Farmers may see price hikes on equipment even after the Trump administration lowered tariffs on goods made from steel, copper and aluminum in June.

Equipment experts said many manufacturers can no longer afford to eat tariff costs, so the increased prices will now be passed onto consumers.

Bob Thompson, president of Michigan Farmers Union, said most farmers in his area use second-hand machinery because they can’t afford new ones. But any increase in equipment prices is bad for consumers.

“The tariffs haven't particularly affected that market other than everything goes up when the new goes up,” he said.

Thompson, who farms row crops, said he and other farmers are feeling extra squeezed with price hikes on inputs like fertilizer, fuel and equipment. He said farmers need more stability and government policy that protects them from rising input costs.

Read more from Harvest Public Media.

Gov. Kim Reynolds created a task force to look at ways to eliminate waste, fraud and abuse in Iowa’s Medicaid program. The July 1 announcement came as Iowa faces a Medicaid budget deficit.

Iowa Attorney General Brenna Bird will lead the Iowa Medicaid Fraud Elimination Task Force that was created under an executive order. The task force is made up of leaders of state agencies and departments, as well as a representative from each of the three private insurance companies that manage healthcare for Iowa’s Medicaid program.
 
The executive order lists several strategies for members to focus on, including ways to encourage public reporting of Medicaid fraud and ensure that Medicaid money is properly spent on high-risk services, like behavioral analysis therapy that’s used to treat autism.

A new program aims to scale up conservation practices in 22 counties upstream from the Des Moines metro to improve water quality.

The Greater Des Moines Watershed Program, launched this summer by the Iowa Department of Agriculture and Land Stewardship, includes incentives for farmers and landowners to plant more cover crops and add streamside buffers. Both practices help prevent soil erosion and nutrient runoff, which can feed algal blooms and pollute drinking water. 

“We know we need more cover crops,” said Iowa Secretary of Agriculture Mike Naig. “We need to double cover crop acreage in those 22 counties. There’s been some counties in that area that have lower rates of adoption, so this is an area that needs some focus, some special attention, if you will, and an enhanced incentive.”

Participants can enroll up to 500 acres — more than three times the normal cap in the state’s cover crop cost-share program. The streamside buffer initiative also provides funding for converting row crop acres into perennial vegetation alongside streams, lakes and drainage ditches. The buffers must be maintained for at least 10 years to qualify.

Naig said other aspects of the program will be announced in the coming months, like incorporating cattle into the landscape to keep “working lands working.” Details about precision nutrient management incentives are expected to be shared this fall.

Funding comes from the Farm to Faucet package signed into law in June. It includes low-interest loans to communities that update drinking water and wastewater treatment plants. 

A teenage girl from eastern Iowa is dead after a pair of personal watercraft collided on Clear Lake Saturday evening.

The Iowa Department of Natural Resources (DNR) said at about 5:30 p.m., the watercraft collided near the boat ramp at MacIntosh Woods State Park on a part of the lake locally known as the Little Lake.

Passengers on a nearby pontoon immediately rendered aid. Five individuals were on the two watercraft and all five were transported to MercyOne North Iowa Medical Center in Mason City.

The DNR said a 14-year-old girl from Dyersville, whose identity was not released, died from her injuries.

A 15-year-old female from Mason City, who was on the same watercraft, was transferred to Mayo Clinic in Rochester and is in serious condition.

Three people on the other watercraft — 35-year-old Chelsea Maxwell, an 11-year-old female and a 12-year-old male, all from Greenwood, South Carolina — were treated and released.

The DNR’s investigation into the incident is in its early stages, but they have ruled out alcohol or other impairments as a contributing factor.

National Weather Service

Some Iowans are still dealing with the aftermath of flash flooding in central and eastern Iowa that struck during the holiday weekend.

Grundy Center got 5.5 inches of rain Thursday evening and early Friday. The National Weather Service estimates an area that includes Ankeny and Ames got between 8 and 12 inches of rain from Thursday through Saturday morning.

“These storms just spun up, they sat over these areas, then additional storms from the west kind of moved slowly eastward and moved over those same areas,” said Andrew Ansorge, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service office in Des Moines.

On Friday night, 10,000 MidAmerican Energy customers in the Quad Cities lost power when a storm rolled through. The city had to cancel Saturday’s Fourth of July fireworks show along the Mississippi River.

About 400 residents of a Des Moines apartment complex who were evacuated due to Thursday night flooding won’t be able to return to their homes for weeks, or in some cases several months, due to the damage.

Ansorge said there is some relief in the forecast early this week. He said drier weather will help areas where streams and rivers are elevated. However, the National Weather Service warns of another chance for thunderstorms on Tuesday night in western Iowa.

Radio Iowa

Republican candidate for governor Zach Lahn said he has started a movement by promising to tackle big issues that neither party is addressing. During a speech in Tama on July 3, Lahn pointed to the consolidation of agriculture as one of his priorities.

“Over the past 20 years, we’ve lost 10,000 family farms in this state,” Lahn said to a crowd of about 100. “I will lead the charge to bring antitrust suits against these companies and to give farmers a fair shake.”

The event marked his first public appearance since speaking at the Republican Party’s state convention on June 6.

Lahn, who grew up near Sioux City, bought his grandparents' family farm near Belle Plaine in 2014, restored the farmhouse and moved back to Iowa in 2023. Lahn used his speech in Tama to respond to Democrats and his general election opponent Rob Sand, who question whether Lahn is a “part-time” Iowan because flight records for his plane show he flies to Kansas about once a week.

“I have a blended family. Some of the kids spend time in Kansas. I go back and forth, and my opponent has chosen this as the personal round of attacks to level against me,” Lahn said. “You want to know why they’re focusing on it? Because Rob Sand is not a moderate … the people will know who Rob Sand is before the end of this campaign. I assure you of that.”

Sand is scheduled to hold town hall events in eight northwest and north-central counties this week.

Gavin McGough

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Iowa Public Radio

Waterloo is marking the nation’s 250th birthday with an installation of 1,776 American flags near the downtown riverfront.

Trent Hunter is organizing the event with the Cedar Valley Exchange Club.

“We'll have all the flags over the bridge. The bridge itself will be in red, white and blue. The river will be red, white and blue with lights going down onto it. The towers here will be all red, white and blue,” Hunter said. “It's just going to be an awesome, awesome sight.”

The flags alone cost organizers $50,000. They’re American made and will be offered for sale following the event.

Waterloo has organized similar displays in the past, but this year’s is the largest yet. The installation is part of the Colonial Flag Foundation’s Field of Honor project, which encourages similar displays across the country.

The display also honors Waterloo’s veteran history. One of the flags was the first American flag to appear on European soil after the country entered World War II.

“It's the coolest thing. Life Magazine took a picture of it,” Hunter said. “There was the Cedar Falls and the Waterloo National Guard units coming off the boat with the commander in the center flying this flag.”

The flags will be up through Sunday.

A major link over the Mississippi River in eastern Iowa will be closed beginning Monday.

The Iowa Department of Transportation is shuttering the Julien Dubuque Bridge for repair work. It links Dubuque to East Dubuque, Illinois. The closure is expected to last 30 days.

Traffic on Highway 20 will be redirected north on Highway 61, where drivers can cross the river into Wisconsin.

Repair work began earlier this summer, but traffic was able to pass through with lane closures.

First opened in 1943, the steel arch bridge sits on the National Register of Historic places.

Joe Wilkinson has spent decades working in conservation in Iowa, while Sue Wilkinson dedicated her retirement to it. Now, the couple advocates for conservation initiatives at the Iowa Wildlife Federation. They’ve been with IWF since before 2020, when it only had a few staff members.

The National Wildlife Federation named them the national conservation volunteers of the year.

Joe said they worked with others to develop the federation into what it is today.

“The few of us remaining did work a little harder, we found more people who could work harder with us, and that’s paying off,” Joe said.

Sue said they now have a consistent board and staff that offer diverse ideas.

They also pushed for IWF to get involved with University of Iowa’s School of the Wild, which they’ve seen come to fruition.

“It was someone who came up to Joe and said ‘I want to shake your hand,’ and Joe’s just kind of like ‘Okay…’ and he said, ‘You changed my son’s life,’” Sue said.

Sue said the parent told them his son started fishing instead of playing video games after spending a week at School of the Wild.

The Wilkinsons have also helped develop the Gray Fox project.

A Libertarian candidate is asking courts to add him back to the November ballot after a state panel kicked him off last month. Marco Battaglia of Des Moines was running in Iowa’s 3rd Congressional District race. He was disqualified by a state objection panel last month for not using his legal name – Mark T Andersen – on campaign paperwork.

In his petition, Battaglia claims he’s better known by the name Marco Battaglia in his public life and said the panel wrongly imposed a legal name requirement that’s not stated in Iowa law. He said he wants to be restored to the ballot under either name.

“I personally don't care what name they make me use, whether it's my government name or my stage name, I don't care,” Battaglia said.

The petition also points out that election officials previously permitted Battaglia to use that name in past elections.

Two other Libertarian candidates for governor and lieutenant governor were also kicked off the ballot last month. They’re suing to get back on the ballot.

As Iowans look to hit the road ahead of the holiday weekend, they could see some relief at the pump.

Gas prices are declining since spiking in May, with Iowa’s current price averaging a little over $3.50 per gallon. But that’s still nearly a dollar higher than when the Iran war began in February. And gas prices are almost 60 cents higher in Iowa than they were a year ago.

Tom Seng, assistant professor of energy finance at Texas Christian University, said the war has caused gas prices to fluctuate more rapidly than normal. He said these changes are frequently tied to statements from the White House.

“If we were to graph prices on a particular day when Donald Trump sends something out where it's kind of, let's call it a threatening statement to Iran, oil prices go up,” Seng said. “And then when he has a more conciliatory tone, we see that the market then feels better about supply and they sell it off and we see prices come down.”

In Iowa, gas prices have dropped by nearly 40 cents since last month.

Seng added that the summer travel season is when demand for gasoline and aviation fuel is highest.

The American Automobile Association reports gas prices overall are still the highest they’ve been in four years despite the downward trend. The national average price of gas is down almost 50 cents from a month ago.

This weekend many Iowans can expect to enjoy warm temperatures and fireworks to celebrate America’s 250th birthday. But Alex Wittry, an emergency room doctor at UnityPoint Health in Des Moines, said Iowans should make sure their fun doesn’t result in a trip to the ER.

Wittry said Iowans should make sure to use their best judgment and set off fireworks from a distance using eye protection.

“Something that is probably the most devastating injuries we see are hand injuries, and that's from people holding fireworks and setting them off, which is a very, very bad decision,” Wittry said.

He said Iowans – particularly the very old and young – should also make sure to stay hydrated and out of the sun during the hottest parts of the day.

A new state law provides more protections to victims of human trafficking. It also gives prosecutors an expanded definition of human trafficking that includes patronizing and soliciting victims, plus any minor involved in a child abuse investigation will be screened for signs that they may be a victim of human trafficking.

Rep. Brian Lohse, R-Bondurant, who helped draft the law, said minors who are victimized by human traffickers can no longer be charged with prostitution, but will be immediately referred to state protective services.

“It requires DHHS to develop a plan for restitution services for human trafficking victims and the number of restitution facilities that are needed within this state,” Lohse said during House debate of the policy. “As this moment there no such facilities that are specifically for and only for minors.”

Lohse and other legislators who worked on the new law said it ensures trafficked children are no longer treated as offenders, but cared for as the victim of the adults who exploited them.

Nurses at UnityPoint Health - St. Luke’s in Sioux City have voted to decertify their union.

When UnityPoint took over MercyOne in September, the hospital still honored the nurses' union contract through the United Food and Workers union. UnityPoint nurses do not belong to a union.

In May, UnityPoint nurses who previously worked for MercyOne voted to stay with the union. But last month, another secret ballot election was held after a nurse practitioner filed a petition with the National Labor Relations Board seeking a decertification election.

The National Right to Work Foundation said that the election for 191 employees was certified on Tuesday by the National Labor Relations Board.

While Sioux City nurses voted to decertify, nurses at four UnityPoint Health hospitals in the Des Moines area are still waiting for the results of a December union election to be certified. They've held rallies and marches urging UnityPoint to recognize their vote to join Teamsters Local 90.

Waterloo’s Bosnian community has been gripped by its home country’s World Cup success. Locations across the city came alive as Bosnia-Herzegovina took on the U.S. in the tournament’s first knockout round. The area is home to thousands of Bosnians who began arriving in the 1990s.

Denisa Sabic is one of the residents who arrived in Waterloo after fleeing the Bosnian War. She sees symbolism in the team’s World Cup showing.

“Historically, this shows Bosnians’ perseverance. It’s basically like: we’ve been crushed. We’ve been brought back up,” Sabic said.

When Lejla Hrustic, the daughter of Bosnian immigrants, learned Bosnia was playing the U.S., she wasn’t sure who to root for.

“I grew up here and I was born here and all my friends are here. So it’s definitely a big place [in my life], and it was definitely hard to pick,” Hrustic said. “But you always have to pick your motherland at the end of the day.”

This is the team’s second time competing in a World Cup. While it came to an end with a 2-0 loss, Bosnia, ranked 61st, had already beat expectations by advancing out of the group stage.

And most fans said they’ll be ready to cheer for their second choice – the U.S. – when the team plays Belgium on Monday.

Central Iowa Water Works has lifted the lawn watering ban for residents in the Des Moines area. CIWW said it will issue guidance for businesses and government agencies next week.

The regional water authority initiated a Stage III Water Alert on June 8 due to spiking demand and high nitrate concentrations in its source waters.

Keeping nitrate levels below the federal limit for public drinking water requires extra steps at a few of the water treatment facilities.

CIWW’s executive director, Tami Madsen, said in a statement that customers reduced water use during a critical period, which helped protect the regional water supply.

Residents are still strongly encouraged to conserve water use during this stretch of high heat.

The regional water authority is asking customers to refrain from lawn watering on Mondays. Customers are also asked to avoid watering shaded areas and to water during early morning to reduce evaporations. CIWW also recommends checking sprinkler heads for overspray and repairing leaks within the home. It's also recommended to not hose off driveways or walk ways.

Congress has approved $49 million in annual funding to expand medical residency training in Iowa. Across Iowa’s 13 teaching hospitals, 128 positions will be added to the state’s Graduate Medical Education programs.

The decision comes after recommendations from the state’s healthcare workforce initiative, Operation I.O.W.A.

Dr. Peter Tonui is with the Iowa Medical Society, which assembled Operation I.O.W.A. Tonui said it’s a critical time to attract graduates to stay as baby boomers in the physician workforce retire. He said residency training is the first step to addressing workforce shortages.

“There’s been an observation over the years that many residents end up staying in the states in which they train,” Tonui said.

The new positions are projected to train 76 more physicians.

U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Brooke Rollins blamed the re-emergence of the New World screwworm in the U.S. on the Biden administration’s border policies. Her predecessor pushed back on those claims earlier this week.

The flesh-eating parasite was eradicated from the U.S., Mexico and Central America decades ago through a sterile fly campaign. But it has moved north again in recent years.

An infected calf in Texas last month marked the first state-side case of screwworm since 1966. The USDA has since confirmed nearly 30 cases involving livestock and dogs in Texas and New Mexico.

Rollins said “defeating” the fleshing-eating parasite is a top priority for the USDA and criticized the last administration during a recent U.S. Senate hearing.

“The Biden administration’s open border policies combined with the Mexican cartels — refusal to crack down on that — through South and Central America, allowed the screwworm to move north for the first time in 50 years,” Rollins said.

On IPR’s River to River, former U.S. Agriculture Secretary and former Iowa Gov. Tom Vilsack said Rollins’ comments were “not consistent with the facts.”

The USDA under Biden closed the border to cattle from Mexico after screwworm was confirmed there in 2024.

The agency also ramped up sterile fly production at the facility it manages with Panama and provided technical assistance and funding to help Mexico build another one.

Radiating captive male flies during a specific developmental stage makes them sterile. Since screwworm flies only mate once, the population crashes when enough wild females lay unfertile eggs.

Vilsack said the Trump administration slowed down the USDA’s efforts with Mexico last year.

“We advised the incoming administration of the need for them to move on this and to encourage them to move quickly. They did not,” Vilsack said. “They actually put a stop to the funding for a period of time … They also re-opened the border.”

The USDA opened the border to move cattle in February 2025 and closed it again to cattle and horses several months later in May.

During the Senate hearing, several Democrats pressed Rollins about DOGE cuts to USDA in early 2025 and the effects it had on curtailing screwworm. Rollins said the USDA had 10 staff working on New World screwworm in January 2025, and now it has over 100.

FEMA is awarding $27 million to northwest Iowa communities impacted by flooding more than two years ago. Most of that money is headed to Rock Valley, where $22 million will be used to buy out 104 homes.

City Manager Tom Van Maanen first requested the funding in December 2024 and said he's relieved to finally have an answer.

"We're finally in a position to help the people that were so devastated by the flooding back in 2024, so we're really hitting the ground running,” Van Maanen said.

Van Maanen said the next few weeks will be spent finishing paperwork before demolition of the properties can begin.

He admits the process was frustrating for homeowners, and at times for city leaders, but said the FEMA home buyout program is not designed to provide immediate disaster relief. Originally, Rock Valley planned to buy out 147 properties, but some owners have already rebuilt their homes or sold them.

FEMA awarded Rock Valley $3.5 million dollars more to help pay for cleanup and repairs. Additional funding will cover the cost of relocating a home in Sioux Rapids and Hawarden.

Sen. Chuck Grassley said farmers facing high input costs got some good news from the White House this week.

“President Trump has made that decision to lift what's called the countervailing duty on phosphates from Morocco, and phosphate has no replacement as a fertilizer for corn and soybeans,” Grassley said.

Morocco is the largest global exporter of phosphate fertilizer. Grassley said he strongly opposed the Biden administration raising tariffs on phosphates from zero to 18% in 2021. He said the move added $7 billion in costs for farmers over four years. The increase came after a petition from domestic producers, primarily The Mosaic Company, who argued they needed protection from unfairly priced foreign competition.

On Wednesday, U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Brooke Rollins announced the launch of a $500 million initiative to expand domestic fertilizer manufacturing.

Commercial truck drivers who are not proficient in English could face charges and be fined $1,000 under a new state law taking effect Wednesday.

A truck driver who’s pulled over and not proficient in English would be charged with a serious misdemeanor and could be imprisoned for up to a year. Trucking companies employing them would also be charged and face a $10,000 fine.

The law comes after recent federal guidance directs officials to remove drivers temporarily if they’re not proficient in English.

Brenda Neville, the president and CEO of the Iowa Motor Truck Association, said the state law holds carriers responsible.

“This was really aimed at giving the enforcement the tools to do their job, and really aimed at sending a message to the carriers that are putting folks behind the wheel that maybe don't have those proficiencies that they need to have,” Neville said.

The law also requires people to take an English proficiency test when they’re applying for or renewing their commercial driver’s license or learner's permit. The English proficiency tests will be rolled out at a later date.

The Iowa DNR is investigating a fish kill in the southeast corner of the state.

Field staff were notified last Thursday of a possible spill near the Chem Gro facility in Houghton.

They found a diluted pesticide mixture with an ammonia cleaning agent had entered a storm drain and flowed to a creek that merges with larger streams.

The DNR instructed co-op staff to flush and pump water from the affected drainage way.

Dead minnows and bullheads were found roughly 3 miles downstream the next day.

The department will determine if further enforcement action is warranted.

The agency’s website has more information about spill reporting requirements.

A new law going into effect Wednesday requires that mifepristone and misoprostol — the two medications used for abortion — are prescribed through an in-person visit and dispensed in a medical setting.

Previously, Iowans could access the pills through a telemedicine appointment with an in-state provider.

Kimya Forouzan is with the Guttmacher Institute, which supports abortion rights. She said this law doesn’t stop Iowans from getting the pills in the mail from providers in other states with shield laws.

“We don't know how often patients are aware that that option exists,” Forouzan said. “And how many may still just go forth with an in-person visit because they're trying to get the healthcare that they need.”

Maggie DeWitte is the executive director of Pulse Life Advocates, which opposes abortion rights. She said this law will make the process safer for Iowans.

“We want them to be educated on the dangers of this drug, and we want them to be overseen by licensed physicians in a medical care setting, where they can have a doctor guiding them through this process and providing follow-up care,” DeWitte said.

Abortion is legal in Iowa up to about six weeks of pregnancy with some exceptions.

Planned Parenthood is closing its Iowa City clinic, leaving only the Des Moines location for in-person services in Iowa.

Planned Parenthood North Central States announced the closure Monday, as well as 38 layoffs across the Midwest. It’s not known how many of those are Iowa-based employees.

The organization points to federal funding cuts and said it’s absorbing the cost of increasing patients who don’t have insurance or the ability to pay. It also said Iowa’s abortion restriction around six weeks of pregnancy has pushed Iowa patients to travel out of state for care.

The clinic's closure means the state now has only two abortion clinics. The Planned Parenthood clinic in Des Moines and the Emma Goldman Clinic in Iowa City.

President and CEO Ruth Richardson said in a video statement they have to restructure and protect core reproductive and sexual healthcare services.

“We are not the cause of these conditions, but we are responsible for how we respond,” Richardson said. “We will continue to adapt, continue to serve and continue to fight to ensure people can get the care they need no matter what.”

Community education programs have been significantly cut back as part of the plan.

Last year, the nonprofit closed four Iowa locations in Ames, Cedar Rapids, Urbandale and Sioux City.

The Iowa City clinic is set to close on July 31. Virtual care will still be offered to Iowa patients.

The organization Food & Water Watch is suing the Environmental Protection Agency for information related to a nitrate human health study halted by the Trump administration.

Tyler Lobdell, an attorney with the nonprofit group, said the nitrate study was initiated in 2017 by the Obama administration, paused in 2019 during the first Trump administration then re-initiated by the EPA in 2023 under President Biden.

Last year, EPA Administrator Lee Zeldin announced an overhaul of the agency that included eliminating the Office of Research and Development, which was in charge of the study.

“And so we sought those records to get a sense of what sort of communications were taking place between the scientists that were leading that study and the political appointees, etc.,” Lobdell said. “And the Trump administration has been unwilling for almost a year now to produce a single document in response to that, which has compelled us to take it to court to try to get them to force them to disclose those records.”

Lobdell said Food &Water Watch submitted a Freedom of Information Act request to the EPA in August of last year. He said the EPA’s safe threshold for nitrate contamination is based on decades-old research, and more recent studies indicate the need to reassess standards for drinking water. The EPA did not respond to a request for comment.

A nonprofit in Des Moines is asking for air conditioner unit donations to assist with emergency cooling services this summer.

IMPACT provides resources for low-income Iowans, but its federal funding has nearly run out as heat indexes are reaching triple digits in most of central Iowa.

Paula Arkema, the health and energy coordinator with IMPACT, said they’re trying to keep up with cooling needs. But federal funding for all their services has been stretched thin due to increasing needs in the area.

“It’s just simply unsafe to be in their homes with temperatures like this,” Arkema said. “But it can be expensive to afford even the simplest items like a fan, or even a window conditioner.”

Arkema said those who struggle to afford basic needs are most at risk in extreme temperatures.

IMPACT is asking for donations of new AC units or fans that it can disperse to people in need. Donations can be dropped off at any of the 11 fire stations in the Des Moines metro.

FBI Director Kash Patel met with over 130 Iowa law enforcement officials in Des Moines on Monday. Iowa Attorney General Brenna Bird told reporters part of the discussion focused on recovering money from overseas scammers.

Bird cautioned that while the FBI has made “tremendous” strides in locating transnational groups that run online scams, recovering money for victims of fraud remains a challenge.

“Many times this is in a foreign crypowallet, sometimes in Southeast Asia, for example,” Bird said, “But today we were talking about ways we could work together, follow those cases, follow those threads and try to get the money back from the person it was taken from.”

Waukee Police Chief Chad McCluskey, president of the Iowa Police Chiefs Association, said it would be a huge step to work more closely with federal agents on scams run out of foreign countries.

“Anybody that has been scammed, especially if it’s a parent or a grandparent or somebody, you feel horrible and you want to be able to get those funds back to them,” McCluskey said.

The FBI director did not speak with Iowa reporters after the meeting, which Bird said also focused on regional efforts to stop human trafficking and pursue drug cases.

Demand for electricity in Iowa is expected to grow significantly in the coming years. A report from the Iowa Environmental Council is projecting load growth in the state between 30% and 60% over the next 20 years. And according to the nonprofit group Powerlines, utilities requested a record $29 billion in rate increases nationwide in the first half of 2025.

Much of the increase in demand has been attributed to the growth of data centers. James McCalley, a professor of Electrical Engineering at Iowa State University, said electric grids need to handle what’s known as “ramping,” or sudden spikes in demand that can be generated by traffic running through data centers. McCalley said at the moment, there is one type of generating technology that handles it better than others.

“You get fast ramping capability from combustion turbines that are gas-fueled,” McCalley said. “You don't get much ramping capability from wind and solar because they're driven by the wind and the sunlight.”

Some large tech companies are building their own dedicated power plants on or near data centers, often using gas turbines. MidAmerican Energy, the largest electric utility in the state, says residential electric rates in Iowa rank sixth lowest nationwide and are 44% below the national average, according to the latest analysis by the U.S. Energy Information Administration.

The CEO of NextEra Energy told investors earlier this year they expect much longer timelines to build gas plants due to rising costs and the limited availability of new gas turbines. McCalley said hydrogen powered turbines and fuel cells have shown some promise in powering data centers, but the technology is years from large-scale use.

Dozens of states may be on the hook next year to pay roughly $9 billion toward Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) benefits for low-income families. The One Big Beautiful Bill signed into law last July created a cost-share formula based on state SNAP payment error rates. These include over- and underpayments to participants.

Food security groups are concerned that people may lose aid.

Paige Chickering with the Iowa Hunger Coalition said Iowa is in the clear for now since its latest error rate was under 6%. But the coalition is urging Congress to delay the cost share for all states.

“We really are in uncharted waters, and it's very hard to know if this will result in states having to entirely pull out of the SNAP program at all if they can't contribute their needed cost share to continue to run the SNAP program,” Chickering said.

She said that would be devastating to families who rely on SNAP.

New DNA testing has identified the remains of a man found over 40 years ago in Winneshiek County. The findings close a cold case which stumped investigators decades ago.

The breakthrough came when deputy Cole Tweten began looking over old Winneshiek County case files. The body was first discovered in a hay barn in 1986.

“I grew up here, and I always knew the exact hay shed that he had been found in, and knew of the case," Tweten said.

After an unsuccessful investigation decades ago, the body was buried in a cemetery near Decorah. Tweten’s efforts allowed investigators to unbury it this spring. The effort was funded by the Evansdale-based Elizabeth Collins Foundation, which supports families affected by missing person cases.

Subsequent testing and database searches identified the body as belonging to Clifton Womack, who disappeared from Ohio as a young man in 1985.

The cause of death is undetermined. Womack’s body will be transported to Ohio for a final burial.

As Iowa prepares to raise the speed limit from 55 to 60 mph, there is concern about the cost and time needed to comply with the new law taking effect Wednesday.

Daniel Yeh, with the Iowa Department of Transportation, said workers will need at least a week to cover 1,800 state highway signs with aluminum overlays. Changes on county roads will take longer.

During a recent Woodbury County Supervisors meeting, County Engineer Laura Sievers said it could take months and thousands of dollars to modify road signs.

“Trying to survive this change, that does nickel and dime our budget quite a bit here and there,” Sievers said.

Other counties have also expressed concern about what Sievers calls an “unfunded mandate.” The change is estimated to cost counties and the state $825,000.

Brian Moore, with the Iowa County Engineers Association, said curves also need to be reevaluated for proper speed limits, and passing zones reassessed.

Safety advocates warn that higher speeds could increase the severity of crashes.

Even though the new law says people can drive a little faster, the Iowa State Patrol said drivers should obey the posted speed limit.

A new law requires Iowa school boards to have uniform guidelines in place for screening, identifying and serving gifted students before school starts in 2027.

The policy passed the Iowa House and Senate this spring with strong bipartisan support.

Rep. Dan Gehlbach, R-Urbandale, said it’s important to have consistent policies for students who perform at higher levels than their peers.

“It helps make sure talent doesn’t slip through the cracks,” Gehlbach said. “Too often access for gifted and talented kids depends on advocacy and this flips that and makes access the default.”

The law encourages schools to assess all K-12 students as prospects for talented and gifted opportunities, including those who are English Language Learners or participants in special education programming.

Rep. Angela Ramirez, D-Cedar Rapids, is among the 14 lawmakers who opposed the bill. Ramirez said the state has a responsibility to ensure talented and gifted students have access to advanced courses, but she said once the law takes effect, schools may have to hire more teachers, transport more students between buildings or pay for more college-level classes.

“Without dedicated funding to cover these anticipated expenses, I’m not confident that we can implement these changes effectively and successfully,” Ramirez said.

State education officials said for the past seven years, Iowa school districts have had $23 million in unspent funds for talented and gifted student programs. The new law was proposed by the Iowa Department of Education, which found Iowa schools had a general lack of procedures for identifying talented and gifted students in early elementary grades. Last fall, Iowa schools reported over 41,000 students were classified as “gifted and talented.”

A new state law that takes effect Wednesday will let cities designate temporary zones where people may buy alcohol from a bar or restaurant and legally carry it around and drink it outside in an established social district.

“A social district is a defined area in which the possession and consumption of alcoholic beverages is allowed on public streets, sidewalks and other public areas within the boundaries of this district,” said Sen. Jesse Green, R-Boone, during a debate in April.

City ordinances must spell out the dates and the operating hours for these social districts or entertainment zones. Algona’s city council has set the wheels in motion to create a social district for its annual Founders’ Day celebration the second weekend in July.

Polk County has activated its extreme temperature plan as the National Weather Service is predicting heat index values up to 107 degrees in central Iowa.

The county’s plan goes into effect if temperatures reach 95 degrees or above and the heat index stays above 75 degrees for two consecutive nights. It’s meant to protect people from extreme temperatures if they don’t have access to shelter.

Under the plan, the county designates some community organizations as cooling shelters. They include the Des Moines Franklin Avenue Library, Central Library and the Polk County Northwest Community Center.

A full map of extreme temperature centers can be found on the Polk County website under emergency management.

Gavin McGough

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Iowa Public Radio

Black Hawk County has reopened Casey Lake this summer after a two-year closure. The popular recreation site in northeast Iowa is one of the latest projects in the state’s Lake Restoration Program. In its 20-year history, the program has worked on over 70 lakes in 55 Iowa counties.

The clear blue ripples of the water are a remarkable change from a lake once choked by algae.

“This time five years ago, there would have been 20 feet of vegetation out in the water, and it was nearly unfishable from the shore,” said Al Finke, a park ranger.

The $3 million effort at Casey Lake involved draining the water and scraping the lake clean. The Iowa Department of Natural Resources also added ponds upstream, which capture fertilizer runoff that contribute to algae growth in bodies of water throughout the state.

Wheat farmers are bracing for a rough year after drought impacted the crop in many Great Plains states.

Across the 18 states that produce winter wheat, 45% of the crop is in poor or very poor condition. Places like Kansas and Nebraska are abandoning up to a third of the state’s crop.

Nebraska farmer Mary Eisenzimmer said farmers put a lot of work and expenses in their crops, and it hurts to see them come up short.

“The really hard part about it is there's really nothing you can do about it,” she said.

Drought hit states at the worst time, with some places like western Kansas and Nebraska getting as little as a quarter inch of rain from February through April.

Eisenzimmer said there’s potential for a wheat shortage, which could raise the prices of flour products.

Read more from Harvest Public Media.

The Iowa Migrant Movement for Justice (MMJ) will slash 40% of its legal services after recent federal funding cuts for immigrants.

The organization, which is one of few providing immigration resources to low-income Iowans, lost multiple federal grants meant to help Ukrainian and Afghan refugees obtain legal services.

Affordable legal resources for immigrants are scarce in Iowa. In previous years, Iowa MMJ has served nearly 3,000 clients statewide. Now, a thousand fewer people will receive help this year.

Advocates fear it will deprive those of access to much needed immigration resources. The change goes into effect in September.

Foster parents will no longer have to affirm their foster children’s LGBTQ identities if it conflicts with their religious beliefs under a new state law going into effect July 1.

The law also allows a foster child’s beliefs on LGBTQ identities to be accounted for when matching them to a foster home. However, Max Mowitz, executive director of One Iowa, said the law puts LGBTQ foster youth in a position to choose between identity and safety.

“It seems like it is a way to further isolate children and young people that are already very, very isolated and already at a lot of risk and already don't get the support and resources they need as a result of this larger system,” Mowitz said.

Supporters of the law said it will protect foster and adoptive parents’ religious beliefs. The law allows the caregivers to sue the state if they believe they’ve been denied a license because of their religious views on sexual orientation and gender identity.

A new facility with classroom space in Marshall County could support more conservation on farms across the state.

It’s owned by the Iowa chapter of the Land Improvement Contractors of America, which includes professionals who build wetlands, terraces and other structures to reduce erosion and nutrient pollution.

At the official opening Thursday, Iowa Secretary of Agriculture Mike Naig said land improvement contractors are the “critical link” between concepts and “getting things on the ground.”

“It’s from that point where you say, we have a design that’s ready to go, a willing landowner, but somebody needs to make it happen, and the land improvement contractor sits in that very important spot,” Naig said.

Naig said Iowa needs more contractors to meet demand and scale up conservation practices.

The contractors’ association hopes the new space will make it easier for professionals, lawmakers and students to learn about soil and water conservation on its 80-acre demonstration farm.

The U.S. Supreme Court has ruled the maker of Roundup can’t be sued for failing to warn people that the popular weedkiller could cause cancer.

The win for Bayer comes after the company failed to convince Congress and the Iowa Legislature to limit lawsuits over pesticide-related illness. Bayer’s CEO said the Supreme Court decision is good for American farmers.

Aaron Lehman, president of the Iowa Farmers Union, said the decision is a “huge step backward.”

“We have a real cancer problem here in Iowa, and farming is already dangerous enough,” Lehman said. “So putting more barriers between farmers and their ability to protect their health and defend their health is a bad idea.”

Both candidates for governor – Zach Lahn and Rob Sand – criticized the Supreme Court ruling.

They’ve both said they oppose shielding pesticide companies from cancer lawsuits.

Organizations that work with disabled Iowans said they’re concerned recent guidance from the U.S. Department of Justice could open the door for state lawmakers to make cuts to home and community-based services.

The internal memo from the Office of Legal Counsel argues states do not need to provide these services to disabled people.

This goes against long-standing interpretations of federal laws and Supreme Court decisions that these services are part of disabled Americans’ civil rights.

Angie Kendall is the CEO of Hand in Hand in Bettendorf, an organization which works with disabled children and adults. She said there are many benefits to supporting this population in the community.

“So when we talk about people being in their communities, we work with individuals who are employed and active members of our workforce, which we desperately need in Iowa,” Kendall said. “We work with individuals who use their skills in unique and different ways.”

She fears the new guidance could give state lawmakers an opportunity to divest in home and community care.

According to state data, more than 26,000 Iowans are on Medicaid waivers that allow them to get home and community-based services for various disabilities.

The Grout Museum District in Waterloo is restructuring ahead of funding changes and tearing down its former science center in the process.

The Bluedorn Imaginarium is set to be demolished this summer. The crescent-shaped building opened as a bank in the 1960s. Its distinctive curve of windows has looked over Washington Street ever since. The museum district acquired the building and opened it as a science center in the early '90s.

But the district is losing its property tax levy due to legislative reforms. Director Margaret Moye said the demolition is necessary, though difficult.

“It's sad … There's been a few people who are a bit angry, and I can respect that as well. There's been a lot of buildings getting torn down in Waterloo, but I think most people understand why we've had to do it,” Moye said.

The museum district has also cut staff positions. It plans to reopen a science exhibit in its main building this fall.

Libertarians running for Iowa governor and lieutenant governor have filed a lawsuit to try to get on the general election ballot.

The State Objection Panel ruled last week that governor candidate Nicholas Gluba and his running mate, Jules Cutler, didn’t submit sufficient paperwork to qualify for the ballot. The panel determined Cutler failed to file the required affidavit of candidacy.

In the lawsuit, Cutler claims a Secretary of State’s Office employee told her she didn’t need to submit the affidavit. The employee told the panel Cutler didn’t ask about an affidavit.

Gluba and Cutler are asking the Polk County District Court to reverse the panel’s decision and order the secretary of state to put them on the ballot. They argue state law doesn’t allow the panel to reject a candidate based on issues with their affidavit.

Two Iowans and their companies have been accused of billing fraud in a major government crackdown.

In all, more than 455 defendants face criminal charges and civil enforcement. They are accused of swiping more than $6.5 billion from government-sponsored healthcare programs.

Investigators said Jacob Hughes of Cedar Rapids submitted claims worth more than $350,000 for home healthcare services that were not provided by his company, Synergy Homecare. Hughes is accused of using the money to pay sports gambling debts and other expenses.

Des Moines plastic surgeon Eugene Cherny is accused of submitting false invoices to Medicare for skin substitute products. Investigators said he was paid more than $2 million based on false information.

Dozens of businesses are closed and residents displaced in Muscatine after the city evacuated an entire block downtown.

Last Friday, the city posted evacuation orders on 20 buildings after engineers found structural issues. Three have since reopened. The timeline for the remaining buildings is unclear.

Jeff Osborne, who represents the area on the Muscatine City Council, said first they need to determine what’s causing the instability.

“And some of those issues can be mitigated very quickly, obviously, and some of them are going to take some time for corrections to happen. It could be quite some time,” Osborne said.

The street is closed, and police are patrolling the area.

Ann Meeker owns property on the block. At a city council meeting on Tuesday, she said the evacuation was mismanaged from the beginning.

“We're standing down there in the rain, helping people load their belongings with nowhere to go,” Meeker said. “We felt totally worthless and helpless, and that's not the way we operate.”

The city said tenants can return when engineers determine a building is safe, but there’s no timeline in place. In the meantime, residents can sign up for appointments to access their homes and possessions.

The National Weather Service (NWS) confirmed that Iowa has already had 72 tornadoes touch down this year, putting the state far ahead of last year’s count, which was a total of 32 twisters strike.

NWS meteorologist Brian Barjenbruch said that despite the tally, it’s been a relatively typical spring in terms of severe weather.

“It’s been close to an average year so far, as far as numbers go,” Bargenbruch said. “As far as significant tornadoes, most of them have been EF0s and EF1s, which is pretty typical of tornadoes in this area.”

Iowa averages about 50 tornadoes per year. While there have been 72 confirmed twisters statewide so far this year, there were just five by this date in 2025, which was a very light year.

Iowa set a tornado record in 2024 with a total of 125 touchdowns. That topped the previous record of 120 tornadoes two decades before, in 2004. Iowa had 98 tornadoes between April and May in 2004.

Illinois leads the nation’s tornado count this year with 196 confirmed tornadoes.

Photos by Brooklyn Draisey / Iowa Capital Dispatch. Logo via Iowa Board of Regents

The Iowa Board of Regents and the Center for Intellectual Freedom at the University of Iowa have launched the search for its executive director with a job posting and salary range that could put the selected applicant on the same pay level as some university administrators.

The job description, officially posted June 19, sets the executive director salary range at $200,000-$450,000, depending on level of experience.

Responsibilities of the future director include the “sole and exclusive authority” over recruitment, hiring and firing of center staff and authority to invite guest speakers, as well as planning and implementing center operations to accommodate the future six-credit-hour requirements in government and history it will have to offer.

“The Director will play a foundational role in building a nationally prominent center dedicated to free inquiry, constitutional thought, and civic education,” the job description stated.

Whoever is selected for the Center for Intellectual Freedom will report directly to the Board of Regents, as the center is not under the UI’s authority. 

Read more.

Sheila Brummer

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Iowa Public Radio

The Woodbury County Board of Supervisors has unanimously voted to approve a one-year moratorium on data centers in the county.

The move is in response to the city of Salix annexing 900 acres of farmland in April. MidAmerican Energy said it’s actively seeking a customer to buy the land and operate a data center.

County Supervisor Matthew Ung said both Plymouth and Sioux counties in northwest Iowa also recently passed similar measures so they can come up with rules and regulations.

“Even though this isn't about Salix, and it can't affect incorporated areas of cities, all three counties are passing moratoriums in response to what one city did,” Ung said Tuesday at the board’s weekly meeting.

The mayor of Salix said he has no comment on the moratorium, but previously said the community followed the law.

Read more.

Amy Mayer

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Iowa Public Radio

American pork, Mexican avocados and Canadian canola are among the many agricultural products that can move across North America without tariffs under the United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement.

But six years after the massive trade agreement went into effect, many farmers are worried the markets — and certainty it provides — could fall apart in the coming months.

An official review of the United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement (USMCA) begins in July, and President Trump has already suggested the U.S. would be better off without it.

While some groups, like the United Automobile Workers union, have criticized the USMCA, nearly 160 agricultural and food organizations from the U.S., Canada and Mexico have urged the three countries to “renew and strengthen” the agreement.

The three trading partners will decide whether to renew the USMCA for another 16 years, let it expire in 2036 or begin an annual review process starting in 2027, according to the Center for Strategic and International Studies.

Read more from Harvest Public Media.

Madeleine Charis King

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Iowa Public Radio

A federal judge has blocked Iowa’s restrictions on buying certain foods like candy and soda with food assistance.

Iowa got permission from the Trump administration to ban the use of Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) and Summer EBT for buying taxable items like soda, candy and some other foods. Now, a judge ruled federal officials violated the law when they approved the restrictions.  

Gov. Kim Reynolds said she sought SNAP changes to improve Iowans’ health and called the court’s decision short sighted.

Kathy Underhill, CEO of the Des Moines Area Religious Council, an organization that runs a network of food pantries, said she shares Reynolds’ goal of helping Iowans eat healthier, but sees other solutions to getting there.

“I wholeheartedly agree with the governor on the goal of having everyone eat nutritious food,” she said. “That is absolutely a shared goal. It’s just, what is the most effective way to get there? And I guess I would prefer we use carrots instead of sticks.”

Underhill said she’s cautiously optimistic because she agrees with the court’s decision, but it’s likely not the final answer.

The Senate Committee on Agriculture has released its draft of a five-year Farm Bill. Sen. Chuck Grassley, a member of the committee, said he’s happy it contains many of his priorities, including language meant to ease fertilizer prices and provide more transparency on foreign ownership of U.S. farmland.

The Farm Bill draft does not contain language that would allow year-round sales of E15, a blend of ethanol and gasoline. On his weekly press call today Tuesday morning, Grassley said the bill also omits language that nullifies California’s Proposition 12, which sets confinement standards for pork, chicken and veal sold in that state.

Grassley said he’s disappointed the language, known as the Save Our Bacon Act, is not in the draft, but that doesn’t mean it’s a dead issue.

“The next step would be to get it as an amendment to the Farm Bill either in committee or on the floor, and it could even be done in conference because it's in the House bill,” Grassley said.

When it comes to Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) funding, Grassley indicated he would be open to negotiating on the proposed cuts.

“I don't see how you can get a bipartisan agreement without some compromise with Democrats on SNAP, but I'm not willing to say how far I'd be willing to go on that,” Grassley said.

The House version of the Farm Bill, which passed in April, would lock in $187 billion of SNAP cuts contained in the One Big Beautiful Bill Act that Congress passed in July last year. The draft version released Tuesday afternoon by committee Chairman John Boozman, R-Arkansas, does not contain language proposed by Senate Democrats that would delay those cuts for two years.

Democrats on the committee released the following statement after the Farm Bill draft was made public:

“Senate Agriculture Committee Democrats have been clear that a Farm Bill must meet the needs of both farmers and families across America. This bill does not address the devastating cuts to SNAP or the shift to state taxpayers passed into law as part of HR 1. We appreciate that bipartisan provisions have been included in the discussion draft and stand ready to work with Republicans to negotiate a bipartisan Farm Bill that both meets the moment and can be successful on the Senate floor."

Iowa’s 2nd District Rep. Ashley Hinson said she and many of her colleagues in Congress want to get a briefing on the Iran peace deal.

“We were not in session last week. So, as many of these documents and potential agreements were coming out, they were being reported in the press, but we have not gotten an official briefing on them yet,” Hinson said.

Hinson said there are some key elements she wants to see in the plan, including ensuring that Iran “never has a path to nuclear weapons.”

“And then again, a big part of the conversation for me is making sure we’re supporting our allies in this process, specifically Israel,” Hinson said. “And making sure that we are coming up with a deal that cuts off the Iranian proxies, because this is bigger than just the relationship between the United States and Iran. It’s about protecting the region and our allies in the region as well.”

Hinson called Iran a terrorist regime that has been that way for more than 40 years. She said the U.S. needs to make sure Iran follows the agreement.

“I wanna make sure that there are strict accountability measures,” she said. “So, in my mind, that relief only comes when they actually give us [Congress] access to be able to make sure they are doing what they say they’re doing.”

Hinson made her comments during a weekly media call. The Republican from Marion is running for Iowa’s open U.S. Senate seat.

Broadlawns has expanded access to its programs for women and young children at a resource hub in West Des Moines. 

Previously, services funded through the federal Women, Infants and Children (WIC) program were operating out of a church in the area. The new WIC clinic is located inside the West Des Moines Human Services building, alongside the city’s food pantry, clothing closet and free health clinics.

Broadlawns WIC Director Alex Sharp said transportation is a barrier she sees impacting people’s access to resources.
“Anything that we can do to help them connect to multiple services without asking them to make several trips is going to help the West Des Moines community,” Sharp said.

WIC provides federally funded food assistance to pregnant and postpartum women, babies and kids under the age of 5. Sharp said WIC clients can use its programs, like breastfeeding support, and other resources in one visit.

Broadlawns will offer its services on the first and third Monday of each month.

Nicole Baxter

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Iowa Public Radio

Nearly 25,000 fewer people are enrolled in a federal food assistance program in Iowa than before the One Big Beautiful Bill became law.  

The wide-spanning law reduces federal funding for the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) by 20%. It also adds new work requirements for some recipients. Additionally, certain types of immigrants, like refugees, no longer qualify for benefits.  

Iowa Hunger Coalition Board Chair John Boller said while some people have stopped qualifying for SNAP, others have stopped enrolling because of confusion around the new guidelines.

“That confusion certainly drives, again, the decision to either continue on the program or apply at all,” he said. “Some people might not even choose to apply just because they're assuming that they're not eligible, when the fact is, they might be.” 

Boller said the Iowa Hunger Coalition is asking Iowa’s congressional delegation to oppose further SNAP cuts and work on restoring eligibility for people who lost it under the law.  

Read more.

Animal health experts say livestock producers and pet owners in Iowa should carefully monitor their animals with the return of New World screwworm in the U.S. The U.S. Department of Agriculture confirmed the first state-side case earlier this month in Texas.

The larvae of the parasitic fly eat the flesh of warm-blooded animals. The screwworm was eradicated from the U.S. and Central America decades ago, but it has made its way north again in recent years.

Jeff Kaisand, Iowa’s state veterinarian, spoke about screwworm during an Iowa State University Extension and Outreach webinar on Monday. Kaisand called the situation “very concerning” and said one of the biggest risks right now is moving livestock — and dogs — from areas in the U.S. with confirmed cases to Iowa.

Kaisand advised livestock producers and pet owners to “routinely inspect animals for open wounds.”

“If you see any maggots or anything that’s odd, report to your veterinarian,” he said

Animals can survive New World screwworm if they receive care quickly.

Gov. Kim Reynolds has appointed a new Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) director after Senate Democrats blocked the confirmation of former Director Larry Johnson.

Reynolds has accepted Johnson’s resignation, who had the job since October. He needed a two-thirds vote in the Senate to keep his job, but Democrats voted against him. They said they saw diminished transparency and services under Johnson’s leadership. Reynolds said Democrats rejected Johnson for political reasons.

Now, Reynolds has appointed Department of Management Director Kraig Paulsen to also lead HHS. Paulsen has made Johnson the principal deputy director of HHS and will delegate many duties to him.

“Iowa HHS requires strong and experienced leadership at every level to ensure continuity of critical services such as Medicaid, SNAP and child protection, and Larry Johnson is exactly that leader,” Paulsen said in a statement.

Senate Democrats said Reynolds is circumventing the Senate’s role by reestablishing Johnson as the de facto head of HHS.

Natalie Krebs

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Iowa Public Radio

It’s been two weeks since the lawn watering ban went into effect for roughly 600,000 people in the Des Moines area, and Central Iowa Water Works (CIWW) reported that customer use has gone down.

CIWW initiated the lawn watering ban on June 9, saying its treatment plants were “struggling to keep up” with a spike in consumer demand and high nitrate concentrations in the Raccoon and Des Moines rivers. Executive Director Tami Madsen said customers have reduced their water usage, but the ban is still needed to preserve the drinking water supply.

“We are pleased with the response to the lawn watering ban,” Madsen said. “Members of the public have heard our request and have reduced their water usage.”

The regional water authority said the fastest way to reduce pressure on the system is through a ban on lawn watering, which typically consumes 40% of drinking water in the summer.

The Fleur Drive plant’s nitrate removal facility has been running for more than 160 days this year. The current record was set in 2015 with 177 days.

Madeleine Charis King

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Iowa Public Radio

Iowa State University will begin selling alcohol at Jack Trice Stadium and Hilton Coliseum this fall.

Athletics Director Jamie Pollard said the department worked with university leadership on other measures to raise revenue and contain costs.

“We are living in one of the most transformational periods in the history of college athletics,” Pollard wrote in a letter released Monday. “University athletic departments across the country are facing uncertainty and significant financial pressures from increasing costs.”

With alcohol sales, there will be some new rules for those attending games at Jack Trice Stadium. No one will be allowed to leave and re-enter. There will also be designated stop times for alcohol sales. Sales will be limited to two beverages per person, per sale, and alcohol will only be sold in certain areas of the stadium. 

Alcohol is already sold at the University of Iowa and the University of Northern Iowa stadiums and arenas.

A bill in the U.S. Senate that would allow year-round sales of E15 could cause soybean prices to fall. E15 is a biofuel made by blending gasoline with up to 15% corn-based ethanol.

Some experts say the legislation would motivate refineries to produce more ethanol over soybean-based biodiesel because of an exemption in the bill that allows small refineries to blend less biofuel overall. Ethanol is also cheaper to produce.

Gretchen Kuck, an economist for the National Corn Growers Association, said corn price gains would outweigh any soybean losses.

“Even if I look at the decrease compared to the baseline for soy, a farm growing an equal amount of corn and soybeans is still going to have a net gain of $5 an acre,” Kuck said.

However, a University of Missouri analysis found rising corn prices might not offset a drop in soybeans.

The bill is still making its way through the Senate.

Read more from Harvest Public Media.

Madeleine C King

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Iowa Public Radio

The Iowa Supreme Court has upheld a lower court opinion dismissing a human trafficking charge against a Polk County man.

Kevin Lind was charged with human trafficking after police said he negotiated with an undercover police officer to have sex with her and what he thought was her underage daughter. He was shown fake photos of the girl, as there was not an actual daughter. Lind faced a possible life sentence.

The district court dismissed the charge, saying there was no actual victim in the case. The Iowa Supreme Court upheld the ruling, saying the 2024 law did not allow the charge in this type of situation. The law was changed in 2025 to allow prosecution to specifically address this type of case.

Natalie Dunlap

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Iowa Public Radio.

Iowans will soon start seeing data from the University of Iowa’s new INSIGHT program that studies the effects of environmental exposure on human health. The Iowa Integrated Network for Science, Information, and Geospatial Health Tracking program, called INSIGHT, is a five-year, $10 million initiative that begins July 1.

David Cwiertny, one of directors at INSIGHT, said the launch data was selected partly because it’s a new fiscal year. While his team won’t be doing much monitoring over the winter, he said they already have plenty of data to analyze and present to the public.

“We've got existing projects we've been working on on arsenic in private wells that we want to share, PFAS in wells along the Mississippi River, things we've been doing on nitrate, things that we've been doing on pesticide drift,” Cwiertny said during a webinar with the Iowa Farmers Union. “You'll see little nuggets from us so that people understand this is the type of data we'll be collecting. This is where we're looking to find community partners and folks that want to work with us.”

INSIGHT is a collaboration between the UI’s Center for Health Effects of Environmental Contamination and IIHR—Hydroscience and Engineering.