Iowa Capital Dispatch

1 day ago | iowacapitaldispatch.com | Cami Koons

A federal appeals court on Thursday upheld lower court decisions barring counties from imposing safety standards on a pipeline subject to federal safety standards. The cases involved Summit Carbon Solutions, the company proposing to build a carbon sequestration pipeline through the state, and county supervisors from both Story and Shelby Counties.

2 days ago | iowacapitaldispatch.com | Cami Koons

Despite an ongoing trade war and low profitability the past two years, pork industry leaders and producers at the World Pork Expo in Des Moines said Wednesday they are optimistic about the year. Lee Schulz, chief economist for Ever.Ag, said 2025 could be the “quickest turnaround in pork producer profitability ever” — but, he clarified, that statistic says more about “how bad the situation was” the past two years than it does about 2025.

3 days ago | iowacapitaldispatch.com | Cami Koons

EXIRA — “We did run out of water at our house … and that’s not the first time we’ve had dry pipes,” Emmy Benton said to State Auditor Rob Sand at the Exira Public Library during a discussion about recent water system shortages and boil advisories. Sand listened to the concerns as part of a gubernatorial campaign swing through rural Iowa, but problems for Exira, and other customers on Regional Water Rural Water Association’s system, have been ongoing for several years.

3 days ago | iowacapitaldispatch.com | Robin Opsahl

Democrat Julie Stauch published a resume and cover letter Tuesday for a job she hopes Iowans will hire her for in 2026 — the Iowa governor’s seat. Stauch, 68, is a former Democratic political operative who has worked on the Iowa caucus campaigns for Democratic presidential candidates including Pete Buttigieg in 2020, Bill Clinton in 1996 and Michael Dukakis in 1988. She has also worked on state campaigns, including Democrat Mike Franken’s 2022 U.S. Senate race against U.S. Sen.

3 days ago | iowacapitaldispatch.com | Cami Koons

Small business owners and farmers are already feeling the increased costs and decreased consumer purchasing power resulting from foreign tariffs imposed at the federal level. During a Tuesday press conference in West Des Moines’ historic Valley Junction, local business owners said they placed orders in January for holiday products that are becoming more expensive by the day as manufacturers and even local creators have to increase prices due to the additional tariffs.