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Here First: Daily Summaries Delivered
by Iowa Public Radio
Start your day with the essentials. Coffee. Breakfast. And the local news you need to know. Host Meghan McKinney rises bright and early to bring you the top news stories from around Iowa in under 10 minutes. Wake up, grab that coffee and get your news Here First. You can support what you hear on this podcast at ipr.org/donate.
Latest Episodes
The most recent episodes — sign up to get AI-powered summaries of each one.
- Today8 min
Monday, September 21st, 2026
Vice President JD Vance and Louisiana Sen. John Kennedy are among the high-profile Republicans who’ve visited Iowa recently to rally GOP support ahead of the midterm elections. A nonprofit that supports low-income Iowans predicts more requests for help paying heating bills this winter. And hemp sellers are bracing for a ban on most of their products expected to go into effect in December.
- 3 days ago9 min
Friday, September 18th, 2026
The Democratic candidate for governor supports legalizing recreational marijuana. Republicans are urging support for a constitutional amendment. And how are voters feeling about Iowa's open U.S. Senate seat race?
- 4 days ago8 min
Thursday, September 17th, 2026
Two Iowa representatives have voted to limit President Trump's war powers in Iran. Private well owners in certain counties are eligible for a free arsenic testing kit. And a county park in eastern Iowa is conserving the blue spotted salamander.
- 5 days ago4 min
Wednesday, September 16th, 2026
This year's Iowa Climate Statement calls for investing in renewable energy to meet electricity demands. Minden and Greenfield are receiving money from the USDA two years after devastating tornadoes. And Des Moines Public Schools has a new superintendent.
- 6 days ago4 min
Tuesday, September 15th, 2026
The city of Des Moines has approved an initial recommendation to cuts to its 2028 budget. The state attorney general's office has announced how it'll use some Meta settlement funds. And the latest on two proposed carbon pipelines.
- 1 weeks ago4 min
Monday, September 14th, 2026
The Department of Homeland Security secretary was in Iowa over the weekend. Child labor violations are disproportionately higher in Iowa. And a rare and federally endangered bumblebee species was spotted in eastern Iowa.
- 1 weeks ago7 min
Friday, September 11th, 2026
Iowans will remember the 9/11 anniversary today with observances. One former Iowan will return to the Pentagon for today’s commemoration. Republicans will go first in the 2028 presidential nominating process. And UNI is the only one of Iowa’s three public universities with an enrollment increase this year.
- 1 weeks ago4 min
Thursday, September 10th, 2026
Iowans vote this fall on whether to make it tougher for lawmakers to raise income taxes. Iowa's agriculture secretary is promoting a science-based approach to addressing the state's water quality programs. And Waterloo is considering creating a city manager position.
About Here First
Start your day with the essentials. Coffee. Breakfast. And the local news you need to know. Host Meghan McKinney rises bright and early to bring you the top news stories from around Iowa in under 10 minutes. Wake up, grab that coffee and get your news Here First. You can support what you hear on this podcast at ipr.org/donate.
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Frequently Asked Questions
What is Podzilla's Here First daily summary?
It's a free AI-powered email that summarizes new episodes of Here First as soon as they're published. You get the key takeaways, notable quotes, and links & mentions — all in a quick read.
How does the Here First podcast summary work?
When a new episode drops, our AI transcribes and analyzes it, then generates a personalized summary tailored to your interests and profession. It's delivered to your inbox every morning.
Is this an official Here First product?
No. Podzilla is an independent service that summarizes publicly available podcast content. We're not affiliated with or endorsed by Iowa Public Radio.
Can I get summaries of other podcasts too?
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What topics does Here First cover?
Here First covers topics including News, Education, Government, Politics, Daily News. Our AI identifies the specific themes in each episode and highlights what matters most to you.
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