Rephonic
Artwork for Here First
Iowa
Des Moines
University Of Iowa
Trump Administration
Donald Trump
Iowa State University
Cedar Rapids
Affordable Care Act
SNAP
USDA
Governor Kim Reynolds
Iowa Public Radio
Charlie Kirk
Agriculture
Iowa National Guard
Republican Party
ICE
Kim Reynolds
Iowa Senate
Jeffrey Epstein

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.

PublishesDailyEpisodes210Founded5 years ago
Number of ListenersCategories
NewsDaily NewsPolitics

Listen to this Podcast

Artwork for Here First

Latest Episodes

The governor has signed a bill that requires immigration status checks for public workers. Death is more likely to occur in domestic violence when a gun is involved. And how have 1970's federal laws cleaned up rivers in the U.S.?

A new study will look at how environmental factors affect Iowan's health. Governor Kim Reynolds reflects on her last legislative session as governor. And former residents of a teen treatment center in Missouri say they were abused there.

Zach Lahn, who didn't receive President Trump's endorsement, will be the Republican candidate for Iowa governor. Josh Turek will be the Democratic candidate for Iowa's open U.S. Senate seat. And Governor Kim Reynolds has signed a few crime related bi... more

YouTube

There has been a mass shooting in Muscatine that has left seven people dead. Residents in Palo voiced their thoughts on a proposed data center ordinance. And today is the last day Iowans can vote in the primary elections.

YouTube

Key Facts

Contact Information
Podcast Host
Number of Listeners
Find out how many people listen to this podcast per episode and each month.

Similar Podcasts

People also subscribe to these shows.

Recent Guests

Christina Bohannon
Candidate in Iowa's first district congressional race
Political Candidate
Episode: Tuesday, May 26th, 2026
Monica Arora
Chief Medical Officer at the new state-of-the-art facility
Methodist Jenny Edmundson
Episode: Friday, May 22nd, 2026
Anna Pope
Harvest Public Media reporter
Harvest Public Media
Episode: Friday, May 22nd, 2026
Mundy McCarty
President and CEO of Hoover Presidential Foundation
Hoover Presidential Library and Museum
Episode: Friday, May 22nd, 2026
Joe Mitchell
Republican candidate for the Second District House seat
Politics
Episode: Tuesday, May 19th, 2026
Charlie McClintock
Iowa Senator and candidate for the Second District House seat
Politics
Episode: Tuesday, May 19th, 2026
Zach Wahls
Democratic US Senate candidate, state senator from Coralville
Democratic Party
Episode: Friday, May 15th, 2026
Zach Walls
Democratic US. Senate candidate
Democratic candidate, Iowa
Episode: Thursday, May 14th, 2026
Isabella Liu
IPR News reporter
IPR
Episode: Tuesday, May 12th, 2026

Host

Meghan McKinney
Host of Here First

Reviews

4.9 out of 5 stars from 89 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 States3 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 States5 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 States5 years ago

Listeners Say

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

Many describe it as a reliable daily caffeine-fix of local and state news.
Listeners appreciate concise, clear morning briefings that catch them up fast.
Feedback notes perceived slant by some, highlighting the importance of balanced context for certain topics.

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?

Morning daily briefing that covers Iowa-focused politics, policy, and public life in under 10 minutes. Listeners tune in for concise updates on government actions, state budgeting, infrastructure, and healthcare, with occasional deep dives into education, agriculture, and regional issues. The show consistently features on-the-ground reporting from Iowa Public Radio correspondents and guest perspectives from politicians, watchdog reporters, and local experts. Its short, fast-paced format makes it a reliable quick-read of what's shaping Iowa each day, often tying policy changes to practical everyday impacts. Noteworthy elements include a steady emphasis on state policy, transparent reporting, and timely context around elections and public hea... more

Where can I find podcast stats for Here First?

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.

How many listeners does Here First get?

Rephonic provides a full set of podcast information for three million podcasts, including the number of listeners. View further listenership figures for Here First, including podcast download numbers and subscriber numbers, so you can make better decisions about which podcasts to sponsor or be a guest on. You will need to upgrade your account to access this premium data.

What are the audience demographics for Here First?

Rephonic provides comprehensive predictive audience data for Here First, including gender skew, age, country, political leaning, income, professions, education level, and interests. You can access these listener demographics by upgrading your account.

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. Talk of Iowa
3. Up First from NPR
4. The NPR Politics Podcast
5. Trump's Terms

How many episodes of Here First are there?

Here First launched 5 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.

Where can I see ratings and reviews for Here First?

Rephonic pulls ratings and reviews for Here First from multiple sources, including Spotify, Apple Podcasts, Castbox, and Podcast Addict.

View all the reviews in one place instead of visiting each platform individually and use this information to decide if a show is worth pitching or not.

How do I access podcast episode transcripts for Here First?

Rephonic provides full transcripts for episodes of Here First. Search within each transcript for your keywords, whether they be topics, brands or people, and figure out if it's worth pitching as a guest or sponsor. You can even set-up alerts to get notified when your keywords are mentioned.

What guests have appeared on Here First?

Recent guests on Here First include:

1. Christina Bohannon
2. Monica Arora
3. Anna Pope
4. Mundy McCarty
5. Joe Mitchell
6. Charlie McClintock
7. Zach Wahls
8. Zach Walls

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.

Find and pitch the right podcasts

We help savvy brands, marketers and PR professionals to find the right podcasts for any topic or niche. Get the data and contacts you need to pitch podcasts at scale and turn listeners into customers.
Try it free for 7 days