Here First

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Here First episodes

  • Thursday, August 6th, 2026
    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.
    9 min
  • Wednesday, August 5th, 2026
    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.
    5 min
  • Tuesday, August 4th, 2026
    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?
    4 min
  • Monday, August 3rd, 2026
    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.
    5 min
  • Friday, July 31st, 2026
    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?
    10 min
  • Thursday, July 30th, 2026
    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?
    9 min
  • Wednesday, July 29th, 2026
    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.
    5 min
  • Tuesday, July 28th, 2026
    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.
    5 min
  • Monday, July 27th, 2026
    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.
    9 min
  • Friday, July 24th, 2026
    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.
    10 min

About Here First

From the publisher's feed

Start your day with the essentials. Coffee. Breakfast. And the local news you need to know. Host Meghan McKinney rises bright and early to bring you the top news stories from around Iowa in under 10…

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