Here First

The head of a conservative law firm asked the Iowa Supreme Court to find that the Democratic state auditor violated the public records law. Iowa Senate Democrats were shot down by Republicans in their call for a government oversight committee meeting on Iowa’s nursing homes. Plus, an evergreen tree called the eastern red cedar is taking increasing amounts of land and water throughout the Great Plains.

Former President Donald Trump is urging his supporters to guard against complacency as he expands his lead ahead of the Iowa caucuses. Iowa’s four Republican U-S House members voted to formally authorize an impeachment inquiry into President Joe Biden. Plus, members of the panel that estimates Iowa’s tax revenue say they’re no longer fearing an economic recession.

Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis stepped up his case against Donald Trump during a CNN town hall in Iowa. Proposed rules for implementing Iowa’s fetal heartbeat abortion ban are now open for public comment. Plus, a survey by Iowa State University shows farmland values have started to plateau.

Holiday travel from the region that includes Iowa is projected to be the fourth highest on record. A presidential candidate forum that focuses on minority issues will not take place this year. Plus, a study by the US Department of Agriculture shows after a decade of decline the population of rural America grew by a quarter of a percent from 2020 to 2022.

Former President Donald Trump has strengthened his already overwhelming lead in the race for the Iowa caucuses. An Iowa man is under arrest in the death of a Catholic priest who was stabbed in the rectory of his a small Nebraska church. Plus, the University of Iowa is ending a merit-based scholarship for incoming first-year students from historically underrepresented populations.

CNN has announced it will host a debate on January 10th in Des Moines for Republican presidential candidates who have at least 10 percent support in three polls. The Iowa Department of Health and Human Services says it has disenrolled more than 160 thousand people from Medicaid in the past seven months. Plus, access to reproductive health care sits on shifting sands across the Midwest and South and that’s led some people to make permanent decisions.

A report on national farmland values shows prices are holding their own despite several down economic issues. Iowa state lawmakers are discussing how to continue their work on improving access to child care in the next legislative session. Plus, both the state and federal departments of agriculture have confirmed a positive case of highly contagious bird flu in Mills County.

More community leaders are calling for action surrounding a Woodbury County Supervisor whose wife was convicted of voter fraud. A federal judge permanently barred two Iowa counties from enforcing their ordinances that restrict the placement of carbon dioxide pipelines. Plus, Emergency housing and first-time homelessness claims are up from last year in Black Hawk County.

Iowa Congressman Zach Nunn is co-sponsoring a bill that would make members of the US House and Senate who are expelled ineligible for a congressional pension. Shifting regulations on whole pork products sold in California and Massachusetts have some people in the agriculture industry concerned. Plus, we go on the campaign trail with Republican presidential candidates Donald Trump and Ron DeSantis who were in Iowa this weekend.

Florida Governor Ron DeSantis completed an Iowa milestone that’s lead to victories on past caucus nights. The Iowa Democratic Party has determined what candidates will be on their party’s 2024 presidential preference caucus cards. Plus, advocates for human trafficking survivors say Iowa’s limited safe housing options for victims face challenges because of a lack of funding.