Good morning from Iowa Capital Dispatch.
“I will not vote to keep our soldiers in an open-ended war, with Iowans paying too much at the pump.” — U.S. Rep. Mariannette Miller-Meeks of Iowa on her vote in favor of a war resolution to require congressional approval for further hostilities in Iran. She has voted against previous resolutions.
A farmer harvests soybeans Oct. 7, 2025 near Dike, Iowa. (Photo by Cami Koons/Iowa Capital Dispatch)
Republican members of the Senate Agriculture Committee voted Wednesday to advance a farm bill, though Democrats on the committee voted against the package due to continued disagreements on a nutrition section of the bill.
The committee marked up the bill in August, then recessed after a failed vote as Democrats held out over their proposal for an extension of when some states will have to begin paying for a share of federal nutrition benefits. Republican leadership amended the bill before the August hearing to offer a one-year extension, but Democrats continued to argue for a two-year extension.
U.S. Reps. Zach Nunn and Mariannette Miller-Meeks, incumbent Republicans, voted in favor of curbing President Donald Trump's war powers in Iran in a Sep. 15, 2026 vote as they defend their seats against Democratic challengers in the 2026 general election. (Photos by Robin Opsahl/Iowa Capital Dispatch; photo illustration via Canva)
Two Iowa Republicans, U.S. Reps. Mariannette Miller-Meeks and Zach Nunn, broke party lines to vote in favor of a resolution to curb President Donald Trump’s military powers in Iran.
Here’s what they — and their Democratic opponents said about the vote. Rep. Ashley Hinson and her Democratic opponent for U.S. Senate, Josh Turek, also weighed in on the issue.
The Iowa Board of Regents Wednesday provided initial approval for a slate of new programs and university initiatives, focusing on health and data sciences and centers to provide increased collaboration and projects across campus.
The Iowa Board of Regents Wednesday received an update from its new Center for Intellectual Freedom Committee on its search for a permanent director as the center carves out the details of its own independence from the University of Iowa.
As the November midterms approach, vulnerable U.S. House Republicans – including two Iowa representatives -- voted late Tuesday to require congressional approval for President Donald Trump to continue his war in Iran.
U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth is facing an ethics complaint filed by a group of former national security officials who are questioning if his August appearance at U.S. Rep. Zach Nunn’s Iowa State Fair fundraiser violated federal ethics restrictions.
A University of Iowa research project is attempting to develop a better understanding of arsenic in private drinking wells in Iowa and offering landowners, in certain counties, free testing for their wells.
The Iowa Developmental Disabilities Council presented its first-ever Media Impact award Wednesday to Iowa Capital Dispatch for “producing impactful reporting that amplifies the voices of Iowans with disabilities.”
Voters are much more likely to support U.S. Senate candidates in the November midterm elections if they have a plan to avoid an automatic cut to Social Security benefits in 2032, according to a poll released Wednesday by the nonpartisan Peter G. Peterson Foundation.
The U.S. House is expected to depart Wednesday evening for a seven-week campaign break after spending less than two weeks in session during August and September.
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