Politics
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Democrat Jackie Norris launches US Senate bid against Joni Ernst
Norris launched her campaign, positioning herself as a problem-solver focused on “invisible burdens” like the mental health and childcare crises facing Iowa families. Democrat Jackie Norris announced Tuesday she’s running to represent Iowa in the US Senate, becoming the third major Democratic candidate to challenge Republican incumbent Joni Ernst in what’s expected to be one…
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Trump administration hands over Medicaid recipients’ personal data, including addresses, to ICE
Immigration and Customs Enforcement officials will be given access to the personal data of the nation’s 79 million Medicaid enrollees, including home addresses and ethnicities, to track down immigrants who may not be living legally in the United States, according to an agreement obtained by The Associated Press.
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Sioux City special election: Republicans choose far-right candidate for seat
Correction: The Iowa Senate confirms the governor’s appointments to agency heads. It does not confirm judge picks. This article has been correct to reflect that. A special election in Sioux City has big implications for power in the Iowa Senate. Who voters choose will have a major impact on power in the Iowa Legislature. A…
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5 ways Trump’s ‘Big Beautiful Bill’ would change life in Iowa
What happens when a 940-page law tries to reshape America? Let’s see how it would play out in the Hawkeye State. Iowa’s Republican Congressional delegation is primed to provide a stamp of approval to President Donald Trump’s “One Big Beautiful Bill,” despite the potentially devastating impacts it stands to have on Iowa. The legislation slashes…
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States can cut off Medicaid funding to Planned Parenthood, the Supreme Court rules
A divided Supreme Court allowed states to cut off Medicaid money to Planned Parenthood in a ruling handed down Thursday amid a wider Republican-backed push to defund the country’s biggest abortion provider.
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Ottumwa Job Corps program, training 240 at-risk youth, faces Trump axe
Despite its success, Ottumwa Job Corps is among the 99 programs the Trump Administration is shutting down. The closure eliminates over 100 jobs in small town Iowa, displacing the 240 at-risk youths served by the program. When Ajai Long finished high school, she found herself spiraling. Instability at home led her to couch-hop. Couch-hopping left…
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Iowa constitutional law professor launches third bid against GOP Congresswoman
Christina Bohannan is taking another shot at unseating embattled US Rep. Mariannette Miller-Meeks, after losing by just 799 votes in 2024. Iowa law professor Christina Bohannan wants another rematch in 2026. She lost to US Rep. Mariannette Miller-Meeks in 2024 in a nationally-discussed squeaker that came down to just 799 votes. “Mariannette Miller-Meeks has had…
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Iowa Board of Regents tries banning university courses that teach about social justice
The Iowa Legislature passed a bill this session banning diversity, equity, and inclusion programs and trainings by “public entities,” including Iowa’s public universities. And they spelled out exactly what they don’t want us to learn about: “unconscious or implicit bias, cultural appropriation, allyship, transgender ideology, microaggressions, group marginalization, anti-racism, systemic oppression, social justice, intersectionality, neopronouns, heteronormativity,…
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Reynolds vetoes bill protecting landowners from eminent domain
Iowa Gov. Kim Reynolds vetoed a bill restricting private pipelines’ use of eminent domain, against the wishes of Iowa landowners and farmers.
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No county sheriffs have signed ICE agreements in Iowa
Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) is raiding workplaces across the country, wearing tactical gear (and at times arriving in armored vehicles) just to arrest low-wage workers without criminal records. Deportations in this country aren’t new; what’s troubling is that President Trump is trying to give police even more immunity and less oversight, paving the way for…
