Nikoel Hytrek

He didn’t live here long, but Herbert Hoover did say he carried the brand of Iowa—literally in his case—from being barefoot in his father’s blacksmith shop. “The most formative years of my boyhood were spent here. My roots are in this soil,” said Hoover, who was the 31st President of the United States, when he…

As students return to the classroom and heated debates about schools resume, it’s a perfect time to examine what Iowa’s two gubernatorial candidates have in mind for the future of education in Iowa. Deidre DeJear, the Democratic candidate for governor, wants to put more money toward public education in Iowa, while Republican Incumbent Kim Reynolds…

State Sen. Zach Nunn softened his tune on abortion bans recently, despite video evidence of him agreeing that all abortions should be illegal without exception. On Aug. 19, the Des Moines Register published an op-ed from Nunn, the Republican running against Rep. Cindy Axne for Iowa’s 3rd Congressional District, where he pushed back against an…

The Inflation Reduction Act is a big bill and it does a lot. And it does a lot for everyday Americans, including here in Iowa Here are some of the big ways Iowans will be impacted: 1. Affordable clean energy The Inflation Reduction Act includes a lot of tax credits and rebates for families to…

As families are squeezing in last-minute shopping to get ready for back-to-school, Iowa schools are also scrambling to get ready. Across the state, shortages for positions such as bus drivers and classroom teachers still persist, and getting those positions taken care of is taking a lot of work and creativity. As of Friday, the Des…

New trails, new bike paths, more sidewalks and overall safety. Those are some of the new improvements coming to three Iowa cities. Last Thursday, the US Department of Transportation announced that Muscatine, Waterloo and Dubuque were awarded grants to renovate transportation in the cities, and, in the process, make certain areas safer and more affordable.…

Rep. Ashley Hinson voted against caps for seniors’ insulin prices, lower health care prices, and policies to keep companies from cheating on their taxes. The Republican representative spoke briefly on the floor of the House of Representatives during debate for the Inflation Reduction Act, which passed on Friday, Aug. 7, without any support from Republicans.…

Despite what some politicians say, Iowans—across the board—trust their public schools, according to a recent poll commissioned by Iowa Starting Line. Among Republicans, 81% said they trust Iowa’s public schools a lot or some. That’s close to Democrats, 86% of whom said they had a lot or some trust in Iowa schools. The group with…

Democrats recently passed a huge package to increase fairness in America, from ensuring corporations pay their fair share of taxes to decreasing the cost of health care for America’s senior citizens The far-reaching bill, which also invests in clean energy infrastructure, passed the US Senate August 7 by Democrats along strict party lines and was…

The private school voucher program pursued by Gov. Kim Reynolds and other Republican leaders in the legislature doesn’t have widespread support from Iowans. Conversations during the legislative session showed widespread pushback to the proposal, and Data for Progress polling done for Starting Line confirms it. When asked, 71% of respondents said, “Public schools are vital…