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
-
Joni Ernst’s Steven Menashi Vote Could Have Costs
Today, the Senate Judiciary Committee voted to advance the nomination of Steven Menashi to the Second Circuit Court of Appeals, despite multiple red flags he’s raised. Sen. Joni Ernst was one of the senators to vote for him. Menashi made it through the committee on a party-line 12-10 vote that was finally taken after being…
-
Beyond The Economy, Warren’s Other Plans To End Corruption
It’s a well-known fact that Elizabeth Warren is an enemy to corruption. Her plans for breaking up big corporations and enforcing laws that keep them from hoarding too much power are well-documented. But what other types of corruption is she prepared to fight? What lies in the nuts and bolts of her ideas outside of…
-
Despite ID Law, Poll Workers Help Ensure Iowans Vote
Although the new voter ID law was fully in effect in Iowa today, voters found ways to cast a ballot at polling sites this reporter visited in Polk and Story counties with the help of poll workers. On its face, the law is relatively simple. Show an accepted form of ID, the poll workers scan…
-
Rep. Katie Porter Returns To Iowa For Mentor Elizabeth Warren
Congresswoman Katie Porter, a rising star in the Democratic Party and House of Representatives, returned to her home state of Iowa this weekend to support her mentor, Sen. Elizabeth Warren. Porter was born in Fort Dodge and grew up in Iowa before becoming a representative for a historically Republican district in California. She also sat…
-
How Iowa Democrats Prepared For Their Biggest Event Yet
Setting up for the largest Iowa Democratic event to date was not unlike preparing for a theater production. There’s a backstage, a wing, green rooms, changing rooms and, of course, the big stage where 14 presidential candidates will stand before an audience of more than 13,000. “It took 63 people and 24 hours to get…
-
First-Time Caucus-Goers Test Out Mock Caucus With NextGen
In half an hour, the caucus was over and the room had picked a nominee. After pitches from representatives of three candidates, students at Grinnell College settled into their spots along the wall with only a handful to be won over. They moved from station to station before ultimately choosing a corner or a patch…
-
Why And How To Make SCOTUS More Accessible
For about five minutes in the last Democratic debate, the candidates discussed reform for the Supreme Court. It’s not a new conversation by any means. This year, candidates have ideas to make the highest court more fair, from term limits and expansion to rotating the justices among the federal bench. Many have questioned whether those reforms could…
-
Beto O’Rourke Centers Iowa Message On Everyday Americans
During his latest trip to Iowa, Beto O’Rourke emphasized how the federal government should redirect its focus to the needs of individual Americans. On the trip, the former Texas congressman pointed out failings like the country’s lack of gun control and the unchecked spread of the opioid epidemic. He also noted the through line between…
-
Joni Ernst Faces Big Test On Controversial, Ukraine-Questioned Nominee
Sen. Joni Ernst may finally have to speak or take a vote on the situation involving Donald Trump and Ukraine. Tomorrow, the Senate Judiciary Committee will vote on whether to advance the nomination of Steven Menashi. His nomination to the Second Circuit Court of Appeals has faced controversy already, but new issues have arisen in…
-
Group Offers Up Diverse List Of Possible SCOTUS Nominees
This week, judicial reform advocacy group Demand Justice released a list of judges they suggested a Democratic president choose from to fill future Supreme Court vacancies. One judge who made that list is Iowa-native Jane Kelly. Jane Kelly Floated Again Kelly, a judge from Cedar Rapids who sits on the Eighth Circuit Court of Appeals,…
