The Blank Park Zoo in Des Moines will not host its annual Wild Lights lantern festival this spring. Organizers say visa issues have halted production.

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

State lawmakers faced their second major deadline of the legislative session this week to narrow down the bills under consideration at the Iowa Capitol.

The public library's book club geared toward students in sixth through eighth grade chose to read and discuss This Book is Gay by Juno Dawson, but the event was ultimately canceled following community outcry.

The Neal Smith National Wildlife Refuge in Prairie City shared plans to reopen its visitor center, which has been closed for nearly two years due to major damage caused by a severe hailstorm. It's also seeking public input as it reevaluates what educational opportunities it can offer.

Former Iowa Gov. Terry Branstad endorsed U.S. Rep. Randy Feenstra in the 2026 Republican primary for governor. The Family Leader, a Christian conservative organization, is backing Adam Steen in the primary.

Iowa House lawmakers voted to designate the plant-based substance kratom and its synthetic equivalents as a Schedule I controlled substance, which would make possessing the substance illegal.

A tax hike on HMO health insurance plans that would raise money to help the state pay for Medicaid has advanced through committees in the Iowa House and Senate. Insurance and business group lobbyists criticized the proposal, saying it would raise health care costs for Iowans.

Five Republicans and one Democrat will appear as candidates for governor on Iowa ballots in the June 2 primary elections, according to the final candidate list released by the Iowa Secretary of State.

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