A group of Johnson County agencies is coming together to host a Healthy Kids Iowa food distribution event Wednesday, July 30 from 2 to 6 p.m. in Iowa City. Eligible families can receive $40 worth of groceries for each child age 4-18.
Tom Vilsack, former governor of Iowa and head of the U.S. Department of Agriculture for 12 years, said Thursday that Iowa leaders need to look toward “and” conversations rather than “or” discussions to solve some of the state’s biggest issues.
National bus tour rolls through Cedar Rapids to rally opposition to Trump’s tax breaks and spending cuts package
Healthy Kids Iowa, announced by Gov. Kim Reynolds in May, uses federal funding to expand the summer meal sites program that the state ran last year. Instead of one box for the whole summer, qualifying families are being given one box per child, per month in June, July and August.
Iowa Republican U.S. Sen. Chuck Grassley praised President Donald Trump's "big beautiful bill" Wednesday as 80-plus Iowa faith leaders warned of devastating impacts on vulnerable populations in Iowa from changes to federal social safety net programs.
Reductions in spending and tightened eligibility requirements on social safety net programs like Medicaid and food assistance being considered by Republicans in Congress will significantly reduce access to health care and food assistance, impacting thousand of low-income individuals and families across Linn County.
Also in the Capitol Notebook, a new warden has been named for Iowa State Penitentiary.
Two Eastern Iowa high school students — from Cedar Rapids and Iowa City — are among the 16 students worldwide chosen for the eight-week Borlaug-Ruan International Internship.
Under the waiver approved by the USDA, starting Jan. 1, 2026, Iowans who receive SNAP won’t be able to use their benefits to purchase items including garden seeds and food-producing plants, candy, gum, soft drinks, lemonade, fruit snacks, certain granola bars and caramel corn.
Doctors, nurses, food bank directors and other social safety net providers across Iowa warn major cuts to public health insurance and food assistance programs could lead to crowded emergency rooms, more rural hospital closures, drained family budgets, overworked providers and reduce care for veterans, seniors and children.
The state is seeking to restrict any food or beverage that qualifies for the state sales tax from purchase with SNAP. That list includes garden seeds, candy, gum, soft drinks and certain granola bars among other items.
“Healthy Kids Iowa” -- a new program announced Wednesday by Gov. Kim Reynolds -- will provide qualifying families with $40 worth of food per child per month in June, July and August. It replaces a summer food program that Reynolds opted out of. It would have provided $29 million in federal food assistance funding for an estimated 240,000 children in the state.
The appropriation in the Iowa House legislation would be contingent on the U.S. Department of Agriculture approving a waiver for SNAP exemptions that could strike nearly two-thirds of food products at a grocery store from eligibility.
It’s been almost six months since Together We Achieve, a Cedar Rapids food pantry, reached out to the community in a last-ditch effort to prevent closure. Now, almost three months into 2025, the pantry is still open and things are looking up, according to its executive director.
Also, 3 people charged after protests at Iowa Capitol
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