Good morning from Iowa Capital Dispatch.
“In the final weeks of the election, Republicans have hoped that a massive ad campaign effort could dent Democratic candidates’ images and shore up Republicans struggling to free themselves of the anchor of President Donald Trump. With less than four weeks to go, that heavy spending has yet to move the needle.” — Cook Political Report editor Erin Covey on a new forecast that moves three Iowa congressional races toward Democrats.
The Iowa Department of Inspections, Appeals and Licensing oversees restaurant inspections in Iowa. (Photo via Getty Images; DIAL logo courtesy of Iowa Department of Inspections, Appeals and Licensing)
State, city and county inspectors have cited Iowa restaurants and stores for hundreds of food-safety violations during the past several weeks, including expired and moldy food.
At least three food trucks were temporarily shut down due to issues uncovered by inspectors, with an inspector citing “imminent health hazard conditions” at one of three.
U.S. House Speaker Mike Johnson, right, and other House Republicans including Illinois U.S. Rep. Darin LaHood, left, joined by Iowa U.S. Rep. Mariannette Miller-Meeks, center, for a rally in Davenport Oct. 9, 2026, less than a month before the 2026 general election where she is seeking reelection in what is expected to be one of the most competitive seats in the country. (Photo by Robin Opsahl/Iowa Capital Dispatch)
U.S. House Speaker Mike Johnson asked Iowans at a Davenport rally Friday to send U.S. Rep. Mariannette Miller-Meeks back to Congress — telling the crowd, “I gotta have her,” as she runs in one of the nation’s most competitive U.S. House races in November.
Miller-Meeks running for reelection against Democrat Christina Bohannan, who also ran for Iowa’s 1st Congressional District in 2022 and 2024. While Miller-Meeks defeated Bohannan in those two elections, political forecasters and polls predict the Democratic candidate could pull ahead in the Nov. 3, 2026 election.
THIS WEEK'S TOP STORIES
A Des Moines nursing home with a history of violations related to resident injuries is now being sued by the family of a woman who died, allegedly after being dropped to the floor by caregivers.
The Iowa Utilities Commission has denied a request from Summit Carbon Solutions, the company seeking to build a carbon sequestration pipeline in Iowa, to consolidate outstanding dockets and schedule a hearing.
U.S. Rep. Ashley Hinson and Iowa Rep. Josh Turek spoke about their track records as lawmakers as they met for their first U.S. Senate debate Wednesday, discussing their previous votes — and planned actions if elected — to address rising costs for Iowans.
Weather patterns across Iowa, influenced by an abnormally strong El Nino pattern, will likely impact fall nutrient applications for farmers, according to weather and crop scientists in the state.
Democrat Rob Sand and Republican Zach Lahn accused each other of lying about their residency and family wealth Tuesday while answering questions on the state budget and education during the first 2026 Iowa gubernatorial debate.
U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Brooke Rollins said Tuesday in Iowa that she is urging state governors to follow the president’s move to suspend penalties on the unrestricted use of dyed diesel, a tax-exempt fuel typically allowed in off-road machinery only.
President Donald Trump, rallying voters Monday in Grand Island, Nebraska, announced an executive order that allows anyone to use red-dyed diesel, waiving the off-road requirement and allowing anyone to purchase it for any reason.
As states increasingly implement taxes on alternative smoking products, research from a Des Moines University professor showed the policies could lead people to reach for cigarettes instead — impacting more than just themselves.
A school teacher who alleged the Ottumwa public schools encouraged students’ racist behavior by failing to impose sufficient discipline has won a $425,000 judgment against the district.
Members of the advisory council for the Center for Intellectual Freedom at the University of Iowa met Friday to discuss next steps in the search for a permanent director and their hopes for the center’s future.
Gov. Kim Reynolds signed a bill Friday changing a state’s economic development program that could provide nearly $1.4 billion in tax incentives for a $15 billion steel mill project planned in southeast Iowa.
Candidates for Iowa’s secretary of agriculture debated over their divergent plans for the role, though the candidates agreed on some issues like growing Iowa’s cattle herd and keeping Iowa land in farmers’ hands.
NEWS FROM THE MIDWEST AND IOWA'S NEIGHBORS
Pritzker declares Illinois a diesel disaster area, but fuel retailers are wary | Capitol News Illinois
58,000 Hoosiers not in compliance with new HIP work rules | Indiana Capital Chronicle
Coordinated lawsuits against in-state tuition for immigrants a ‘threat to rule of law,’ groups say | Kansas Reflector
Michigan’s next governor will face major challenges at the Department of Corrections | Michigan Advance
Minnesota seeks to replace fraud-ridden Housing Stabilization Services with new program | Minnesota Reformer
Transgender care takes center stage in Missouri campaign to reinstate abortion ban | Missouri Independent
Nearly $19M to help save Nebraska prairie, state bird, dancing chickens | Nebraska Examiner
North Dakota special session on kratom cost $220,000 | North Dakota Monitor
As early voting in Ohio begins, Republicans try to reshape the data center narrative | Ohio Capital Journal
Help crops and reduce flooding and pollution with new approach to drainage, speaker tells farmers | South Dakota Searchlight
Tribal communities respond to reports of euthanized wolf pack | Wisconsin Examiner
FEDERAL FALLOUT
States Newsroom relentlessly reports on how changes at the federal level are affecting people at the state level — and how state governments are responding in this volatile political climate. We post new stories each day; here are just a few:
Louisiana borrowers to face biggest ‘tax bomb’ from student loan forgiveness | Louisiana Illuminator
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