Good morning from Iowa Capital Dispatch.
“Water quality is important, and hopefully, people can see what some of the solutions are.” — Jacqueline Comito, director of Iowa Learning Farms, on a project with Iowa State University to demonstrate a variety of innovative water quality practices on its dairy farm in Ames.
University of Iowa assistant professor Valerie Payré was part of a NASA project that found evidence of the mineral that forms rubies and sapphires on Mars. (Photo by Brooklyn Draisey/Iowa Capital Dispatch; inset photo courtesy of Valerie Payré)
A University of Iowa researcher is helping to unearth the geological secrets of Earth’s planetary neighbor, with recent findings of a necessary mineral to create certain precious gemstones and future study into the largest canyon in the solar system identified so far.
Valerie Payré, an assistant professor in the UI School of Earth, Environment and Sustainability, said striving to learn about the history and geological makeup of Mars’s surface can help in better understanding Earth’s own history.
Wetlands are an edge-of-field strategy used to try to improve water quality near farmland. (Photo by Cami Koons/Iowa Capital Dispatch)
Iowa State University, in collaboration with Iowa Learning Farms, is working to build out water quality practices on and around its dairy farm in Ames as part of the Watershed Innovation Farm, which will include trails and signage for Iowans to learn about the practices.
The project was recently awarded nearly $1 million from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency as part of a funding package for “innovative” solutions that improve water quality in the Gulf of Mexico watershed.
THIS WEEK'S TOP STORIES
In a case that could have far-reaching implications for Iowa’s licensing boards, a physician is asking the Iowa Supreme Court to block the state’s Board of Medicine from issuing a decision in her disciplinary case.
The Iowa Utilities Commission is evaluating potential penalties and corrective action for Black Hills Energy following a hearing Thursday on an investigation into the gas company’s safety and management practices in Iowa.
An analysis of renewable energy siting bills across the U.S. during 2026 legislative sessions found the majority of introduced bills were aimed at restricting renewable energy infrastructure, though most of the enacted bills were permissive to the industry.
Meta, the owner of Facebook and Instagram, on Wednesday agreed to pay 47 states, the District of Columbia, and a handful of U.S. territories, up to $17.1 billion in penalties over claims that its social media platforms are addictive and a danger to children. Iowa’s share of the settlement totals over $135.7 million, according to the Iowa Attorney General’s Office.
Citizen, environmental and economic groups have launched community tool kits, initiatives and outreach to help communities respond to data center proposals, which spark concerns around resource usage, disruption and pollution.
Iowa gubernatorial candidate Zach Lahn eagerly champions the unconventional, hands-on private school he helped launch in Kansas as the best model for reinventing schools, Kansas Reflector reports.
The U.S. Department of Agriculture announced Monday efforts to increase the nutritional value of school lunches, including a push for more locally grown foods at schools.
Zach Lahn, the GOP nominee for Iowa governor in 2026, said Monday many of the major concerns about new technologies like data center power use and Flock cameras are issues that need to be regulated at a state level.
The federal government has added two Iowa nursing homes to its list of the worst care facilities in the nation.
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 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 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.
NEWS FROM THE MIDWEST AND IOWA'S NEIGHBORS
Putting on the brakes: New Illinois law establishes rules for e-bikes, scooters | Capitol News Illinois
Indiana lawmakers looking at license plate cameras amid growing privacy worries | Indiana Capital Chronicle
Federal agencies threaten to punish two Kansas school districts over gender-inclusive policies | Kansas Reflector
Nessel releases final report on Department of Attorney General’s Flint Water Crisis investigation | Michigan Advance
ICE agent Christian Castro, charged in Minneapolis shooting, released from Texas jail | Minnesota Reformer
Missouri lawmakers press child welfare leaders on foster care deaths, staff turnover | Missouri Independent
Nebraska Supreme Court clears the way for two new Nebraska political parties | Nebraska Examiner
North Dakota postpones ban on using food assistance for soda, candy | North Dakota Monitor
Data center developers donate millions to Ohio utility assistance program as national backlash grows | Ohio Capital Journal
State of South Dakota faces lawsuit over proof-of-citizenship voter registration law | South Dakota Searchlight
Judge says western Wisconsin CAFO permit doesn’t do enough to protect groundwater | 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:
Conservationists push to preserve national wildlife refuges, fearing federal changes | New Jersey Monitor
Food banks across Pennsylvania are struggling to keep up in the face of SNAP cuts, economic pain | Pennsylvania Capital-Star
After years of federal oversight, Georgia’s disability care system faces a new test | Georgia Recorder
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