Iowa News & Current Events | Public News Service

The 1,117 tornadoes reported for the January-through-May period this year is second only to 2011's 1,238 tornadoes, according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. (Adobe Stock)

Monday, July 1, 2024

Changing climate contributes to record Iowa tornado season

Weather researchers at Iowa State University say a shifting climate and warmer ocean temperatures are partially responsible for a record number of tor…

Corporations have raised retail pork prices by 20%, but the farmers supplying California with crate-free pork are only receiving about 5% more for their hogs, according to data from the USDA. (Adobe Stock)

California 'price gouging' ripples to Iowa

Farm advocates claim price gouging on meat and poultry in California is spreading across the country, including in Iowa, which is the nation's …

Council Bluffs, Iowa, is working with Union Pacific Railroad to reschedule trains and install traffic beacons to ensure residents and emergency service providers are not blocked by trains across multiple sets of tracks at intersections. (Adobe Stock)

Dangerous rail crossings topic of Council Bluffs town hall

Representatives from Union Pacific Railroad will attend a town hall meeting in Council Bluffs tomorrow night to hear about the so-called "triangle of …

The Alzheimer's Association is seeking 55,000 volunteers for more than 180 clinical trials to study the disease at younger and younger ages. (Adobe Stock)

IA researchers say brain shows changes 20 years prior to Alzheimer's symptoms

Researchers in Iowa say changes in an Alzheimer's patients' brain can occur at least 20 years before they are diagnosed with the disease and they are …

Iowa family farm advocates are calling on Congress to reduce the subsidies given to large-scale factory operations in the Farm Bill, and invest more in conservation programs that help small ag producers. (Adobe Stock)

Family farmers call for tougher CAFO regulations in Farm Bill

Family farm advocates are calling for cuts in federal subsidies to large animal feeding operations - technically known as Concentrated Animal Feeding …

Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program benefits are targeted to people with the greatest need: 92% go to households with incomes below the poverty line, and 54% to households at or below half of the poverty line, about $12,900 for a family of three in 2024, according to the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities. (Adobe Stock)

Iowa Hunger Coalition pushes back on SNAP cuts in Farm Bill

One version of the Farm Bill being debated in Congress would cut billions of dollars in Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program benefits from agricu…

The historic Abbe Creek School is listed as the oldest standing one-room brick schoolhouse in Iowa. It's located in Mount Vernon. (Adobe Stock)

Report: Iowa students' reading, math deficiencies 'concerning'

New data rank Iowa seventh in the nation for the overall health and well-being of its kids. The Annie E. Casey Foundation's Kids Count Data Book …

Iowa is among 11 states to outlaw or restrict restaurants' use of meat products from producers using gestation crates to raise their livestock for the food chain. (Adobe Stock)

Animal welfare report calls for livestock gestation crate bans

A prominent animal safety group is calling on restaurants to do more to ban the use of animal gestation crates where livestock and poultry are grown f…

Scientists at Iowa State University are creating biochar to mix with Iowa's rich soil to sequester carbon, create prime growing conditions for crops and soak up climate-warming fossil fuel emissions. (Adobe Stock)

Scientists in IA target 'low-hanging fruit' to sequester carbon

By Lindsey Byman for Inside Climate News.Broadcast version by Mark Moran for Iowa News Service reporting for the Solutions Journalism Network-Public N…

In Iowa, voters must be registered as Republican, Democrat or Libertarian, and vote on their party's ballot. However, they may change party affiliation at the polls. (Adobe Stock)

Iowa's older voters projected to decide primary election outcome

Advocates for Iowa's older population are calling on seniors to vote in Tuesday's primary election and have identified their priorities for candidates…

The Iowa Federation of Labor is remembering workers who died on the job over the last year, while fallen military veterans are honored nationwide. Iowa is home to nearly 160,000 veterans. (Adobe Stock)

On Memorial Day, IA labor leaders honor fallen workers

Memorial Day commemorates Americans who lost their lives while serving in the military. But the Iowa Federation of Labor takes the opportunity to …

Iowa's hunters and anglers are advocating to increase wildlife habitat and ecosystem funding in the next Farm Bill, which the U.S. House Agriculture Committee is set to discuss for the first time this week. (Adobe Stock)

Iowa hunters, anglers push for Farm Bill support

The U.S. House Agriculture Committee is scheduled to take up the first version of the new Farm Bill tomorrow morning. Outdoor enthusiasts in Iowa …

Iowa will consider amending its state Constitution to require a flat state income tax. (FranciscoJavier/Adobe Stock)

Iowa lawmakers' $2 billion tax cuts put services 'at risk'

The latest state tax cuts are expected to cost Iowa more than $2 billion in revenue over the next two years. Advocates for tax fairness argued …

Educational Savings Accounts cost Iowa $104.7 million in the first year of the program, nearly $31 million more than lawmakers had approved. (Adobe Stock)

GOP threatens rural Republicans for school voucher opposition

By Lane Wendell Fischer for The Daily Yonder.Broadcast version by Mark Moran for Iowa News Service reporting for The Daily Yonder-Public News Service …

Iowa women call Social Security 'critical'

New research released by AARP Iowa shows how important Social Security benefits are to people who receive them - and the numbers reveal women are far …

Some farmers are taking a more high-tech approach to staying in 'performance shape.' (Adobe Stock)

IA farmers get 'pro performance' physical, mental training

A Des Moines-based farm co-op is taking high-tech sports-training into the country and has hired an athletic physician to do it. The field of high-…

In 1975, the average rate of five-year breast cancer survival was 75.2%. In 2005, it was 90.5%. Scientists and doctors credit aggressive research and a better understanding of the disease. (Adobe Stock)

IA women behind on mammograms, despite deadly breast cancer rate

Results of a new study show more American women are falling behind on getting critical breast cancer scans. Nowhere is this perhaps more important …

Karst, or extremely loose and porous soil, is a well-known determinant in how much nitrate can leach into nearby ground and well water supplies, eventually making its way into drinking water. (Adobe Stock)

Iowa leaps state regulators, calls on EPA for emergency water help

The Iowa Environmental Council has petitioned the Environmental Protection Agency to invoke emergency powers to protect sensitive soil and groundwater…

The eclipse balloon, test-launched here by Iowa State students, is part of the University's High Altitude Balloon Experiments in Technology program. (Iowa State University)

IA eclipse research balloon pops, sends 'cool' data back to Earth

Environmental scientists in Iowa are starting to analyze data they collected with a research balloon during the recent solar eclipse. The mission was …

The Iowa Movement for Migrant Justice calls Senate File 2340 a

IA advocates for immigrants push back on Texas-style deportation bill

Advocates for immigrants are pushing back on a bill signed by Iowa Gov. Kim Reynolds in the last few days of the legislative session, modeled on a …

Critical infrastructure, such as the I-74 bridge, will be at an increased risk of flooding, threatening connectivity across the region, according to new climate change modeling from the National Wildlife Federation and Prairie Rivers Network. (Adobe Stock)

Public contributes to climate change research

A new report from the National Wildlife Federation warns that the effects of climate change in the Quad Cities, along the Iowa-Illinois border…

In addition to consolidating the power of Iowa's nine Area Education Agencies at the state level, House Bill 2612 creates a new process for agency accreditation. (Adobe Stock)

IA cuts historical rural school groups

Educators and public school advocates are pushing back on a measure which would consolidate state-funded services that have been an important part of …

Fertilizer was responsible for 20% of a farmer's costs in 2022, according to data from the U.S. Dept. of Agriculture. (Adobe Stock)

FTC chair in Iowa to hear fertilizer antitrust concerns

The chair of the Federal Trade Commission will be in rural Iowa this weekend to hear from farmers and other residents about the proposed sale of Iowa …

In partnership with the Xerces Society for Invertebrate Conservation, volunteers are discovering new bee species and working to fortify bumble bee habitat, in Iowa and across the country. (Xerces/Katie Lamke)

Iowans asked to get busy counting beeezzz, please

The state Department of Natural Resources and Iowa State University are looking for volunteers to help create a new Bumble Bee Atlas. Bees are an …

NEVI covers planning, acquisition, installation and operational costs of the EV unit. (Adobe Stock/serperm73)

IA joins nationwide network of EV charging stations

Iowa is accepting bids from people who want an EV charging station on their land. It's part of a nationwide network of infrastructure designed to …

Atrazine was the most widely used pesticide in Iowa, and applied to 69% of the state's planted acres. (Adobe Stock)

Common produce in IA tops 'Dirty Dozen' pesticide list

The Environmental Working Group has released a new list of produce items most and least affected by pesticides in Iowa and across the country…

White youths are put in juvenile crime diversion programs at far higher rates than comparable Black, Latino and Tribal youth, according to a new report by The Sentencing Project. (Adobe Stock)

Iowa focuses on 'restorative justice' for young offenders

A new report by national researchers says Iowa is making progress in reforming its juvenile justice system, and finding ways to steer kids away from …

Farmers apply fertilizer, including nitrogen, before spring planting so the seed and the growing plant have nutrients available throughout the season. (Adobe Stock)

Program for farmers lowers the risk of reducing nitrogen application

A farm group is helping Iowa agriculture producers find ways to reduce the amount of nitrogen they use on their crops. Excess nitrates can wind up …

Iowa State University Assistant Biochemistry Professor Walter Moss and graduate student Jake Peterson discuss a computer rendering of an RNA molecule. (Iowa State University)

Iowa State scientists target disease in RNA

Researchers at Iowa State University are taking the next step in genetic medicine by targeting diseases in a person's RNA. Most drugs target …

Iowa families can apply for up to $7,600 a year for private school costs. (Adobe Stock)

Iowa lawmakers dismiss private school voucher ethics complaint

An ethics committee in the Republican-led Iowa House has dismissed a complaint filed by a group of community activists against a state lawmaker for hi…

Trappist caskets await shipping on racks in the monastery's Peosta, Iowa, warehouse. (Ann Thomas/Arts Midwest)<br />

Iowa monks use natural resources to create wooden caskets

By Ann Thomas for Arts Midwest.Broadcast version by Mark Moran for Iowa News Service reporting for the Arts Midwest-Public News Service Collaboration …

In 2022, 22% of adults in Iowa reported binge drinking, compared with 17% in the United States, ranking Iowa fourth in the nation for adult binge drinking, according to the 2024 Iowa Cancer Registry. (Adobe Stock)

Doctors link binge drinking to higher Iowa cancer rates

New research from the University of Iowa found cancer linked to binge drinking is up in the state. As part of the annual Iowa Cancer Registry…

Iowa lawmakers are considering legislation that would raise income and asset limits for people with disabilities who still need to qualify for Medicaid benefits. (Adobe Stock)

Advocates for Iowans with disabilities push for higher income limits

Iowa lawmakers are being asked to make changes to the income laws for people with disabilities. Disabilities advocates are hold an event at the …

The U.S. Department of Agriculture estimates up to 15 million acres of soybeans have been damaged by dicamba drifting beyond where it was applied. (Adobe Stock)

Court bans popular but controversial pesticide

A federal court has banned the use of a highly controversial but popular pesticide in the Midwest. Advocates for sustainable agriculture said the …

California could buy tax credits from large-scale livestock producers in Iowa to offset California diesel emissions. The new regulations rate Iowa's livestock operations 'cleaner' than diesel. (Adobe Stock)

Iowa CAFOs could cash in on California emissions credits

Iowa factory farms could cash in on new proposed carbon emissions tax-credit rules in California. The new emissions standards would allow …

Organizations working for fair treatment of immigrants and refugees in Iowa are pushing back on state legislation they argued would discriminate against migrant communities. (Adobe Stock)

Groups push back on Iowa lawmakers' 'anti-immigrant' measures

Immigrants' rights advocates are pushing back on a flurry of bills in the Iowa Legislature they said would create discriminatory policies targeting mi…

The Center for Community News said a university investment model could be replicated elsewhere, saving struggling community papers that might otherwise be forced to shutter or sell. (Adobe Stock)

Two rural Iowa newspapers saved from extinction

The University of Iowa's daily newspaper has purchased two small-town papers as part of an attempt to keep local news alive in rural Iowa, while at …

Labor advocates argue SSB 3158 would unnecessarily burden Iowa's already overtaxed court system. (Adobe Stock)

Labor organizers push back on 'union-busting' bill

Labor organizers are pushing back on a measure in the Iowa Legislature they say is designed to undermine unions. It would create an additional step …

Iowa ramps up push to register young voters

Election officials in Iowa are upping their efforts to increase political participation among the state's youngest voters. A registration event has …

The Wildlife Disease Surveillance for Pandemic Prevention Act seeks to create a Wildlife Disease Surveillance Program though the Wildlife Health Office at the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. (Adobe Stock)

Wildlife disease measure could benefit IA ag industry

Wildlife advocates are asking Congress to pass bill that would help states track diseases killing wildlife across the country. In Iowa, the measure …

A bill to expand the Child Tax Credit to as many as 129,000 Iowa kids awaits action in the U.S. Senate. (Adobe Stock)

Expanded tax credit would benefit 129,000 Iowa kids

An advocacy group is calling on the U.S. Senate to pass a tax bill to expand the Child Tax Credit for more than 100,000 children in Iowa. It is part …

Practical Farmers of Iowa now has a full-time Spanish Engagement Outreach Coordinator to assist the growing number of Latino farmers in the state. (Adobe Stock)

High demand prompts IA farm group to increase Spanish-speaking services

A rural advocacy group has invested in reaching out to Spanish-speaking farmers in Iowa - a population that has grown dramatically. There has been …

Gift card scams have been the number one impostor scam in Iowa for nine consecutive years, according to AARP Iowa. (Adobe Stock)

Iowans lose millions in impostor scams

AARP Iowa is calling on lawmakers to help prevent gift-card scams during this year's legislative session. Impostor scams have been the number one …

IowaAtwork.com is an interactive map of 3,240 infrastructure projects totaling more than $13 million in federal investments in Iowa. (Progress Iowa)

IA group offers successful messaging as national blueprint

An Iowa advocacy group has won a high-profile award from the Analyst Institute, which measures how well a group's message reaches citizens. …

The Iowa Environmental Council is calling on the Department of Natural Resources to add better protections for the state's air, soil and groundwater quality in new regulations for concentrated animal feeding operations. (Adobe Stock)

Environmental advocates want tougher CAFO rules

After a two-and-a-half-year process, time is winding down for the public to comment on new rules for concentrated animal feeding operations in Iowa…

Using treatments derived from a person's blood stem cells, researchers are developing treatments that could end the need for bone marrow transplants. (Adobe Stock)

ISU stem-cell research aims to end bone-marrow transplants

Researchers at Iowa State University are using stem cells from a person's blood to treat certain types of cancer. Their work could mean the end of …

Bald eagles sit 3 to 3.5 feet tall and weigh eight to 15 pounds. Their eyes are five to six times more powerful than a human's. (Iowa Dept. of Natural Resources)

Iowa uses public's birds-eye view to monitor bald eagles, amphibians

Iowa wildlife officials are asking outdoor enthusiasts to cast a birds-eye view on bald eagle nests to help track their health, and are also on a …

People suffering from dementia face especially dangerous challenges in winter months, including slips and falls and extended exposure to the cold when

Iowa dementia sufferers at higher risk in winter

People who suffer from dementia face a host of increased risks in winter months and in Iowa, dangers include everything from falls to getting lost…

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