Iowa’s senators criticize Democrats for COVID-19 relief bill negotiations
Caleb McCullough, Summer Editor
August 6, 2020
Sens. Chuck Grassley and Joni Ernst, R-Iowa, criticized congressional Democrats this week on their role in negotiations on the upcoming coronavirus relief bill. Grassley said Democrats aren’t compromising on their goals for the bill, and are not accepting any of the Senate Republicans’ p...
Former President Barack Obama endorses Rita Hart, other Iowa Democrats
Lauren White, Politics Reporter
August 3, 2020
Former President Barack Obama endorsed Rita Hart, the Democratic candidate for Iowa’s 2nd Congressional District, along with other Democrats running in Iowa and other states on Monday through his social media. I’m proud to endorse this diverse and hopeful collection of thoughtful, empathe...
Rita Hart calls for overturning Citizens United in virtual rally
Lauren White, Politics Reporter
July 30, 2020
Rita Hart called for an end to corporate money in politics in a virtual rally via Zoom on Thursday. Hart, the Democratic candidate for the House of Representatives in Iowa's 2nd Congressional District, teamed up with End Citizens United President, Tiffany Muller to discuss her plan in tacklin...
Joe Biden rallies Iowa Democrats 100 days out from general election
Caleb McCullough, Summer Editor
July 26, 2020
Former Vice President Joe Biden was one of a few Democratic presidential hopefuls not to speak at last year’s packed Hall of Fame Celebration, which drew 19 of the party’s nearly two dozen candidates. This year, he headlined the event as the party’s presumptive presidential nominee. The Iowa Democratic Party’s summer f...
Republican committee’s claim about the estate tax isn’t the whole story
Caleb McCullough, Summer Editor
July 23, 2020
PolitiFact Iowa is a project of The Daily Iowan’s Ethics & Politics Initiative and PolitiFact to help you find the truth in politics. Edited by Lyle Muller and Rylee Wilson If your time is short: A new ad in Iowa claims the estate tax forces family farms and small businesses ...
Federal unemployment assistance will be reduced in phase four coronavirus relief bill, Grassley says
Caleb McCullough, Summer Editor
July 22, 2020
Federal unemployment assistance will likely continue in Congress’s phase four coronavirus relief package, but it will be reduced from the current mark of $600 a week, according to Sen. Chuck Grassley, R-Iowa. Grassley held a press call with reporters Wednesday where he discussed the details of...
Iowa City City Council to move forward with creating Truth and Reconciliation Commission
Rachel Schilke and Riley Davis
July 21, 2020
The Iowa City City Council took the next steps in creating a Truth and Reconciliation Commission to address racial injustice in the city, discussing the details of the board they committed to creating in a resolution in June after weeks of protests and demands from the Iowa Freedom Riders, the g...
Ernst outlines goals for phase four coronavirus relief
Caleb McCullough, Summer Editor
July 21, 2020
Sen. Joni Ernst, R-Iowa, said she wants to focus on essential workers and agriculture in planning for an upcoming phase four coronavirus relief bill. Congressional leaders are in talks on the details of further federal assistance for people impacted by the pandemic, following the $2.2 trillion ...
Existing research shows lower rate of children getting, spreading COVID-19
Lyle Muller, PolitiFact Iowa Editor
July 16, 2020
PolitiFact Iowa is a project of The Daily Iowan’s Ethics & Politics Initiative and PolitiFact to help you find the truth in politics. Edited by Caleb McCullough and Rylee Wilson If your time is short: Children do contract the coronavirus but current research shows it is happe...
State Auditor challenges Test Iowa reporting process
Caleb McCullough, Summer Editor
July 14, 2020
Iowa State Auditor Rob Sand released a report Tuesday that found Test Iowa results are being reported through a chain that includes two private companies before arriving to the Iowa Department of Public Health. Sand said the process violates Iowa Code, which requires that labs dealing with rep...
Yes, the former U.S. vice president Johnson County is named after held slaves, married and fathered children with enslaved woman
Lyle Muller, PolitiFact Iowa Editor
July 8, 2020
PolitiFact Iowa is a project of The Daily Iowan’s Ethics & Politics Initiative and PolitiFact to help you find the truth in politics. Edited by Caleb McCullough and Rylee Wilson What do you do when your county is named after a plantation owner from the 19th century who not only own...
Grassley says closing bars, mandating masks unnecessary in Iowa
Caleb McCullough, Summer Editor
July 6, 2020
Sen. Chuck Grassley, R-Iowa, said he doesn’t think Gov. Kim Reynolds needs to close bars or mandate masks to limit coronavirus spread, though he praised the governors of other states taking similar measures. Grassley said that from what he’s seen, the coronavirus situation isn’t as bad in...