Affordability
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Her kid needs CBD to control his seizures. A new Iowa law makes it a crime
In trying to prevent Iowans from accessing THC in consumable hemp, Republicans now made it illegal for parents to give their children CBD—for some, the only seizure medication that works. Dallas Center mom Erin Farquhar remembers lobbying Iowa legislators years ago to legalize the CBD medication she needs to keep her son’s seizures and behavioral…
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Basic income pilot UpLift actually helped Iowans. Here’s how
The UpLift program not only helped with bills, it helped start businesses, participants in the basic income pilot said—rebuking an Iowa law that banned such programs in the state. People who received $500 per month with no strings attached told their stories Wednesday evening in a Windsor Heights event put on by UpLift, which has…
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Why it’s nearly impossible to find an Iowa dentist who takes Medicaid
Laura Sauls of Dumont has two kids, and their pediatric dentist is only a 15-minute drive away. That was, until that dentist called last fall with bad news: The office would no longer accept Medicaid, which meant they would no longer treat Sauls’ children unless she paid cash. With the closest dentist accepting Medicaid over…
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An Iowa basic income pilot program seems to be working, but Republicans want to kill it
How much better would your life be with an extra $500 a month—especially $500 a month with no strings attached? That’s what people behind the UpLift – The Central Iowa Basic Income program are trying to determine, but the study might be the first and last of its kind in Iowa if Republican lawmakers have…
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Biden demands grocery stores and food brands end ‘price gouging’ and ‘shrinkflation’
Grocery prices have risen by more than 20% since the beginning of the pandemic and in Iowa, grocery prices rose 6.4% from Nov. 2022 to Nov. 2023. In response, President Biden is demanding grocery chains and food brands lower their prices and stop ripping families off.
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‘Kids need to eat:’ Iowans demand state participate in free-food program
Mandi Remington of Iowa City knows firsthand what it’s like to struggle to feed your kids and how the stability of two incomes can keep a person from leaving an abusive relationship. “Reflecting on my experience as a domestic violence survivor, I can’t help but wonder if I would have left sooner had I been…
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From Queersgiving to Friendsgiving, 8 free Thanksgiving meals around Iowa
Thanksgiving is traditionally a time for a meal at home with family. But if you want to break bread with your community, plenty of places in Iowa offer that, too. So if you’re looking for a free community meal, courtesy of the kindness of your fellow Iowans, here are eight around Iowa coming up. A…
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As Iowa housing costs soar, Biden wants to turn empty offices into housing
In Sept. 2020, the median home sale price in Iowa was $188,500. As of Sept. 2023, that figure had risen to $229,600, a 21% increase, according to Redfin. Renters are also paying more in Iowa. They paid an average of $947.54 between January and March 2020. Now, they’re paying $1,085.55, a $138.01 increase.
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Iowa City mobile home residents protest skyrocketing rent
When Judy McKillip and her husband neared retirement 24 years ago, they bought a mobile home in Iowa City’s Modern Manor and found a close-knit community. “It was good to stay among friends,” McKillip said. “We played cards together, we bowled together. It was a good group of us all together.” She said Modern Manor’s owners…
