Stories written by Freelance Writer

by Jared Strong, Iowa Capital Dispatch December 21, 2023 The state’s dryness has continued to worsen, and extreme drought now encompasses more than a third of Iowa, according to a U.S. Drought Monitor report on Thursday. The area of extreme drought — the second-worst of four classifications — has long occupied a substantial swath of […]

by Robin Opsahl, Iowa Capital Dispatch December 20, 2023 U.S. Rep. Randy Feenstra announced Wednesday he will seek reelection for a third term representing Iowa’s 4th Congressional District. The Hull Republican asked for Iowans’ support in electing Republicans to serve in Washington, D.C. — both in U.S. Congress and the White House. Now more than […]
Dec 21 2023 | Posted in
State News |
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by Zach Wendling, Iowa Capital Dispatch December 17, 2023 LINCOLN, Nebraska — One Nebraska lawmaker’s efforts to increase recycling have led her to explore an Iowa program to donate and reuse prescription drugs and tackle rising medication costs. Freshman State Sen. Jana Hughes of Seward is looking to join forces with Iowa nonprofit SafeNetRx, which […]
Dec 18 2023 | Posted in
State News |
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by Clark Kauffman, Iowa Capital Dispatch December 7, 2023 WASHINGTON — Members of Congress left the Capitol on Thursday without a deal on sought-after changes to immigration policy that’s tied to aid for Ukraine and Israel — leaving them just one week to resolve the dispute before lawmakers depart for a three-week holiday break. Negotiations […]
Dec 8 2023 | Posted in
National News |
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by Ashley Murray, Iowa Capital Dispatch December 6, 2023 WASHINGTON — Former U.S. House Speaker Kevin McCarthy Wednesday joined the growing list of Congress members heading for the U.S. Capitol exits. McCarthy’s planned departure by year’s end, following the expulsion of disgraced New York Republican Congressman George Santos, will leave the House GOP with a razor-thin majority […]
Dec 7 2023 | Posted in
National News |
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by Jennifer Shutt, Iowa Capital Dispatch December 6, 2023 WASHINGTON — The U.S. Senate failed to move forward Wednesday with a $111 billion spending package that would have bolstered aid to Ukraine, Israel, Taiwan and the Southern border amid deep disagreement about immigration policy. The 49-51 procedural vote, which needed at least 60 senators to […]
Dec 7 2023 | Posted in
National News |
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by Jennifer Shutt, Iowa Capital Dispatch November 30, 2023 WASHINGTON — U.S. Sen. Joni Ernst is doing okay after a fellow senator, Rand Paul of Kentucky, had to perform the Heimlich maneuver on the Iowa Republican when she choked on food during a closed-door GOP lunch Thursday. “Can’t help but choke on the woke policies […]

by Jared Strong, Iowa Capital Dispatch November 30, 2023 An outbreak in Iowa this year of a disease that causes deer to bleed internally and often results in death is poised to be the second-worst since the first known outbreak occurred 11 years ago, according to the Iowa Department of Natural Resources. Epizootic hemorrhagic disease […]
Dec 1 2023 | Posted in
State News |
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by Jared Strong, Iowa Capital Dispatch November 21, 2023 This year’s corn and soybean harvests are virtually complete in nearly every area of the state, with one exception: south-central Iowa. “Farmers in south central Iowa still have over 10 percent of their corn for grain crop remaining to be harvested,” the U.S. Department of Agriculture […]
Nov 26 2023 | Posted in
State News |
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by Jared Strong, Iowa Capital Dispatch November 18, 2023 FORT DODGE — Former President Donald Trump rallied supporters on Saturday and asked them to repay his kindnesses to Iowa of keeping it the first state in the Republican presidential nomination process and of paying farmers billions of dollars during trade disputes with China in his […]