A bill that would make several changes to public assistance programs advanced through an Iowa House subcommittee Wednesday over the objections of people who said it would result in more babies going hungry.

The Ames City Council passed an ordinance Tuesday prohibiting discrimination in employment, housing and education based on an individual’s gender identity. It comes about a year after the state removed gender identity from the Iowa Civil Rights Act, which sparked some cities to adopt resolutions affirming local protections.

The City of Coralville is considering revisiting its contract with Flock Safety, a company that operates controversial Automated License Plate Readers in the area. It comes after the city received a letter from the Iowa Attorney General’s Office that states part of its policy prohibiting the cameras from being used for immigration enforcement does not comply with state law.

Under a bill advanced by an Iowa House subcommittee Monday, local municipalities would be banned from adding their own civil rights protections beyond those in state law, including those prohibiting discrimination based on gender identity.

Biofuel leaders say the shipping industry could be a golden goose for ethanol and soy-based biodiesel. One of the big barriers is the Trump administration, which torpedoed a global agreement to reduce pollution.

As Iowa’s rural communities age and young people continue to leave, immigrants are fueling population growth. Data shows that one year of Trump administration immigration enforcement policies have affected that growth.

A bill that aims to crack down on out-of-state providers who mail abortion pills to Iowans was advanced Monday by Republicans on a Senate panel. Opponents said the bill would cause problems for in-state doctors while having little effect on mail-order pills.

Iowa has seen below-normal snowfall since December, creating what weather experts call a "snow drought." The dry conditions have disrupted winter recreation and raised concerns about the ecosystem at a wildlife preserve in northwest Iowa.

Listen as Morning Edition Host Meghan McKinney and IPR's State Government Reporter Katarina Sostaric review the latest from the Iowa Legislature.

In 2014, the U.S. Department of Agriculture created a network of “climate hubs” to understand how climate change affects agriculture and forestry and help farmers adapt to more extreme and unpredictable weather. Now, the future of these hubs is uncertain.