Start your day with the essentials. Coffee. Breakfast. And the local news you need to know. Host Meghan McKinney rises bright and early to bring you the top news stories from around Iowa in under 10 minutes. Wake up, grab that coffee and get your news Here First. You can support what you hear on this podcast at ipr.org/donate.
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Sep 29, 2026 · 3:52
Just ahead of the midterm elections, President Trump has announced a steel plant investment in Iowa. Local health department's budgets could be tighter under a state plan to…
Sep 28, 2026 · 4:02
A possible new steel plant may bring lawmakers back to Des Moines for a special session. After losing half of its executive committee, the Center for Intellectual Freedom has…
Sep 25, 2026 · 8:47
A proposed change to Waterloo’s human rights department is dividing the city’s leadership. A business group is questioning why Alliant Energy wants to build three new power…
Sep 24, 2026 · 4:01
President Trump's lawsuit against pollster J. Ann Selzer has been dismissed. A traveling exhibit is in Des Moines that features the Epstein files that have been released. And…
Sep 23, 2026 · 9:09
Linn County is looking at the quality of its groundwater. Library hours are being reduced in Des Moines because of city budget cuts. And how has data from Flock Safety cameras…
Sep 22, 2026 · 4:12
Prosecutors will retry a man accused in the cold-case killing of a Native American woman in Sioux City. The Dubuque City Council voted Monday to adopt a goal to zero out its…
Sep 21, 2026 · 8:52
Vice President JD Vance and Louisiana Sen. John Kennedy are among the high-profile Republicans who’ve visited Iowa recently to rally GOP support ahead of the midterm elections. A…
Sep 18, 2026 · 9:27
The Democratic candidate for governor supports legalizing recreational marijuana. Republicans are urging support for a constitutional amendment. And how are voters feeling about…
Sep 17, 2026 · 8:44
Two Iowa representatives have voted to limit President Trump's war powers in Iran. Private well owners in certain counties are eligible for a free arsenic testing kit. And a…
Sep 16, 2026 · 4:14
This year's Iowa Climate Statement calls for investing in renewable energy to meet electricity demands. Minden and Greenfield are receiving money from the USDA two years after…
Sep 15, 2026 · 4:19
The city of Des Moines has approved an initial recommendation to cuts to its 2028 budget. The state attorney general's office has announced how it'll use some Meta settlement…
Sep 14, 2026 · 4:35
The Department of Homeland Security secretary was in Iowa over the weekend. Child labor violations are disproportionately higher in Iowa. And a rare and federally endangered…
Sep 11, 2026 · 7:57
Iowans will remember the 9/11 anniversary today with observances. One former Iowan will return to the Pentagon for today’s commemoration. Republicans will go first in the 2028…
Sep 10, 2026 · 4:16
Iowans vote this fall on whether to make it tougher for lawmakers to raise income taxes. Iowa's agriculture secretary is promoting a science-based approach to addressing the…
Sep 9, 2026 · 4:11
University of Iowa marching band member Derek Phillips has died after collapsing from the heat in Iowa City Saturday. Waterloo passed a temporary ban on new data centers at its…
Sep 8, 2026 · 9:03
The candidates for governor share their thoughts on automated license plate readers. Johnson County officials are trying to figure out an AI policy. And what happened to the…
Sep 4, 2026 · 9:20
Iowa is trying to bring back nuclear energy. Farmers across the country are losing access to federal workers to help with soil and water conservation. And how could proposed…
Sep 3, 2026 · 8:58
Many public schools in Iowa are trying to navigate rising costs and low enrollment. Iowa has been burning more coal to produce electricity than in the past. And data center…
Sep 2, 2026 · 4:23
The U.S. secretary of agriculture is in Iowa this week. Synthetic Kratom fatal overdoses are higher than last year. And a central Iowa town wants to add a local option sales tax.
Sep 1, 2026 · 4:48
A new data analysis suggests there are more heat-related deaths than what's reported by the CDC. Candidates for Iowa's First Congressional District share their plans for…
Aug 31, 2026 · 4:12
Republicans and Democrats held big rallies in central Iowa over the weekend, with Election Day just about two months away. The price of ground beef has passed $7 a pound, and an…
Aug 28, 2026 · 8:27
Black Hills Energy is facing scrutiny from Iowa utility regulators. Libertarian candidates for governor and in the 3rd Congressional District have lost a legal challenge aimed at…
Aug 27, 2026 · 8:26
Iowa stands to get more than 125 million dollars from the settlement between tech giant Meta and 47 states. Democratic U.S. Senate candidate Josh Turek says water quality issues…
Aug 26, 2026 · 9:33
The Democrat running for state auditor shares his thoughts on how transparent private school budgets should be. Some 8th graders will be allowed to play varsity sports this…
Aug 25, 2026 · 3:26
There measles outbreak in southern Iowa is growing. Unionized John Deere workers have said no to a proposed contract. And Iowa Public Radio has announced a new CEO.
Aug 24, 2026 · 4:29
U.S. cattle producers aren't pleased with President Trump's plan to lower beef prices. The Democrat candidate for Iowa secretary of agriculture shares his clean water plan. And a…
Aug 21, 2026 · 8:34
Several Trump cabinet officials have visited Iowa recently. A western Iowa community is dealing with the environmental fallout of a Cold War missile site over 60 years after it…
Aug 20, 2026 · 4:02
Some cities have turned off their automated license plate readers. Iowa Secretary of Agriculture Mike Naig makes his case to be reelected. And state Attorney General Brenna Bird…
Aug 19, 2026 · 4:09
Republican candidate for governor Zach Lahn says he supports a tobacco tax. The candidates for secretary of state talked to voters at the state fair. And Iowa is starting a…
Aug 18, 2026 · 3:58
State officials have confirmed a measles outbreak in southern Iowa. The U.S. health secretary was in Iowa to talk about the new presidential fitness test. And Republican U.S.…
Aug 17, 2026 · 4:34
The Iowa Democratic Party's Caucuses are not in the early 2028 presidential primary calendar. Candidates for Governor Zach Lahn and Rob Sand spoke at the state fair. And why are…
Aug 14, 2026 · 9:26
The Satanic Temple is suing the state of Iowa. Dubuque County learned how much water data centers in Iowa use each year. And why has the cotton industry been stagnant in the U.S.?
Aug 13, 2026 · 4:19
The Iowa Libertarian Party has selected new candidates for the General Election. Johnson County may find a way to protect trans residents in city code. And a city council meeting…
Aug 12, 2026 · 8:48
County auditors are recruiting poll workers for the General Election. A new grassroots effort in Clinton is trying to get involved in data center regulations. And an Iowa…
Aug 11, 2026 · 9:14
The City of Des Moines is getting suggestions on what to do about its budget. Jury selection starts today in the trial of a man accused of killing a Native American woman over 40…
Aug 10, 2026 · 4:24
Fertilizer runoff is one reason nutrient pollution went up in U.S. waterways. Federal money will help expand flood monitoring in Iowa. And the Iowa Libertarian Party will…
Aug 7, 2026 · 9:17
A new poll shows Democrat Rob Sand ahead of Republican Zach Lahn for Iowa governor. Johnson County voters are being asked a fourth time to pass a bond for a new jail. And how has…
Aug 6, 2026 · 8:41
There's a new tool for small Iowan towns to use to think about data centers. A dispute over a data center in a northwest Iowa town is now going to court. And an Iowa lawmaker…
Aug 5, 2026 · 4:24
Iowa is implementing a new Pell grant program for short term career training. Iowa Libertarians will pick a new candidate for the 3rd Congressional District. And a new survey…
Aug 4, 2026 · 3:58
Google wants to build a data center near the small town of Salix. The Otoe-Missouria tribe is in Iowa visiting ancestral sites. And what are the candidates for Iowa governor…
Aug 3, 2026 · 4:59
Zach Lahn, the Republican candidate for governor, shares his thoughts on public education models. A Libertarian running for Congress says he's going to try to get back on the…
Jul 31, 2026 · 9:18
A new report from the ACLU of Iowa shows schools with school resource officers arrest Black students at disproportionately higher rates. Community members are rallying to stop a…
Jul 30, 2026 · 8:17
Haitians in Iowa on TPS are facing uncertainty as they lose that status this week. Former President Barack Obama has endorsed Democrat Josh Turek for Iowa's open U.S. Senate…
Jul 29, 2026 · 4:38
The Libertarians who wanted to run for governor and lieutenant governor will not be on the ballot. Democratic candidate for governor Rob Sand shares his cancer related proposals.…
Jul 28, 2026 · 4:39
Democratic candidate for governor Rob Sand has shared his proposals on social media restrictions for minors. Residents in the Des Moines Area are no longer under water use…
Jul 27, 2026 · 8:27
Iowa will not have the first spot in the Democratic presidential nominating process in 2028. Republican U.S. Rep. Ashley Hinson says she’d like to see greater restrictions on…
Jul 24, 2026 · 9:07
Haitians in Iowa with Temporary Protected Status are set to lose their protections on Monday. NASA is partnering with the University of Iowa for a project to predict nitrate…
Jul 23, 2026 · 9:35
Children in Iowa's foster care system who receive survivor benefits will now get to keep the money when they leave the system. Governor Kim Reynolds talks about her support for…
Jul 22, 2026 · 4:00
More Iowans are turning to out-of-state health care providers to access abortion care. Two Libertarian candidates for governor who got kicked off the ballot were in court…
Jul 21, 2026 · 9:02
Residents in a western Iowa community are raising concerns about a manure waste site. A sanctuary policy has failed to pass for a second time in Decorah. And the latest campaign…
Jul 20, 2026 · 4:22
House Speaker Mike Johnson spoke at a conservative Christian event in Iowa. The 1619 Freedom School hosted its annual Read-In event to protest book bans. And it could be a warmer…
Jul 17, 2026 · 8:50
Dubuque County leaders are considering an outright ban on data centers. Scientists say they’re finding concerning levels of pesticides in U.S. rivers. And Iowa’s largest utility…
Jul 16, 2026 · 4:07
A data center company wants to build a huge facility near Clinton in eastern Iowa. The state’s new Medicaid fraud task force has met for the first time. And Iowa is looking for…
Jul 15, 2026 · 9:16
A data center company building near Cedar Rapids is injecting $5 million into workforce development, while the Palo City Council voted to advance their data center ordinance this…
Jul 14, 2026 · 9:35
Some school districts are delaying or changing projects in connection to changes in state property tax laws. Another Iowa county has put a pause on data center development. And a…
Jul 13, 2026 · 8:57
Pete Buttigieg rallied with Iowa Democrats last night. President Trump has endorsed Republican Zach Lahn for Iowa governor. And a Midwestern couple is trying to set up government…
Jul 10, 2026 · 9:04
A hospital in Council Bluffs is set to close its labor and delivery unit. Des Moines residents are sharing their thoughts about the city's expected budget shortfall. And the…
Jul 9, 2026 · 9:00
Iowa has its first confirmed measles case of the year. The city of Decorah is considering an ordinance that would end its cooperation with ICE agents. And an Iowan shares her…
Jul 8, 2026 · 9:08
The Democrat running in Iowa's Third Congressional District shares her plans on public health insurance. Undeveloped industrial land in the Cedar Valley region has made a…
Jul 7, 2026 · 9:30
Democrat Josh Turek, who is running for Iowa's open U.S. Senate seat, says he would push to break up agriculture industry monopolies. The Iowa Bee Atlas is training Iowans to…
Jul 6, 2026 · 9:56
Zach Lahn, the republican nominee for governor, has responded to criticism for having a second home in Kansas. Severe weather over the weekend has displaced about 400 Des Moines…
Jul 2, 2026 · 4:32
There will be more medical residency training slots at Iowa's teaching hospitals. Residents in the Des Moines area are allowed to water their lawns again. And Iowa's Bosnian…
Jul 1, 2026 · 4:54
A new state law taking effect today changes how Iowans access medication abortions. The Planned Parenthood clinic in Iowa City is closing. And an environmental advocacy group is…
Jun 30, 2026 · 5:08
The speed limit on some Iowa highways is set to go up. Iowa schools will be required to have policies to identify and support gifted students. And how will SNAP payment error…
Jun 29, 2026 · 4:26
Iowa is gripped by the first heat wave of the summer, big cuts for the Iowa Migrant Movement for Justice, and a popular lake in northwest Iowa reopens as part of a state program…
Jun 26, 2026 · 9:05
The U.S. Supreme Court sided with the maker of Roundup over cancer warnings on pesticide labels, a new facility could support more conservation on farms across the state, and…
Jun 25, 2026 · 4:17
A termination letter shows why a former IPERS official was fired. Libertarians running for Iowa governor and lieutenant governor are suing to be put on the ballot. And a museum…
Jun 24, 2026 · 4:04
Iowa's SNAP restrictions have been blocked by a federal court. Woodbury County has passed a moratorium on data center projects. And U.S. senators are still working on a new farm…
Jun 23, 2026 · 4:23
There are fewer Iowans enrolled in SNAP since a federal law change. The governor has appointed a new director of the state's largest agency. And Des Moines area residents are…
Jun 22, 2026 · 4:32
A program at the University of Iowa will study how environmental exposures affect human health. Gov. Kim Reynolds shares her thoughts on a gas tax. And year-round sale of E15…
Jun 19, 2026 · 9:02
U.S. Senator Joni Ernst says Congress needs to know the terms of an initial deal to end the war with Iran. Council Bluffs council members voted down a moratorium on data center…
Jun 18, 2026 · 9:24
A state auditor's report shows how much the state has spent on the ESA program in its first year. City council members in Des Moines are considering cutting back services to fill…
Jun 17, 2026 · 4:02
Another community is pushing back on data center development. There has to be an investigation into the water quality of Bloody Run Creek under a court ruling. And the state's…
Jun 16, 2026 · 4:13
A few Libertarian candidates have been kicked off the November ballot. Cedar Falls is building a gas power plant. And there's a new healthcare job board to recruit more…
Jun 15, 2026 · 4:07
Republican candidate for governor Zach Lahn rallied party activists at the GOP state convention Saturday. A new report shows two of Iowa's rural hospitals are at immediate risk…
Jun 12, 2026 · 8:47
Stores that accept federal food assistance will have to stock even more foods to meet the Trump administration’s push toward healthier eating. Several Libertarian candidates face…
Jun 11, 2026 · 3:58
Residents in Clinton are pushing back on a proposed data center. A basic income pilot program in Des Moines has ended. And State Auditor Rob Sand says pharmacy benefit managers…
Jun 10, 2026 · 4:16
About 200 people will lose their jobs with the state as part of a plan to outsource state agency IT services. A Libertarian candidate has joined Iowa's 3rd Congressional District…
Jun 9, 2026 · 4:00
A lawn watering ban is in effect in the Des Moines area because of high nitrate levels in source water. The governor has signed an executive order to create the Office of Outdoor…
Jun 8, 2026 · 4:27
Rob Sand has started campaigning as the official Democratic nominee for Iowa governor. The courts will decide what to do with scholarship money at the University of Iowa left…
Jun 5, 2026 · 9:40
The governor has signed a bill that requires immigration status checks for public workers. Death is more likely to occur in domestic violence when a gun is involved. And how have…
Jun 4, 2026 · 8:27
A new study will look at how environmental factors affect Iowan's health. Governor Kim Reynolds reflects on her last legislative session as governor. And former residents of a…
Jun 3, 2026 · 4:26
Zach Lahn, who didn't receive President Trump's endorsement, will be the Republican candidate for Iowa governor. Josh Turek will be the Democratic candidate for Iowa's open U.S.…
Jun 2, 2026 · 5:02
There has been a mass shooting in Muscatine that has left seven people dead. Residents in Palo voiced their thoughts on a proposed data center ordinance. And today is the last…
Jun 1, 2026 · 4:26
President Trump has endorsed one of the five GOP candidates for Iowa governor days before the primary election. The former Des Moines Public Schools superintendent has been…
May 29, 2026 · 9:30
Candidates for several offices are making their last-minute pitches to primary voters just days before the election. And what is the farmer-led movement?
May 28, 2026 · 4:41
Des Moines metro residents are being asked to limit some of their water usage. There's a new mobile memory clinic in Polk County to help treat dementia. And Simpson College is…
May 27, 2026 · 4:27
Iowa Democrats are talking to the DNC today about changing the caucus process. The governor has signed a bill into law that will provide funding for pediatric cancer research.…
May 26, 2026 · 4:08
Primary elections are a week away in Iowa. Community colleges are preparing for new state property tax laws. And Polk County has launched a website about water quality and health.
May 22, 2026 · 9:10
A new private behavioral health facility opens this June in Council Buffs. The nonprofit Environmental Working Group says testing has shown elevated nitrate levels in Des Moines…
May 21, 2026 · 3:44
Robert F. Kennedy Jr. was in Iowa yesterday. The governor has signed what she's calling Iowa's 'MAHA' law. And a lawsuit about Iowa jail fees is continuing in court.
May 20, 2026 · 4:25
The governor has signed a bill that further restricts abortion access in Iowa. Almost all the Republican candidates for governor debated water quality last night. And fundraising…
May 19, 2026 · 4:22
The city of Des Moines is expecting a budget shortfall after Governor Kim Reynolds signed a property tax bill into law. Democratic candidate for governor Rob Sand says he would…
May 18, 2026 · 4:05
The Iowa Department of Transportation will have to check citizenship status when Iowans get or renew an ID. There are three Democrats wanting to represent Iowa's Second…
May 15, 2026 · 9:15
Iowa environmental groups are suing the EPA over its decision to remove some Iowa waterways from the Impaired Waters List. Democratic U.S. Senate candidates Josh Turek and Zach…
May 14, 2026 · 9:04
The U.S. House has passed a bill to allow the year-round sale of E-15 fuel. Iowa is updating its IT system used to track foster and adoption cases. And the Democratic primary for…
May 13, 2026 · 4:14
Gov. Reynolds signed a bill into law that includes her education priorities. The latest on the push for year-round E-15. And what you need to know about voting early in Iowa's…
May 12, 2026 · 3:26
A new state law makes it a felony to torture an animal. A teenager has been charged with five counts of attempted murder in connection to the Iowa City shooting last month. And…
May 11, 2026 · 8:58
U.S. Senator Elizabeth Warren was in Iowa yesterday. A new report ranks Iowa's public health emergency preparedness in the lowest tier. And a new series from IPR looks at…
May 8, 2026 · 8:41
The CEO of Iowa's public employee pension program has resigned after allegations of misconduct. There's development on a bird flu vaccine for poultry. And how has shopping…
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