River to River
Weekdays @ noon on News & Studio One (FM) | Weekdays @ noon and 8 p.m. on News (Online & AM)
River to River is a conversation about the news — from an Iowa perspective. Together, we dig into the story behind the headlines, talking with newsmakers and experts to find out how the news affects you.
Ben Kieffer hosts this national award-winning program, which takes on challenging topics, explores issues from all sides, frames community problems, and fosters conversation and understanding. On Mondays during the legislative session, hear conversations with lawmakers and those impacted by actions at the statehouse. Wednesdays bring in political analysts from around the state to help you dissect the week in politics. And Fridays, we buzz through the week’s biggest news stories.
River to River is produced by Caitlin Troutman, Danielle Gehr and Samantha McIntosh , and our digital producer is Natalie Dunlap. Our executive producer is Katherine Perkins. Our theme music is by The River Monks.
Call into the live show weekdays from noon to 1 p.m. at 866-780-9100 or email the show's hosts and producers at rivertoriver@iowapublicradio.org. If you miss the show, download the podcast to listen at any time.
Latest Episodes
-
A fire at Postville's Agri Star meat plant has left hundreds of workers in limbo. On this episode, we talk with 'The Gazette's' Fern Alling about the community's response, and the plant's complicated history. We also hear how camping bans are pushing unhoused Iowans further from the resources they need with the Midwest Newsroom's Nicole Grundmeier. William Morris of the 'Des Moines Register' shares how a retired Iowa State professor wins some $2 million in a landmark equal pay case, and we talk with Vanessa Miller, higher education reporter at 'The Gazette' about new oversight questions at the UI Center for Intellectual Freedom. Then, we hear from IPR's Gavin McGough and Jake DeGroat of the Iowa Climbers Coalition about Iowa's new rock-climbing destination. And IPR Studio One Host Sean McClain grooves us into the weekend. -
Cindy Cohn, originally from Newton, Iowa, became one of the country's foremost digital rights lawyers. Her new memoir is titled 'Privacy's Defender: My Thirty-Year Fight Against Digital Surveillance.' Part legal history, part personal story and part rallying cry, it's front-row account of the legal battles that shaped the internet we use every day. Cohn discusses the book, growing up in Iowa, your rights online and more. (This show was originally produced April 9, 2025.)
-
A judge says Iowa's Libertarian candidates for governor will stay off the November ballot. On this Politics Day episode, how that shapes the race, with political scientists Wayne Moyer of Grinnell College and Megan Goldberg of Cornell College. We also give play-by-play on former President Barack Obama's endorsement of U.S. Senate democratic candidate Josh Turek, the latest on the war in Iran, the urge to advance year-round E15 legislation, and more.
-
A bipartisan bill is meant to protect kids online, but privacy experts are worried it could do more harm than good. First, we talk with Megan Graham of the University of Iowa College of Law on why the KIDS Act has raised some alarms. We also talk with Iowa State psychologist Doug Gentile about what's at risk when young people use social media. Then, we learn about Iowa State University's new game design major with its director, Alenka Poplin. She shares how games can help us better understand the world around us.
-
Tariffs are squeezing Midwest households. On this episode, we talk about what that means for your grocery bill and Iowa's economy. First, we hear from Frank Manzo of the Midwest Economic Policy Institute on the impact of tariffs on Midwest household costs, manufacturing jobs and the GDP. Then, Ben Murrey of the Common Sense Institute offers his read on our economic outlook. He shares his insight on recent jobs and inflation, and manufacturing’s outsized contributions in Iowa. We also talk with Kyle McMahon of Tractor Zoom, who turned used-tractor pricing into a business.
-
A new campaign wants to make it harder to raise taxes in Iowa — background on what that constitutional amendment would actually do. Then, we hear from IPR's Rachel Kramer about why farm income is down more than half since 2022. We also talk with Kate Melloy Goettel of the University of Iowa Law School about why government wants to strip a naturalized Iowan's citizenship, discuss the AI model that forecasts nitrate spikes in Iowa's river with University of Iowa professor Jesus Gomez Velez, and more.
-
For many disabled, elderly, and low-income Iowans, a simple trip to the dentist is anything but simple. On this episode, why care for these patients often falls through the cracks, and what's being done about it. We talk with two University of Iowa dental experts on the push to expand access to care: Leo Marchini, newly named to an international disability and oral health committee, and John Warren. Warren brings dental students into community health centers across the state. Then, we hear from gerontologist Elaine Eshbaugh of the University of Northern Iowa. She’s the founder of the dementia simulation house and tells us about the hidden link between anxiety and dementia.
-
Congress keeps funding the Iran war with little oversight.Political scientists Karen Kedrowski and Kelly Shaw of Iowa State University offer analysis on this and other political issues from the week.
-
Our air was getting cleaner. Now, wildfire smoke has reversed that progress. On this episode, a new University of Iowa study finds wildfires have undone years of gains against ground-level ozone pollution, and the effects are reaching deep into the Midwest. First, we hear from former Iowa residents Jerry and Sue Prothero, who watched ash fall like snow in northern Minnesota. Then, we talk with Jun Wang, the study's lead author, about why ozone pollution is worsening and what it means for Iowans. We also talk with Peter Thorne of the University of Iowa College of Public Health about the health impacts of wildfire smoke and ozone pollution. And we address the health and air quality impacts of a proposed gas plant in Linn County with Abe Kellison of Save Morgan Valley. Save Morgan Valley is a community organization opposing Alliant Energy’s proposed 720-megawatt natural gas power plant in unincorporated western Linn County.
-
A report from the Environmental Working Group claims thousands of feeding operations are off the DNR's radar. A representative with the Iowa Pork Producers Association says the DNR is following state law. Host Ben Kieffer speaks with the co-author of this report, Anne Schechinger, about how mapping animal operations relates to water quality issues, and Pork Association legal counsel Eldon McAfee shares what he thinks the report gets wrong. Then, Kieffer speaks with the recipient of the "Nobel Prize for statistics," University of Iowa professor emeritus Luke Tierney.