State Rep. Aime Wichtendahl, Iowa’s first openly transgender legislator, is running for re-election in 2026 to a second term. The Hiawatha Democrat cited work on firefighter cancer coverage and pledged to recruit more allies to “solve real problems,” not “culture wars” in the Iowa Legislature.
A federal probe of Medicare and Medicaid plans run by private insurance companies found that the plan operators often overstated how many mental health providers were available in their networks. In some cases, investigators found providers had never had contracts with plans they were listed on.
Iowa’s all-Republican U.S. House delegation is urging Senate Democrats to back a bipartisan plan to reopen the government, warning that the 20-day shutdown is hurting families, farmers and veterans across the state. Senate Democratic Leader Chuck Schumer said Republicans are refusing to negotiate over what he called a looming health care crisis at the center of the government shutdown stalemate.
Also in this week’s Government Notes roundup, the League of Women Voters of Linn County will host a Cedar Rapids school board candidate forum this week.
At Lion Bridge Brewery in Cedar Rapids, U.S. Senate candidate Nathan Sage shared his story of growing up poor in Mason City, serving three tours in Iraq, and leading a local chamber of commerce — arguing those experiences shaped his fight for workers, unions and rural Iowans.
The Gazette asked candidates for Cedar Rapids school board why they’e running for office, their thoughts on College & Career Pathways, and how they will be responsive to the public if they’re elected in November.
Nationwide, states are racing to win their share of a new $50 billion rural health fund. But helping rural hospitals, as originally envisioned, is quickly becoming a quaint idea.
With signs such as “Nothing is more patriotic than protesting” or “Resist Fascism,” in many places the events looked more like a street party.
Eastern Iowa community one of hundreds across the nation to host rallies against Trump administration policies Saturday.
The federal government shutdown is quickly approaching the second longest on record with no end in sight.
Midwest states like Nebraska among places where a gerrymander could become a ‘dummymander’
The city’s variable cart program will launch next year with three cart sizes for residents to choose from.
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