Here First

Republicans and Democrats held big rallies in central Iowa over the weekend, with Election Day just about two months away. The price of ground beef has passed $7 a pound, and an economist is not confident it will come down soon. And the DNR has been looking into a strange smell people have complained about in far eastern Iowa.

Black Hills Energy is facing scrutiny from Iowa utility regulators. Libertarian candidates for governor and in the 3rd Congressional District have lost a legal challenge aimed at putting their names on the November ballot. Forecasters say we've moved into what could become one of the strongest El Niños in recorded history, and the Midwest Newsroom and Harvest Public Media report that higher grocery prices are especially hard on older adults on fixed incomes.

Iowa stands to get more than 125 million dollars from the settlement between tech giant Meta and 47 states. Democratic U.S. Senate candidate Josh Turek says water quality issues need to be addressed to help lower the state's cancer rates. And the centerpiece of Dubuque's parks system is getting money to help restore several buildings.

The Democrat running for state auditor shares his thoughts on how transparent private school budgets should be. Some 8th graders will be allowed to play varsity sports this school year. And how is the eastern Iowa community of Lansing doing as its iconic steel bridge is closed?

There measles outbreak in southern Iowa is growing. Unionized John Deere workers have said no to a proposed contract. And Iowa Public Radio has announced a new CEO.

U.S. cattle producers aren't pleased with President Trump's plan to lower beef prices. The Democrat candidate for Iowa secretary of agriculture shares his clean water plan. And a judge will decide this week if some Libertarian candidates can be on the Nov. ballot.

Several Trump cabinet officials have visited Iowa recently. A western Iowa community is dealing with the environmental fallout of a Cold War missile site over 60 years after it was deactivated. And how are international students feeling about stricter visa rules?

Some cities have turned off their automated license plate readers. Iowa Secretary of Agriculture Mike Naig makes his case to be reelected. And state Attorney General Brenna Bird says wants to continue protecting the second amendment if reelected.

Republican candidate for governor Zach Lahn says he supports a tobacco tax. The candidates for secretary of state talked to voters at the state fair. And Iowa is starting a foster care diversion program next year.

State officials have confirmed a measles outbreak in southern Iowa. The U.S. health secretary was in Iowa to talk about the new presidential fitness test. And Republican U.S. Senate candidate Ashley Hinson says she wants to address health care costs.

The Iowa Democratic Party's Caucuses are not in the early 2028 presidential primary calendar. Candidates for Governor Zach Lahn and Rob Sand spoke at the state fair. And why are researchers looking into purple corn?

The Satanic Temple is suing the state of Iowa. Dubuque County learned how much water data centers in Iowa use each year. And why has the cotton industry been stagnant in the U.S.?

The Iowa Libertarian Party has selected new candidates for the General Election. Johnson County may find a way to protect trans residents in city code. And a city council meeting about a data center in western Iowa was postponed.

County auditors are recruiting poll workers for the General Election. A new grassroots effort in Clinton is trying to get involved in data center regulations. And an Iowa lawmaker tried to ban a toxic weedkiller tied to Parkinson's disease this year.

The City of Des Moines is getting suggestions on what to do about its budget. Jury selection starts today in the trial of a man accused of killing a Native American woman over 40 years ago. And what do the candidates for governor think about privatized Medicaid?

Fertilizer runoff is one reason nutrient pollution went up in U.S. waterways. Federal money will help expand flood monitoring in Iowa. And the Iowa Libertarian Party will nominate two new candidates this week to replace the ones who were kicked off the General Election ballot.

A new poll shows Democrat Rob Sand ahead of Republican Zach Lahn for Iowa governor. Johnson County voters are being asked a fourth time to pass a bond for a new jail. And how has a difficult agriculture economy affected farm successions?

There's a new tool for small Iowan towns to use to think about data centers. A dispute over a data center in a northwest Iowa town is now going to court. And an Iowa lawmaker wants to lower childcare costs.

Iowa is implementing a new Pell grant program for short term career training. Iowa Libertarians will pick a new candidate for the 3rd Congressional District. And a new survey shows public awareness could lead to more conservation efforts for prairies.

Google wants to build a data center near the small town of Salix. The Otoe-Missouria tribe is in Iowa visiting ancestral sites. And what are the candidates for Iowa governor saying about data center regulations?

Zach Lahn, the Republican candidate for governor, shares his thoughts on public education models. A Libertarian running for Congress says he's going to try to get back on the ballot. And a new law ensures teachers get paid leave if they are physically injured by a student.

A new report from the ACLU of Iowa shows schools with school resource officers arrest Black students at disproportionately higher rates. Community members are rallying to stop a natural gas power plant in Linn County from being developed. And how has the lapse of ACA tax credits affected farmers?

Haitians in Iowa on TPS are facing uncertainty as they lose that status this week. Former President Barack Obama has endorsed Democrat Josh Turek for Iowa's open U.S. Senate seat. And how are public camping bans being enforced in Midwest cities?

The Libertarians who wanted to run for governor and lieutenant governor will not be on the ballot. Democratic candidate for governor Rob Sand shares his cancer related proposals. And a farming nonprofit in eastern Iowa is in limbo as federal funding from the USDA remains uncertain.

Democratic candidate for governor Rob Sand has shared his proposals on social media restrictions for minors. Residents in the Des Moines Area are no longer under water use restrictions. And a group of farmers is trying to bring attention to the Iowa Nutrient Reduction Strategy.

Iowa will not have the first spot in the Democratic presidential nominating process in 2028. Republican U.S. Rep. Ashley Hinson says she'd like to see greater restrictions on social media and AI to protect kids. And a well-known Islamic scholar and community leader in Cedar Rapids has died.

Haitians in Iowa with Temporary Protected Status are set to lose their protections on Monday. NASA is partnering with the University of Iowa for a project to predict nitrate concentrations. And farmers in the Corn Belt worry they may not see a profit this year.

Children in Iowa's foster care system who receive survivor benefits will now get to keep the money when they leave the system. Governor Kim Reynolds talks about her support for the federal SAVE Act that's been stalling in the U.S. Senate. And why are more people moving to the Midwest?

More Iowans are turning to out-of-state health care providers to access abortion care. Two Libertarian candidates for governor who got kicked off the ballot were in court yesterday to get back on it. And a new online tool aims to connect Iowans with cancer screening information.

Residents in a western Iowa community are raising concerns about a manure waste site. A sanctuary policy has failed to pass for a second time in Decorah. And the latest campaign finance reports are out for Iowa's gubernatorial race.

House Speaker Mike Johnson spoke at a conservative Christian event in Iowa. The 1619 Freedom School hosted its annual Read-In event to protest book bans. And it could be a warmer and drier winter.

Dubuque County leaders are considering an outright ban on data centers. Scientists say they're finding concerning levels of pesticides in U.S. rivers. And Iowa's largest utility is warning people to be wary of online scam artists posing as customer service workers.

A data center company wants to build a huge facility near Clinton in eastern Iowa. The state's new Medicaid fraud task force has met for the first time. And Iowa is looking for the rightful owner of a baseball signed by superstar Pete Rose.

A data center company building near Cedar Rapids is injecting $5 million into workforce development, while the Palo City Council voted to advance their data center ordinance this week. An Iowa woman is the first known patient in the U.S. to receive a quadruple organ transplant with re-transplanted lungs. And U.S. Senator Chuck Grassley says he's monitoring a proposed merger between two railways.

Some school districts are delaying or changing projects in connection to changes in state property tax laws. Another Iowa county has put a pause on data center development. And a conversation with Iowa Public Radio's retiring CEO.

Pete Buttigieg rallied with Iowa Democrats last night. President Trump has endorsed Republican Zach Lahn for Iowa governor. And a Midwestern couple is trying to set up government support for Alzheimer's early detection.

A hospital in Council Bluffs is set to close its labor and delivery unit. Des Moines residents are sharing their thoughts about the city's expected budget shortfall. And the education center at Springbrook State Park will be demolished.

Iowa has its first confirmed measles case of the year. The city of Decorah is considering an ordinance that would end its cooperation with ICE agents. And an Iowan shares her story of leaving the corporate world to start her own bakery.

The Democrat running in Iowa's Third Congressional District shares her plans on public health insurance. Undeveloped industrial land in the Cedar Valley region has made a national ranking. And a story of Indigenous resistance in Iowa.

Democrat Josh Turek, who is running for Iowa's open U.S. Senate seat, says he would push to break up agriculture industry monopolies. The Iowa Bee Atlas is training Iowans to help conserve native bees. And an artist's value of environmentalism shows up in her art.

Zach Lahn, the republican nominee for governor, has responded to criticism for having a second home in Kansas. Severe weather over the weekend has displaced about 400 Des Moines residents. And this week on Here First we have personal stories from Next Gen Journalism.

There will be more medical residency training slots at Iowa's teaching hospitals. Residents in the Des Moines area are allowed to water their lawns again. And Iowa's Bosnian community has been showing up for their home country's team during the World Cup.