Here First

The Des Moines City Council has approved a lawsuit settlement involving four women who accused the police department of sexual harassment and discrimination. A domestic violence intervention group in Iowa City is preparing to provide services to sexual assault victims in southeastern Iowa. And an environmental group is asking the EPA to better protect northeast Iowa’s Driftless Area from commercial animal farm waste.

Nursing homes have new federal rules for minimum staff levels, though the industry says chronic staffing shortages will make those numbers hard to meet. A new rule closing the “gun show loophole” for firearms sales goes into effect today. Iowa’s attorney general is among those suing to stop the change. And, a new state law clears the way for Lee County to have just one county courthouse. It has maintained two courthouses for the past 176 years.

Gov. Kim Reynolds is putting pandemic recovery funds into opioid addiction treatment and recovery after the legislature failed to allocate opioid settlement funds. A new law will review the accessibility of state parks for people with disabilities. And after rebranding under a new name, what is the future of Schwan’s food delivery?

Governor Reynolds signs behavioral health system overhaul into law. Participants in the "Uplift Program" call it "life-changing. Food insecurity increases in Iowa. Waterloo turns to urban garden spaces to help immigrant farmers. Jan Jensen is officially named the head coach for the Iowa women's basketball program.

A group of Iowans is calling on the state to take strong action against those responsible for a major fertilizer spill in western Iowa. Attorney General Brenna Bird still won't say who paid for her trip to NYC for former President Trump's "hush money" trial. Drake University receives a big gift. Community members say a northwest Iowa community college needs to be more transparent about lawsuits involving international students who accuse the school of human trafficking.

A lawsuit claims the Black Hawk County Sheriff is abusing a system under which counties collect fees from people serving time in jail. Sen. Chuck Grassley says prospects for a new Farm Bill this year are looking difficult. And U.S. Rep. Mariannette Miller Meeks says artificial intelligence could be part of the solution for the state’s health care workers’ shortage.

U.S. Rep. Ashley Hinson is predicting the new Farm Bill will include a provision to override laws in California and Massachusetts that Iowa hog farmers say will cost them millions of dollars to comply with. Caitlin Clark makes her regular season WNBA debut tomorrow when her Indiana Fever open the regular season. And the FDA commissioner says steps are being taken to limit the spread of bird flu among dairy cows.

A new Iowa immigration law faces two lawsuits, including one from the U.S. Department of Justice. By next month, a western Iowa facility serving people with severe disabilities will close. And some parts of the Midwest are still very dry. Farmers are adjusting their plans for planting season.

Iowa Congresswoman weighs in on Rep. Marjorie Taylor Green's failed move to try and oust Speaker of the House Mike Johnson. Iowa's first substance abuse center for younger Iowans is looking for more funding after the legislature failed to provide money from opioid lawsuits. National Park Service signs a historic preservation agreement with the Meskwaki Nation. And a show of solidarity for western Iowa trucker David Schultz.

Governor Reynolds signed a law intended to boost reading scores. Tuition slightly increases for Iowa's public universities. Iowa DHS contracts with four pregnancy crisis centers under the MOMS program. And, a new study shows coal plants in northwest Iowa greatly impact air quality and health.