Clay Masters

Iowa's freshman Sen. Joni Ernst hosted a herd of potential Republican presidential candidates for her first-ever Roast and Ride event, asserting herself as a force in presidential politics.

Obamacare provided billions in seed money to help establish insurance companies called co-ops. One of the biggest has now gone under, and its state overseer is telling clients to switch carriers.

National Park Service officials approved $3 million in illegal construction projects over a decade that damaged one of the nation's most sacred Indian burial sites in northeast Iowa.

Guitarist and songwriter David Dondero has been touring the world and putting out records for nearly two decades. He's a favorite among critics and other musicians, but he's barely making a living — and he seems fine with that.

Iowa initially chose not to expand Medicaid to thousands of beneficiaries under the Affordable Care Act. But it's come up with a plan that uses federal money to pay for expansion, while writing its own rules. Beneficiaries will have to pay a small premium, for instance.

Just as e-books have begun working their way into libraries, librarians are grappling with how to embrace digital music. At the Iowa City Public Library, an unusual licensing arrangement with local artists is having some success.

After years spent working as a Nashville sideman, the 33-year-old guitarist is making his name as an instrumental soloist. While his songs lack lyrics, they're not short on backstory.

The Mississippi River is at historically low levels. The Army Corps of Engineers says the river will likely be able to stay open through the month, but soon it may be too shallow in parts for barge traffic. There have been calls for the corps to release water from reservoirs along the Mississippi.

The drought is beginning to really sink its teeth into the Midwest. More than three-quarters of the nation's corn acres are in a drought zone. In Iowa, Illinois and Indiana, corn crops are burning up and its causing commodity prices to shoot up. Suburban residents are paying to water their lawns, but it isn't doing much good.

A high level of investment in agriculture is driving up land prices, making it harder for new farmers to afford their own. And banks simply aren't lending to higher-risk first-time farmers. Unless young people are left farmland by their family, they're out of luck, one banker explains.