Here First

Gov. Kim Reynolds has proposed a bill that regulates local government civil rights rules. Linn County supervisors are drafting data center development regulations. And there's a bill that wouldn't allow some partnerships between public schools and public libraries.

Weekly organizing for immigrants' rights is continuing in Cedar Rapids. U.S. Senator Chuck Grassley says he will probably vote for new controversial voter ID requirements. And international artists say it's becoming harder to work in the U.S.

Hundreds of people attended a legal observer training in Cedar Rapids. A Democrat has announced his run for state treasurer. And a conversation with the first Iowan to make the U.S. Olympic speedskating team.

Iowa Democrats will get a chance to make their case for one of the early slots in the 2028 presidential nominating process. Iowa farmers are hopeful about President Trump’s call to expand the sale of E15 gasoline. And Johnson County supervisors recently met with residents of local mobile home parks to learn more about their list of concerns.

There are bills proposed in response to the arrest of former Des Moines superintendent Ian Roberts. Political party leaders are getting ready for the Iowa Caucuses. And how are dairy farmers dealing with dropping milk prices?

House Republican state lawmakers are proposing bills they say would be tough on crime. John Deere is hiring back some workers it laid off last year. And how are Iowa farmers accessing mental health services?

President Trump spoke in Iowa in an effort to rally Republican votes for the 2026 midterms. Senate Democrats in Congress say they won't vote to fund the Department of Homeland Security without limits on ICE. And most of the Republican candidates for governor share their stance on abortion laws.

Black lawmakers are expanding their caucus to include other racial minorities. A state lawmaker is being treated for uterine cancer. And a few congressional candidates have dropped their campaigns. An earlier version of this podcast stated the Black and Brown Caucus has 12 members. It has 10.

Iowans protest ICE's presence in the Twin Cities. President Trump is set to speak in Iowa tomorrow. And the latest from the Iowa Capitol.

Former superintendent of Des Moines schools Ian Roberts has agreed to a plea deal rather than go to trial. House Democratic lawmakers have proposed a water quality bill. And how are scientists trying to hybridize wheat?

House Republicans have released their property tax plan. Linn County is working on an ordinance to regulate data center development. And there's a bill that would change the structure of the Board of Regents.

Iowa communities took part in Free America Walkout protests. Cedar Rapids school district is drastically shrinking its budget. And how much money did candidates for governor raise last year?

The state attorney general is asking lawmakers to make it a felony to harass a judge. Biodiesel producers are still waiting on federal guidance for tax credits. And a few charter schools have been approved.

Happy Martin Luther King Jr. Day! Governor Kim Reynolds is proposing Iowa to sell ivermectin over the counter. There's also a bill to regulate some general education requirements at Iowa's public universities.

Former Des Moines Public Schools Superintendent Ian Roberts plans to make a plea deal. Community college leaders want a change in law to offer bachelor's degrees. And how do scientists in the Midwest feel about the second Trump administration so far?

Iowa Congresswoman Ashley Hinson says she stands with ICE after an agent fatally shot a Minneapolis woman last week. Iowa House Democrats have proposed raising the minimum wage to $15 an hour. And the head of the Iowa Supreme Court is asking state lawmakers to raise the salary for a district court judge.

There's a bill in the Iowa House that would ban eminent domain for carbon pipelines. A Democrat has announced a campaign for state secretary of agriculture. And what did Gov. Kim Reynolds have to say in her Condition of the State last night?

Nitrate levels are high in drinking water sources in the Des Moines metro. Iowa Senate Republicans have a proposed plan for property tax reform. And the Cedar Rapids Community School District is considering closing several schools.

It's the first day of the 2026 Iowa legislative session. People mourned Renee Good and protested ICE over the weekend. And the USDA has released details for financial assistance for crop row farmers.

U.S. Representative Zach Nunn broke with GOP party leaders on a vote for an ACA tax credit extension. Flu is surging in Iowa. And what would closing the so-called "hemp loophole" mean for growers and producers?

Iowa is part of a federal tax credit program that provides more support for private schools. U.S. Education Secretary Linda McMahon was in Iowa yesterday. And there's a petition in the Quad Cities to take down automated license plate readers.

A legislative panel met ahead of the 2026 legislative session to discuss subacute mental health access. The federal recommended child vaccine schedule has dropped shots for six diseases. And more lawsuits have been filed against a gymnastics studio in central Iowa.

Gov. Kim Reynolds has created a nuclear energy task force. The superintendent of Sioux City Public Schools has officially resigned. Democratic lawmakers in the Iowa House are proposing tax rebates for homeowners and renters.

The U.S. has captured Venezuela's president and his wife. Iowa's campaign ethics board wants deepfakes that are used in election ads to be disclosed. And a central Iowa food pantry will have culturally specific foods.

Democrats have retained a seat in the Iowa Senate after yesterday’s special election in the Des Moines metro. Traffic fatalities in Iowa could end 2025 at a 100-year low. And the state is seeing high levels of flu activity.

Iowa will receive $209 million next year as part of the Rural Health Transformation Program authorized by the One Big Beautiful Bill Act passed by Congress. While Interstate 35 was closed for parts of Sunday and Monday because of blizzard conditions, motorists sought shelter in nearby communities. Citations instead of warnings will be issued for those violating Iowa's new hands free driving law starting Thursday, and a Polk County judge recently ordered the state to allow contractors reopen a resort in southern Iowa.

Beginning in the new year, some grocery items in Iowa will no longer be available to recipients of the federal food assistance program known as SNAP. Iowa’s cattlemen are urging state lawmakers to include spending on bird flu vaccine development in next year’s budget. And expanded gambling in Nebraska is cutting into casino profits in Council Bluffs.

The speaker of the Iowa House says he wants tougher penalties for people convicted of multiple crimes. A new survey has found the number of Iowans who identify as a caregiver is growing. And a change in state law may mean big changes for Johnson County’s board of supervisors.

Iowa will participate in a federal summer food assistance program after two years of opting out. Some public schools are joining a campaign to push for more funding. And Democratic leaders share their thoughts on eminent domain ahead of the 2026 legislative session.

Congress members went home for the holidays without a health care deal. State Republicans are going to try again for property tax relief in the upcoming legislative session. And Iowa K-12 school enrollment is down.

Leaders in the Iowa legislature discuss a potential IPERS study. There's been another detection of measles in Iowa. And a researcher has been trying to make cotton seeds edible.

The remains of two Iowa National Guard members arrived in the U.S. yesterday. Iowans in the Sioux City area are worried about their medical care. And what was it like for new college graduates to search for a job this year?

Iowa's attorney general says Roblox is harming children and is suing the gaming company. Republican leaders in the Iowa legislature talk about eminent domain. And Democratic candidate for governor Rob Sand is using his Christian faith to connect with voters.

The names have been released of the two Iowa National Guard Soldiers who were killed in Syria over the weekend. House Republicans have released a health care plan. And the challenge of mental wellness after surviving cancer.

Two Iowa National Guard soldiers and a U.S. civilian interpreter were killed in Syria. Federal homelessness funding is in limbo. And tax credits for home solar expire at the end of the year.

Iowa's U.S. Senators voted for the health care plan that would provide health savings accounts instead of ACA tax credits. Iowa state leaders talk about the expected deficit for next year. And how are some states stepping up for animals that are losing federal protections?

Iowa's largest teacher union is voicing their principles. Four international students at the University of Iowa have had their statuses restored. And what does a study show about data privacy with automated license plate readers?

Public employees shouldn't see changes to Iowa's public pension system anytime soon. Iowa land values are slightly up from last year. And who won last night's special election for an Iowa House seat?

A farmer bailout has been announced. A Somali immigrant rights advocate is speaking out against President Trump's recent hateful comments about Somali immigrants. And Iowa Democrats want to be first or early in the nation for the 2028 presidential nominating process.

Conservative political commentators spoke at the inaugural event for the new Center for Intellectual Freedom. Some federal grants for museums and libraries were reinstated. And a power company has gotten approval for a project that would provide more power to new data centers in eastern Iowa.

Unionized Starbucks workers in Des Moines and Iowa City are striking. Retiring ISU President Wendy Wintersteen reflects on her career. And Republican Congresswoman Ashley Hinson wouldn't say if she supports extending ACA tax credits.

Both Republican and Democratic state lawmakers are planning on property tax relief in the next legislative session. The Iowa Board of Regents has a new president. And the projected investment for a data center in Cedar Rapids has gone up.

Groups supporting refugees are calling on lawmakers to create a path to permanent residency for Afghan nationals. Immigrant rights advocates are still accompanying immigrants to their check-in appointments in Cedar Rapids. And nurses in some central Iowa hospitals are getting ready to vote to unionize.

Some communities in northwest Iowa are still waiting for FEMA buyouts, a year and a half after devastating flooding. Iowa and several other states will be able to access a federal database to make sure non-citizens haven’t registered to vote. And the head of Iowa’s board of regents says she’s resigning this week.

An eastern Iowa county is starting a free Narcan distribution program. Public health experts are encouraging more Iowans to get the flu shot. And some areas in the state saw over a foot of snow this weekend.

Gov. Kim Reynolds says a property tax relief plan is still in the works. Several businesses in Iowa City had to close because of the building owners' debt. And two Iowa Congress members say they'll push to get a full Farm Bill passed next year.

Satanic Temple Iowa has been denied a request to host a holiday event at the state capitol. Republican candidates say they can't be apathetic going into the 2026 election. And how do bison help out with protecting grasslands?

An investigation into the Des Moines Public School board hiring former superintendent Ian Roberts has been released. Small business owners are feeling less confident going into the holidays. And Democratic candidates want to reverse state and federal Republican policies if they win elections.

The state department of education is revising a federal funding request after public feedback. Student homelessness is on the rise in central Iowa. And a pilot program allows EMS to conduct blood transfusions before patients arrive to the hospital.

A U.S. Assistant Attorney General is in Iowa to investigate competition in agriculture. A Republican state senator has ended his exploratory campaign for governor. And the federal farm bailout is still up in the air.