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James Kelley/Iowa Public RadioAcross the country, low-income households that rely on federal assistance to help pay for food are now turning to food pantries. With money for the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program temporarily paused due to the government shutdown, some Iowans said they are unsure how they will feed themselves and their families. -
Courtesy of Community Action of Eastern IowaHundreds of low-income families will need to choose between working or taking care of their kids because two federally funded child care programs are about to run out of money. As the federal shutdown starts affecting social services, families also have to consider the impending loss of SNAP benefits.
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Iowa State University researchers are working with Polk County Emergency Management to develop a game to help train emergency responders and test county emergency plans. -
Some homelessness prevention programs might run out of funding before the federal government can disperse grants. One nonprofit director in Iowa said she’s concerned about the funding landscape for next year. -
A survey in Des Moines and surrounding cities found that residents overwhelmingly preferred trick-or-treating to occur on Halloween instead of the night before, on Beggars' Night. -
About 131,000 low-income Iowa households may not receive SNAP benefits at the beginning of November because of the government shutdown. Food pantries and food banks in Iowa are preparing for “unprecedented” need. -
Des Moines tightens city camping ban, removing some protections for people experiencing homelessnessThis week, Des Moines City Council members voted for stricter enforcement of the city’s camping ban. People experiencing homelessness can now be charged with a misdemeanor and fined even if shelters are full. -
Across the country last weekend, people demonstrated at “No Kings” rallies to protest President Trump’s agenda. Even in parts of Iowa that Trump won by a wide margin had hundreds show up to voice their objections. -
A study by the Iowa Coalition Against Domestic Violence found that women and children make up the majority of victims of domestic violence homicides in the state. According to the lead researcher, access to guns and a lack of affordable housing could be contributing factors. -
Iowans who take in family members in foster care, known as kinship caregivers, can now receive financial assistance equal to foster care parents because of a 2023 federal rule. -
The City of Coralville passed a resolution affirming its protections for the LGBTQ community. It’s the second city to do so after state lawmakers removed gender identity as a protected class from the Iowa Civil Rights Act earlier this year. -
Three Iowa City West high schoolers founded a book club that reads some of the country's most frequently banned books after a state law removing books with sexual content was signed in 2023. Two years later, many of the books have been reshelved and parts of the law can't be enforced.
