A federal judge has blocked enforcement of Iowa’s ban on school mask mandates, for the time being. The ruling puts the decision of whether to require masks back in the hands of local school districts. There’s a special election today for an Iowa state house seat in Ankeny and rural Polk City. Plus, as the spread of COVID-19 remains at a high level in Iowa, IPR's Natalie Krebs explains some health care facilities are concerned about issuing vaccine mandates due to staffing shortages.