Rephonic
Artwork for Here First
Iowa
Des Moines
Donald Trump
University Of Iowa
Affordable Care Act
Des Moines, United States
SNAP
Trump Administration
Rob Sand
Governor Kim Reynolds
Iowa National Guard
Republican Party
Iowa Politics
Agriculture
Cedar Rapids
Sioux City
Iowa State University
Iowa Public Radio
Property Tax Reform
Iowa Democratic Party

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.

PublishesDailyEpisodes210Founded6 years ago
Number of ListenersCategories
Daily NewsNewsPolitics

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Artwork for Here First

Latest Episodes

Many public schools in Iowa are trying to navigate rising costs and low enrollment. Iowa has been burning more coal to produce electricity than in the past. And data center opposition is growing in the Midwest.

The U.S. secretary of agriculture is in Iowa this week. Synthetic Kratom fatal overdoses are higher than last year. And a central Iowa town wants to add a local option sales tax.

A new data analysis suggests there are more heat-related deaths than what's reported by the CDC. Candidates for Iowa's First Congressional District share their plans for addressing Iowa's high cancer rate. And the Center for Intellectual Freedom at U... more

YouTube

Republicans and Democrats held big rallies in central Iowa over the weekend, with Election Day just about two months away. The price of ground beef has passed $7 a pound, and an economist is not confident it will come down soon. And the DNR has been ... more

YouTube

Key Facts

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Podcast Host
Number of Listeners
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Recent Guests

Mike Naig
Iowa Secretary of Agriculture (incumbent)
Iowa Department of Agriculture and Land Stewardship
Episode: Thursday, August 20th, 2026
Pete Hegseth
Guest, commentator featured at the state fair
Fox News / Public affairs donor context implied
Episode: Tuesday, August 18th, 2026
Ashley Hinson
U.S. Representative, Republican from Marion
U.S. Congress
Episode: Tuesday, August 18th, 2026
Art Stead
Iowa state senator living with Parkinson's
Iowa State Senate
Episode: Wednesday, August 12th, 2026
Luke Nozicka
Reporter for The Midwest Newsroom
Midwest Newsroom
Episode: Wednesday, August 12th, 2026
Doug Sample
Individual with multiple sclerosis sharing lived experience with Medicaid and accessibility issues
Private (subject of interview)
Episode: Tuesday, August 11th, 2026
Tadeo Ruiz-Sandoval
Harvest Public Media reporter contributing the farm economy segment
Harvest Public Media
Episode: Friday, August 7th, 2026
Trent Fellers
Public Affairs Manager for Google
Google
Episode: Tuesday, August 4th, 2026
Zach Lane
Republican candidate for governor
Campaign for Governor
Episode: Tuesday, August 4th, 2026

Host

Meghan McKinney
Host focusing on local Iowa news, politics, and policy with IPR News support.

Reviews

4.9 out of 5 stars from 90 ratings
  • News Delivery

    Listening to Meghan deliver news each morning feels like drinking coffee with a good friend who says, “Hey, here’s what’s going on. Thanks for listening.”

    Apple Podcasts
    5
    Central Iowa Katie
    United States6 months ago
  • Language not neutral

    Interesting program but wording and expressions are definitely slanted. It is liberal leaning and must be listened with that in mind.

    Apple Podcasts
    3
    iMallears
    United States4 years ago
  • Great start to the day!

    “Here First” has become my go-to morning listen for a quick overview of state news and the occasional in depth coverage of other issues affecting the Midwest. It’s right up there with coffee as my morning must-have!

    Apple Podcasts
    5
    AnnAppleseth
    United States5 years ago
  • So happy this exists

    Thank you so much IPR for creating this podcast, I often cannot reach IPR on normal radio hours but having this resource is perfect for me to listen more about Iowa specific news!

    I am a daily Up First listener, so this was an instant subscribe! Great idea, I appreciate everything IPR does for us in Iowa!

    Apple Podcasts
    5
    1234569274
    United States6 years ago
  • Very excited for this

    Clay is an excellent radio host and always delivers fair and timely content. I’m really looking forward to this podcast!

    Apple Podcasts
    5
    Avanorny
    United States6 years ago

Listeners Say

Key themes from listener reviews, highlighting what works and what could be improved about the show.

Listeners note fair, balanced coverage with practical context for policy decisions.
Audiences appreciate local focus and timely reporting on topics affecting Iowa communities.
Observers praise concise, dependable updates that fit into a busy morning routine.

Chart Rankings

How this podcast ranks in the Apple Podcasts, Spotify and YouTube charts.

Talking Points

Recent interactions between the hosts and their guests.

Friday, March 13th, 2026
Q: How would you describe what's going on in the world right now, in our country, affecting immigrant and refugee students?
Neibolt describes how immigration policies and safety concerns are shaping decisions for students and families, including self-deportation, moving to more welcoming places, and the pressure on pursuing higher education despite obstacles. She emphasizes the emotional impact and the need for supportive programs like RISE to provide pathways to college.
Monday, February 23rd, 2026
Q: Were there some proposals that advanced last week?
Most bills passed and are still alive, including legislation on eminent domain and changes to school vaccine requirements.
Monday, February 23rd, 2026
Q: Republican lawmakers reached an agreement on K-12 school funding. What's the latest deal?
Republican leaders landed on a 2% increase for K-12 per student funding, amounting to additional funding but raising concerns from educators about inflation not being met.
Monday, February 9th, 2026
Q: What is related to last year's changes to the state civil rights code?
Governor Kim Reynolds' new bill would prevent local governments from having civil rights policies differing from state law, which follows the removal of protections for transgender individuals in the previous year.
Monday, February 9th, 2026
Q: What are lawmakers who support this bill saying about why it's needed?
They argue that it is necessary to award opportunities based on merit rather than race or gender and to align state laws with recent Republican initiatives limiting diversity efforts.

Audience Metrics

Listeners, social reach, demographics and more for this podcast.

Listeners per Episode
Gender Skew
Location
Interests
Professions
Age Range
Household Income
Social Media Reach

Frequently Asked Questions About Here First

What is Here First about and what kind of topics does it cover?

A concise morning briefing that rounds up local Iowa news, politics, and policy with a focus on how policy decisions affect everyday life. Episodes often weave in reporting on data centers, local government, education, environmental issues, and health policy, complemented by long-form features on agriculture and regional trends. Notable strengths include fast-paced, bill-by-bill context, and a steady stream of expert and local voices to illuminate both policy and community impact. Listeners likely appreciate clarity, timeliness, and practical implications for residents and businesses alike.

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Rephonic provides a wide range of podcast stats for Here First. We scanned the web and collated all of the information that we could find in our comprehensive podcast database. See how many people listen to Here First and access YouTube viewership numbers, download stats, audience demographics, chart rankings, ratings, reviews and more.

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How many subscribers and views does Here First have?

To see how many followers or subscribers Here First has on Spotify and other platforms such as Castbox and Podcast Addict, simply upgrade your account. You'll also find viewership figures for their YouTube channel if they have one.

Which podcasts are similar to Here First?

These podcasts share a similar audience with Here First:

1. River to River
2. Up First from NPR
3. Consider This from NPR
4. The Daily
5. The NPR Politics Podcast

How many episodes of Here First are there?

Here First launched 6 years ago and published 210 episodes to date. You can find more information about this podcast including rankings, audience demographics and engagement in our podcast database.

How do I contact Here First?

Our systems regularly scour the web to find email addresses and social media links for this podcast. We scanned the web and collated all of the contact information that we could find in our podcast database. But in the unlikely event that you can't find what you're looking for, our concierge service lets you request our research team to source better contacts for you.

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What guests have appeared on Here First?

Recent guests on Here First include:

1. Mike Naig
2. Pete Hegseth
3. Ashley Hinson
4. Art Stead
5. Luke Nozicka
6. Doug Sample
7. Tadeo Ruiz-Sandoval
8. Trent Fellers

To view more recent guests and their details, simply upgrade your Rephonic account. You'll also get access to a typical guest profile to help you decide if the show is worth pitching.

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