Newsbuzz

Statehouses across the nation are bracing for spillover from last week’s violent assault in Washington D.C. On this Newsbuzz edition of River to River, a look at extra security here in Iowa.

A look at the top stories for the first week of the new year.

Update on COVID-19 vaccinations, Iowa's Attorney General Tom Miller talks about holiday scams and remembering Iowa's first poet laureate Marvin Bell.

Former Iowa governor Tom Vilsack may once again serve as agriculture secretary. President-elect Joe Biden tapped Vilsack, who served in this role for eight years under President Obama, on Thursday.

The test positivity rate for COVID-19 is at or above 15 percent in at least 95 of Iowa’s 99 counties. For many districts, this means reevaluating in-person learning and petitioning the state for a possible waiver to state-mandated, in-class instruction.

Short conversations on the week’s top stories across the state.

Saturday, October 23rd is the final day to submit a request for an absentee ballot to your county auditor. On this episode of River to River, host Ben Kieffer is joined by Iowa Public Radio reporter Katarina Sostaric for a look at key voting stories just 11 days ahead of Election Day.

A political analysis of the Supreme Court confirmation hearings from earlier in the week, and a look back at Pres. Trump's rally at the Des Moines Airport.

Short conversations about the top news stories for this week across Iowa.

On this "Newsbuzz" edition of River to River, host Ben Kieffer speaks with Adam Decamp of the Iowa Department of Criminal Investigation about the murder of Michael Williams, a Black man found dead last week in rural Jasper County. Also, we hear from Iowa voters, including a Howard County woman who voted for Obama in 2008 and 2012 and then voted for Trump in 2016.