Democratic Secretary of State candidate Ryan Peterman said Iowans “deserve answers” from Secretary of State Paul Pate on how voter data shared with the federal government is being used. Peterman held a news conference Wednesday on the steps of the Iowa State Capitol, where he announced he was filing four public records requests through the […]
Statewide
Posted inCommunity/News
With another record-breaking haul, Rob Sand widens fundraising lead; one GOP PAC donated 78% of Zach Lahn’s campaign fund
Democrat Rob Sand broke fundraising records again, as his campaign for governor took in $9,385,646 between May 27 and July 14, according to newly published campaign finance reports from the Iowa Ethics and Campaign Disclosure Board. Republican candidate Zach Lahn raised $6,372,831, although 78 percent of Lahn’s total amount raised this period came from one […]
Posted inCommunity/News
‘Iowa is acting different’: Cook Political Report founder weighs Democrats’ chances of midterm success in Iowa
Political expert Charlie Cook, the founder of the nonpartisan Cook Political Report, said Monday he thinks Democratic State Auditor Rob Sand will win Iowa’s gubernatorial election, but the U.S. Senate race between State Rep. Josh Turek and U.S. Rep. Ashley Hinson may not be as competitive as Democrats might think. Cook said Iowa is no […]
Posted inCommunity/News
Turek took in more money than Hinson over last reporting period; three of four Democrats running for U.S. House outraise Republicans
U.S. Senate candidate Josh Turek and three of the four Democrats running for U.S. House in Iowa raised more money than their Republican competitors during the most recent campaign finance reporting period, according to reports published by the Federal Election Commission (FEC) this week. The reports are for the FEC’s second quarter, which covers the […]
Posted inCommunity/News
Polk City will pay almost $200,000 to paramedic fired over comments about Charlie Kirk
Polk City announced it is settling a lawsuit filed by Alissa Furry, a paramedic voted the 2025 Medic of the Year by her peers, who the city fired last October after posting on Facebook about the death of rightwing activist and media figure Charlie Kirk. “The city’s insurer will pay Ms. Furry $189,000 on the […]
Posted inCommunity/News
Iowa has 15,309 animal feeding operations, aerial mapping finds — thousands more than the state monitors
An analysis from Environmental Working Group (EWG) mapped 15,309 animal feeding operations in Iowa, which is several thousand more than what is tracked and monitored by the state. The group utilized satellite and aerial imagery to map animal feeding operations across Iowa and estimate the amount of manure they produce. The report also notes a […]
Posted inCommunity/News
Facing a blood shortage during ‘summer trauma season,’ Red Cross calls for donations, offers movie ticket discounts
The American Red Cross said on Monday it is facing a blood shortage emergency. Blood donations nationwide dropped off sharply in June, a problem that’s exacerbated by a higher-than-expected need for blood in hospitals during “the summer trauma season” when injuries with treatments that require blood hit their highest levels. “All blood types are needed. […]
Posted inElection Coverage
‘Anti-establishment’ candidate Zach Lahn celebrates (familiar) Trump endorsement, pledges to continue Gov. Reynolds’ work
“I will tell you, something very special happened today to me,” Zach Lahn told the audience of Republicans gathered at the downtown Hilton in Des Moines on Friday night. “A boy who grew up north of Sioux City in a small town of less than 300 people. I was endorsed for this campaign by President […]
Posted inCommunity/News
Lax oversight of hog CAFOs harms endangered species, study finds
Large concentrated hog farms that send manure contamination into local waterways not only impact human health but threaten the existence of more than a dozen endangered species, according to a new study published in the journal Conservation Science and Practice. Researchers examined the overlap between endangered species and hog concentrated animal feeding operations, CAFOs, in […]
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Iowa had twice the drinking water violations for nitrates in 2025 as in 2024
A report from the Iowa Department of Natural Resources (DNR) shows Iowa had 36 nitrate-related drinking water violations in 2025, which is more than double the number reported in 2024. Each year, DNR submits a compliance report to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency detailing violations of federal drinking water standards, from excessive contamination levels to […]
Posted inArts & Entertainment
In the age of Live Nation, Iowa’s indie venues hang on by putting people over ticket fees
The last time you paid to see live music, you probably didn’t think much about the venue itself. You thought about the band, the traffic you would endure, whether you could get a drink before the opener finished. But the venue was thinking about you — whether the parking garage was running at capacity, about […]
Posted inCommunity/News
Iowa Democrats and Republicans gain voters as registered independents decrease
The Iowa Democratic and Republican parties both gained voters over the past month, while the number of voters with no party affiliation dropped significantly. According to data from the Iowa Secretary of State’s office, the Democratic Party gained more than 27,000 registered voters from June to July, bringing the total number of active Democratic voters […]
