River to River

A report from the Environmental Working Group claims thousands of feeding operations are off the DNR's radar. A representative with the Iowa Pork Producers Association says the DNR is following state law. Host Ben Kieffer speaks with the co-author of this report, Anne Schechinger, about how mapping animal operations relates to water quality issues, and Pork Association legal counsel Eldon McAfee shares what he thinks the report gets wrong. Then, Kieffer speaks with the recipient of the "Nobel Prize for statistics," University of Iowa professor emeritus Luke Tierney.

An Iowa man was nearly deported into a war zone. On this episode, how families are caught in the middle of third-country deportation. First, we hear from Midwest Newsroom reporting fellow Steph Conquest-Ware on families in limbo under the third-country deportation policy. We also talk about tips on how to protect yourself from this summer's fast-spreading cyclospora outbreak with disease prevention specialist Jennifer Miller. We hear from Guthrie Center RAGBRAI organizer Mike Underwood, as the town readies to host tens of thousands overnight on RAGBRAI. And, after 12 years at the helm, a conversation with IPR’s outgoing CEO Myrna Johnson. Then, IPR’s Erin Fuller grooves us into the weekend.

Two years, eight thousand miles, and according to a new book, a lot more heroes than just Lewis and Clark. On this episode, we talk with historian and author Craig Fehrman. He spent five years chasing down the real story behind the famous expedition, and found it wasn't just their story. His new book, 'This Vast Enterprise: A New History of Lewis & Clark,' rebuilds the history through 10 different voices, exploring new perspectives of American history.

President Donald Trump reverses course to endorse Zach Lahn. On this Politics Day episode, we take stock of the Iowa governor's race. We talk with political scientists Donna Hoffman of the University of Northern Iowa and Kelly Winfrey of Iowa State University. We also preview Trump’s primetime address, talk about ICE shootings across the country, the scramble to replace Graham Platner in the Maine U.S. Senate race and more.

A history of murder, prostitution and police corruption have been buried for a century in Des Moines. On today's episode, we hear the true story of Erastus Wallace Scott, the saloon keeper the 'Des Moines Register' called 'the wickedest man in the wickedest part of town.' He was a killer, a con man and the head of a crime family that terrorized East Des Moines for a decade. We talk with Dave and Rose Donovan about their new book 'The Nastiest Saloon in Iowa: Murder, Prostitution, and Corruption in the Heartland.' The book uncovers century-old murder and corruption hiding in downtown Des Moines, and in Rose's own family tree.

Nationally, deaths from suicide, drugs and alcohol are declining. But in Iowa, they're rising, and they're often referred to as "deaths of despair." On this episode, we hear from Lauren Williams, an Iowa woman who lost her brother to suicide, and from Kayla Mayer of Cherokee County Public Health, who's working to decrease the local rate of suicide. We also talk with Daniel Wheaton of the Midwest Newsroom and Dr. Alison Lynch of the University of Iowa on why our state is seeing more deaths of despair and what can be done about it.

Iowa sees its first measles case of the year. On today's Newsbuzz edition episode, we talk with Polk County Public Health director Juliann Van Liew about how Polk County is guarding against the highly contagious virus. We talk with Luke Nozicka of NPR's Midwest Newsroom about the rise in dementia cases and lack of specialists to keep up. We hear how Iowa's drinking water nitrate violations more than doubled last year from Cami Koons of the Iowa Capital Dispatch. IPR's Rachel Kramer shares how Iowa volunteers are racing to track the state's disappearing bumblebees, and we talk with Des Moines City Manager Scott Sanders about the budget gap created by the new property tax law. Then, IPR's Cece Mitchell grooves us into the weekend.

The Supreme Court just finished one of its most consequential terms in years. Drake University law professors Sally Frank and Miguel Schor break down what the 2026 rulings mean for Iowans. They discuss the landmark win for birthright citizenship, the loss of deportation protections for hundreds of thousands of immigrants, new limits on transgender athletes and more.

Tensions flare again between the U.S. and Iran and NATO leaders wrap up a tense summit. On this Politics Day episode, we discuss the political fallout with political scientists Jim McCormick of Iowa State University and Evan Renfro of the University of Northern Iowa. We hear about the new round of U.S.-Iran hostilities that overshadows the days-long funeral for Iran's Supreme Leader, take a look back at the nation's 250th birthday celebration and more.

'Angel Down' is a World War I story told as one continuous sentence, which vividly portrays the horrors of that conflict. Author Daniel Kraus is no stranger to horror. Growing up in Fairfield, he would watch horror movies like 'Night of the Living Dead' and episodes of 'The Twilight Zone' as a five year old with his mom. Kraus joins this episode to talk about his horror and Iowa roots, his latest book, which won this year's Pulitzer Prize for fiction, and his 2023 novel 'Whalefall.' (This show was originally produced February 26, 2026.)