Iowa
Ted Cruz, under pressure to endorse Trump, says he’s watching Iowa
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U.S. Sen. Ted Cruz, R-Texas, said Wednesday he is watching to see what happens in the Iowa caucuses next week as he faces increasing pressure to back frontrunner Donald Trump in his comeback bid.
In a statement to The Texas Tribune, Cruz said he has “an immense amount of respect for the Iowa caucuses and their procedures.” He won the critical first-in-the-nation contest when he ran for president against Trump eight years ago.
“I was a part of that process in 2016, so I have a special appreciation for it, and I learned intimately how unpredictable it can be,” Cruz said. “The people of Iowa take their responsibility very seriously. I hope we can get through the process quickly and continue to go about the critical business of beating Joe Biden.”
Cruz reiterated in the statement that the eventual GOP nominee will have his “full support.”
Trump has long led the polls in Iowa, though former Gov. Ron DeSantis has gone all in on the state and Nikki Haley, the former U.S. ambassador to the United Nations, is contending there on her way to friendlier territory in New Hampshire. In recent weeks, Trump and his allies have grown increasingly frustrated with Cruz’s neutrality.
Cruz has maintained his neutrality in this Republican primary for months, calling himself “Switzerland” when asked about it at The Texas Tribune Festival last fall. Earlier in 2023, he said he saw a “two-man race between Trump and DeSantis,” whose political operation has included several former Cruz staffers.
Trump has used his social media platform, Truth Social, to target Cruz multiple times in recent weeks. In early December, Trump taunted Cruz and another holdout — U.S. Sen. Josh Hawley, R-Missouri — over their reelection campaigns last year, saying Democrats want to beat them and they “must be very careful, stranger things have happened!!!” Hawley endorsed Trump days later.
Last week, The New York Times reported that Trump is “privately ranting about and workshopping nicknames” for Republicans who have not endorsed him yet, including Cruz.
Cruz is running for a third term next year and has repeatedly emphasized the need for GOP unity in Texas.
“I’m staying out of [the presidential primary] for many reasons, one of which is that I’m running for reelection in the great state of Texas and we’re expecting a serious fight in Texas,” Cruz told Newsmax in August. He added that he would “like the support of every Trump supporter and every DeSantis supporter” in the state.
Cruz, of course, has a complicated history with Trump. They bitterly battled in the final stretch of the 2016 primary, and Cruz withheld his endorsement for weeks after Trump officially became the nominee. Cruz was a reliable ally for Trump in the Senate during his presidency, and Trump stumped for Cruz in his 2018 reelection bid.
In Texas, the 2024 presidential primary has not been competitive. Trump has led all recent public polling and earned the lion’s share of endorsements from GOP elected officials. That includes Gov. Greg Abbott, who endorsed Trump during an event at the Mexican border last month.
DeSantis’ biggest supporter in Texas has been U.S. Rep. Chip Roy of Austin, who has traveled to Iowa multiple times to campaign for DeSantis. Roy is Cruz’s former chief of staff.
Texas’ other U.S. senator, John Cornyn, has been much less inclined to back Trump. He does not plan to endorse in the primary but has made clear he would prefer a new direction for his party, which has also angered Trump.
Disclosure: New York Times has been a financial supporter of The Texas Tribune, a nonprofit, nonpartisan news organization that is funded in part by donations from members, foundations and corporate sponsors. Financial supporters play no role in the Tribune’s journalism. Find a complete list of them here.
Iowa
Northwest Iowa woman taken to the hospital after rollover
SIOUX COUNTY, Iowa (KTIV) – A Woodbury County woman was taken by ambulance to the hospital after a rollover took place in Sioux County.
The Sioux County Sheriff’s Office says 45-year-old Jenni Madison of Sioux City was taken to the hospital Saturday, July 11.
Authorities say at about 12:01 p.m., deputies investigated a rollover that took place on Highway 60, one mile south of Alton. According to the Sioux County Sheriff’s Office, the car was traveling north on Highway 60 when the driver lost control, entered the median and rolled.
Deputies say Madison was taken by ambulance to the Orange City Area Health System to be treated for minor injuries. The vehicle sustained $12,500 in damage.
Orange City Fire Department, Alton Fire Department, Alton Ambulance, the Orange City Police Department, and the Iowa State Patrol helped the Sioux County Sheriff’s Office at the scene.
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Iowa
Several Iowa High School Baseball Standouts Selected In MLB Draft
A number of Iowa high school baseball standouts were selected during the 2026 Major League Baseball draft. The amateur draft was conducted July 11-12, 2026 from the Pennsylvania Convention Center in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.
Gable Mitchell, Kaleb LaFavor, Caleb Klein, Sam George, Nate Smithburg and Kooper Schulte each heard their names called during the draft.
Gable Mitchell Was Two-Way Star For Iowa City High
Mitchell, an Iowa City High grad, was picked in the eighth round with the 193rd overall pick by the Toronto Blue Jays. He played his collegiate baseball at the University of Iowa after batting .466 with 12 extra-base hits, 55 runs scored, 29 RBI and 25 steals, going 5-0 with a 0.95 earned run average and 18 strikeouts as a senior.
In high school, Mitchell was an all-stater in baseball and earned all-conference honors on the football field. His grandfather is Dan Gable, an Olympic wrestling gold medalist who led the Hawkeyes to 15 NCAA championships.
Kaleb LaFavor Lone Current Iowa High School Baseball Player Selected
LaFavor, currently a senior at Sioux City Bishop Heelan High School, was selected by the Boston Red Sox in the 10th round with the 304th pick. He has gone 3-1 with 40 strikeouts and a 0.79 earned run average in just under 18 innings on the mound this summer.
Klein, a Western Dubuque High School prep, played at Southeastern Community College and Southeast Missouri. He helped lead the Bobcats to back-to-back Class 3A Iowa High School Athletic Association State Baseball Tournament championships.
During his senior season at Western Dubuque, Klein hit .414 with nine doubles, seven triples, 49 runs scored and 30 RBI, stealing 20 bases. He went to the Atlanta Braves with the 442nd pick in the 15th round.
Several Former Iowa High School Baseball Players Hear Their Names Called
George, a former Pleasant Valley High School standout, played for Minnesota State University this past spring and was picked by the Milwaukee Brewers in the 19th round with the No. 581 overall selection.
In his final high school season with the Spartans, he struck out 62 batters in 44 innings, putting together a 2.07 earned run average.
Smithburg was picked by the Tampa Bay Rays in the 18th round with the 533rd pick after playing at Fairfield High School and for the Oklahoma Sooners.
As a senior, Smithburg went 6-1 with 83 strikeouts and a 0.43 earned run average in 47 innings pitched on the mound.
Schulte, who played at New London High School, played collegiately at Central Arizona, Southeastern Community College and for the Iowa Hawkeyes. He was selected by the New York Mets in the 20th round with the 600th pick overall.
He was an all-stater for New London in 2022, helping lead them to a state baseball championship that same season. As a senior, Schulte hit .444 with six home runs, 13 doubles, 50 runs scored, 44 RBI and nine steals, recording three saves and 29 strikeouts in just over 14 innings pitched.
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Iowa
Saints win finale in Iowa, snapping skid
The Saints claimed a victory in its series finale at Iowa, defeating the I-Cubs 5-4 to snap a four-game losing streak.
Orlando Arcia’s third-inning double scored Matt Wallner and Aaron Sabato to give St. Paul (50-41) the lead for good in the third inning.
Iowa scored twice in the ninth and threatened to steal away the win before reliever Trent Baker struck out Christian Bethancourt to end the game and earn the save.
Ben Ross and Kyler Fedko hit homers for the visitors.
Matt Bowman, who relieved Saints starter Aaron Rozek in the fifth inning, claimed the win.
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