Rephonic
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Iowa
Bird Flu
Glenwood Resource Center
Flooding
Spencer
Abortion Law
FEMA
Northwest Iowa
Iowa Supreme Court
Flood Recovery
Iowa Attorney General's Office
Iowa Immigration Law
Nicholas Gluba
Libertarian Party
Cold Cases
Eating Disorder Coalition Of Iowa
Des Moines Police Department
Historic Flooding
Mississippi River
Opioid Settlement

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
Daily NewsPoliticsNews

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Artwork for Here First

Latest Episodes

Hundreds of people attended a legal observer training in Cedar Rapids. A Democrat has announced his run for state treasurer. And a conversation with the first Iowan to make the U.S. Olympic speedskating team.

Iowa Democrats will get a chance to make their case for one of the early slots in the 2028 presidential nominating process. Iowa farmers are hopeful about President Trump’s call to expand the sale of E15 gasoline. And Johnson County supervisors recen... more

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There are bills proposed in response to the arrest of former Des Moines superintendent Ian Roberts. Political party leaders are getting ready for the Iowa Caucuses. And how are dairy farmers dealing with dropping milk prices?

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House Republican state lawmakers are proposing bills they say would be tough on crime. John Deere is hiring back some workers it laid off last year. And how are Iowa farmers accessing mental health services?

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Key Facts

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Recent Guests

Brandon Bradshaw
Accused of illegally painting flowers on manhole covers
Episode: Thursday, January 22nd, 2026
Laura Gale
Student organizer of the protest
Episode: Wednesday, January 21st, 2026
Aaron Layman
President of Iowa Farmers Union
Iowa Farmers Union
Episode: Wednesday, January 21st, 2026
Cindy Garlock
Board member of Cedar Rapids School Board
Episode: Wednesday, January 21st, 2026
Raiden Parvoo
Student protest organizer
Episode: Wednesday, January 21st, 2026
Rob Sand
Democratic gubernatorial candidate and state auditor
Iowa Government
Episode: Wednesday, December 17th, 2025
Kedron Bardwell
Political science professor at Simpson College
Simpson College
Episode: Wednesday, December 17th, 2025
Chris Jones
A retired University of Iowa researcher who leads a nonprofit group focused on water quality
Driftless Water Defenders
Episode: Monday, November 17th, 2025
Dave Bishaw
A 31-year-old labor organizer and musician who is running as an independent in the 2nd Congressional District.
Episode: Thursday, November 13th, 2025

Host

Meghan McKinney
Host of Here First, delivering top news stories from Iowa in under ten minutes each morning.

Reviews

4.9 out of 5 stars from 85 ratings
  • 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 States3 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
  • Wanna know? Listen to this podcast—

    Comprehensive, understandable, timely, accurate information. Thank you!

    Apple Podcasts
    5
    pkatrinka
    United States5 years ago

Listeners Say

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

Listeners appreciate the concise format, making it a perfect morning companion for busy lives.
Feedback highlights the importance of fair and accurate reporting, with occasional critiques about political biases observed in the content.
There is a strong emphasis on local news coverage, which resonates well with Iowans eager for relevant updates.

Chart Rankings

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

Talking Points

Recent interactions between the hosts and their guests.

Monday, January 26th, 2026
Q: What are House Democrats proposing regarding water quality?
They're proposing more funding and new tax credits for farmers who adopt practices that improve water quality, building on Iowa's current voluntary approach.
Monday, January 26th, 2026
Q: How do the three property tax proposals compare?
Governor Reynolds' and House Republicans' proposals aim to prevent local revenue from growing beyond 2% a year, while Senate Republicans propose ties to inflation for flexibility.
Thursday, October 16th, 2025
Q: How does a domestic violence situation escalate to a domestic violence homicide?
It often starts with non-physical violence but may escalate to severe physical violence, especially after strangulation occurs.
Thursday, October 16th, 2025
Q: Why is domestic violence homicide rising in Iowa?
Economic difficulties and lack of affordable housing contribute to this increase.
Thursday, October 16th, 2025
Q: Who is most likely to commit domestic violence homicide in Iowa?
The aggressors are typically current or former partners of the victims.

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?

This daily news podcast provides a quick, accessible overview of the most important local stories affecting Iowans. Covering a range of topics including politics, healthcare, education, and community events, it aims to deliver essential news in under ten minutes, making it an ideal choice for busy listeners seeking to stay informed. Each episode typically features a blend of breaking news, political insights, and updates on significant regional issues, all presented in a straightforward manner that is likely to resonate with a diverse audience. Unique to the format is its focus on local affairs, ensuring that listeners are connected to their community with relevant information every morning.

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. The NPR Politics Podcast
3. Up First from NPR
4. Wait Wait... Don't Tell Me!
5. Sources & Methods

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. Brandon Bradshaw
2. Laura Gale
3. Aaron Layman
4. Cindy Garlock
5. Raiden Parvoo
6. Rob Sand
7. Kedron Bardwell
8. Chris Jones

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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