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Here First podcast from IPR
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.

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Latest Episodes
  • New state handgun laws go into effect tomorrow. Farm equipment manufacturers are trying to find more workers in cybersecurity. And what is a legal desert?
  • Iowa's immigrant farm workers and employers brace for possible raids. A law requiring hands-free use of a cell phone while driving goes into effect July 1st. Friends and family mark the 30th anniversary of a Mason City news anchor's abduction, and how an experimental conservation practice can help farmers better deal with climate change.
  • A state lawmaker from northwest Iowa has died of pancreatic cancer. State auditor and Democratic gubernatorial candidate Rob Sand kicks off a 100 town hall tour. The first GOP candidate has entered the race for Iowa's 4th congressional district, and IPR health reporter Natalie Krebs reports on research into concerns about environmental causes of cancer in Iowa.
  • Iowa Sen. Chuck Grassley says President Donald Trump was protecting the American people when he ordered airstrikes against Iran over the weekend. U.S. Rep. Randy Feenstra says he backs the president’s “Big Beautiful Bill,” and expects it to pass the Senate. And, Central Iowa Water Works is stressing that water is safe to drink, as it continues removing elevated levels of nitrates.
  • A new law aimed at regulating pharmacy benefit managers is being challenged in court. Some people who sell fireworks in Iowa say sales are up over last year, after a change in state law on where fireworks can be used. And, a new study has found illegal tobacco sales to underage Iowans spiked in 2021.
  • All six members of Iowa’s congressional delegation say they support President Trump’s decision to bomb Iranian nuclear sites over the weekend. Beef prices are at an all-time high as the size of U.S. cattle herds has declined, and people who help those who can’t afford their energy bills say they’re worried about possible funding cuts in the federal budget bill.
  • A long-disputed proposed casino in Cedar Rapids can continue as planned. Iowa has six confirmed cases of measles so far this year. And how are Northwest Iowa residents doing a year after historic flooding?
  • Job Corps locations could possibly stay open. Iowa will receive more opioid settlement funds. And a healthcare leader in eastern Iowa is concerned about proposed Medicaid work requirements.
  • A Democrat has announced a bid for an Iowa seat in the U.S. House, and another has suspended a campaign. A new report looks at Iowa's health system. And what is the Hinterland Music Festival doing this year for festival goers worried about possible high temperatures?
  • A church camp in southeastern Iowa is being investigated for allegations of child abuse. Gov. Kim Reynolds' summer food program is off to a rocky start. And a new tick-borne disease in the state is reaching cows.