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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Can Warren’s Fundraising Pledge Cut Down On Voter Cynicism?
Elizabeth Warren’s pledge to do no fundraising call time to big donors or hold high-dollar fundraisers was met initially with skepticism from some political insider circles this year, until it started working. Now Warren sits near the top of the field with money raised and cash on hand, largely fueled through small-dollar donors. Last week,…
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Steve King Targeted By Anti-Corruption Group End Citizens United
A group dedicated to getting corporate money out of politics has highlighted Congressman Steve King as a top priority for defeating in 2020. End Citizens United announced King’s addition to the organization’s “Big Money 20” list today, marking him as an important incumbent to defeat in next year’s election. “Rep. Steve King’s racist and demeaning…
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Do Americans Still Have Faith In The Supreme Court?
In the coming months, the Supreme Court will decide important questions that touch millions of Americans’ lives, and many people aren’t confident it will be for the better. But the concern goes beyond individuals. According to Gallup polling, as of 2019, only 38% of Americans have a “great deal” or “quite a lot” of trust…
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Booker On SCOTUS Case: LGBTQ Workers Should Be Protected
On Tuesday, the Supreme Court heard oral arguments about whether employers are allowed to discriminate against their employees based on sexual orientation or gender identity. The trio of cases concern two gay men and a transgender woman, all of whom argue they were illegally fired. The argument hangs on how the justices choose to interpret…
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Coming Up: How Will SCOTUS View Civil Rights?
Civil rights are on the docket for the upcoming Supreme Court term that starts Monday, October 7. Last term, the justices avoided taking big cases with questions like these, but now they’re loading up on cases that will impact millions of Americans. This term, the justices will hear cases that concern LGBTQ rights, abortion, gun…
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Were Iowa GOP Legislators At ALEC Gerrymandering Panel?
At an annual meeting, members of the American Legislative Exchange Council (ALEC) had an opportunity to attend a panel called “How to Survive Redistricting.” The panel featured four people considered experts in gerrymandering and defending gerrymandered districts. Legislators at the meeting were given advice about how to draw white, conservative districts by putting more people…
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What Steve Bullock’s Decision To Take Public Financing Means
This election cycle, many candidates have pledged to not rely on political action committees. Montana Gov. Steve Bullock, who talks often about ridding the system of dark money, has decided to add another layer of transparency to his campaign by accepting public financing. “Taking public financing, I think, really is rooted in those shared values…
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Want To Track Voting Rights Laws? There’s A Website For That
With so many attacks on basic voting rights being pushed by Republican lawmakers around the country, it can be tough to keep up with where the state laws — even those in your own state — currently stand. To confront that, Let America Vote, a nonprofit political organization with the goal of strengthening voting rights,…
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Partial Win For Voting Rights In Iowa District Court
Today, the Iowa district court for Polk County issued a ruling on a case challenging Iowa’s 2017 election law. The result was mixed when it comes to voting rights in Iowa. Most important, the part that requires voter ID was upheld. However, a few other provisions that posed a challenge to voting rights in Iowa…
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Andrew Yang Sticks With The Message That’s Got Him This Far
Following his rise in national and Iowa polling, Andrew Yang made an appearance in Northwest Iowa with the pitch he’s been making all summer. Soon, machines and artificial intelligence will be doing the jobs currently held by the majority of Americans, Yang argued. To take care of the displaced workers, the country needs to adopt…
