An online academy associated with a southwest Iowa school district has seen a significant increase in interest from parents exploring education options during the pandemic. Dr. James Brauer, the principal of the Iowa Connections Academy, one of two "virtual" public schools in the state, said in … [Read more...]
U-I scientist retiring after 60 years of space projects
One of the University of Iowa's most accomplished space scientists is retiring. Professor Don Gurnett is retiring after spending more than six decades at the Iowa City institution, first as a rocket-building student, then as a professor and researcher. Gurnett enrolled at age 17 in the fall of … [Read more...]
Study shows electric cars lose driving range in extreme heat and cold
A new study that details how poorly electric cars perform during extremely cold weather likely isn't a surprise for anyone who already drives one of the plug-in vehicles. Nick Jarmusz, spokesman for AAA-Iowa, says this season of sleet, snow and super-low wind chills has a drastic impact on an … [Read more...]
Congressman King questions Google CEO about alleged political bias in search results
Iowa Congressman Steve King, a republican from Kiron, questioned the Google CEO Sundar Pichai Tuesday about alleged political biased search results. King asked during a House Judiciary Committee hearing why Google isn't more transparent about the roughly 1,000 member team which handles search … [Read more...]
Former U-I student given prison time for hacking computer and changing grades
A former University of Iowa wrestler is sentenced to prison for hacking the school's computer system. Twenty-three-year-old Trevor Graves pleaded guilty to unauthorized access and damaging the U-I network in 2015. Graves admitted to using what's called a key logger to get passwords from … [Read more...]
Iowa’s wind power ‘paramount’ to Apple’s decision on new data centers
If the energy from wind turbines hadn't been here, the chief executive of Apple today said his company would not have chosen Iowa as the site for two new data centers. During an interview with Radio Iowa this afternoon, Apple CEO Tim Cook called renewable energy "paramount" to the … [Read more...]
State officials focus ‘more visibility’ on cyber security (AUDIO)
The chief information officer for the State of Iowa joined the governor today in unveiling a report that outlines a new cyber security strategy for state government. Bob Von Wolffradt says state government is entrusted with a lot of data. "What we're trying to do is provide a lot more visibility on … [Read more...]
Iowa’s governor in California, making pitch at BIO conference
Governor Terry Branstad is in California today, at the BIO International Convention. He's touting a new state tax credit for companies that develop new uses for the byproducts left behind when ethanol and biodiesel are made. "I went to Montreal last year to tell them that we were proposing it. It … [Read more...]
Governor approves state standards for Uber, Lyft, other ride-sharing companies
The governor has signed a bill into law that sets up new statewide standards for internet-based ride-sharing services like Uber and Lyft. The new law requires background checks for drivers, to screen out those with criminal records or red flags in their driving records. Senator Tod Bowman, a … [Read more...]
Iowa DOT goes ‘paperless’ with construction contracts
The Iowa Department of Transportation pays hundreds of millions of dollars to the contractors working on Iowa's roads and bridges. DOT director Paul Trombino says his agency is managing all the "paperwork" for the projects -- without paper. "All of our contract documents are done electronically, … [Read more...]