A long-awaited scientific report commissioned by Polk County says farm pollution threatens the ability to drink clean water and to safely interact with central Iowa streams, Iowa Capital Dispatch reports. The county announced its Central Iowa Source Water Research Assessment in 2023 and heralded it as a first-of-its-kind, unbiased and comprehensive examination of the watersheds […]
Community/News
Posted inCommunity/News
The Downtown Block Party is bringing live music, human checkers and a lot more to Iowa City on Saturday
From volleyball to hula hoops to a sand pit for the kids, the Iowa City Downtown District (ICDD) is bringing a bit of the beach to the streets on Saturday for the eighth annual Downtown Block Party. The Iowa City summertime staple will cover 14 blocks with art, music, culture and activities for all ages. […]
Posted inStatewide
Planned Parenthood at risk of closing hundreds of clinics, drastically limiting abortion access nationwide
If the budget reconciliation package before the U.S. Senate becomes law in the coming weeks, reproductive health advocates say the provision that would cut federal funding to Planned Parenthood clinics could serve as a backdoor nationwide abortion ban, eliminating access to one in four abortion providers. The Republican-led bill, which already passed the House by […]
Posted inCommunity/News
President Trump’s ‘monumental celebration’ at the Iowa State Fairgrounds is set, but details are scant
America250, the organization coordinating Trump-endorsed activities related to next year’s 250th anniversary of the signing of the Declaration of Independence, has released a little more information on President Trump’s planned visit to the Iowa State Fairgrounds. But only a little more. CBS News broke the news of Trump’s plan to come to the fairgrounds early […]
Posted inCommunity/News
Iowa summer food assistance program falls short on convenience, choices, critics say
Gov. Kim Reynolds’ “healthier and cheaper” alternative to federal summer food assistance programs is again facing criticism that it is less convenient and covers fewer food-insecure Iowans than the national program and offers families fewer choices than initially promised. Reynolds’ Healthy Kids Iowa was announced in May after the U.S. Department of Agriculture approved the […]
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Iowa House members agree to special session to override Reynolds’ veto of pipeline bill
The Iowa House of Representatives Tuesday secured the necessary two-thirds majority on a petition calling for a special session to override the governor’s veto of a bill pertaining to eminent domain and carbon sequestration pipelines. Seventy representatives signed the petition in favor of returning to the State Capitol to override the veto on HF 639, […]
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Christina Bohannan announces her third run for Congress
Christina Bohannan announced on Tuesday that she is running for Congress in Iowa’s 1st District. This will be the third time the Iowa City Democrat has run for the House seat currently held by Rep. Mariannette Miller-Meeks. In 2022, Miller-Meeks beat Bohannan by approximately 6 percentage points. In their rematch last year, Miller-Meeks won by […]
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‘We’re not going anywhere’: Iowans in cities across the state gather for No Kings rallies
The No Kings rallies held in more than 1,400 cities across the country on Saturday were meant to have a festive atmosphere, as millions gathered nationwide to protest the actions of the Trump administration. Organizers of the Iowa City suggested people wear costumes, as did organizers in some other cities. But the rally in downtown […]
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Trump is coming to the Iowa State Fair — but not bringing the ‘Great American State Fair’ he promised in 2023
Donald Trump is coming to the opening day at the Iowa State Fair, CBS News reported on Friday, citing sources in the White House “familiar with the plan.” This year’s fair is scheduled to start on Thursday, Aug. 7 and run through Sunday, Aug. 17. “Mr. Trump’s visit, marked on the White House calendar for […]
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AG Bird continues case against sheriff over Facebook post on ICE, tells court Winneshiek County must lose its state funding
Iowa Attorney General Brenna Bird is continuing to pursue a lawsuit against Winneshiek County and its sheriff, Dan Marx, for allegedly violating Iowa law by discouraging law enforcement from cooperating with federal immigration officials. In her latest court filings, Bird has criticized Marx, alleging the sheriff has, in essence, asserted that “federal immigration officials should […]
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‘Spitting in the face of landowners’: Iowa House Republicans denounce Reynolds’ veto of eminent domain bill, call for special session to override it
Republicans in the Iowa Legislature have rarely publicly disagreed with Gov. Kim Reynolds during her eight years in office. Even when they didn’t support her position on an issue, they would downplay any differences. That all changed on Wednesday, when Gov. Reynolds vetoed HF 639, a bill that would have added new requirements on projects […]
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En Español: The 147 kilos I left behind
Ma viene de viaje la semana siguiente. Vendrá por tres para celebrar la graduación de mi sobrino mayor. La única vez que Ma vino a este país fue hace veintidós años, para el nacimiento del mismo nieto que ahora se gradúa. Cuando me avisa del viaje, me adelanto a pensar en la respuesta a la […]
