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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Jay Inslee: Democrats Need To End Filibuster To Make Progress
Democrats have been increasingly concerned about the Supreme Court ever since Justice Antonin Scalia died in 2016 and Sen. Mitch McConnell blocked President Barack Obama’s nominee to the high court. It’s not a problem that will be solved simply by a Democrat winning the White House, either. Washington State Governor Jay Inslee suggested two paths…
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Burlington’s Planned Parenthood Closure Brought Anger, But Also Activism
Shortly after becoming sexually active, Alexandra Rucinski got pregnant. She was 22 years old and had only been taught about abstinence because of her conservative, Mormon upbringing. “There was no conversation other than abstinence, which didn’t protect me at all,” Rucinski said. Enter Planned Parenthood in downtown Burlington, Iowa. The clinic closed in 2017 after…
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Fellow Prairie Populist Berkley Bedell Endorses Elizabeth Warren For The Iowa Caucus
Elizabeth Warren has snagged another Iowa endorsement for her progressive message, one that shares some background in the type of prairie populism that Warren is preaching on the Iowa campaign trail. Today, the Warren campaign announced that former Iowa Congressman Berkley Bedell has thrown his support behind Warren. “I am 98 years old now, and…
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How A Census Citizenship Question Would Impact Steve King’s District
The Supreme Court of the United States is expected to decide tomorrow whether the Trump Administration can add a question to the census asking about respondents’ citizenship, a decision that will impact some communities in Iowa. If the question is added to the 2020 census, households and communities with undocumented immigrants will face a hard…
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Candidates React To Court Ruling On ‘Domestic Gag Rule’
Yesterday, the Trump Administration got one step closer to restricting abortion access in the United States at the federal level. A three-judge panel on the 9th Circuit Court of Appeals, covering the Western part of the United States, ruled that the federal government can block federal grant money from health care providers if they offer…
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Iowa Women Face Longer Travel Times To Abortion Services, Limiting Access
Despite recent efforts to limit it, abortion is still legal in Iowa up to 20 weeks. However, the procedure isn’t easily accessible to all Iowans. Iowa has eight Planned Parenthood clinics, five of which provide abortion services. There are also a few other clinics that provide the service. But these providers are concentrated mostly in…
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Pete Buttigieg Only Candidate With Plan For Expanded Supreme Court
Pete Buttigieg, the mayor of South Bend, Indiana, is the only candidate among 21 who has laid out a full vision for reforming the Supreme Court. Though many other candidates have recognized the need for reform, Buttigieg has advocated for expanding the number of justices during his campaign. His idea for the expansion would put…
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Iowa Republican Leaders Brag About Their Court Appointee Success
Sen. Chuck Grassley and other top Iowa Republican leaders made it clear over the weekend what they view as their party’s signature accomplishment in recent years: a conservative takeover of the judiciary at all levels. With the 15 minutes he had to speak at Sen. Joni Ernst’s Roast and Ride on Saturday, Grassley spent about…
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Kirsten Gillibrand Stakes Out Strongest Women’s Health Platform In Plans, Actions
When it comes to reproductive rights and women’s health, Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand from New York has staked out one of the strongest positions in the presidential field. Before she officially launched her candidacy in March, Gillibrand had already declared she was running a campaign focused on feminism. Since then, Gillibrand has been vocal about issues…
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How 2020 Candidates Voted On Trump Appointee Opposed By AFL-CIO
The job doesn’t stop just because a candidate is on the campaign trail. For those in the Senate, that means participating in votes and weighing in on the confirmation of Trump judicial appointees. On Monday, the Senate voted to confirm Rossie Alston, Jr., a former judge on the Virginia Court of Appeals, to serve on…
