Good morning from Iowa Capital Dispatch.
“Congress is, in my opinion, our most dysfunctional branch of government, both federal and state level.” — Jacob Heard, Libertarian Party of Iowa nominee for Iowa’s 3rd Congressional District race, speaking at the Iowa State Fair. His ballot qualification has been contested and is the subject of litigation.
Oakland Manor in Pottawattamie County and Harmony House Health Care Center in Waterloo have been added to the Center for Medicare and Medicaid Services’ nationwide list of care facilities that are eligible for special-focus status. (Photo by byryo/iStock/Getty Images Plus)
The federal government has added two Iowa nursing homes to its list of the worst care facilities in the nation.
Oakland Manor in Pottawattamie County and Harmony House Health Care Center in Waterloo have been added to the Center for Medicare and Medicaid Services’ nationwide list of care facilities that are eligible for special-focus status, indicating a history of serious, recurring resident-care issues.
Taylor Wettach spoke to Iowa State Fair attendees and reporters during the Des Moines Register Political Soapbox on Aug. 22, 2026. (Photo by Brooklyn Draisey/Iowa Capital Dispatch)
Politics at the Iowa State Fair
The Democratic candidate for state auditor told Iowa State Fair attendees Saturday he wants to build on the good work Rob Sand has completed in the office — hopefully with Sand as a partner in the governor’s office.
The Democratic candidate for Iowa secretary of agriculture told Iowa State Fair attendees Saturday that “the outrage has finally arrived” for the state of Iowa’s water, and said systemic change rather than incremental fixes are the way to clear up waterways and improve other areas of Iowans’ lives.
The Libertarian Party’s new nominee for the 3rd Congressional District race in Iowa gave two reasons to Iowa State Fair attendees for why he shouldn’t have the chance to speak with them on the Des Moines Register Political Soapbox stage.
More news from Iowa and the nation
An Iowa nursing home worker who has been convicted of theft on at least five occasions is now facing sanctions from state licensing officials.
A Mason City optometrist is being sanctioned for allegedly creating an AI-generated video of a patient by using photos from her social media accounts, and for having sex with a patient.
Iowa Department of Natural Resources field staff in Manchester confirmed Friday the office was investigating a fish kill that occurred during the time period of a massive fire at a meat processing plant in Postville.
IndyCar took over the streets of the nation’s capital Sunday for the Freedom 250 Grand Prix, the last in a series of events coordinated and promoted by President Donald Trump to mark the 250th anniversary of the United States.
Some states are enacting or strengthening laws that hold parents legally accountable for their children’s criminal conduct, even imposing incarceration in some cases, Stateline reports.
Even after the Supreme Court ruled against him, Trump is forging ahead and using what some legal observers describe as “creative lawyering” to find alternative routes to push his agenda.
President Donald Trump can continue building a White House ballroom for now, the U.S. Supreme Court ruled Friday, reversing a federal judge’s order that barred above-ground construction on the grounds of the former East Wing.
Fentanyl seizures decreased by 39% during the first year of the second Trump administration after U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement shifted the Department of Homeland Security’s criminal investigations arm to conducting immigration enforcement, according to a report government investigators published Friday.
Cities are increasingly turning to artificial intelligence to address one of the most persistent sources of housing permitting delays: incomplete applications. And two new streams of federal money aim to help them, Stateline reports.
This year, lawmakers in at least five state have considered legislation aimed at identifying homicides or unexplained deaths involving domestic violence that might otherwise be misclassified, Stateline reports.
COMMENTARY
This week’s topics: A shift toward Democrats in a political forecast of Iowa’s top-of-the-ticket races, a parade of politicians and Trump Cabinet secretaries at the Iowa State Fair and more Libertarian ballot drama.
IN CASE YOU MISSED IT
Thanks for reading Daily Dispatch. Did you know our weekend digest is also free? Sign up here. And if you enjoyed today’s edition, please forward to a friend. Increasing our readership helps us cover more news.