Nicole Grundmeier
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The Midwest Newsroom
Brutal heat waves are becoming more frequent across the Midwest. The 2027 college football season will start even earlier. With fans and others at risk for heat-related illness, universities will need to find solutions.
Graphic by Madeleine King
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Iowa Public Radio
Madeleine Charis King
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Iowa Public Radio
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Iowa HHS plans to transition the state’s public health system into a regional model by 2028. The move will shift the oversight of funds for each county to a lead entity in each region. Public health officials are warning the new system will leave gaps in services for residents. -
The first year of a state-funded study found 76% of excessive cancer cases in Iowa's top five cancers could be explained from some demographic and behavioral risk factors. -
Led by the Iowa Environmental Council, the Protect Water Prevent Cancer campaign includes state-level policy recommendations, along with guidance for individuals to contact lawmakers and advocate for change in their communities.
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Kratom is often found at gas stations and convenience stores and is marketed as a natural supplement for pain and anxiety. Gov. Kim Reynolds is calling for a total ban of the product and other synthetic varieties, alleging dozens of kratom-related deaths in Iowa since 2024. On this Newsbuzz edition of River to River, Ben Kieffer speaks with the 'Iowa Capital Dispatch's' Clark Kauffman about this call to ban kratom. Also, the 'Des Moines Register's' Brianne Pfannenstiel shares how candidates are approaching water quality this session, a registered nurse who found a side hustle fighting poison ivy and columnist Rekha Basu shares the impact of Gloria Steinem. Finally, our International Writing Program series returns with Mexican writer Juan Carlos Reyes and Studio One's Erin Fuller grooves us into the weekend. -
Samples from 41 taps across five eastern Iowa cities show wide disparities in what residents are drinking. A Cedar Falls-based environmental scientist conducted a study to better understand how nitrate levels vary in the region. -
The Democratic National Convention has finalized its 2028 presidential primary calendar, and Iowa is not in the early voting contest. On this Newsbuzz edition, Meghan McKinney sits in for Ben Kieffer. First, we hear from Iowans who competed in a weed identification contest at the state fair. Then, we talk with professor Megan Goldberg of Cornell College about the competition in the Iowa governor and Senate races. Daniel Wheaton of the Midwest Newsroom joins us to talk about childcare costs for Iowa families and we hear from IPR's Eliza Billingham about a new crisis aversion program coming to Scott County. Then, we hear about the new Studio One schedule from program director Nick Brunner, and he grooves us into the weekend.
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Lawmakers in 13 states have proposed banning or restricting paraquat, a toxic herbicide that researchers have tied to an increased risk of developing Parkinson's disease. But efforts to outlaw it have failed across the Midwest. -
Iowa's record summer heat isn't just uncomfortable. Inside two of the state's oldest prisons, it's dangerous. For 15 years, the Iowa Department of Corrections has asked lawmakers to fund air conditioning at two of the state's oldest prisons in Anamosa and Mount Pleasant. This year, lawmakers said no again. On this episode, we talk with journalist Erin Jordan who first reported on this story. We also hear from Trent Keller, the chair of Iowa's Board of Corrections, and Todd Copley, president of the union representing Iowa's correctional officers. Then, we learn about a new Data Center Decision Tool developed at the University of Iowa.
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In many U.S. cities, even those without camping bans, officials are more aggressive with removing encampments from public spaces. People experiencing homelessness say they’re moving frequently and experiencing anxiety.
