tr?id=&ev=PageView&noscript=
  1. The recreational use of marijuana remains illegal despite Iowa Senate Democrats trying to decriminalize weed and allow retail sales in 2023.

    Iowa stoners: Here are the best cross-border deals at dispensaries for 4/20

    Recreational weed isn’t legal in Iowa, so check out these dispensaries offering 4/20 deals in our border states, from Missouri to Illinois and Minnesota.
  2. Iowa Starting Line

    Ashley Hinson, Iowa GOP accepted donations from megadonor accused in 2019 sex trafficking sting

    Billionaire John W. Childs is back to seeding Republican campaigns with large checks after his 2019 solicitation charges related to a sex trafficking sting were dropped. Records show his deep pockets are helping Iowa’s Congressional delegation as they prepare for the 2026 midterms.   [Update: After publication, a reader pointed out that John Childs of Vero […]
  3. Owner Zack Hollier poses for a portrait in the drive-thru window at Cajun Belle on Thursday, April 10, 2025, in Johnston. (USA Today via Reuters Connect)

    Cajun Belle thriving in Johnston after Texas man makes Iowa his home

    From filé gumbo to kolaches: Get to know the food from Zach Hollier at Cajun Belle Zack Hollier’s southeast Texas drawl can lull you into a dreamy state as you listen to him share tales of the dishes his grandmother used to make. Those same dishes bring back memories of his childhood on the bayou, […]
  4. Iowa Starting Line

    207 UnityPoint West Des Moines workers losing jobs: News and layoffs April 16, 2026

    UnityPoint announced Wednesday it would lay off 207 information technology workers in West Des Moines, saying it was outsourcing that work to save money.
  5. Iowa Starting Line

    The job market sucks: Here’s how Iowa colleges are helping students land good jobs after graduation

    It's a tough job market for recent college graduates right now. But at least two colleges in Iowa are trying to help bridge the workforce gap.
  6. The Iowa House Chamber, file photo. (Ty Rushing/Starting Line)

    Iowa minors could need parental approval for cancer-preventing HPV vaccine

    The Iowa House passed a bill requiring parental consent for minors to receive the HPV vaccine, which protects against an STI that causes cancer.
  7. From rescued farm animals to prairie-roaming bison, explore the best animal sanctuaries in Iowa.

    Animal sanctuaries in Iowa: 6 spots for a close-up look at some of Iowa’s coolest critters

    From rescued farm animals to prairie-roaming bison, explore the best animal sanctuaries in Iowa. Here are 6 must-visit spots to add to your list!
  8. No Kings Des Moines protest in March 2026. (Courtesy of reader Joanna S.)

    What’s up with the HyVee Employees PAC? Reader letters for April 14, 2026

    Readers soundoff on Iowa issues: April 14, 2026 HyVee bothsidesing: “I saw your piece about grocery shopping in Iowa. Thanks!I don’t know if this has ever been investigated by ISL, but there is a HyVee Employees PAC that takes in and distributes a fair amount of money to political candidates. …Some time ago I wrote the […]
  9. Iowa Starting Line

    Protests, rallies, and candidate events around Iowa: April 14-21, 2026

    Protests, rallies, and candidate events around Iowa: April 14-21, 2026
  10. More Iowa restaurants have appeared on TV than you might have thought.

    9 social media-famous food joints to try in Iowa

    More Iowa restaurants have appeared on TV than you might have thought. Check out these nine examples that serve up perfect pizza, Southern food, and more.
  11. US Rep. Mariannette Miller-Meeks is pictured with documents detailing her rental agreement for a DC apartment owned by lobbyists for the pharmaceutical industry.

    Rep. Miller-Meeks spent as much as $26,000 in taxpayer funds to rent DC apartment from pharma lobbyists

    While sitting on a House subcommittee that oversees drug pricing, Iowa Rep. Mariannette Miller-Meeks was renting her DC apartment from lobbyists paid millions to fight prescription drug cost reforms on behalf of the pharmaceutical industry.  Iowa Rep. Mariannette Miller-Meeks rented a Washington, D.C. apartment from two lobbyists whose firm was paid $1.8 million to lobby […]
  12. Iowa may have instituted statewide policies prohibiting the manufacture and sale of alcohol four years before the nationwide ban in 1920, but as soon as prohibition laws were lifted in 1933, the Hawkeye State blossomed with a new crop of taverns and lounges promising cold pints, warm meals, and even warmer hospitality.

    The 8 oldest bars in Iowa

    Traverse a century of history at these long-standing bars in Iowa.
the-hot-spot-web-promo

PODCAST

cornhole champions

Local Videos

  1. No Kings Des Moines protest in March 2026. (Courtesy of reader Joanna S.)

    What’s up with the HyVee Employees PAC? Reader letters for April 14, 2026

    Readers soundoff on Iowa issues: April 14, 2026 HyVee bothsidesing: “I saw your piece about grocery shopping in Iowa. Thanks!I don’t know if this has ever been investigated by ISL, but there is a HyVee Employees PAC that takes in and distributes a fair amount of money to political candidates. …Some time ago I wrote the […]
  2. Iowa may have instituted statewide policies prohibiting the manufacture and sale of alcohol four years before the nationwide ban in 1920, but as soon as prohibition laws were lifted in 1933, the Hawkeye State blossomed with a new crop of taverns and lounges promising cold pints, warm meals, and even warmer hospitality.

    The 8 oldest bars in Iowa

    Traverse a century of history at these long-standing bars in Iowa.
  3. Iowa Starting Line

    From Iowa to North Carolina, neighbors are gathering—and asking what’s next

    As economic strain deepens across the country, neighbors like Marvinna, Cindy, and Allen are starting small—by gathering around coffee tables and dinner tables to talk about what’s next, how to cope, and how to rebuild community together.
  4. The period for public comment on Iowa's impaired waterways report closes this week.

    Public comment for Iowa impaired waterways report ends soon

    The period for public comment on Iowa's impaired waterways report closes this week.
  5. A key health committee in the Iowa Legislature has defeated a measure that would have increased the state's tobacco and e-cigarette taxes.

    Iowa lawmakers push back on proposed tobacco tax

    A key health committee in the Iowa Legislature has defeated a measure that would have increased the state's tobacco and e-cigarette taxes.
  6. Patient advocates say state administrators in Iowa appear to be reining in Medicaid spending by cutting what are known as home and community-based services for people with disabilities.

    Trump’s cuts to Medicaid threaten services that help disabled people live at home

    Leisa and Kent Walker recently received a disturbing notice: The private company managing their son’s Medicaid coverage intends to cut nearly 40% of what it spends for caregivers who help him live at home instead of in a nursing home.
  7. The artifacts and evidence found buried at Palace Site date back over 7,000 years, and they provide a brief snapshot of what life might have been like back then—of how the villagers ate, grew crops, and wielded tools.

    Palace Site: The Des Moines spot where humans have lived for 7,000+ years

    In 2010, a historic site was uncovered in Des Moines. Here’s everything you need to know about the Palace Site.

SUPPORT + PROTECT LOCAL NEWS

Our journalism is and will always be free to our readers. But to make that commitment, we need support from folks like you.

BLOCKED
BLOCKED