Kratom is often found at gas stations and convenience stores and is marketed as a natural supplement for pain and anxiety. Gov. Kim Reynolds is calling for a total ban of the product and other synthetic varieties, alleging dozens of kratom-related deaths in Iowa since 2024. On this Newsbuzz edition of River to River, Ben Kieffer speaks with the 'Iowa Capital Dispatch's' Clark Kauffman about this call to ban kratom. Also, the 'Des Moines Register's' Brianne Pfannenstiel shares how candidates are approaching water quality this session, a registered nurse who found a side hustle fighting poison ivy and columnist Rekha Basu shares the impact of Gloria Steinem. Finally, our International Writing Program series returns with Mexican writer Juan Carlos Reyes and Studio One's Erin Fuller grooves us into the weekend.

Afghan soldiers stood beside American troops for 20 years. Now, five years after the evacuation, many still don't know if they'll be allowed to stay. On this episode, we take stock of what's happened since roughly one thousand Afghans resettled in Iowa. We talk with Fatima Saidi, national director of We Are All America and Robyn Barnard of Human Rights First. We also discuss what today's shifting immigration rules mean for Afghans still in limbo. Then, we talk with Cate Dicharry, the new director of the University of Iowa's International Writing Program. It’s been a year and a half since federal funding cuts threatened the program, and we discuss what its future holds.

Canada is due to hit back in the trade war— and Iowa's farmers and manufacturers will feel it directly. On this Politics Day episode, analysis from political scientists Donna Hoffman of the University of Northern Iowa and Wayne Moyer of Grinnell College. We also get their views on escalating tension between the U.S. and Iran, Iowa's Senate and governor's races and more.

The midterm elections are ramping up. We launch our candidate series with Dave Dawson, the Democrat running in Iowa’s 4th District. Dawson is running against Siouxland Chamber of Commerce president Chris McGowan, a seat currently held by Rep. Randy Feenstra. We talk with him about running as a Democrat in a red district. But first, we revisit a conversation with an astrophysicist who discusses new research on white dwarf stars 200 light-years away and learn about scientists at the University of Iowa working on a virtual lunar landscape complete with low gravity and lunar dirt. (Portions of the episode were originally produced Feb. 3, 2026.)

Iowa is caught in the middle of an escalating trade war between the U.S. and Canada. On this Newsbuzz edition, we talk about what that means for Iowa’s economy, and your wallet. First, we learn about Iowa's new property tax law, then discuss the economic impacts the trade war will have in Iowa. We also discuss the two Iowa clergy members are running for Congress, visa rules on Iowa college campuses and we hear about the Dolly Parton Imagination Library early literacy skill building program in Iowa. Then, we groove into the weekend.

This November, Iowans will decide whether it should take two-thirds of the legislature — not a simple majority — to raise the state income tax. Guests explain what yes and no votes really mean. Then we meet an Iowa teenager who is building an award-winning, low-cost prosthetic hand.

Canada is Iowa's number one export market — and the trade war with our biggest customer just escalated. Political scientists Evan Renfro of UNI and Karen Kedrowski of ISU offer analysis on these tariffs, the new sanctions campaign against Iran, Iowa's toss-up Senate race, the Supreme Court's ruling on mail-in voting and more.

Companies are voluntarily phasing out the use of so called 'forever chemicals,' or PFAS, used in food packaging. On this episode, experts discuss what the phase out will look like and what consumers need to know. Host Ben Kieffer is joined by Lydia Jahl from the Green Science Policy Institute in Berkley. Later in the hour, Mark Early, Keith Vorst, and Katie Updegraff of the Polymer and Food Protection Consortium at Iowa State University also join the program. (This episode was originally produced Aug. 5, 2024.)

On this episode, we talk with both of Iowa's major political party chairs. First, Iowa Democratic Party chair Rita Hart, then Iowa Republican Party chair Jeff Kaufmann. We discuss the open governor and Senate races and key Congressional and statehouse races in the November 3 midterm election, plus where the 2028 presidential caucuses stand.

The Democratic National Convention has finalized its 2028 presidential primary calendar, and Iowa is not in the early voting contest. On this Newsbuzz edition, Meghan McKinney sits in for Ben Kieffer. First, we hear from Iowans who competed in a weed identification contest at the state fair. Then, we talk with professor Megan Goldberg of Cornell College about the competition in the Iowa governor and Senate races. Daniel Wheaton of the Midwest Newsroom joins us to talk about childcare costs for Iowa families and we hear from IPR's Eliza Billingham about a new crisis aversion program coming to Scott County. Then, we hear about the new Studio One schedule from program director Nick Brunner, and he grooves us into the weekend.