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Start your day with the essentials. Coffee. Breakfast. And the local news you need to know. Our Morning Edition host rises bright and early to bring you the top news stories in under 15 minutes. Wake up, grab that coffee and get your news Here First.
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Hundreds of thousands of Iowans were dis-enrolled from Medicaid once the federal government lifted pandemic restrictions on how states manage the program. Gov. Kim Reynolds warns that state officials will closely watch pro-Palestinian protests at the University of Iowa. And wool isn’t worth much, so sheep producers are testing out new uses for it.
Immigrants and advocates gathered in Des Moines and a few other cities to protest Iowa's immigration enforcement law. A new state flat tax rate of 3.8% is now law. Medical experts say new insurance changes will help diagnose and treat cancer and other diseases. And people impacted by a tornado outbreak in western Iowa are receiving more assistance from near and far.
Waterloo hopes to build affordable housing on the site of an abandoned ammunition plant, but it’s worried about the toxicity of the property. State Auditor Rob Sand says he’s disappointed in a Supreme Court decision related to his office’s withholding of some emails requested by a conservative law firm. And the USDA says working-age rural residents die from natural causes at higher rates than people in urban areas.
A 10 p.m. curfew remains in effect in Minden, as residents and recovery workers clean up and restore power after Friday’s devastating tornado. Iowa’s Supreme Court has told a lower court to hold more proceedings to determine if the state auditor broke Iowa’s public records law. And Iowa Wesleyan University has been selling off assets since closing last month, but it’s unlikely to raise enough to pay a $26 million federal loan.
Volunteer efforts are underway in Minden after a tornado damaged or destroyed 180 homes. Additional tornadoes were confirmed across the state. And over the weekend, House Speaker Mike Johnson was on stage with Representative Mariannette Miller-Meeks, who is facing a competitive race in November.
Iowa’s public universities say they believe they’re complying with new state directives on diversity, equity and inclusion. Authorities in western Iowa say they don’t believe foul play was involved in the death of a trucker who’d been missing for five months before his body was found Wednesday. And, Waterloo plans to create a task force to help address the city’s homelessness problem.
Planting is underway in Iowa, except for the northeast. The wife of a missing western Iowa trucker says his body has been found. A northwest Iowa community college reaches a $3 million settlement with students. And, public university students and staff say they feel free to express their opinions.
The governor's "Thrive Iowa" Program receives $8 million to help link people in need to faith-based and nonprofit groups. A Sioux City Council member and advocate says the legislature failed to improve the lives of the disabled. A senior housing project helps fill a need in Waterloo. And ISU researchers lead a project to help secure the nation's renewable energy grid from cyberattacks.
Kossuth County libraries are facing deep budget cuts beginning this summer, possibly forcing three branches to close. The ACLU in Iowa has filed a “friend of the court” brief in a case that challenges an ordinance in Oregon that bars people from sleeping outdoors in public. And spring planting is underway – corn growers already have 13 percent of their crop in the ground.
The Iowa Legislature’s 2024 session is in the books. Before adjourning early Saturday morning, lawmakers passed a flat-rate tax bill, and did not extend a casino moratorium for five more years. Some Iowans are concerned the sale of a Lee County fertilizer plant could mean unfair pricing for farmers. And the bridge over the Mississippi River between Lansing and Wisconsin is open again.
Republicans in the Iowa legislature have a plan to speed up planned income tax cuts. Lawmakers face a deadline to pass a law that would allow Iowa men who were sexually abused as Boy Scouts to receive their full payment from a national settlement. And rural newspapers are experimenting with ways to keep local news alive.
Iowa lawmakers approve a plan to improve reading scores for students. The state attorney general announced an open-call for a new sexual assault support service for southeastern Iowa. A new study shows a program to help young people as they leave foster care is working. And, former Hawkeye Caitlin Clark is officially introduced as a member of the Indiana Fever.
Governor Reynold's plan to eliminate and merge boards and commissions get modified in the Iowa House. The state gets closer to banning guaranteed income programs. Parents in Waterloo raise concerns about a new plan to arm teachers and staff. And, a potential pay raise for lawmakers.
The Iowa House is sending a bill to the governor's desk that details training requirements for teachers and staff who are authorized to carry guns in schools. Members of the Law Enforcement Immigration Task Force are concerned about a new law that allows state police to arrest undocumented immigrants. Dickinson County is looking at distance requirements for carbon dioxide pipelines. And, as expected, Caitlin Clark was picked first in the WNBA draft.
Supporters held a rally in Iowa City to mourn the closure of the Rape Victim Advocacy Program at the University of Iowa. Independent presidential candidate RFK Jr. campaigned in Des Moines and says he received enough support to show up on the ballot in November. The head of the Iowa ACLU comments on a traffic camera proposal. And, Caitlin Clark enters the WNBA draft tonight.
The Iowa Supreme Court hears arguments over a law that would ban most abortions at as early as six weeks of pregnancy. The Republican Speaker of the Iowa House wants more review of a bill that could affect settlement payouts for victims of sexual abuse as Boy Scouts. And a Kansas company is building weed-seeking robots for farmers.
The Iowa Supreme Court will hear oral arguments today over the "fetal heartbeat" law, which would ban abortions as early as six weeks of pregnancy. Governor Reynolds signed a bill into law allowing state officials to arrest and deport undocumented immigrants that is similar to one passed in Texas. And Iowa lawmakers continue to back a proposal that makes it easier to allow teachers and staff to carry firearms.
Iowa governor signs bill strengthening oversight of foreign farmland ownership. There are challenges for funding for sexual assault support services for the University of Iowa. The NAIA bans transgender athletes from sports. And, Iowa Hawkeye star Caitlin Clark wins another repeat award.
Iowa lawmakers are discussing having the state pick up more of the tab for training law enforcement officers in hopes of attracting more applicants. The University of Iowa is ending a program that works with victims of sexual violence. And thousands of people gathered in communities across southern Illinois and Missouri yesterday to catch the total eclipse of the sun.
Iowa fans are disappointed at yesterday’s Hawkeye loss in the NCAA women’s basketball championship game – and star Caitlin Clark now awaits next week’s WNBA draft. Pork prices are stabilizing after one of the worst years on record. And Iowa won’t be in the path of today’s total solar eclipse, but a partial eclipse will be visible early this afternoon.
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