Iowa business owners say they started feeling the pain of tariffs last year, and this year's Supreme Court ruling hasn't brought any clarity for the future.

Why it matters: Small business owners say their profit margins are too small to absorb tariff-related price shocks, making planning for the future difficult.

Catch up quick: Courts struck down President Trump's tariffs last month, noting the government needs to refund companies and consumers for their added costs. But it's unclear when those repayments will be made.

• Trump also instituted a 10% global tariff after the ruling.

State of play: In West Des Moines' Valley Junction, shop owners have shared growing concerns, especially since many of their products come from overseas, says Steve Frevert, executive director of the Historic Valley Junction Foundation.

• "Their vendors would hike the price astronomically to cover their tariff costs," Frevert says. "So that gets passed on to the businesses."

Zoom in: Velorosa, a local women's cycling apparel brand, is navigating the uncertainty carefully.

• The company launched in 2015 and sold clothing online, at events, and with nearby retailers like Scheel's.
• Co-owners Kim Hopkins and Lisa Carponelli chose to "press pause" for 2026, ordering no new inventory, largely because of tariff unpredictability, Hopkins says.
• Velorosa has so far avoided tariff costs by ordering inventory ahead of time.

What they're saying: "We just made the decision it's not worth the risk for us to order a bunch of inventory that we think is going to be one price, and that could change by the time it arrives on our doorstep," Hopkins says.

Ben Jung, owner of Ingersoll Wine and Spirits, told the Des Moines Register that tariff costs started hitting his business in late 2025 on imports from countries like France, Germany and Italy.

• Even with the court ruling, ongoing uncertainty from Trump's latest 10% tariff means distributors continue raising prices, Jung says.

What's next: Updates in this case — no matter how incremental — are being followed closely by businesses waiting for, in some cases, large sums of money in refunds.

Disclaimer: Reporter Linh Ta has worked with Velorosa.

The Des Moines City Council agreed this week to pay $150,000 to settle a lawsuit claiming that plants in the medians along Fleur Drive contributed to an accident that injured a motorcyclist.

Why it matters: The payout highlights how routine streetscape decisions can expose cities to liability risks.

Catch up quick: The crash happened in September 2021, near Fleur Drive and Southlawn Drive by the DSM International Airport.

• Polk County resident Clay Blanchard said in court documents that the combination of oversized vegetation in the median's boxes and a street sign blocked a turning vehicle from seeing his motorcycle.
• Blanchard said he was forced to lay down his motorcycle to avoid colliding with the vehicle.

The intrigue: The city successfully argued in 2023 that Blanchard did not meet Iowa's heightened standards for suing government entities, and the case was dismissed.

Yes, but: An Iowa Court of Appeals decision in December reversed the ruling, concluding that Blanchard had adequately pleaded a common-law negligence claim and remanded the case to Polk County District Court.

Between the lines: By settling, the city avoids a potential jury trial and ongoing legal expenses.

Behind the scenes: The city announced a $2 million makeover of the Fleur Drive medians in 2023, featuring lower-growing plants.

• The changes were made in collaboration with the city's engineering department to ensure clear vision, city manager Scott Sanders tells Axios.

What we're watching: Whether dozens of street safety projects can help achieve Des Moines' goal of eliminating serious accidents.

🎳 Putts & Pins in West Des Moines is closing at the end of the month. (Des Moines Register)

🗳️ Former Iowa Rep. John Forbes announced he plans on running against incumbent Matt McCoy for Polk County Supervisor District 1. Both are Democrats. (Facebook)

❤️ A GoFundMe was launched to help soldiers and friends of fallen Chief Warrant Officer Robert Marzan travel to his services in Sacramento.

• Marzan, formerly of West Des Moines, was one of six soldiers killed in Kuwait earlier this month. (WHO-13)

🌊 Construction crews are removing a large dam on the DSM River near Scott Avenue this week to build a white water project in the area. (KCCI)

Grab your tissues: Allergy season is getting longer in Des Moines amid climate change, according to a new analysis from Climate Central.

The big picture: The growing season for plants lengthened from 1970 to 2025 in nearly 90% of the 198 cities analyzed in the climate research group's latest report.

• Among cities with an increase, the period lengthened by an average of 21 days.
• That's the time between the last and first freeze, used here to represent allergy season.

Zoom in: Allergy season has lengthened across the Midwest, including in Des Moines by around 19 days.

What they're saying: "As temperatures rise, freeze-free seasons are stretching in every region of the country, giving plants weeks of extra time to grow and release pollen," Climate Central's Kristy Dahl said in a statement.

• "For millions of Americans, that means earlier, longer, and often more intense allergy seasons that can take a real toll on health and daily life."

🔎 Correctly guess Jason's location by 4pm for a chance to win two tickets to Tuesday's performance of "Twilight Zone Unscripted" at the Temple Theater, courtesy of Des Moines Performing Arts.

• The winner will be named in tomorrow's newsletter.