Amie Rivers

Nine somber events were held around Iowa marking Workers’ Memorial Day this week. Labor unions around the state held events marking the 53rd anniversary of the establishment of OSHA (the Occupational Safety and Health Administration) and read the names of 71 Iowans who lost their lives on the job in 2020 and 2021. Mary Sand,…

Activists, union members, and a worker who says she is owed tens of thousands of dollars in unpaid overtime protested in front of an Iowa City burger restaurant Monday. Rita, who requested Starting Line not use her last name, said she worked for the past 13 years at Short’s Burger and Shine in downtown Iowa…

If your town, allegedly, had a mayor who abused his power, a city clerk who embezzled funds, and a corrupt police department—all at the same time—then you might be from Armstrong, Iowa. The town of around 875 people in Emmet County near the Minnesota border was rocked last February when Armstrong’s mayor, police chief, and…

US Sen. Chuck Grassley went on record in front of around 80 people in Waukon to say he does not support repealing a landmark healthcare reform law that brought coverage to more than 230,000 Iowa residents. During Monday night’s town hall, an audience member pressed Grassley about his previous opposition to the Affordable Care Act,…

Graphic novels featuring LGBTQ characters aren’t just the current punching bag for Republican politicians trying to regulate such books in school libraries—they’re a vital resource for kids, teens, and young adults looking to find their own identities in a visual way. That’s according to the University of Northern Iowa’s youth services librarian Katelyn Browne, who…

Despite worries about inflation, hiring, the supply chain and the lingering coronavirus pandemic, business owners are profitable and expected to continue that trend, according to two new surveys released last week. The US Chamber of Commerce, a national advocacy group for businesses, released its Small Business Index for the first quarter of 2022. The report,…

The price of beef at the grocery store has gone up, but Iowa cattle producers say they’re seeing their income dry up while the four major beef packers who control the industry are raking in billion-dollar profits. Faced with angry producers in smaller cattle-producing states, a bipartisan coalition of senators is looking to advance a…