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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President Trump held a rally in Sioux City last night. Google hosted an open house in Palo last night about a proposed data center. And how is the One Big Beautiful Bill Act shaping the campaigning in Iowa's 3rd Congressional District?
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President Trump is set to be in Iowa today. A poll shows many Americans feel the economic pinch from rising inflation. And how can the election for Iowa's open 4th Congressional District help other candidates on the ballot?
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The Board of Regents has picked a new permanent director for the Center for Intellectual Freedom. The major party candidates for Iowa's First Congressional District debated last night. And an update on the Neal Smith Wildlife Refuge.
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Gov. Kim Reynolds' husband, Kevin Reynolds, is undergoing treatment for a recurrence of cancer. An ISU student is suing the city of Ames over its policy that bans firearms on public transit. And how are the candidates campaigning in Iowa's First Congressional District?
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The Department of Homeland Security is delaying a decision about TPS for Ukrainians. Democratic candidates in Iowa raised more money than Republicans this last fundraising quarter. And state revenue estimates for the next two years are out.
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An Iowa City woman granted protection from persecution in Ivory Coast has been deported and could likely end up back in that country. President Trump will hold a rally in Sioux City next Thursday. And data center construction waste is piling up at Linn County’s landfill.
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An Iowa City hospital worker has been deported despite pushback from elected officials. Iowa Attorney General Brenna Bird is suing OpenAI. And what are the traumatic consequences when a parent is deported?
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In person absentee voting starts today in Iowa. Some health departments are trying to help refugees in Iowa who lost their Medicaid. And how is affordability shaping Iowa's Second Congressional District race?
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A constitutional amendment on the Iowa ballot would make it harder to raise income or corporate tax rates. The candidates for state treasurer share their thoughts on the proposed steel plant. And Democrats are campaigning hard on health care.
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A potential 2028 presidential candidate was in Iowa last night. The candidates for Iowa attorney general have debated. And Johnson County is trying to convince voters to pass a jail bond again.
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Major party candidates for Iowa's Second Congressional District debated last night. Some landline users are concerned about their service ending. And how could sorghum make its way into American's diets?
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Candidates for Iowa's open U.S. senate seat debated last night. High rainfall in September is connected to the El Niño weather event. And utility rates in the Midwest have been rising.
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The candidates for Iowa governor had their first debate last night. U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Brooke Rollins was in Iowa yesterday. And Des Moines is being considered for a pro soccer team.
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The candidates for Iowa governor have different thoughts on supporting public and private schools. Waterloo is keeping a human rights director position. And the latest on data center regulations in Linn County.
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State lawmakers passed legislation to support a proposed steel plant in Iowa. The Center for Intellectual Freedom is responding to criticism. And some worry a new state law could be harmful for LGBTQ foster youth.
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The Democrat running to be Iowa secretary of agriculture says ethanol is an economic dead end. Scientists are worried the closure of a USDA research facility could hurt food safety. And September was the 4th wettest on record in Iowa.
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People in eastern Iowa are calling for the release of a hospital worker who was detained by ICE last week. The candidates for Iowa governor both held rallies in Polk County last night. And what can local governments do about data center development?
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A new report about Iowa's high cancer rates looks at behavioral and demographic risk factors. Dubuque is partnering with a research center to revive an underserved neighborhood. And the candidates for Iowa secretary of agriculture have different ideas about addressing water quality.
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Just ahead of the midterm elections, President Trump has announced a steel plant investment in Iowa. Local health department's budgets could be tighter under a state plan to reorganize public health. And the latest on the effort to try to keep a historical research center open.
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A possible new steel plant may bring lawmakers back to Des Moines for a special session. After losing half of its executive committee, the Center for Intellectual Freedom has four finalists to take the helm. U.S. Senate candidate Rep. Ashley Hinson says she supports increasing cancer research funding.
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A proposed change to Waterloo’s human rights department is dividing the city’s leadership. A business group is questioning why Alliant Energy wants to build three new power plants. And Dubuque’s Marshallese community celebrates its heritage this weekend.
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President Trump's lawsuit against pollster J. Ann Selzer has been dismissed. A traveling exhibit is in Des Moines that features the Epstein files that have been released. And Dolly the mastodon is returning to southern Iowa.
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Linn County is looking at the quality of its groundwater. Library hours are being reduced in Des Moines because of city budget cuts. And how has data from Flock Safety cameras been misused?
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Prosecutors will retry a man accused in the cold-case killing of a Native American woman in Sioux City. The Dubuque City Council voted Monday to adopt a goal to zero out its greenhouse gas emissions by 2050. A Johnson County judge ruled against the state's decision to close a State Historical Society of Iowa facility, and the Iowa chapter of the Sierra Club is disappointed by the EPA's decision to repeal rules limiting greenhouse gas emissions from power plants.
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Vice President JD Vance and Louisiana Sen. John Kennedy are among the high-profile Republicans who’ve visited Iowa recently to rally GOP support ahead of the midterm elections. A nonprofit that supports low-income Iowans predicts more requests for help paying heating bills this winter. And hemp sellers are bracing for a ban on most of their products expected to go into effect in December.
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The Democratic candidate for governor supports legalizing recreational marijuana. Republicans are urging support for a constitutional amendment. And how are voters feeling about Iowa's open U.S. Senate seat race?
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Two Iowa representatives have voted to limit President Trump's war powers in Iran. Private well owners in certain counties are eligible for a free arsenic testing kit. And a county park in eastern Iowa is conserving the blue spotted salamander.
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This year's Iowa Climate Statement calls for investing in renewable energy to meet electricity demands. Minden and Greenfield are receiving money from the USDA two years after devastating tornadoes. And Des Moines Public Schools has a new superintendent.
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The city of Des Moines has approved an initial recommendation to cuts to its 2028 budget. The state attorney general's office has announced how it'll use some Meta settlement funds. And the latest on two proposed carbon pipelines.
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The Department of Homeland Security secretary was in Iowa over the weekend. Child labor violations are disproportionately higher in Iowa. And a rare and federally endangered bumblebee species was spotted in eastern Iowa.
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