Kate Payne

Iowa Democrats have until Friday to preregister to caucus this February as part of the state party's new early check-in process.

As of the New Year, Iowans can go just over the Mississippi River into neighboring Illinois to buy recreational marijuana. Now that sales are legal in the Prairie State, some officials in Iowa are warning residents to be mindful of state law.

Democratic presidential candidates are criticizing the Trump administration’s decision-making process in killing a top Iranian military commander. With less than a month until the first in the nation Iowa caucuses, some potential caucusgoers say the tensions in the Middle East could impact how they make their decisions.

A month out from caucus night, entrepreneur Andrew Yang is banking on success in Iowa to rocket his upstart campaign through the early states and “all the way to the top."

Iowa caucusgoers who update their party registration by December 31st will have an easier check-in process on caucus night. Both major parties are encouraging caucusgoers to make sure their information is current to avoid any further delays at their caucus locations.

Gov. Kim Reynolds has agreed to keep resettling refugees in the state, while also questioning the security record of the program, without evidence. Under a Trump administration executive order, states and counties have to give formal consent for the federal government to resettle refugees in their area, a move that some supporters say gives local officials a greater say in the process.

On Christmas Day of 2018, a Honduran mother and her young son arrived in Iowa City, after fleeing gang violence in their home country. One year later, their asylum request is still pending, but they’re feeling hopeful for the New Year.

The Iowa Democratic Party released a list of 99 satellite caucus locations Wednesday, paving the way for Iowans to participate in the state’s first in the nation caucuses in such faraway locations as Scotland and France. The expansion of sites inside and outside of Iowa is an unprecedented move as the state party works to make its notoriously complicated process more accessible.

Entrepreneur and presidential candidate Andrew Yang is touting his status as the only person of color to qualify for the upcoming Democratic debate. Seven leading candidates will take to the stage in Los Angeles this Thursday for the sixth televised debate. 

Iowans will likely have to wait until the New Year for the U.S. Senate to sign off on the new NAFTA trade deal, due to the timeline of the impeachment inquiry into President Donald Trump.

Longtime Democratic Congressman Dave Loesbsack says he believes President Donald Trump has committed serious abuses of power. Still, the seven term Representative and retired political science professor says he’ll wait to see the articles of impeachment before deciding how he would vote.

Former vice president and Democratic presidential candidate Joe Biden is leaning on his foreign policy experience in his pitch to likely Iowa caucusgoers. This week he won the endorsement of former Secretary of State John Kerry, who joined him in Iowa to magnify that message.

The prospect of an all-white Democratic presidential debate later this month is concerning for some candidates and party activists. Following California Sen. Kamala Harris’ exit from the race, still other critics have larger issues with the overall nomination process.

California Sen. Kamala Harris’ exit from the presidential contest Tuesday is a loss for some Iowa Democrats who hope to see more diversity in the field. And for some, her departure from the race is also renewing larger debates about the nomination process.

Massachusetts senator and Democratic presidential candidate Elizabeth Warren is continuing to defend her phased-in Medicare For All plan on the campaign trail. After surging to the front of the crowded presidential field earlier this fall, Warren has been slipping in national and early state polls in recent weeks, as she’s faced increased scrutiny for her healthcare plan and her status as a frontrunner.

Consumers may encounter higher prices for clothes and home goods this holiday shopping season, as the trade dispute with China is expected to increase costs and slow economic growth in the Midwest.

This Thanksgiving holiday comes in the midst of the impeachment inquiry into President Donald Trump. Iowans may find themselves spending time with friends and family with very different political views, but there are some ways to keep conversations civil.

Environmental advocates are calling attention to the state of the Upper Mississippi River levee system, which was under pressure this past spring as communities saw record flooding.

Seven Iowa cities are more welcoming to lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and queer people than the national average, according to a recent analysis by the Human Rights Campaign. The organization rated 506 cities across the country and nine cities in Iowa for its annual municipal equality index.

Former Massachusetts governor and presidential candidate Deval Patrick says he will be competing in the Iowa caucuses. His late entrance to the race puts him at a distinct disadvantage in the state, where many of his competitors have been building grassroots organizations for months, and some of them for years.