Several school districts have ended mask requirements for students and staff following a federal appeals court ruling on Iowa’s ban on school mask mandates. But attorneys involved in the lawsuit say those districts are misreading the opinion, and that it strengthens protections for students with disabilities.
Read more: How should schools respond to the latest ruling on Iowa’s mask mandate ban?
On this episode of River to River, it's Newsbuzz. Host Ben Kieffer speaks with IPR reporter Grant Gerlock about his work untangling what exactly this court case means for parents.
Later, we hear about Gov. Kim Reynolds push to mandate ethanol at the pump, Des Moines City Council's crackdown on a new city councilor, what to expect from the 2022 Iowa Caucus and a new ISU research project trying to help snowplow drivers in a whiteout. Last, IPR's Stuio One offers up new music ahead of the weekend.
Guests:
- Grant Gerlock, central Iowa reporter for IPR
- Erin Murphy, Des Moines bureau chief for The Cedar Rapids Gazette
- Melody Mercado, covers Des Moines city government for the Des Moines Register
- Clay Masters, Iowa Public Radio’s Morning Edition host and lead political reporter
- Anuj Sharma, associate professor in the Civil, Construction and Environmental Engineering Department at Iowa State University
- Cece Mitchell, host of IPR Studio One
