Iowa Capital Dispatch
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Community journalism for democracy. We're a non-profit news site dedicated to hard-hitting and fair coverage of state government and politics.
U.S. Rep. Mariannette Miller-Meeks said Monday the health care bill she is leading in the U.S. House would address the “root causes” behind rising health care premiums while not seeking to extend Affordable Care Act subsidies, Robin Opsahl reports.
Miller-Meeks says her health care bill would address 'root causes' of high premiums • Iowa Capital Dispatch
The legislation would not extend ACA subsidies, but the Iowa Republican argued would bring down premium costs in the long term.
iowacapitaldispatch.com
December 16, 2025 at 12:15 AM
U.S. Rep. Mariannette Miller-Meeks said Monday the health care bill she is leading in the U.S. House would address the “root causes” behind rising health care premiums while not seeking to extend Affordable Care Act subsidies, Robin Opsahl reports.
Supporters of the slain right-wing activist Charlie Kirk called on the Creston Community School District to “get rid” of a teacher who criticized Kirk and warned the teacher in profanity-laced terms to watch her back, newly released court records show.
Court records detail outrage among Kirk supporters over teacher's comments • Iowa Capital Dispatch
Hundreds of supporters of murdered right-wing activist Charlie Kirk called on an Iowa school district to fire a teacher who criticized Kirk.
iowacapitaldispatch.com
December 15, 2025 at 10:30 PM
Supporters of the slain right-wing activist Charlie Kirk called on the Creston Community School District to “get rid” of a teacher who criticized Kirk and warned the teacher in profanity-laced terms to watch her back, newly released court records show.
School cafeterias got a step closer to seeing whole milk again after the U.S. House passed a measure Monday to restore the dairy staple to school lunches, Shauneen Miranda reports.
Whole milk back on school lunch menus, under bill on its way to Trump • Iowa Capital Dispatch
The U.S. House sent a measure to the president's desk Monday to restore whole milk and other dairy and nondairy beverages to school lunches.
iowacapitaldispatch.com
December 15, 2025 at 10:11 PM
School cafeterias got a step closer to seeing whole milk again after the U.S. House passed a measure Monday to restore the dairy staple to school lunches, Shauneen Miranda reports.
President Donald Trump’s administration is looking “very strongly” at reclassifying cannabis from the strictest category of controlled substances, Trump said Monday, Jacob Fischler reports.
Trump 'very strongly' considering loosening federal marijuana regulations • Iowa Capital Dispatch
President Donald Trump said his administration is looking “very strongly” at reclassifying cannabis to unlock research funding.
iowacapitaldispatch.com
December 15, 2025 at 9:56 PM
President Donald Trump’s administration is looking “very strongly” at reclassifying cannabis from the strictest category of controlled substances, Trump said Monday, Jacob Fischler reports.
Iowa Farmers Union members said Monday that the federal decision to end enhanced tax credits related to the Affordable Care Act will negatively impact farm and rural economies by drastically cutting into farmers’ budgets, Cami Koons reports.
Iowa farmers say the end of federal health care tax credits will hit their budgets • Iowa Capital Dispatch
IFU members said the decision to end enhanced tax credits related to the Affordable Care Act will negatively impact farm and rural economies.
iowacapitaldispatch.com
December 15, 2025 at 9:49 PM
Iowa Farmers Union members said Monday that the federal decision to end enhanced tax credits related to the Affordable Care Act will negatively impact farm and rural economies by drastically cutting into farmers’ budgets, Cami Koons reports.
“With foreign neighbors, there are basic things an officer can offer. One is the possibility of collaborating with us without fear of being deported,” guest columnist Michael Tupper, former Marshalltown police chief, writes.
Protecting immigrant crime victims and witnesses makes us all safer • Iowa Capital Dispatch
Deporting immigrant crime victims or witnesses who had the courage to speak up damages trust with police and hurts community safety.
iowacapitaldispatch.com
December 15, 2025 at 7:43 PM
“With foreign neighbors, there are basic things an officer can offer. One is the possibility of collaborating with us without fear of being deported,” guest columnist Michael Tupper, former Marshalltown police chief, writes.
Drake University has announced it is expanding its “faculty-led” study abroad programs past Europe and into South Korea, with plans to launch for students within two years, Brooklyn Draisey reports via Report for America.
Drake University develops new study abroad program in South Korea • Iowa Capital Dispatch
Drake University has partnered with Konkuk University in Seoul, South Korea for a new study abroad program.
iowacapitaldispatch.com
December 15, 2025 at 7:18 PM
Drake University has announced it is expanding its “faculty-led” study abroad programs past Europe and into South Korea, with plans to launch for students within two years, Brooklyn Draisey reports via Report for America.
With the federal defunding of Planned Parenthood, independent reproductive health clinics have faced surging demand yet some clinics have had to close amid barriers to funding, Elisha Brown reports
Abortion patients most often rely on independent clinics, but more closed in 2025, report shows • Iowa Capital Dispatch
When Wisconsin Planned Parenthood clinics temporarily paused abortion services in October because of a new law halting federal Medicaid reimbursements, patients turned to the state’s two independent…
iowacapitaldispatch.com
December 15, 2025 at 4:37 PM
With the federal defunding of Planned Parenthood, independent reproductive health clinics have faced surging demand yet some clinics have had to close amid barriers to funding, Elisha Brown reports
Iowa Gov. Kim Reynolds on Monday ordered all flags in Iowa lowered in honor of the two Iowa National Guard members killed in Syria, Sgt. William Nathaniel Howard of Marshalltown and Sgt. Edgar Brian Torrestovar of Grimes, Robin Opsahl reports.
Reynolds orders flags lowered to honor Iowa soldiers killed in Syria • Iowa Capital Dispatch
The Meskwaki Nation police chief has identified his son as one of the two Iowa National Guard members killed in Syria Saturday.
iowacapitaldispatch.com
December 15, 2025 at 4:24 PM
Iowa Gov. Kim Reynolds on Monday ordered all flags in Iowa lowered in honor of the two Iowa National Guard members killed in Syria, Sgt. William Nathaniel Howard of Marshalltown and Sgt. Edgar Brian Torrestovar of Grimes, Robin Opsahl reports.
Immigration arrests under the Trump administration continued to increase through mid-October and an ever-larger share of those arrests were solely immigration violations rather than convicted criminals, Stateline reports.
An ever-larger share of ICE’s arrested immigrants have no criminal record • Iowa Capital Dispatch
Immigration arrests under the Trump administration continued to increase through mid-October, reaching rates of more than 30,000 a month. But, rather than the convicted criminals the administration…
iowacapitaldispatch.com
December 14, 2025 at 9:22 PM
Immigration arrests under the Trump administration continued to increase through mid-October and an ever-larger share of those arrests were solely immigration violations rather than convicted criminals, Stateline reports.
Growing soybeans has become less profitable over the last decade as input costs rose and the Trump administration’s tariff negotiations in 2018 and 2025 destabilized trade and strained farmers’ incomes, the Mississippi River Basin Ag & Water Desk reports.
Soybeans have been a top U.S. ag export for decades. What happens when the top buyer stops buying? • Iowa Capital Dispatch
U.S. soybean farmers have learned in 2025 that being heavily reliant on China for export sales is only good when things are good.
iowacapitaldispatch.com
December 14, 2025 at 9:18 PM
Growing soybeans has become less profitable over the last decade as input costs rose and the Trump administration’s tariff negotiations in 2018 and 2025 destabilized trade and strained farmers’ incomes, the Mississippi River Basin Ag & Water Desk reports.
U.S. House Republicans released a health care bill Friday evening – sponsored by Iowa Rep. Mariannette Miller-Meeks -- that they hope will help curb rising costs, though the measure doesn’t have Democratic support in the Senate, Jennifer Shutt reports.
US House GOP preps Miller-Meeks' health care bill for vote before new year • Iowa Capital Dispatch
U.S. House Republicans released a health care bill Friday they hope will help curb rising costs, although it faces steep odds in the Senate.
iowacapitaldispatch.com
December 13, 2025 at 12:08 AM
U.S. House Republicans released a health care bill Friday evening – sponsored by Iowa Rep. Mariannette Miller-Meeks -- that they hope will help curb rising costs, though the measure doesn’t have Democratic support in the Senate, Jennifer Shutt reports.
An Iowa nurse accused of sleeping on duty and practicing while under the influence of alcohol or drugs in 2024 will retain her full licensing privileges, despite three arrests this year, Clark Kauffman reports.
Nurse accused of being impaired on duty retains full licensing privileges • Iowa Capital Dispatch
An Iowa nurse accused of practicing while impaired in 2024 will retain her full licensing privileges, despite three arrests this year.
iowacapitaldispatch.com
December 13, 2025 at 12:04 AM
An Iowa nurse accused of sleeping on duty and practicing while under the influence of alcohol or drugs in 2024 will retain her full licensing privileges, despite three arrests this year, Clark Kauffman reports.
Amid a surge of illnesses including whooping cough, several school districts across the state have had to cancel classes in recent weeks, Robin Opsahl reports.
Whooping cough, high absences from illnesses close some Iowa schools • Iowa Capital Dispatch
One of the schools that closed in Iowa this week confirmed a case of whooping cough at an elementary school.
iowacapitaldispatch.com
December 12, 2025 at 11:04 PM
Amid a surge of illnesses including whooping cough, several school districts across the state have had to cancel classes in recent weeks, Robin Opsahl reports.
Kilmar Abrego Garcia appeared early Friday for a check-in at the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement field office in Baltimore, less than day after a federal district judge ordered him released from ICE detention, Maryland Matters reports.
Kilmar Abrego Garcia, out of ICE custody, leaves with 'head held up high' • Iowa Capital Dispatch
Kilmar Abrego Garcia is a free man, at least for now. The Salvadoran immigrant and Maryland resident walked out of a check-in Friday at the ICE field office in Baltimore, a day after a federal judge…
iowacapitaldispatch.com
December 12, 2025 at 10:26 PM
Kilmar Abrego Garcia appeared early Friday for a check-in at the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement field office in Baltimore, less than day after a federal district judge ordered him released from ICE detention, Maryland Matters reports.
An Iowa-licensed physician with a history of substance-abuse issues is facing possible sanctions from the Iowa Board of Medicine, Clark Kauffman reports.
Iowa-licensed doctor accused in drunken hit-and-run faces sanctions • Iowa Capital Dispatch
An Iowa-licensed physician with a history of substance-abuse issues is facing possible sanctions from the Iowa Board of Medicine.
iowacapitaldispatch.com
December 12, 2025 at 10:12 PM
An Iowa-licensed physician with a history of substance-abuse issues is facing possible sanctions from the Iowa Board of Medicine, Clark Kauffman reports.
A Woodbury County jail inmate is suing the federal government, alleging she’s being unlawfully detained by ICE and faces a year of confinement while being denied her due process rights, Clark Kauffman reports.
Woodbury County inmate facing a year of detention sues Homeland Security • Iowa Capital Dispatch
A Woodbury County inmate is suing the federal government, alleging she’s being unlawfully detained by ICE and faces a year of confinement.
iowacapitaldispatch.com
December 12, 2025 at 9:22 PM
A Woodbury County jail inmate is suing the federal government, alleging she’s being unlawfully detained by ICE and faces a year of confinement while being denied her due process rights, Clark Kauffman reports.
Nearly two dozen U.S. senators urged the U.S. Department of Agriculture, in a letter, to “prioritize” a vaccine strategy for the highly pathogenic avian influenza, Cami Koons reports.
Senators call for highly pathogenic avian influenza vaccine • Iowa Capital Dispatch
Nearly two dozen U.S. senators urged the U.S. Department of Agriculture, in a letter, to “prioritize” a vaccine strategy for HPAI.
iowacapitaldispatch.com
December 12, 2025 at 8:55 PM
Nearly two dozen U.S. senators urged the U.S. Department of Agriculture, in a letter, to “prioritize” a vaccine strategy for the highly pathogenic avian influenza, Cami Koons reports.
Republicans in Congress want to give states more authority to remove ineligible voters — including noncitizens and people who have moved or died — from voter rolls, seeking to reinforce the Trump administration’s own push to scrub the lists, Stateline reports.
Republicans in Congress eye more power for states to remove voters • Iowa Capital Dispatch
Republicans in Congress want to give states more authority to remove ineligible voters, including noncitizens, from voter rolls.
iowacapitaldispatch.com
December 12, 2025 at 5:17 PM
Republicans in Congress want to give states more authority to remove ineligible voters — including noncitizens and people who have moved or died — from voter rolls, seeking to reinforce the Trump administration’s own push to scrub the lists, Stateline reports.
“…[I]t’s hard to hear story after story of people being failed by hospitals, agencies, and professionals we trust to help,” guest columnist Leslie Carpenter writes via Iowa Writers’ Collaborative.
The mental health crisis calls I dread — and why I keep answering them • Iowa Capital Dispatch
"... [I]t's hard to hear story after story of people being failed by hospitals, agencies, and professionals we trust to help."
iowacapitaldispatch.com
December 12, 2025 at 5:06 PM
“…[I]t’s hard to hear story after story of people being failed by hospitals, agencies, and professionals we trust to help,” guest columnist Leslie Carpenter writes via Iowa Writers’ Collaborative.
President Donald Trump signed an executive order Thursday night that aims to preempt states from enacting rules governing artificial intelligence, Jacob Fischler reports.
Trump signs order intended to block states from regulating AI • Iowa Capital Dispatch
President Donald Trump signed an executive order Thursday that aims to preempt states from enacting rules governing artificial intelligence.
iowacapitaldispatch.com
December 12, 2025 at 1:06 AM
President Donald Trump signed an executive order Thursday night that aims to preempt states from enacting rules governing artificial intelligence, Jacob Fischler reports.
The U.S. House passed a bill Thursday that would overturn an executive order from President Donald Trump that strips collective bargaining rights for some federal employees, Ariana Figueroa reports. Rep. Zach Nunn was the only Iowan to vote for the bill.
In Trump rebuke, US House approves bill to overturn collective bargaining limit • Iowa Capital Dispatch
The U.S. House passed a bill Thursday that would overturn an executive order from President Donald Trump on collective bargaining.
iowacapitaldispatch.com
December 12, 2025 at 12:50 AM
The U.S. House passed a bill Thursday that would overturn an executive order from President Donald Trump that strips collective bargaining rights for some federal employees, Ariana Figueroa reports. Rep. Zach Nunn was the only Iowan to vote for the bill.
The U.S. House of Representatives voted Thursday to pass a bill that Republicans say would reform the Clean Water Act and cut through regulatory burdens. Democrats say the bill protects water polluters and removes clean water protections, Cami Koons reports.
US House advances bill around water permits; environmental groups say it guts water protections • Iowa Capital Dispatch
The U.S. House voted Thursday to pass a bill that Republicans say would reform the Clean Water Act and cut through regulatory burdens.
iowacapitaldispatch.com
December 12, 2025 at 12:46 AM
The U.S. House of Representatives voted Thursday to pass a bill that Republicans say would reform the Clean Water Act and cut through regulatory burdens. Democrats say the bill protects water polluters and removes clean water protections, Cami Koons reports.
Former Gov. Terry Branstad, the nation’s longest-serving governor and a former U.S. ambassador to China, was granted the Iowa Award Thursday, the state’s highest citizen award, Robin Opsahl reports.
Former Iowa Gov. Terry Branstad receives Iowa Award • Iowa Capital Dispatch
Former Iowa Governor and U.S. Ambassador to China Terry Branstad became the 26th recipient of the Iowa Award Thursday.
iowacapitaldispatch.com
December 11, 2025 at 11:36 PM
Former Gov. Terry Branstad, the nation’s longest-serving governor and a former U.S. ambassador to China, was granted the Iowa Award Thursday, the state’s highest citizen award, Robin Opsahl reports.
The U.S. Senate Armed Services Committee split along party lines Thursday when examining the deployments of the National Guard to cities across the country under what President Donald Trump describes as a crime-fighting strategy, Ashley Murray reports.
Trump’s Guard deployments to blue cities divide US Senate panel • Iowa Capital Dispatch
The U.S. Senate Armed Services panel split along party lines Thursday over deployments of the National Guard to cities across the country.
iowacapitaldispatch.com
December 11, 2025 at 10:57 PM
The U.S. Senate Armed Services Committee split along party lines Thursday when examining the deployments of the National Guard to cities across the country under what President Donald Trump describes as a crime-fighting strategy, Ashley Murray reports.