Ty Rushing

Ty Rushing is the former Chief Political Correspondent for Iowa Starting Line. He is a trail-blazing veteran Iowa journalist, an Emmy-nominated filmmaker, and co-founder and president of the Iowa Association of Black Journalists.


Latest from Ty Rushing

  • Politics

    Kim Reynolds finally decides to help feed some kids, but there’s a big catch

    Gov. Kim Reynolds announced Wednesday that Iowa will start a competitive $900,000 grant program to feed Iowa children over the summer—this comes months after she declined $29 million in federal funds to feed kids via a different summer program. The new Summer Meal Program Expansion Grant will be launched through two existing federal programs and…


  • Politics

    Bayer/Monsanto has poured money into Iowa politics for years

    As Bayer, the major pharmaceutical and biotech company, lobbies the Iowa Legislature to enact legislation to protect it from civil suits related to its pesticide products, it is worth noting that Bayer and Monsanto—which Bayer purchased in 2018—have collectively poured over $530,000 into the campaign coffers of Iowa’s state-level politicians since 2002. From 2002-2018, Monsanto…


  • Politics

    Former Trump staffer officially in charge of Iowa’s public schools

    A former Trump administration official and advocate for using public funds for private school scholarships officially has Iowa’s top education job. The Iowa Senate confirmed McKenzie Snow’s appointment as director of the Iowa Department of Education in a 34-15 vote on Tuesday. Critics have questioned Snow’s credentials as she has never taught in an American…


  • News

    Sioux City Republican activist gets light prison sentence for 52 acts of voter fraud

    A Sioux City Republican activist who was convicted of illegally filling in ballots escaped a far harsher punishment on Monday for her 52 acts of voter fraud, which could have carried a five-year prison sentence for each.  Instead, Federal Judge Leonard Strand sentenced Kim Phoung Taylor to serve four months in federal prison as part…


  • Politics

    How Iowa Republicans used the AEA bill to play politics

    Iowa Republicans are going to say Iowa Democrats don’t support teacher pay, but they won’t mention that it was part of the unpopular AEA bill.


  • Politics

    Gov. Reynolds signs AEA bill ‘that no one really likes’

    Story updated after the bill was signed by Gov. Kim Reynolds on Wednesday, March 27.


  • News

    Former Trump staffer one step closer to leading Iowa schools

    McKenzie Snow’s critics note she has never taught inside an American classroom and that her only degree is in political science; however, some prominent education officials in Iowa believe she is qualified to lead the Iowa Department of Education. The Iowa Senate held a subcommittee on Snow’s confirmation as director of the Iowa Department of…


  • News

    As cancer rates rise, Iowa could make it illegal to sue pesticide manufacturers

    As cancer rates rise in Iowa, the Iowa Senate is considering a bill that would prevent people from suing manufacturers of pesticides—a product linked to increased cancer risk—for not providing adequate warning labels on products.  SF 2412 would prevent Iowans from being able to sue pesticide manufacturers if the product’s label was approved by the…


  • News

    Fox News seems to think it’s all white people getting laid off in Perry plant closure

    Fox News Host Jesse Watters was irate when he found out about Tyson Foods closing its pork plant in Perry. Not because 1,276 people were losing their jobs, but because he seemed to think that white people were losing their jobs to be replaced by undocumented migrants. In a recent segment on his show, Watters…


  • Politics

    Cancer survivor presses Nunn to commit to protecting Affordable Care Act

    Laura Packard wanted to ask Rep. Zach Nunn (R-Iowa) what she thought was a simple question: Would he protect the Affordable Care Act? Packard is a stage IV cancer survivor and health-care activist from Virginia. Saving the Affordable Care Act (ACA) is one of her biggest priorities because the landmark legislation that turns 14 on…