State Politics
-
Ashley Hinson, Iowa GOP accepted donations from megadonor accused in 2019 sex trafficking sting
Billionaire John W. Childs is back to seeding Republican campaigns with large checks after his 2019 solicitation charges related to a sex trafficking sting were dropped. Records show his deep pockets are helping Iowa’s Congressional delegation as they prepare for the 2026 midterms. [Update: After publication, a reader pointed out that John Childs of Vero…
-
Rep. Miller-Meeks spent as much as $26,000 in taxpayer funds to rent DC apartment from pharma lobbyists
While sitting on a House subcommittee that oversees drug pricing, Iowa Rep. Mariannette Miller-Meeks was renting her DC apartment from lobbyists paid millions to fight prescription drug cost reforms on behalf of the pharmaceutical industry. Iowa Rep. Mariannette Miller-Meeks rented a Washington, D.C. apartment from two lobbyists whose firm was paid $1.8 million to lobby…
-
From Iowa to North Carolina, neighbors are gathering—and asking what’s next
As economic strain deepens across the country, neighbors like Marvinna, Cindy, and Allen are starting small—by gathering around coffee tables and dinner tables to talk about what’s next, how to cope, and how to rebuild community together.
-
Iowa Democratic Senate primary becomes a referendum on what anti-establishment actually means
Josh Turek and Zach Wahls agree on almost everything. The one thing they can’t agree on: what it actually means to fight the system. Iowa’s Democratic Senate primary will be decided June 2, with voters choosing between two candidates who both claim to be the anti-establishment candidate. State Senator Zach Wahls and State Representative Josh…
-
Sen. Elissa Slotkin of Michigan stumps for Sarah Trone Garriott as Iowa feels healthcare cuts
Slotkin came to Iowa with a warning: the healthcare crisis hitting rural communities isn’t coming—it’s already here. US Sen. Elissa Slotkin of Michigan made a stop in Iowa on Tuesday to campaign alongside Democratic congressional candidate Sarah Trone Garriott. The pair held a town hall in Des Moines focused on the crisis emerging around health…
-
Rob Sand proposes term limits, election overhaul as part of accountability plan
Iowa’s Democratic gubernatorial candidate wants to overhaul how Iowans vote, who can run, and how long they can serve—and he thinks Republicans might go along with it. Democratic gubernatorial candidate Rob Sand is calling for sweeping changes to Iowa’s political system, including term limits, age caps, and a restructured primary election process. Sand, who serves…
-
Trump tries to take control of Iowa’s ‘secure’ mail-in voting system
Trump’s new executive order would require Iowa to submit its mail voter list for federal approval before each election — a move election experts say is unconstitutional and courts are likely to block. President Donald Trump signed an executive order Monday targeting mail-in voting nationwide, creating new federal oversight over a system Iowa election officials…
-
Ottumwa residents say ‘the system will crash’ after Medicaid cuts
Democratic congressional candidate Sarah Trone Garriott held a roundtable in Ottumwa where local health care professionals and patients discussed the closure of MercyOne’s Ottumwa clinic and how the “One Big, Beautiful Bill” led to it. OTTUMWA – Kerri Rupe, a retired family nurse practitioner, said working in the health care system taught her how broken…
-
Five ways the Affordable Care Act improved health care in the United States
The Affordable Care Act turns 16 this month. Before it passed, insurers could deny you coverage for a pre-existing condition, cut you off when your bills got too high, and charge you full price with no help. Here’s what changed. Sixteen years ago, President Barack Obama signed the Affordable Care Act (ACA) into law. Since…
-
Iowa lawmakers push back on proposed tobacco tax
A key health committee in the Iowa Legislature has defeated a measure that would have increased the state’s tobacco and e-cigarette taxes.
