PlatPhorm Podcasts
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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7/30/2026
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Haitians in Iowa on TPS are facing uncertainty as they lose that status this week. Former President Barack Obama has endorsed Democrat Josh Turek for Iowa's open U.S. Senate seat. And how are public camping bans being enforced in Midwest cities?
View original7/29/2026
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The Libertarians who wanted to run for governor and lieutenant governor will not be on the ballot. Democratic candidate for governor Rob Sand shares his cancer related proposals. And a farming nonprofit in eastern Iowa is in limbo as federal funding from the USDA remains uncertain.
View original7/28/2026
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Democratic candidate for governor Rob Sand has shared his proposals on social media restrictions for minors. Residents in the Des Moines Area are no longer under water use restrictions. And a group of farmers is trying to bring attention to the Iowa Nutrient Reduction Strategy.
View original7/27/2026
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Iowa will not have the first spot in the Democratic presidential nominating process in 2028. Republican U.S. Rep. Ashley Hinson says she’d like to see greater restrictions on social media and AI to protect kids. And a well-known Islamic scholar and community leader in Cedar Rapids has died.
View original7/24/2026
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Haitians in Iowa with Temporary Protected Status are set to lose their protections on Monday. NASA is partnering with the University of Iowa for a project to predict nitrate concentrations. And farmers in the Corn Belt worry they may not see a profit this year.
View original7/23/2026
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Children in Iowa's foster care system who receive survivor benefits will now get to keep the money when they leave the system. Governor Kim Reynolds talks about her support for the federal SAVE Act that's been stalling in the U.S. Senate. And why are more people moving to the Midwest?
View original7/22/2026
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More Iowans are turning to out-of-state health care providers to access abortion care. Two Libertarian candidates for governor who got kicked off the ballot were in court yesterday to get back on it. And a new online tool aims to connect Iowans with cancer screening information.
View original7/21/2026
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Residents in a western Iowa community are raising concerns about a manure waste site. A sanctuary policy has failed to pass for a second time in Decorah. And the latest campaign finance reports are out for Iowa's gubernatorial race.
View original7/20/2026
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House Speaker Mike Johnson spoke at a conservative Christian event in Iowa. The 1619 Freedom School hosted its annual Read-In event to protest book bans. And it could be a warmer and drier winter.
View original7/17/2026
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Dubuque County leaders are considering an outright ban on data centers. Scientists say they’re finding concerning levels of pesticides in U.S. rivers. And Iowa’s largest utility is warning people to be wary of online scam artists posing as customer service workers.
View original7/16/2026
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A data center company wants to build a huge facility near Clinton in eastern Iowa. The state’s new Medicaid fraud task force has met for the first time. And Iowa is looking for the rightful owner of a baseball signed by superstar Pete Rose.
View original7/15/2026
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A data center company building near Cedar Rapids is injecting $5 million into workforce development, while the Palo City Council voted to advance their data center ordinance this week. An Iowa woman is the first known patient in the U.S. to receive a quadruple organ transplant with re-transplanted lungs. And U.S. Senator Chuck Grassley says he's monitoring a proposed merger between two railways.
View original7/14/2026
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Some school districts are delaying or changing projects in connection to changes in state property tax laws. Another Iowa county has put a pause on data center development. And a conversation with Iowa Public Radio's retiring CEO.
View original7/13/2026
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Pete Buttigieg rallied with Iowa Democrats last night. President Trump has endorsed Republican Zach Lahn for Iowa governor. And a Midwestern couple is trying to set up government support for Alzheimer's early detection.
View original7/10/2026
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A hospital in Council Bluffs is set to close its labor and delivery unit. Des Moines residents are sharing their thoughts about the city's expected budget shortfall. And the education center at Springbrook State Park will be demolished.
View original7/9/2026
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Iowa has its first confirmed measles case of the year. The city of Decorah is considering an ordinance that would end its cooperation with ICE agents. And an Iowan shares her story of leaving the corporate world to start her own bakery.
View original7/8/2026
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The Democrat running in Iowa's Third Congressional District shares her plans on public health insurance. Undeveloped industrial land in the Cedar Valley region has made a national ranking. And a story of Indigenous resistance in Iowa.
View original7/7/2026
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Democrat Josh Turek, who is running for Iowa's open U.S. Senate seat, says he would push to break up agriculture industry monopolies. The Iowa Bee Atlas is training Iowans to help conserve native bees. And an artist's value of environmentalism shows up in her art.
View original7/6/2026
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Zach Lahn, the republican nominee for governor, has responded to criticism for having a second home in Kansas. Severe weather over the weekend has displaced about 400 Des Moines residents. And this week on Here First we have personal stories from Next Gen Journalism.
View original7/2/2026
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There will be more medical residency training slots at Iowa's teaching hospitals. Residents in the Des Moines area are allowed to water their lawns again. And Iowa's Bosnian community has been showing up for their home country's team during the World Cup.
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