Local
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Meet the nonprofit director promoting birth control access in Iowa
Allison Smith’s outlook on birth control access completely changed when Donald Trump was elected in 2016. “I think around that time there was some really concerning rhetoric,” she said. At the time, Smith lived in Minneapolis and worked in health care administration at Whitecap Health Advisors. “There were major concerns about what [President Trump and…
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15 Martin Luther King Jr. Day events across Iowa in 2024
They say Martin Luther King Jr. Day, a federal holiday held this year on Jan. 15, 2024, should be “a day on, not a day off.” So in that spirit, here are some events coming up honoring—and furthering the legacy of—one of this country’s greatest civil rights leaders. (For an even more comprehensive list of…
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Navigating the new FAFSA? Here’s what you need to know.
The new FAFSA form has been released. The Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) determines eligibility for federal financial aid.
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An open letter from Iowa journalists covering a school shooting
A single gunman opened fire in the cafeteria of Perry High School in Iowa, on Thursday, Jan. 4, killing one sixth-grader and wounding seven others before taking his own life. The Iowa Starting Line staff covered this tragedy and here are our reflections on what that experience was like and how it has affected them. Ty…
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No more Kum & Go? New owner Maverik of Utah retiring famous brand
Will Kum & Go have come and gone by next year? One new report claims that’s the plan by the store’s new owners. The Iowa-based convenience store chain Kum & Go—a brand occasionally mocked outside of the Midwest for its mildly salacious name—was bought by Utah-based Maverik last year. Maverik said in August it would…
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Rightwing trolls quickly took advantage of Perry tragedy
Even before the identity of the student who shot multiple people at Perry High School was confirmed by law enforcement Thursday afternoon, right-wing misinformation on social media was filling the void. Posts from verified and other accounts on Twitter (X) in the early hours after the shooting that killed one and injured five others were…
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Perry students share thoughts on school shooting during vigil
Some students were there for band practice, others for a breakfast program, and some never got into the building before shots rang out at Perry High School around 7:30 a.m. on Thursday. At a vigil held Thursday evening, following a morning school shooting that ended with two dead and five injured, students who were there—or…
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Casey’s staff shelters students fleeing Perry school shooting
A Casey’s General Store in Perry became a place of refuge for several students Thursday morning after a gunman opened fire at nearby Perry High School. Store Manager Jocelyn Kirchner said she received a call at 7:30 a.m. about what was transpiring at the high school. Several students had fled from the facility and went…
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UPDATE: Sixth-grader killed in Perry shooting identified
A sixth-grader is dead and six others injured—one critically—after a school shooting at Perry High School in Perry, Iowa. On Friday, authorities identified 11-year-old Ahmir Jolliff as the slain child. His cause of death was three gunshot wounds. The incident happened just after 7:30 a.m. Thursday, Jan. 4, 2024, the first day back for students.…
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Biden pardons thousands of Americans convicted of marijuana possession
The president’s actions will not release any federal prisoners, but will lift barriers to housing, employment, and educational opportunities for those convicted of the offenses.
