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Iowa Democrats had a big night Tuesday. On this episode, we discuss what happened in our neighboring states in the midterm elections. We hear from Makenzie Huber of South Dakota Searchlight, Rich Kremer of Wisconsin Public Radio, Jason Rosenbaum of St. Louis Public Radio, Peter Cox of Minnesota Public Radio, Fred Knapp of Nebraska Public Media, and Ben Szalinski of Capitol News Illinois.

Democrats had a big night nationally and in Iowa this midterm election, flipping the governor's office, a U.S. Senate seat and three U.S. House seats. On this Politics Day episode, experts Megan Goldberg and Dave Peterson join us to discuss these wins and others around the country, and how this will shape Congress and the next two years of President Donald Trump's administration.

Mailers and ads are using social pressure to get out the vote by reminding people that friends and neighbors can look up whether they voted. On this episode, Ben Kieffer speaks with Tom Lopach, CEO of the Voter Participation Center, about why they've taken this approach. Drake political scientist Adrien Halliez shares the origins of this strategy and why these organizations tend to be connected to Democrats. But first, trust in the polls has been shaken since 2016 and most recently by the 2024 Ann Selzer poll. Halliez shares what pollsters are doing to make their polls more accurate and how to read the polls. Also, Grinnell College political scientist Peter Hanson shares findings from the latest Grinnell College Poll, which asked wide-ranging questions on democracy, education, data centers and more. He is joined by students who helped compose the questions.

On this Newsbuzz episode, we discuss election security and the election safeguards that are in place in Iowa. We also talk about where the secretary of agriculture, secretary of state and attorney general races stand, Iowa's Medicaid Fraud Elimination Task Force and more.

Most independent music venues struggle to stay afloat. On this episode, we talk with Tobi Parks, owner of Des Moines music venue xBk. She tells us why so little of live performance royalty money reaches the artists who deserve it, and how she’s working to change that with her newest startup Tour Tech. Also in this episode, this upcoming election is the first that no woman is running for governor or lieutenant governor in Iowa since 1978. We talk with Kelly Winfrey of Iowa State University about the gender politics in those races and others this midterm.

On this politics day edition of River to River, UNI’s Evan Renfro and ISU’s Kelly Shaw discuss the elections in Israel, the final days before the U.S. midterm election and more.

Political scientist Jayme Renfro of the University of Northern Iowa joins the show to discuss her new book, "From Fear to Resilience: Managing Political Stress in a Polarized America."

On this episode, we talk with historian Ruth Ben-Ghiat, a leading expert on fascism, authoritarianism and threats to democracy. She teaches history at New York University and is the author of 'Strongmen: Mussolini to the Present.' She describes how strongmen from Silvio Berlusconi to Vladimir Putin have adapted Mussolini’s playbook — propaganda, corruption, violence, and a carefully staged image of manly strength.

Ben Kieffer speaks with guests about headlines from this week, including Medicare plan cancellations, updates on the Center for Intellectual Freedom at the University of Iowa, and more.

Violent crime in America has fallen dramatically since the 1990s. On this episode, we find out why. First, we hear from Amber Sheppard, who went from prison to helping others rebuild their lives. Then, we talk with University of Iowa researchers Jason Robey and Mark Berg about theories behind the great crime decline. We also hear from Polk County Sgt. Brittany Worrall about the launch of a new inmate enrichment program that reduced violence among inmates and recidivism in other jails.

On this episode, analysis of the sole 1st District debate between Republican Rep. Miller-Meeks and Democratic challenger Christina Bohannon held this week from Kelly Winfrey of Iowa State University and Sara Mitchell of the University of Iowa. We also discuss President Trump's upcoming Sioux City rally and $8 billion plan to cover farm losses, actor Martin Sheen's plea in Des Moines to revive USAID and more.

A conversation with 2026 World Food Prize Laureate Huub Lelieveld. Lelieveld is a Dutch food scientist who was awarded the World Food Prize for helping prevent millions of cases of foodborne illness. He has been recognized for marshaling a movement across 113 countries to deliver the scientific evidence for modern food safety regulations, legislation and standards that safeguard the world’s food supply.

On today's episode, a conversation with Rep. Ashley Hinson, Republican candidate for U.S. Senate, one of the most competitive Senate races in the country. But first, we talk with Harvest Academy’s Derek Johnson about the legacy of Walter Lauridsen Jr., who died Oct. 15 after being struck by a vehicle. Lauridsen was the brother-in-law of auditor and gubernatorial candidate Rob Sand. He is being remembered for his work helping those experiencing homelessness or substance abuse at Harvest Academy. Later in the hour, the University of Iowa has opened the state’s first Exercise Oncology Clinic. We explore the science of exercise as part of cancer care with Jessica Gorzelitz, director and founder of the Exercise Oncology Clinic.

Eight states, including Iowa, are suing OpenAI. On this Newsbuzz episode, we talk with William Morris of the 'Des Moines Register' about that lawsuit. IPR's Tom Barton joins us to discuss Trump's plans for Iowa rallies before the midterms. We also talk with IPR's Eliza Billingham about an Iowa City woman who was deported to a country she’s never lived in. We talk with Courtney Crowder of the 'Des Moines Register' about the questions facing a long time Des Moines radio station. And we meet Hidayat Nodin, writer in residence from Singapore, who takes us to a world where light is rented. Then, we groove into the weekend with IPR’s Lucius Pham.

Republicans and Democrats aren't the only choices on Iowa ballots. On this episode, we check in with third party and independent candidates. We talk with Libertarian candidate for U.S. Senate Thomas Laehn as well as three U.S. House candidates — Libertarian Rick Stewart and independent Dave Bushaw in the 2nd District, and independent Michael Bridgford in the 1st District. We discuss what it means to be running for office against the two-party system and many of the top issues on voters' minds.