River to River

On this Newsbuzz edition, we unpack the headlines from the week, including the latest from the Capitol, funding for rural health, returning to the moon and more.

With spring planting around the corner, Iowa farmers are facing rising costs, global uncertainty, and shifting market pressures. This episode explores how fertilizer prices, international relations and climate conditions are shaping the future of agriculture and rural economies.

Political scientists talk about the top stories of the week, including the historical No Kings protests, Trump's surprise Iran announcement and threats to leave NATO, birthright citizenship at the Supreme Court and more.

The Cancer in Iowa Report published annually by the Iowa Cancer Registry gives an overview of the current burden of cancer in the state. This year's report features findings from the Agricultural Health Study, one of the world's largest and longest-running active studies of agricultural exposures and health. We talk with Iowa Cancer Registry Director Mary Charlton about this year's report which estimates this year that 21,700 Iowans will be diagnosed with cancer and 6,400 Iowans will die of cancer. We'll also talk with principal investigator of the Agricultural Health Study Laura Beane Freeman about the findings from their study that began in the mid-1990s with participants from Iowa and North Carolina. David Cwiertny of the University of Iowa's Center for Health Effects of Environmental Contamination also joins to discuss various environmental factors in the state that may be contributing to cancer diagnoses.

A proposal at the Statehouse would put new limits on the governor's emergency authority. Lawmakers for and against the legislation discuss what's behind this bill. Then, a bill at the Statehouse would bar new employment contracts with H1-B visa holders from certain countries. Later in the episode, we hear about a podcast from Iowa State University Extension and Outreach that explores significant changes farmers have made in their business models. (The third segment of this program was produced in November 2025.)

On this Newsbuzz edition, we break down the latest from the Iowa Statehouse with Marissa Payne of the 'Des Moines Register' and NPR White House correspondent Danielle Kurtzleben joins to discuss how the war against Iran is impacting farmers. We also discuss the Hawkeye men's basketball team's historic run so far during March Madness and the Iowa State men's team with sports writer Mike Hlas. Plus the upcoming severe weather season and federal court rulings on immigration in Iowa.

At this year's Obermann Symposium, University of Iowa researchers are tackling the achievement gap for rural students, unequal access to nutritious food and communities not adapting to an aging population. The symposium is meant to harness the work being done in rural areas to better collaborate. Ben Kieffer speaks with one of the organizers, law professor Daria Fisher Page, and the experts focusing on rural issues; professor of gerontology Brian Kaskie; professor in learning sciences and educational psychology Duhita Mahatmya; and professor of occupational and environmental health Brandi Janssen.

President Trump’s war in Iran is raising questions about U.S. foreign policy and its political consequences closer to home. In rural Iowa and across the Midwest, shifting opinions and economic concerns are putting pressure on traditional bases of support. Political scientists Donna Hoffman of the University of Northern Iowa and Wayne Moyer of Grinnell College join the program to analyze how the conflict is shaping voter attitudes, party dynamics and broader regional sentiment.

A new nation, a divided country, a lonely fort in a harbor. Bestselling author Erik Larson will be in Iowa to talk about his latest book, The Demon of Unrest: A Saga of Hubris, Heartbreak, and Heroism at the Dawn of the Civil War. He joined the show ahead of his visit. Then, we hear firsthand accounts from two Iowans, Mary Sellers and Susan Judkins, who just returned from Cuba amid tensions with the U.S. and the energy crisis.

Iowa’s second funnel deadline has passed. What bills are still alive, and what does it all mean for the rest of the legislative session? Today, statehouse reporters Katarina Sostaric of IPR, Stephen Gruber-Miller of the 'Des Moines Register', and Erin Murphy of 'The Gazette' join to break it all down. The conversation covers the biggest unresolved issues shaping the session, including competing property tax proposals, ongoing debates over eminent domain and carbon pipelines, and concerns about a projected budget deficit. The group also discusses key developments in education policy, criminal justice, and health care.

Jie Li, an Iowa State researcher originally from China, shares the harm a state bill targeting H-1B applicants from "foreign adversary" nations could cause. Also, updates after the second major deadline at the Statehouse and a major environmental group signaling cautious support for restarting Iowa's shuttered nuclear power plant.

A majority of U.S. teens say they use AI chatbots for school work, according to the Pew Research Center. On this episode we talk with Iowa educators who are working together in advancing ethical, human-centered approaches to artificial intelligence across K-12 education. Then — a recent report that shares of the potential negative risks that generative AI poses to students.