Iowa Public Radio
Here First
Start your day with the essentials. Coffee. Breakfast. And the local news you need to know. Host Meghan McKinney rises bright and early to bring you the top news stories from around Iowa in under 10 minutes. Wake up, grab that coffee and get your news Here First. You can support what you hear on this podcast at ipr.org/donate.
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Iowa Public Radio
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Podcast website
Latest episode
Jul 10, 2026
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Episodes
Tuesday, October 28th, 2025 28.10.2025 8:38
Google says it will buy electricity from the Duane Arnold Nuclear Power Plant near Cedar Rapids when it’s reopened in 2029. A Republican running for governor is the latest to call for a state takeover of the Des Moines school district. And, all five GOP candidates for Iowa’s 4th Congressional District seat made their pitches to conservative Christian voters in western Iowa Monday night.
Monday, October 27th, 2025 27.10.2025 4:10
The Sioux City City Council will have a majority of new members after next week's election. At least one Iowa-based bank is telling its customers that they can no longer get rolls or boxes of pennies, following an order from President Trump that the U.S. Treasury stop making pennies. A soybean disease has been found in Minnesota for the first time, and the 100th pheasant season in Iowa opened Satu...
Friday, October 24th, 2025 24.10.2025 8:44
Immigrant rights advocates say a Des Moines high school student has been deported. Food pantries are preparing for higher need than normal. And beef producers are opposing President Trump's plan to lower beef prices.
Thursday, October 23rd, 2025 23.10.2025 3:59
A Democratic state lawmaker has requested an audit of the Iowa Board of Educational Examiners' licensing procedures. A few eastern Iowa cities are asking voters to approve a sales tax. And a Republican candidate for an Iowa U.S. Senate seat says he wants to ban super PACs.
Wednesday, October 22nd, 2025 22.10.2025 8:39
Gov. Kim Reynolds says IPERS is not going anywhere. Polk County and crowdfunding sources are trying to fund water sensors throughout the state. And what do we know about high E. coli levels in Iowa's waterways?
Tuesday, October 21st, 2025 21.10.2025 3:32
It's day 21 of the federal government shutdown. Des Moines' camping ban is stricter. And a federal court has blocked the Creston Community School District from firing a teacher for a social media post related to Charlie Kirk.
Monday, October 20th, 2025 20.10.2025 3:46
Iowans protested at No Kings rallies across the state. SNAP recipients might not get November food assistance benefits because of the government shutdown. And another Democrat is running for Iowa's 2nd Congressional District.
Friday, October 17th, 2025 17.10.2025 8:32
Iowa will rely more on reserve funds to fill a growing budget gap left by declining tax revenues. The chair of the Des Moines school board is out of the 2026 Senate race. And low levels on the Mississippi River could force farmers to pay higher prices for fertilizer.
Thursday, October 16th, 2025 16.10.2025 8:11
A second city in Iowa has affirmed protections for LGBTQ residents. Some airports are refusing to play a video from U.S. Secretary of Homeland Security Kristi Noem. And domestic violence homicide has gone up in Iowa.
Wednesday, October 15th, 2025 15.10.2025 3:43
Cancer researchers say the tobacco tax needs to be higher in Iowa. The state auditor is going to look into Des Moines Public Schools' finances. And another Republican is trying for Iowa's 4th Congressional District.
Tuesday, October 14th, 2025 14.10.2025 3:30
A Republican has dropped out of the race for Iowa's 2nd Congressional District. The nation's largest book supplier has suddenly closed. And lawmakers are trying to address agricultural cyberattacks.
Monday, October 13th, 2025 13.10.2025 3:59
A Democrat from eastern Iowa is running for U.S. Senate. Newspaper company Lee Enterprises will stop printing on Mondays. And new kinship licensing requirements makes it easier for kinship caregivers to get financial assistance.
Friday, October 10th, 2025 10.10.2025 9:18
A southwest Iowa teacher facing termination for her social media comments about Charlie Kirk's death is suing her school district. There is a woman county sheriff for the first time in over 100 years in Iowa. And how are Iowa farmers feeling about dropping land prices?
Thursday, October 9th, 2025 09.10.2025 9:14
Gov. Kim Reynolds signed an executive order that requires work authorization checks for new state employees. The Iowa Supreme Court is deciding if low-income Iowans should have to pay court fees if their case is dismissed. And methane from landfills in Dubuque is converted into natural gas to power homes.
Wednesday, October 8th, 2025 08.10.2025 4:56
Congresswoman Mariannette Miller-Meeks says she will hold a town hall when "hell freezes over." Community members had mixed feelings at the Des Moines school board meeting last night. And a request for a fence around an immigration enforcement office in eastern Iowa has been approved.
Tuesday, October 7th, 2025 07.10.2025 8:32
The Department of Homeland Security says former Des Moines Superintendent Ian Roberts has several past criminal charges. Google wants to build a data center in eastern Iowa. And how are Midwest grape growers dealing with low wine sales?
Monday, October 6th, 2025 06.10.2025 3:40
Des Moines Public Schools is suing the search firm they used to hire former superintendent Ian Roberts. Some Iowa immigrants are struggling to pay increased federal application fees. And an Iowa Libertarian has announced a bid for U.S. Senate.
Friday, October 3rd, 2025 03.10.2025 9:00
Community members attended a town hall for the former Des Moines Public Schools superintendent. The Johnson County Sheriff is now seeking a bond initiative to fund a new jail. And what can agricultural employers do to prepare for federal immigration officers showing up on U.S. farms?
Thursday, October 2nd, 2025 02.10.2025 3:38
Sen. Chuck Grassley says he isn't sold on President Trump's proposal to use tariff revenue for farmer aid. Early radon testing at Iowa public schools show some have high levels of the radioactive gas. And work-based learning is becoming more common in Iowa schools.
Wednesday, October 1st, 2025 01.10.2025 3:55
The Des Moines Public School Board has accepted Ian Robert's resignation from superintendent. DMPS students walked out of classes yesterday in connection with ICE detaining Roberts. And DMPS is now under investigation for what the Department of Justice is calling race-based employment.
Tuesday, September 30th, 2025 30.09.2025 4:14
The Des Moines School Board has placed Superintendent Ian Roberts on unpaid leave as he remains in federal detention, and the state has revoked his education license. Abortions provided by clinicians in Iowa dropped significantly in the first half of this year. And one of the Republicans running for Congress in northwest Iowa has dropped out of the race.
Monday, September 29th, 2025 29.09.2025 4:09
The Des Moines School Board voted over the weekend to place Superintendent Ian Roberts on paid administrative leave, following his arrest Friday by federal Immigration and Customs Enforcement officers. On Saturday, supporters for Roberts protested outside the Woodbury County Law Enforcement Center in Sioux City, where Roberts is currently being held. Farmers' soybeans may be stranded this harvest...
Friday, September 26th, 2025 26.09.2025 4:13
Tax changes in President Trump’s “Big Beautiful Bill” will reduce Iowa’s revenue by about $400 million this fiscal year. Iowa says its efforts to help a few dozen struggling public schools are showing encouraging results. And the University of Northern Iowa is set to kick off a year-long celebration for its 150th anniversary.
Thursday, September 25th, 2025 25.09.2025 5:08
Gov. Kim Reynolds says Iowa school performance is progressing because of her administration's policies. New law enforcement technology is coming to an eastern Iowa town, despite residents' pushback. And UnityPoint nurses in central Iowa say the company is trying to stop union efforts.
Wednesday, September 24th, 2025 24.09.2025 4:23
A Mount Pleasant man is suing the Trump Administration over a new immigration policy. Democratic gubernatorial candidate Rob Sand backs the Oskaloosa school board for firing a teacher over comments about Charlie Kirk's death. And a community land trust is coming to the Des Moines area.
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