Good morning from Iowa Capital Dispatch.
“Higher-income households remained resilient and less sensitive to price increase, while middle-income households were described as ‘squeezing more life out of every dollar before deciding to spend it,’ and low-income consumers showed greater financial strain.” — The Federal Reserve’s Beige Book, an accounting of national economic conditions released June 3, on income disparity in inflation’s effect on American spending.
Iowa Auditor Rob Sand speaks to reporters June 17, 2026 about a report from his office on the impacts of the Education Savings Accounts or ESA program. (Photo by Cami Koons/Iowa Capital Dispatch)
Nearly 79% of students who used Iowa’s funding program for K-12 private schools were “already projected” to attend private schools, according to a report released Wednesday by Iowa Auditor Rob Sand.
Iowa Department of Education called the report a “policy advocacy brief” that critiqued statutory provisions of the Iowa Education Savings Account (ESA) program.
The Iowa Department of Inspections, Appeals and Licensing administers and oversees many of Iowa’s state licensing boards. (Photo courtesy of Getty Images; logo courtesy the State of Iowa)
A Des Moines respiratory therapist accused of fraudulently billing a patient for respiratory services delivered after the patient had died has been sanctioned by the state.
In December 2025, the Iowa Board of Respiratory Care and Polysomnography charged respiratory therapist Bethany Jane Vore of Des Moines with knowingly making misleading, untrue, or fraudulent representations in the practice of the profession or engaging in unethical conduct that could be harmful to the public.
Juneteenth 2026 will mark the holiday’s sixth annual celebration since it became federally established in 2021 and events are set in communities across the state.
After mistakenly issuing a license to a Des Moines massage parlor, state regulators have imposed a $1,000 fine against the company for doing business without a license.
The Federal Trade Commission filed a lawsuit against a transgender healthcare nonprofit Wednesday, accusing it of misleading and coercing parents over gender-affirming treatment for their children.
The White House on Wednesday read to reporters a 14-point memorandum of understanding with Iran to stop the ongoing war and allow for further negotiations, but did not release the exact text.
The richest 1% of Americans held nearly a third of the country’s total wealth at the end of 2025, the largest percentage the Federal Reserve Board has recorded since it started monitoring the numbers in 1989. In 1990, the share was 22.5%, Stateline reports.
President Donald Trump’s nominee to lead the Federal Emergency Management Agency testified before a U.S. Senate committee Wednesday that if confirmed he would ensure natural disaster recovery efforts are “objective” and “fair.”
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