Here First

Iowa Governor Kim Reynolds has joined a lawsuit with five other states seeking to stop the Biden administration’s plan to cancel up to 20-thousand-dollars in student loan debt for many Americans. A man from Sioux City who pleaded guilty to being in the U.S. Capitol on January 6th has been sentenced to 90 days in federal prison. A Woodbury County judge will hear a dispute between Navigator CO2 Ventures and landowners. Plus, The Iowa Racing and Gaming Commission is planning to raise the penalty against casinos for underage gambling and violations of the self-ban.

New polling on abortion shows a majority of Americans support abortion access, at least for the first trimester. Crews from MidAmerican Energy left Iowa to help southern states recover from Hurricane Ian. The U.S. Department of Agriculture spent over 7 billion dollars in recent years on two of its largest conservation programs. But very little of that money went to climate-smart practices… according to a new report from the Environmental Working Group. Plus, federal officials are reporting a drop in the number of COVID-19 hospitalizations in Iowa.

Governor Kim Reynolds has announced the state of Iowa has a nearly $1.9 billion budget surplus. An Iowa man was ordered to serve a total of more than seven years in prison for pleading guilty to attacking a police officer during the insurrection at the U.S. Capitol. Plus, a new report has found rates of obesity in Iowa continue to increase.

Candidates for Iowa’s newly drawn southeastern Congressional District used a debate Monday night to argue over whose position on abortion was extreme. The Sioux City Community School District is urging eligible families to register for free or reduced lunches because lunch debt is already beginning to rack up. Plus, a federal agency opens a hearing in Washington, DC. Wednesday on the proposed merger of Canadian Pacific Railway and Kansas City Southern.

A Des Moines man has been convicted of charges that he led a crowd of rioters in chasing a U.S. Capitol police officer up a staircase and accosting other officers on Jan. 6, 2021. Iowa Secretary of State Paul Pate is urging Iowans to take steps to protect themselves against election disinformation. Plus, the booming craft beer industry is driving farmers in the Midwest to grow hops for their local beer makers.

Congresswoman Cindy Axne is one of the Democrats who pressed for votes on a package of public safety initiatives that cleared the U.S. House. The Capitol Police officer who diverted a mob of rioters away from the U.S. Senate on January 6th, 2021 has testified at an Iowa man's trial in Washington. Plus, IPR’s Kendall Crawford reports on how small towns are training rural community members on how to spot signs of distress among farmers.

The number of Iowans who have died from COVID-19 since the start of the pandemic has passed 10,000. Talks between Ingredion and the union that represents workers at the company's Cedar Rapids plant have broken down after company officials brought armed guards to a negotiating session this week. Plus, a new mural in Sioux City will celebrate Hispanic heritage in northwest Iowa.

A delegation from Taiwan signed trade agreements valued at $2.6 billion at the Iowa Capitol on Tuesday. A trial is underway in Washington D.C. for a Des Moines man whose confrontation with police created some of the most memorable images from a mob's attack on the U.S. Capitol on January 6, 2021. Plus, temperatures soared on Tuesday and record temps were broken.

Health officials are encouraging Iowans to get their flu shots and this year’s flu season is predicted to be severe. The state attorney general’s office has launched a new website with the goal of connecting Iowans with services to treat opioid addiction. Plus, a former campaign staffer stated in a police report that Democratic U.S. Senate candidate Mike Franken kissed her without her permission in March. He denies it.

Statewide candidates from both major political parties spoke to key voting groups this weekend. Anti-hunger advocates in the Midwest are gearing up for the White House conference on hunger, nutrition and health next week. Plus, a report looking at the complicated legal landscape Doctors who provide abortion services via telemedicine have to navigate.