by Robin Opsahl, Iowa Capital Dispatch December 15, 2025 U.S. Rep. Mariannette Miller-Meeks said Monday the health care bill she is leading in the U.S. House would address the “root causes” behind rising health care premiums while not seeking to extend Affordable Care Act subsidies. The “Lower Health Care Premiums for All Americans Act,” sponsored […]
by Robin Opsahl, Iowa Capital Dispatch December 14, 2025 Iowa Gov. Kim Reynolds on Monday ordered all flags in Iowa lowered in honor of the two Iowa National Guard members killed in Syria. The two service members were killed Saturday in Palmyra, Syria, by a lone gunman suspected to be affiliated with ISIS. The two […]
by Shauneen Miranda, Iowa Capital Dispatch December 10, 2025 WASHINGTON — The U.S. Department of Agriculture will spend $700 million to support regenerative agriculture as part of the Make America Healthy Again agenda, Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins and Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. announced Wednesday. The USDA pilot program for regenerative agriculture […]
by Jacob Fischler, Iowa Capital Dispatch December 8, 2025 The federal government will provide $12 billion to U.S. farmers who have been hurt by “unfair market disruption,” President Donald Trump said at a White House roundtable event Monday. Trump said repeatedly the funding was available thanks to tariff revenues, framing his aggressive trade policy as […]
by Estefanía Pinto Ruiz, Iowa Capital Dispatch December 7, 2025 As farmers face historic headwinds and market hardships, calls to the national Farm Aid hotline and the Iowa Concern hotline — where farmers can get support in times of mental health crisis or need — are increasing. This fall, the Iowa Concern hotline saw four […]
by Cami Koons, Iowa Capital Dispatch November 26, 2025 The cost of a classic Thanksgiving dinner set for 10 people, at $55.18, is 5% less than the cost in 2024, annual data from the American Farm Bureau Federation shows. While key meal items like turkey and dinner rolls decreased in price this year, fresh vegetables […]
by Anna Claire Vollers, Iowa Capital Dispatch November 21, 2025 As states strive to curb health insurers’ use of artificial intelligence, patients and doctors are arming themselves with AI tools to fight claims denials, prior authorizations and soaring medical bills. Several businesses and nonprofits have launched AI-powered tools to help patients get their insurance claims […]
by Cami Koons, Iowa Capital Dispatch November 19, 2025 Researchers and public health advocates said Wednesday that water quality and land use continue to be modifiable elements impacting public health, and in particular cancer, in Iowa. The experts spoke to a crowded conference room in the Olmsted Center at Drake University during the 2025 Iowa […]
by Robbie Sequeira, Iowa Capital Dispatch November 14, 2025 School districts have made some progress in addressing the national shortage of school bus drivers, but there still aren’t as many drivers as there were in 2019, according to a new study. The number of drivers has increased by 2,300, or 1.1%, since last year, according […]
by Jennifer Shutt and Shauneen Miranda, Iowa Capital Dispatch November 12, 2025 This report has been updated. WASHINGTON — The longest shutdown in U.S. history ended Wednesday night when President Donald Trump signed a spending package that reopens the government and funds most of it through January. The Oval Office ceremony came just hours after […]
