Dems' caucuses denied early '28 spot

Iowa Democratic Party Chair Rita Hart said the party will “have more to say after November” about its path forward in the 2028 presidential nominating cycle after a Democratic National Committee panel denied Iowa a waiver to hold an early contest.

Members of the Rules and Bylaws Committee voted Friday in Washington, D.C., to have South Carolina lead Democrats’ 2028 nominating calendar, with the state’s primary set to kick off the nominating process Jan. 22, 2028.

After school cellphone bans passed many statehouses with bipartisan support in recent legislative sessions, state lawmakers are turning to legislation governing how long students should spend looking at screens, Stateline reports.

This year, four states – including Iowa -- passed laws restricting or regulating screen time for students from childcare through fifth grade.

State-contracted report shows broad access to higher education in Iowa

Iowa’s community colleges told lawmakers this year that portions of Iowa are lacking access to a higher education and one solution to eliminate “education deserts” is to offer bachelor’s degrees at their institutions. Private colleges pushed back against this premise, disagreeing about the perceived need.

Muhlbauer defends Sand campaign’s marijuana plan at kids’ recovery facility

Dave Muhlbauer, Democratic candidate for lieutenant governor, defended the Sand campaign’s cannabis legalization plan and discussed the importance of accessible behavioral health treatment for children Thursday during a campaign visit to the Ember Recovery facility in Cambridge.

Governor announces change to survivor benefits investment for foster care youth

Gov. Kim Reynolds announced Wednesday that Iowa will change how the state manages Social Security survivor benefits for foster children with deceased relatives, allowing the child to retain this money for the future.

Past and present World Food Prize leaders say solving hunger brings people together

Twenty years after writing an opinion editorial calling for the establishment of the Iowa Hunger Summit, former governors Terry Branstad and Tom Vilsack and former U.S. Ambassador Kenneth Quinn celebrated the legacy of the summit Wednesday.

University of Iowa building AI model to forecast nitrate fluctuations

Researchers at the University of Iowa are building an artificial intelligence system that will find patterns between extensive NASA satellite data and Iowa water quality sensors to forecast nitrate fluctuations. 

US Geological Survey study shows rising nutrient loads in rivers

New modeling from the U.S. Geological Survey shows nutrient loads in rivers across the nation increased between 2000 and 2020, largely due to nutrients stored in the landscape from past seasons and current season agriculture nutrient applications. 

Iowa farmer sees culture shift toward water conservation

Nick Helland and his father have embraced a slew of conservation practices – bioreactors, saturated buffers, cover crops and a nutrient reducing wetland — on their farm in the Greater Des Moines Watershed. 

‘Iowa is acting different’: Political expert discusses Democrats’ chances in Iowa

Political expert Charlie Cook, the founder of the nonpartisan Cook Political Report, said Monday he thinks Democratic State Auditor Rob Sand will win Iowa’s gubernatorial election, but the U.S. Senate race between State Rep. Josh Turek and U.S. Rep. Ashley Hinson may not be as competitive as Democrats might think.

DNR to hold public meetings on solutions for dangerous Palisades-Kepler dam

The Iowa Department of Natural Resources is seeking public input as it explores remediation of a low-head dam in Linn County’s Palisades-Kepler State Park.

Iowa health insurers propose premium increases for ACA customers

Iowa health insurance companies are proposing premium increases for Affordable Care Act customers in 2027, affecting thousands of Iowans. The proposal comes after insurers increased premiums for ACA-marketplace customers in 2026 by an average of 15.3% in Iowa.

Iowa agriculture experts release report on state ag economy amid downturn

A new report suggests Iowa’s agricultural industry is in a multi-year downturn that might not let up for a few more years, and experts are advising farmers to look back to the practices that got them through tough financial times a decade ago to weather the current storm.

Speaker Mike Johnson condemns Democratic Socialists at Iowa Christian gathering

U.S. Rep. Mike Johnson, the speaker of the House of Representatives, said Iowa is at the forefront in a “battle for basic principles” Friday, warning against Democratic Socialists ahead of the midterm elections at the 15th Annual Family Leadership Summit in Des Moines. 

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