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Microsoft's AI epicenter is an Iowa water hog

Company is told it must "significantly reduce peak water usage" before expanding.

News

How Iowans are helping Ukrainians raise hogs

Raising pigs is a more profitable way of using grain supply.

Dog euthanizations on the rise in Des Moines

The Animal Rescue League of Iowa's dog intakes are also up.

Kum & Go officially sells

Maverik — Adventure's First Stop is now the nation's 11th largest convenience store chain.

Business

Iowa COVID-19 levels, hospitalizations rise

Hospitalizations still remain far below their pandemic-era peak.

COVID

COVID-19 hospitalization rates across Iowa rose 5% between June and July amid signs of a late <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="summer wave sweeping the country" data-vars-click-url="https://www.axios.com/2023/08/17/covid-19-cases-2023-uptick-where-why" data-vars-content-id="2bc374c7-bafc-49d8-88fd-db62a74bd06b" data-vars-headline="Iowa COVID-19 levels, hospitalizations rise" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.axios.com/2023/08/17/covid-19-cases-2023-uptick-where-why" target="_self">summer wave sweeping the country</a>.Why it matters: Many of us have put COVID in our rearview mirrors, leaving Americans potentially mentally and practically ill-prepared for another wave.

Illustration of a pattern of covid particles and positive signs.

Iowa struggling to analyze emerging COVID-19 variants

Researchers are asking health facilities to send in more positive tests.

Health

The State Hygienic Laboratory at the University of Iowa is receiving too few positive COVID-19 tests to reliably monitor the virus, making it harder for researchers to detect new strains in recent months.Why it matters: Keeping track of emerging COVID trends and data can help health officials prevent surges and figure out the most helpful vaccines.

New Omicron variant begins spreading in Iowa

XBB.1.5 makes up about 28% of COVID cases in the country.

The <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="XBB.1.5 COVID-19 subvariant" data-vars-click-url="https://www.axios.com/2022/10/18/new-covid-variants-october-2022" data-vars-content-id="447ac609-5749-49fb-86ac-25203c69a81d" data-vars-headline="New Omicron variant begins spreading in Iowa" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.axios.com/2022/10/18/new-covid-variants-october-2022" target="_self">XBB.1.5 COVID-19 subvariant</a> — a new version of the <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="Omicron" data-vars-click-url="https://www.axios.com/2022/06/01/coronavirus-vaccine-omicron-variants" data-vars-content-id="447ac609-5749-49fb-86ac-25203c69a81d" data-vars-headline="New Omicron variant begins spreading in Iowa" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.axios.com/2022/06/01/coronavirus-vaccine-omicron-variants" target="_self">Omicron</a> variant — is slowly growing in Iowa.State of play: XBB.1.5 makes up about 28% of COVID cases in the country and is the fourth most prevalent strain here in Iowa.

Illustration of a COVID virus cell being overshadowed by a significantly larger COVID virus cell. 

When Iowans should get the new COVID vaccine booster

If you're 60 and older or immunocompromised, you should get it as soon as possible.

The updated COVID-19 booster started rolling out this week in Des Moines. As winter approaches, health officials say some people should start making plans to get it as soon as possible. Why it matters: COVID-19 has mutated so quickly that vaccinations were in need of an update to target strains like Omicron that now account for the majority of U.S. cases, writes Axios&#x27; <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="Tina Reed and Adriel Bettelheim" data-vars-click-url="https://www.axios.com/2022/09/01/what-to-know-about-new-covid-boosters" data-vars-content-id="ade05838-bbc9-41fe-bfb3-cc29aec1497f" data-vars-headline="When Iowans should get the new COVID vaccine booster" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.axios.com/2022/09/01/what-to-know-about-new-covid-boosters" target="_self">Tina Reed and Adriel Bettelheim</a>.

Illustration of a person's arm with multiple bandaids on it. 

Travel up, COVID precautions down as Iowa heads into Labor Day

COVID hospitalizations in Iowa are more than 80% lower than in late 2020.

Most Americans are not taking extra steps to avoid COVID-19 before they go on vacation, according to an <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="Axios/Ipsos Coronavirus Index" data-vars-click-url="https://www.ipsos.com/en-us/news-polls/axios-ipsos-coronavirus-index" data-vars-content-id="e74609c5-724a-4f91-9bf8-09c502563a18" data-vars-headline="Travel up, COVID precautions down as Iowa heads into Labor Day" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.ipsos.com/en-us/news-polls/axios-ipsos-coronavirus-index" target="_blank">Axios/Ipsos Coronavirus Index</a> taken a few weeks ago.Why it matters: The perception of personal risk has fallen to the point where even more frequent hand washing and sanitizing — the most common precaution — is not in play for most travelers, <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="Axios&#x27; Adriel Bettelheim reports." data-vars-click-url="https://www.axios.com/2022/08/16/axios-ipsos-poll-covid-vacations" data-vars-content-id="e74609c5-724a-4f91-9bf8-09c502563a18" data-vars-headline="Travel up, COVID precautions down as Iowa heads into Labor Day" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.axios.com/2022/08/16/axios-ipsos-poll-covid-vacations" target="_self">Axios&#x27; Adriel Bettelheim reports.</a>

CDC estimates 85% of Iowa kids have had COVID

The CDC estimates It estimates the percentage of people between 6 months and 17 years old with antibodies against the virus in their blood.

Nearly 85% of Iowa kids have already been infected with COVID-19, <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="new CDC data show" data-vars-click-url="https://link.axios.com/click/28805559.54/aHR0cHM6Ly9jb3ZpZC5jZGMuZ292L2NvdmlkLWRhdGEtdHJhY2tlci8_dXRtX3NvdXJjZT1uZXdzbGV0dGVyJnV0bV9tZWRpdW09ZW1haWwmdXRtX2NhbXBhaWduPXNlbmR0b19sb2NhbG5ld3NsZXR0ZXJ0ZXN0JnN0cmVhbT10b3AjcGVkaWF0cmljLXNlcm9wcmV2YWxlbmNl/6000782188cdd8159c5b680eCdce48cc6" data-vars-content-id="bb7d03ec-60ff-4058-9bb7-52066a7675ae" data-vars-headline="CDC estimates 85% of Iowa kids have had COVID" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://link.axios.com/click/28805559.54/aHR0cHM6Ly9jb3ZpZC5jZGMuZ292L2NvdmlkLWRhdGEtdHJhY2tlci8_dXRtX3NvdXJjZT1uZXdzbGV0dGVyJnV0bV9tZWRpdW09ZW1haWwmdXRtX2NhbXBhaWduPXNlbmR0b19sb2NhbG5ld3NsZXR0ZXJ0ZXN0JnN0cmVhbT10b3AjcGVkaWF0cmljLXNlcm9wcmV2YWxlbmNl/6000782188cdd8159c5b680eCdce48cc6" target="_blank">new CDC data show</a>.Driving the news: The CDC released the results of its latest pediatric antibody seroprevalence survey last week.

Nearly 3,000 of Iowa's COVID deaths were preventable, analysis finds

The U.S. passed the grim milestone of 1 million COVID deaths this week.

Vaccines could have prevented nearly 3,000 COVID-related deaths in Iowa between January 2021 and last month, according to <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="a new analysis" data-vars-click-url="https://globalepidemics.org/vaccinations/" data-vars-content-id="3f1aae57-d29e-4c90-9758-990e09b6d626" data-vars-headline="Nearly 3,000 of Iowa&#x27;s COVID deaths were preventable, analysis finds" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://globalepidemics.org/vaccinations/" target="_blank">a new analysis</a> by Brown University&#x27;s School of Public Health.The big picture: The analysis suggests that roughly half of the more than 641,000 deaths nationwide since 2021 could have been prevented, <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="Axios&#x27; Tina Reed reports" data-vars-click-url="https://www.axios.com/2022/05/16/covid-vaccines-preventable-deaths" data-vars-content-id="3f1aae57-d29e-4c90-9758-990e09b6d626" data-vars-headline="Nearly 3,000 of Iowa&#x27;s COVID deaths were preventable, analysis finds" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.axios.com/2022/05/16/covid-vaccines-preventable-deaths" target="_self">Axios&#x27; Tina Reed reports</a>.

Des Moines may mask back up, mayor says

Des Moines may reinstate a mask policy if cases continue to escalate, <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="Mayor Frank Cownie warned" data-vars-click-url="https://youtu.be/UleJZA3m-o0?t=1604" data-vars-content-id="495798c0-bbab-4a9c-8863-885b23dc9df4" data-vars-headline="Des Moines may mask back up, mayor says" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://youtu.be/UleJZA3m-o0?t=1604" target="_blank">Mayor Frank Cownie warned</a> during a council work session Tuesday.Driving the news: Iowa averaged around 505 new COVID cases per day in the last week, according to <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="The New York Times tracker" data-vars-click-url="https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2021/us/iowa-covid-cases.html" data-vars-content-id="495798c0-bbab-4a9c-8863-885b23dc9df4" data-vars-headline="Des Moines may mask back up, mayor says" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2021/us/iowa-covid-cases.html" target="_blank">The New York Times tracker</a>. That&#x27;s more than double the average two weeks ago.

Report: U.S. meatpackers pushed plants to stay open despite ample supply

An executive order protected the industry from shutdowns and stricter oversight.

Leaders of several large U.S. meatpacking companies pushed the narrative that meat was in short supply in the country back in April 2020, despite sitting on ample supply, according to a U.S. House committee report released Thursday. Why it matters: That was one of the narratives used by industry leaders to pass an executive order that protected meatpackers from shutdowns and stricter oversight by local health departments, despite mass COVID-19 infections within factories.

World Food Prize recipients warn G7 of growing hunger crisis

45 million people are living on the edge of famine, according to the World Food Programme.

Food and Drink

More than two dozen <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="World Food Prize" data-vars-click-url="https://www.worldfoodprize.org/" data-vars-content-id="d30ef9a3-8a0d-48c0-bc01-61d241331658" data-vars-headline="World Food Prize recipients warn G7 of growing hunger crisis" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.worldfoodprize.org/" target="_blank">World Food Prize</a> recipients are calling for more action on three problems they say threaten to reverse progress in the fight against world hunger: COVID-19, climate change and conflict.Why it matters: 45 million people are living on the edge of famine, according to the <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="World Food Programme" data-vars-click-url="https://www.wfp.org/stories/45-million-people-are-famines-door" data-vars-content-id="d30ef9a3-8a0d-48c0-bc01-61d241331658" data-vars-headline="World Food Prize recipients warn G7 of growing hunger crisis" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.wfp.org/stories/45-million-people-are-famines-door" target="_blank">World Food Programme</a>.

COVID 🦠