Here First
Monday – Friday before 7 a.m.
Start your day with the essentials. Coffee. Breakfast. And the local news you need to know. Host Meghan McKinney rises bright and early to bring you the top news stories from around Iowa in under 10 minutes. Wake up, grab that coffee and get your news Here First. You can support what you hear on this podcast at ipr.org/donate
Latest Episodes
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The candidates for governor share their thoughts on automated license plate readers. Johnson County officials are trying to figure out an AI policy. And what happened to the Monarch Highway? -
Iowa is trying to bring back nuclear energy. Farmers across the country are losing access to federal workers to help with soil and water conservation. And how could proposed federal regulations to Head Start impact Iowa programs?
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Many public schools in Iowa are trying to navigate rising costs and low enrollment. Iowa has been burning more coal to produce electricity than in the past. And data center opposition is growing in the Midwest.
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The U.S. secretary of agriculture is in Iowa this week. Synthetic Kratom fatal overdoses are higher than last year. And a central Iowa town wants to add a local option sales tax.
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A new data analysis suggests there are more heat-related deaths than what's reported by the CDC. Candidates for Iowa's First Congressional District share their plans for addressing Iowa's high cancer rate. And the Center for Intellectual Freedom at UI is trying to find a director.
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Republicans and Democrats held big rallies in central Iowa over the weekend, with Election Day just about two months away. The price of ground beef has passed $7 a pound, and an economist is not confident it will come down soon. And the DNR has been looking into a strange smell people have complained about in far eastern Iowa.
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Black Hills Energy is facing scrutiny from Iowa utility regulators. Libertarian candidates for governor and in the 3rd Congressional District have lost a legal challenge aimed at putting their names on the November ballot. Forecasters say we've moved into what could become one of the strongest El Niños in recorded history, and the Midwest Newsroom and Harvest Public Media report that higher grocery prices are especially hard on older adults on fixed incomes.
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Iowa stands to get more than 125 million dollars from the settlement between tech giant Meta and 47 states. Democratic U.S. Senate candidate Josh Turek says water quality issues need to be addressed to help lower the state’s cancer rates. And the centerpiece of Dubuque’s parks system is getting money to help restore several buildings.
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The Democrat running for state auditor shares his thoughts on how transparent private school budgets should be. Some 8th graders will be allowed to play varsity sports this school year. And how is the eastern Iowa community of Lansing doing as its iconic steel bridge is closed?
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There measles outbreak in southern Iowa is growing. Unionized John Deere workers have said no to a proposed contract. And Iowa Public Radio has announced a new CEO.