Politics
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Attorney tells Iowa Supreme Court abortion ban should stay blocked
The Iowa Supreme Court Thursday heard arguments concerning the injunction on the near-total abortion ban passed is a special session last summer. Peter Im, staff attorney at Planned Parenthood Federation of America, told the justices and reporters in a press conference afterward that allowing the ban to go into effect would be “devastating.” “It bans…
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The Republican war on Medicare raises the stakes in 2024
Republicans have been trying to cut and/or privatize Medicare for decades. Their latest plan could lead to thousands of dollars in additional out-of-pocket costs for Iowa seniors.
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Abortion supporters rally before Iowa Supreme Court arguments
Abortion saved her life seven years ago and Leah Vanden Bosch is more grateful for it now than ever. Vanden Bosch, who serves as the development and outreach director for the Iowa Abortion Access Fund, said she’s more committed to the work than ever because she’s fully aware of how necessary it is. “This legislation…
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Iowa Senate passes bill to arm school staff, give legal immunity in shootings
Sen. Molly Donahue, a teacher, has more than a few ideas on how to make schools safer without arming teachers or other school staff. She shared them during Wednesday’s Iowa Senate debate on a bill to bring more guns into schools. “We could be investing far more funding in mental health resources to enhance access…
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New VA program to help more than 40,000 veterans stay in their homes
The program is an attempt to prevent foreclosure actions against former military members still experiencing financial hardship post-pandemic.
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Kim Reynolds finally decides to help feed some kids, but there’s a big catch
Gov. Kim Reynolds announced Wednesday that Iowa will start a competitive $900,000 grant program to feed Iowa children over the summer—this comes months after she declined $29 million in federal funds to feed kids via a different summer program. The new Summer Meal Program Expansion Grant will be launched through two existing federal programs and…
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Biden unveils new plan for student debt relief
The president’s plan builds on existing debt cancellation efforts and would extend loan relief to more than 30 million borrowers.
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Bayer/Monsanto has poured money into Iowa politics for years
As Bayer, the major pharmaceutical and biotech company, lobbies the Iowa Legislature to enact legislation to protect it from civil suits related to its pesticide products, it is worth noting that Bayer and Monsanto—which Bayer purchased in 2018—have collectively poured over $530,000 into the campaign coffers of Iowa’s state-level politicians since 2002. From 2002-2018, Monsanto…
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Biden administration announces $20 billion in clean energy grants
The EPA says grant recipients, whose work promises to promote clean energy developments in underserved communities, could collectively reduce carbon emissions by 40 million metric tons over the next seven years.
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Far-right groups push to limit IVF access
Groups like the Heritage Foundation are trying to take a “back-door” approach to restricting access to IVF by pushing for strict regulations that chip away at the ability of providers and patients to complete treatment.
