Monday morning read: DACA opens doors for Iowa teens, providers: Medicaid changes not sustainable long term, Five Iowans you might see at the Oscars soon

'Dreamers' program opens doors for Iowa teens- 

There's a half-built house in Mexico where Carlos Ramos expected to raise his family. 

But Ramos, a drywalled by trade, decided instead to come to America because he wanted better opportunities for his children. 

'He's our Dreamer,' said Kavir Ramos, 19, referring to the name sometimes used for young people like him brought to the United States as children.

Monday is the deadline President Donald Trump had set for ending Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals, or DACA, if Congress didn't act — which it didn't. Read more...

Some Linn County health providers say Medicaid payment changes not sustainable long term- A change in a Medicaid waiver reimbursement system for the state's special-needs population has left some health providers without enough funding to sustain their services.

Changes to the home- and community-based services waiver — which affects approximately 5,000 Iowans who have traumatic brain injuries, developmental or intellectual disabilities — moved the payment model from a fee-for-service model to a tiered rate system, effective Dec. 1, 2017.

While Iowa Department of Human Services officials say this change will create more stability to the reimbursement system, it leaves some such as Jean Sturtz, who care for those covered by the waiver, concerned for their loved ones' future. Read more...

Five Iowans who are making their impression on the film industry right now- Although Grinnell College Alum and actor Kumail Nanjiani gave Iowa a shout out as he presented at the 90th Academy Awards the Hawkeye state is rarely regarded to as a filmmaking powerhouse. Although, that could change in the coming years. Read more...

Gazette photographers select favorite photos of February 2018- Our Gazette photo staff will be looking back at each month by picking some of their favorite and most newsworthy photos they shot during that time period. Here are their February favorites. Read more...

Iowa's Josh Jackson wants to see a 4.4 40-yard dash time- 

Along with all of the running, jumping and lifting, NFL combine week comes with a ton of interviews.

How do you conduct yourself in a job interview? You project confidence. You're saying yes and trying to show the interviewers that you are their guy.

Plus, this, boiled down, is the college football alpha dog convention.

So, when Iowa cornerback Josh Jackson was asked Sunday if he was surprised offenses kept testing him during his massively successful, consensus all-American 2017 season, he had a definitive answer. Read more...