News
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Iowa has a dire shortage of nurses. Here’s why
(This story first appeared in the Iowa Worker’s Almanac, and is a subscriber exclusive.) You probably already know Iowa has a problem getting qualified health care workers: We’re 44th in the nation for physicians to patients, or 30% worse than the national average; The problem is particularly bad in our nursing homes; Iowa Republicans passed a bill to fund…
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It’s almost flu season. Should you still get a shot, and will insurance cover it?
Amid political chatter about vaccines and the government entities that oversee them, it’s understandable to wonder where all this leaves the 2025-26 flu vaccine. In short: Yes, the flu shot is still a thing. And four doctors we spoke to said they recommend you get your flu shot this year.
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Facing cancer in Iowa: Patients share their stories
Cancer in Iowa isn’t just about treatment—it’s about surviving the system, asking why it happened, and living with the aftermath. Five Iowans share their stories.
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Dubuque pastor and state Rep. Lindsay James to run against US Rep. Ashley Hinson
Iowa state legislator Lindsay James is the third Democrat to challenge the northeast Iowa congresswoman in a race pitting kitchen-table economics against Republican messaging. State Rep. Lindsay James said her “why” begins with a constituent she met on a porch. The man lived in a mobile home park in her Dubuque district, and rising rent…
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From the Iowa Worker’s Almanac: Layoffs and news for the working class, Aug. 14, 2025
Fox guarding the henhouse: A former Tyson executive now oversees the safety of the US meat supply. (Sentient Media) Designed to discriminate: By gutting the Office of Federal Contract Compliance Programs, Trump is making it easier for federal contractors to discriminate—all underwritten by your tax dollars. (EPI) Honduran, Nicaraguan, and Nepalese workers can stay, for now, after a judge halted Trump’s order to end Temporary Protective…
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Iowa DOGE recommends cutting public worker IPERS for new hires
The Iowa DOGE task force wants to cut IPERS for new hires, the public employee retirement system that thousands of teachers, corrections officers, and more rely on to get them through their golden years. This does not sit well with those workers, the unions they’re covered by, or young folks thinking about a government job. Some on…
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Scholten suspends US Senate campaign, endorses Turek
The Democratic primary to take on Republican US Sen. Joni Ernst in 2026 has narrowed. Just one week after announcing his bid, State Rep. Josh Turek got a big endorsement Monday morning. State Rep. J.D Scholten said he was suspending his own campaign to defeat Republican US Sen. Joni Ernst and instead vouched for Turek.…
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The future of cancer research in Iowa is uncertain—and lives are on the line
Iowa cancer patients are desperate for better screenings, treatments, and cures. Researchers are desperate to find them. So what’s the holdup?
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Iowa DOGE targets retirement pensions for teachers, law enforcement
A taskforce appointed by Gov. Kim Reynolds recommended eliminating the state pension system for new employees and replacing it with a 401(k)-style plan. Iowa DOGE’s proposal has sparked fierce, bipartisan opposition. Governor Kim Reynolds promised in 2018 she’d “protect and defend” Iowa’s public employee retirement program, IPERS. Approaching her final year as governor, her administration…
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OPINION: Republican Congress members from Iowan have abandoned their constituents
Despite overwhelming public outcry, Republicans in Congress passed their Big, Ugly Bill, which includes the largest cuts to health care in history. After years of expanding health care coverage and working to eliminate barriers to coverage, GOP Sen. Joni Ernst, and every other Republican Iowa member of Congress, decided that tax breaks to billionaires were…
