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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Iowa COVID-19 Cases Surge, Reopening Plans Go Forward
This weekend, Iowa reported a significant increase in COVID-19 cases, putting the state at 9,169, something Gov. Kim Reynolds has warned people about in the past few days. From Thursday to Friday, the total number reported Saturday increased by 757. From Friday to Saturday the number went up again by 528. Over those two days,…
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Iowa COVID-19 Cases Surge, Reopening Plans Go Forward
This weekend, Iowa reported a significant increase in COVID-19 cases, putting the state at 9,169, something Gov. Kim Reynolds has warned people about in the past few days. From Thursday to Friday, the total number reported Saturday increased by 757. From Friday to Saturday the number went up again by 528. Over those two days,…
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Iowa COVID-19 Cases Surge, Reopening Plans Go Forward
This weekend, Iowa reported a significant increase in COVID-19 cases, putting the state at 9,169, something Gov. Kim Reynolds has warned people about in the past few days. From Thursday to Friday, the total number reported Saturday increased by 757. From Friday to Saturday the number went up again by 528. Over those two days,…
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Where Iowa’s Meatpacking Outbreaks Stand Today
Late Wednesday night, the Tyson plant in Dakota City, Nebraska announced it will close for four days starting yesterday. Despite a lack of confirmation from the plant or the local health departments, the plant has been linked to the growing number of coronavirus outbreaks in the surrounding area, including Sioux City, Iowa. Thursday night, the…
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Sioux City Region Surpasses 2,000 Cases As Nearby Counties Reopen
New numbers from the New York Times show Iowa—specifically Sioux City—rising in the nation’s rankings for how badly COVID-19 is impacting the state. The Sioux City metro area now ranks fifth in the country in overall growth of cases in the past two weeks, relative to its population, and the total is still growing. It…
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As Parts of Iowa Reopen, Black Hawk County Braces For Long Fight
With 1,381 positive cases of coronavirus, Black Hawk County is in a harder spot than any other in Iowa. And it could get harder. Earlier this week, Donald Trump signed an executive order for meatpacking plants to remain open, despite many of them being the source of COVID-19 outbreaks in their respective communities. About 90…
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As Parts of Iowa Reopen, Black Hawk County Braces For Long Fight
With 1,381 positive cases of coronavirus, Black Hawk County is in a harder spot than any other in Iowa. And it could get harder. Earlier this week, Donald Trump signed an executive order for meatpacking plants to remain open, despite many of them being the source of COVID-19 outbreaks in their respective communities. About 90…
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As Parts of Iowa Reopen, Black Hawk County Braces For Long Fight
With 1,381 positive cases of coronavirus, Black Hawk County is in a harder spot than any other in Iowa. And it could get harder. Earlier this week, Donald Trump signed an executive order for meatpacking plants to remain open, despite many of them being the source of COVID-19 outbreaks in their respective communities. About 90…
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JD Scholten: Food Supply Chain Doesn’t Have to Be So Fragile
When it comes to the problem of outbreaks at meatpacking facilities and whether to temporarily shut them down, the workers at the plants and the farmers selling their livestock to plants are often pitted against each other. JD Scholten, who’s running for Rep. Steve King’s seat in Iowa’s Fourth District, rejects that premise. “It’s kind…
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Reynolds Insists Packing Plants Are Protecting Workers
By now, it’s undeniable that conditions at meatpacking facilities have been the leading cause of COVID-19 outbreaks in the Midwest. Today, Donald Trump will order meat processing plants to remain open, declaring them critical infrastructure under Defense Production Act. Reynolds echoed that sentiment in her press conference today. “This is essential, critical infrastructure. It is…
