Zoe Bentler

Pulitzer Prize–winning journalist Art Cullen and president of Iowans for Stronger Communities Jesse Case join to discuss the new documentary series, 'What's Eating Iowa?' Then, two farmers share how their family has evolved to regenerative farming in northwest Iowa.

NASA’s Artemis II mission is nearing launch, and an Iowa State University professor and retired astronaut knows exactly what that moment feels like. Also on this Newsbuzz edition, we break down a busy first week at the Iowa Statehouse as Republican lawmakers roll out an ambitious — and contentious — legislative agenda. We’ll also take a closer look at why Iowa’s controversial school library book ban is back in federal court and what a new wave of billion-dollar natural disasters means for insurance coverage and risk management in Iowa and beyond. And we groove into the weekend with Studio One.

The 2018 film, 'The Miracle Season' tells the story of Caroline Found and the Iowa City West High volleyball team. Found tragically died in a moped accident in her senior year, and in the season that followed her team worked together through their grief and won the state championship. Recently, the movie came to Netflix. We revisit our conversation with Kathy Bresnahan, retired volleyball coach; Olivia Mekies, a friend and teammate of Found and screenwriter David Cohen. (This episode was originally produced March 2018)

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has announced changes to vaccine recommendations for children and infants — raising questions and concerns for parents and pediatricians alike. We talk with pediatrician Dr. Amy Shriver about what’s changed in the childhood immunization schedule, as well as the overturning of policy on the hepatitis B vaccine for infants. Health policy expert Jen Kates of KFF joins to explain what the changes mean for insurance coverage, how states are responding and why vaccines remain available for families. Later, husband-and-wife musicians Annie and Dave Ducharme-Jones join to discuss their latest album, 'Lumina.'

Iowa leads the nation with a federal education funding waiver — what does it mean for classrooms and students? We also explore farmers’ struggles, Iowa’s ties to the Jan. 6 Capitol attack and other headlines from the week.

African violets may be finicky, but that’s part of the fun. Iowa State University horticulturists Cindy Haynes and Aaron Steil answer your questions and share tips for growing these beautiful houseplants. To further grow your gardening knowledge, sign up for our Garden Variety newsletter. And check out all the episodes of Garden Variety, the horticulture podcast for all the things you’d like to grow or grow better.

African violets are beautiful, endlessly varied and just finicky enough to make growing them a rewarding challenge. Iowa State University horticulturists Cindy Haynes and Aaron Steil talk all things African Violets and share gardening New Year’s resolutions.

Iowa has been awarded a $209 million federal grant to expand and improve health care across the state — the first installment of what officials say could total $1 billion over the next five years. The funding is part of the federal Rural Health Transformation Program and is aimed at strengthening access to care, equipment and workforce development in rural communities. Leaders from Iowa’s critical access hospitals talk about what this funding could mean on the ground and why they say it falls far short of what rural providers are bracing for. We also discuss workforce shortages, the challenge of recruiting specialists like OB-GYNs, and the “hub and spoke” model Gov. Kim Reynolds has promoted to reshape rural health care delivery. Later, host Charity Nebbe announces Talk of Iowa’s 2026 Book Club selections with IPR talk show producer, Caitlin Troutman.

Recent U.S. military operation in Venezuela has ignited debate across the country, not only over the action against Maduro, but more broadly over the President Donald Trump's foreign policy doctrine. Political scientists Kelly Shaw of Iowa State University and Sara Mitchell of the University of Iowa join the program to analyze the international fallout of Trump's foreign policy doctrine. Later in the hour, discussion on how the White House rewrites the history of Jan. 6, 2021 and Tim Walz decision to not run for a third term as governor of Minnesota.

Iowa has some of the highest radon levels in the nation. By July of 2027, every public school building in Iowa must have tested for naturally occurring, cancer-causing radon gas. They're also required to post the results of that testing on their websites. With two years to go, fewer than half of school districts have met that requirement. We look at why many schools aren’t testing for radon — and how the Iowa Department of Education has responded to an investigation by 'The Midwest Newsroom.' (This episode was originally produced Oct. 14, 2025.)