walson said social determinants of health - involving factors like poverty and other "inequities" - are "foundational to our understanding of health." "So the idea that we would not be able to pursue work that focuses on identifying and managing those particular issues, which are the underlying, core issues at the heart of health issues, is really challenging," Walson said. The Trump administration's cuts have had an ieffect across the world. Walson said it's estimated the cuts will result in hundreds of thousands of deaths globally, and could eventually lead to millions of deaths over the next couple of years. Secretary of State Marco Rubio has said it's "a lie" that people have died because of USAID cuts. During a congressional hearing in May, Rubio said the U.S. is the world's "largest humanitarian provider." "I would argue: How many people die because China hasn't done it?" he said. "How many people have died because the U.K. has cut back on spending and so has other countries?" Copyright (C) 2025, Tribune Content Agency, LLC. Portions copyrighted by the respective providers.
Forbes
4 hours ago
- Forbes
What Went Wrong With DEI? 3 Ways To Move Forward
Concept of racial equality, anti-racism, diversity, stop racism, humanity, different wood textures, ... More silhouette, diverse cultures, cultural diversity, wooden face shape, Cooperation, collaboration With headlines dominating the news cycle—'The Death of DEI' to 'The Downfall of DEI'—it is time to learn from our past and pivot inclusion work forward positively. The backlash for DEI work has always existed. Most recently, the pushback focused on specific parts of DEI. For example, hiring goals for diversity were rebranded as 'DEI hires,' and support for LGBTQ+ rights became a political stance. In my interview with Paul Ladipo, CEO and Founder of Critical Conversations Consulting, he said, 'Anti-DEI activists started by picking on Critical Race Theory (CRT). Once that gained steam, it spread to Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI). Then, DEI became under attack at the state and university level to becoming the rationale for plane crashes.' Ladipo sees many organizations continuing DEI under different framing, pivoting to words like inclusion, belonging, or culture. He recommends leaders learn from the backlash and go beyond surface-level problems, focus on the long-term legacy impact of the work, and let go of the idea that everyone has to be an ally. Go Beyond Surface-Level Problems 'Most people know social causes at a surface level. They do not understand the more complex reasons why racism or sexism exist and how to navigate them. If they understood the issues more deeply, they would not have fallen for DEI backlash,' Ladipo proposed. Despite the recent backlash, most people want DEI work at their organizations. People cite DEI improving their employee experience and broadening their talent pipelines, leading to higher rates of innovation and business outcomes. Once people understand how issues of inclusion affect them and those they work with, they have greater empathy and connection with their teams. Reframing DEI requires going beyond surface-level problems, to deeper DEI solutions. Reframe DEI As Legacy Work Ladipo acknowledges that the DEI pushback will take a long time to heal from. Uncertainty and massive change take a toll on people over time. It is not sustainable to go through waves of pro-inclusion and anti-DEI with the news cycle. People crave consistency in times of uncertainty. Centuries of inequality will not be solved overnight. DEI is a long game. It is legacy work. It necessitates having a plan, goals, and metrics to monitor over time. Tying DEI to the business and human cases can emphasize the long-term nature of DEI with specific actions tied to a broader strategy. Accept Not Everyone Is An Ally 'Following the Civil War we saw the rise of Jim Crow discrimatory laws. After the Civil Rights Act, there was an increased focus on securing the Southern vote by appealing to white grievance politics. There will always be a part of the population that resists social change,' Ladipo cites. DEI is about meeting people where they are on their learning journeys. If people are not ready or are not interested in allyship, it cannot be forced upon them. Coqual's research finds that the overwhelming majority of people want to or are persuable as allies, yet 10% of people remain naysayers. We cannot want this work for everyone, yet 90% is reachable. The future of DEI may be uncertain, yet despite the backlash, accepting not everyone is an ally, reframing as legacy work, and going beyond surface-level problems are pivots leaders need to consider to move forward successfully.
