
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.
| Publishes | Daily | Episodes | 210 | Founded | 6 years ago |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Number of Listeners | Categories | Daily NewsNewsPolitics | |||

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
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
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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.”
Interesting program but wording and expressions are definitely slanted. It is liberal leaning and must be listened with that in mind.
“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!
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!
Clay is an excellent radio host and always delivers fair and timely content. I’m really looking forward to this podcast!
Key themes from listener reviews, highlighting what works and what could be improved about the show.
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Apple Podcasts | #134 |
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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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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
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.
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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
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