Nikoel Hytrek is Iowa Starting Line’s longest-serving reporter. She covers LGBTQ issues, abortion rights and all topics of interest to Iowans. Her biggest goal is to help connect the dots between policy and people’s real lives. If you have story ideas or tips, send them over to nikoel@new.iowastartingline.com.
Nikoel Hytrek
Latest from Nikoel Hytrek
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Four Iowa Beaches Already Under Water Quality Advisories
With Memorial Day passed and schools out, it’s officially summer in Iowa. And that means the Iowa Department of Natural Resources has started monitoring water quality at Iowa beaches. Iowa’s waterways are routinely flagged for too-high levels of pollutants and bacteria, mostly from livestock runoff. This can lead to swim advisories or outright closure in…
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With Eviction Moratorium Ending, Here’s How Iowans Can Still Get Help
At the end of the month, the federal eviction moratorium is ending for renters who fell behind on payments or struggled keeping up during the pandemic. In Iowa, that means thousands of people are suddenly at risk, according to data from the Census Bureau. The likelihood of eviction or foreclosure hangs over more than ten…
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Can Biden Peel Back Iowa’s New Voter Suppression Laws?
With COVID-19 relief out of the way and other priorities in motion, the Biden administration is shifting focus to protecting voting rights with the For the People Act. The bill, also known as H.R. 1 and S.R. 1, is aimed at making it easier for people to vote, end corrupting influences in American elections like…
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How Do You Change The Government? This Group Will Explain
It all started when a podcast host pointed out how little Americans know about how their government works or how they can influence it. So a group of Iowans came up with a plan to change that. The plan is called Democracy Defenders of America, a non-profit, nonpartisan organization with the goal of educating Americans…
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Reynolds All Out Of Ideas For Boosting Iowa Vaccinations
With vaccination rates stalling and demand plummeting in Iowa, Gov. Kim Reynolds told reporters yesterday she doesn’t plan to offer incentives for getting vaccinated against COVID-19. That means no lottery, no giveaways, no cash payments. Reynolds said pop-up clinics at sporting events and the Des Moines farmer’s market are enough to catch those who haven’t…
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How Can Relief Funds Help Iowans? Debate Is On In City Councils, Municipal Elections.
To help the country rebound from the economic and human devastation caused by COVID-19, President Joe Biden and Congress have allocated significant funding support from the federal government. The American Rescue Plan includes money for states and local governments to use for recovery, and Iowa cities will receive around $335 million in total, according to…
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Democrats Rally To Force Special Election In Scott County
Scott County Democrats are racing against the clock to trigger a special election for the county’s top election job. The drive is in response to the Scott County Board of Supervisors voting to appoint Kerri Tompkins as the Scott County auditor without public discussion, comments from citizens or holding a special election. Democratic leadership from…
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Cindy Axne And Firefighters Take On Mental Health Stigma
First responders have done a lot in the last year, and it’s taken as much from them as anyone else working on the frontlines of the COVID-19 pandemic. To give back, and to keep them running, the CARES Act and the American Rescue Plan include money specifically for mental health services. Last year, Gov. Kim…
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GOP Supervisors Pick New Scott Co. Auditor, Democrats Push For Special Election
Scott County has a new auditor, but local Democrats are pushing for a quick special election to give the voters a say in the matter. Yesterday morning, the Scott County Board of Supervisors met to announce and vote on a replacement for longtime Democratic County Auditor Roxanna Moritz, who resigned last month. The board’s three…
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Want Iowans Back To Work? Help With Child Care.
Josie Farley, a young mom who works as a para-educator at Sioux City Schools, likely wouldn’t be able to work without child care. “The amount of daycare, how much it costs for daycare … I would have no money to live after paying daycare [if I didn’t work],” she said. Her two-year-old son goes to…
