Here First

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.

Both the Senate and House have passed a bill to release the Epstein files. A Minnesota-based newspaper company has about the Cedar Rapids Gazette. And Hinterland has announced its 2026 lineup.

The U.S. House of Representatives is expected to take a vote on the release of the Epstein files. Another lawsuit has been filed against the state over new pharmacy benefit manager regulations. And it's been a record corn harvest year.

A third Iowa educator has sued a former employer for wrongful termination over comments related to Charlie Kirk's death. Iowa is holding off on privatizing its prison health care system. And a Democrat is exploring a run for Iowa's secretary of agriculture.

November SNAP benefits should be released to Iowa participants today. A public meeting about a nuclear power plant in eastern Iowa drew mixed reactions. And some in the agriculture industry are pushing to revise a visa work program.

The historic government shutdown has ended. The Center for Intellectual Freedom at the University of Iowa is starting to form. And an Independent is running in Iowa's 2nd Congressional District.

Iowa State University's next president has been named. A Democratic candidate for governor shares a plan to address water quality. And the University of Iowa College Republicans are leaving the CRNC.

Congresswoman Mariannette Miller-Meeks was confronted by angry constituents at a town hall. Over 200 Iowa scientists are signing onto the 15th annual Iowa Climate Statement. And some states have used partisan messaging about SNAP delays.

Iowa Democrats criticize the deal the Senate passed to reopen the government. Refugees in Iowa are being told they are not eligible for SNAP benefits anymore. And the first local agency in Iowa has signed a 287(g) agreement with ICE.

The latest Republican to launch a campaign for Iowa governor says he'd work to address rising cancer rates. An eastern Iowa county passed a moratorium related to data centers. And how are younger generations in the Tai Dam community in Iowa staying close to their roots?

Iowa is asking for federal money to fund rural health care initiatives. The state has settled a wrongful termination lawsuit with a former public health spokesperson. And how are Iowans adjusting to higher health care costs?

The finalists for the next president of Iowa State University are visiting campus this week. Local residents in southwest Iowa are taking water quality into their own hands. And some school and county election results.

The Trump Administration will fund half of SNAP benefits this month. People can't apply for Section 8 housing vouchers in Des Moines right now. And President Trump has endorsed Iowa Congresswoman Mariannette Miller-Meeks for a fourth term in the U.S. House.

Funding for a federal heating assistance program is up in the air. The president of a central Iowa community college is hesitant on a proposal lawmakers are discussing. And how do farmers know when to apply fertilizer to corn and soybean fields in the Fall?

The state of Iowa will match cash donations to food banks up to a million dollars. Health insurance premiums through the ACA marketplace are expected to go up. And how are bats helpful to farmers?

Some Iowa Head Start programs will have to close Nov. 1 because of the federal government shutdown. The USDA is being sued because of withholding contingency funds for SNAP. Iowa business owners are telling federal lawmakers about their tariff concerns.

Republican Fourth District Congressman Randy Feenstra is officially running for governor. Democratic Senate candidate Josh Turek says President Trump’s tariff policies are causing a “farmageddon” in rural Iowa. And, Sen. Chuck Grassley says supply prices are squeezing farmers.

Google says it will buy electricity from the Duane Arnold Nuclear Power Plant near Cedar Rapids when it’s reopened in 2029. A Republican running for governor is the latest to call for a state takeover of the Des Moines school district. And, all five GOP candidates for Iowa’s 4th Congressional District seat made their pitches to conservative Christian voters in western Iowa Monday night.

The Sioux City City Council will have a majority of new members after next week's election. At least one Iowa-based bank is telling its customers that they can no longer get rolls or boxes of pennies, following an order from President Trump that the U.S. Treasury stop making pennies. A soybean disease has been found in Minnesota for the first time, and the 100th pheasant season in Iowa opened Saturday.

Immigrant rights advocates say a Des Moines high school student has been deported. Food pantries are preparing for higher need than normal. And beef producers are opposing President Trump's plan to lower beef prices.

A Democratic state lawmaker has requested an audit of the Iowa Board of Educational Examiners' licensing procedures. A few eastern Iowa cities are asking voters to approve a sales tax. And a Republican candidate for an Iowa U.S. Senate seat says he wants to ban super PACs.

Gov. Kim Reynolds says IPERS is not going anywhere. Polk County and crowdfunding sources are trying to fund water sensors throughout the state. And what do we know about high E. coli levels in Iowa's waterways?

It's day 21 of the federal government shutdown. Des Moines' camping ban is stricter. And a federal court has blocked the Creston Community School District from firing a teacher for a social media post related to Charlie Kirk.

Iowans protested at No Kings rallies across the state. SNAP recipients might not get November food assistance benefits because of the government shutdown. And another Democrat is running for Iowa's 2nd Congressional District.

Iowa will rely more on reserve funds to fill a growing budget gap left by declining tax revenues. The chair of the Des Moines school board is out of the 2026 Senate race. And low levels on the Mississippi River could force farmers to pay higher prices for fertilizer.

A second city in Iowa has affirmed protections for LGBTQ residents. Some airports are refusing to play a video from U.S. Secretary of Homeland Security Kristi Noem. And domestic violence homicide has gone up in Iowa.

Cancer researchers say the tobacco tax needs to be higher in Iowa. The state auditor is going to look into Des Moines Public Schools' finances. And another Republican is trying for Iowa's 4th Congressional District.

A Republican has dropped out of the race for Iowa's 2nd Congressional District. The nation's largest book supplier has suddenly closed. And lawmakers are trying to address agricultural cyberattacks.

A Democrat from eastern Iowa is running for U.S. Senate. Newspaper company Lee Enterprises will stop printing on Mondays. And new kinship licensing requirements makes it easier for kinship caregivers to get financial assistance.

A southwest Iowa teacher facing termination for her social media comments about Charlie Kirk's death is suing her school district. There is a woman county sheriff for the first time in over 100 years in Iowa. And how are Iowa farmers feeling about dropping land prices?