With over 33,000 students the Des Moines Public Schools is the largest in Iowa and with that comes a host of challenges. Meet Dr. Tom Ahart who leads the effort to deliver high quality education while balancing budgets, 200 languages and a stingy Iowa Legislature. Some stunning facts in this extended conversation..
The award winning Insight on Business the News Hour with Michael Libbie is the only weekday, hour-long business broadcast in the Midwest. The national, regional and local business news along with long-form business interviews can be heard Monday - Friday starting at 5:00pm on AM-940. The Business News Hour is a production of Insight Advertising, Marketing & Communications through a business relationship with The Des Moines Radio Group. You can follow us on Twitter @IoB_NewsHour.
According to some in the "political class" there are no mental health issues in Iowa. "We're doing just fine..." If that is the case why do we see, time and again, individuals suffering with a mental health crisis murder family members, police officers and others? How is the lack of mental health treatment in Iowa impacting businesses and families. Finally, why has Iowa decided to move mental health treatment from clinics to jail cells? Our guest is Peggy Huppert from the National Alliance of Mental Illness - Iowa (NAMI-Iowa) those questions and more. And, because NAMI-Iowa continues to lobby for reality in mental health they must raise funds to do so...and we end the segment with a new adventure "Beautiful Minds" on May 19. To register, click here. We know this is a long, long-form interview but...please listen.
Insight on Business the News Hour with Michael Libbie is the only weekday, hour-long business broadcast in the Midwest. The national, regional and local business news along with long-form business interviews can be heard Monday - Friday starting at 5:00pm on AM-940. The Business News Hour is a production of Insight Advertising, Marketing & Communications through a business relationship with The Des Moines Radio Group. You can follow us on Twitter @IoB_NewsHour.
Meet Louisa Dykstra a public school advocate, Mom and voter. Much has been made over school choice this year and Louisa reminds us that we already have lots of choice when it comes to our children and how our children learn. We had a huge news-day when we hosted Louisa so this is rather short...but we'll have her back.
Insight on Business the News Hour with Michael Libbie is the only weekday, hour-long business broadcast in the Midwest. The national, regional and local business news along with long-form business interviews can be heard Monday - Friday starting at 5:05pm on AM-940. The Business News Hour is a production of Insight Advertising, Marketing & Communications through a business relationship with The Des Moines Radio Group. You can follow us on Twitter @IoB_NewsHour.
Recently the Iowa Legislature passed, and Gov. Branstad quickly signed into law, major changes to the collective barganing laws of the state. Today the Iowa State Education Association filed suit in District Court challenging the law on three major provisions they say violate the Iowa Constitution specific to the Uniformity Clause. On our Newsmaker line is Tammy Wawro, president of ISEA to discuss the merits of the case and help us better understand the position of professional teachers in Iowa.
Insight on Business the News Hour with Michael Libbie is the only weekday, hour-long business broadcast in the Midwest. The national, regional and local business news along with long-form business interviews can be heard Monday - Friday starting at 5:05pm on AM-940. The Business News Hour is a production of Insight Advertising, Marketing & Communications through a business relationship with The Des Moines Radio Group. You can follow us on Twitter @IoB_NewsHour.
A year ago, following several delays, Gov. Terry Branstad (R-IA) fostered upon the Medicaid health care system three for-profit managed care providers tasked with handling the care and payment of services for roughly 600,000 patients. The vast majority of these patients are children, the elderly and low income residents of the state. For months we have heard from Governor Branstad that the system is working. People are getting care and providers are being paid. Yet, we hear an entirely different story from providers and patients. This week we learned that an additional $225 million would be sent to Iowa from the Affordable Care Act coffers to pay for services. The very act Gov. Branstad did not support. Enter Katie Fergus, CPA who has years of experience in the finances of care providers and recently started her firm FinanSynergy which assists providers in everything from billing to cost containment. So, what is it really like for patients and health care providers in Iowa? We asked...
Insight on Business the News Hour with Michael Libbie is the only weekday, hour-long business broadcast in the Midwest. The national, regional and local business news along with long-form business interviews can be heard Monday - Friday starting at 5:05pm on AM-940. The Business News Hour is a production of Insight Advertising, Marketing & Communications through a business relationship with The Des Moines Radio Group. You can follow us on Twitter @IoB_NewsHour.
As legislators and school boards and teachers make decisions about education...who listens to the students? That is the question on the minds of the Iowa Student Learning Institute...bet you didn't know there was one. Here we talk with the ISLI president Justin Sindelar and member Taylor Larick about what they think should happen and about the upcoming Student Voice Rally scheduled for April 11. Good stuff here from two very mature and well spoken young people.
Insight on Business the News Hour with Michael Libbie is the only weekday, hour-long business broadcast in the Midwest. The national, regional and local business news along with long-form business interviews can be heard Monday - Friday starting at 5:05pm on AM-940. The Business News Hour is a production of Insight Advertising, Marketing & Communications through a business relationship with The Des Moines Radio Group. You can follow us on Twitter @IoB_NewsHour.
We've been doing the Business News Hour for a long time. Each weekday for nearly four years we've reported on the business news of the nation, region and the Greater Des Moines Metro. During that time we have watched the convergence of business and politics and that has changed the conversation. This interview is an example of that. Bill Stowe, the CEO of the Des Moines Water Works has been described as "The most hated man in Iowa" and as a "Moses standing up for the people against special interests". According to the Des Moines Water Works the Iowa Legislature, in a purely political move, is seeking to dismantle the Des Moines Water Works yet over 68% of the people served wish to preserve the business...and in the end it is a business. We talk about that, the drainage district lawsuit, polluted water, Flint, Michigan and more in this extended interview.
Insight on Business the News Hour with Michael Libbie is the only weekday, hour-long business broadcast in the Midwest. The national, regional and local business news along with long-form business interviews can be heard Monday - Friday starting at 5:05pm on AM-940. The Business News Hour is a production of Insight Advertising, Marketing & Communications through a business relationship with The Des Moines Radio Group. You can follow us on Twitter @IoB_NewsHour.
When we first read about Project Labor Agreements (PLA) and SSB 1145 working it's way through the Iowa Legislature we were intrigued as to what it meant for business, tax payers and workers. Greg Spenner from Associated Builders and Contractors contacted our office with a request to come on the air and discuss the bill and his organization. We set a date for the studio interview. After reading the documents from Mr. Spenner we then reached out to the Iowa State Building and Construction Trades Council (ISBCTC) president Bill Gerhard and asked if he would join us for a "point/counter-point" conversation. When we informed Mr. Spenner of this his group declined the offer. That is the back-story to this conversation.
Our guests are Andy Roberts Business Manager of the Plumbers and Fitters Local 33 and ISBCTC Vice President and Bill Gerhard, President of the Iowa State Building and Construction Trades Council. We discuss local control, safety, costs, apprenticeship programs and jobs. We think you'll find this interesting...
Insight on Business the News Hour with Michael Libbie is the only weekday, hour-long business broadcast in the Midwest. The national, regional and local business news along with long-form business interviews can be heard Monday - Friday starting at 5:05pm on AM-940. The Business News Hour is a production of Insight Advertising, Marketing & Communications through a business relationship with The Des Moines Radio Group. You can follow us on Twitter @IoB_NewsHour.
Health care in Iowa and the nation is in turmoil. During the course of the presidential campaign, now, President Donald Trump insisted he would "repeal and replace" the Affordable Care Act (Obamacare). The Republician members of Congress have also vowed to repeal the act but, as of now, there is no clear replacement for the 20 million Americans who now have health care insurance through the program. The American Hospital Association has made several trips to Washinton, D.C. in an attempt to get Congress to think about what they are doing and what impact it would have on patients, hospitals and the communities they serve. We asked the president of the Iowa Hospital Asociation, Kirk Norris to come to our studio and give us the position of the Iowa Hospital Association. From economic impact on communities to health care options to the current for-profit managed care program in Iowa we had lots to talk about. Please listen:
Insight on Business the News Hour with Michael Libbie is the only weekday, hour-long business broadcast in the Midwest. The national, regional and local business news along with long-form business interviews can be heard Monday - Friday starting at 5:05pm on AM-940, FM-104.5 and in HD at 103.3 HD2. The Business News Hour is a production of Insight Advertising, Marketing & Communications through a business relationship with The Des Moines Radio Group. You can follow us on Twitter @IoB_NewsHour.
Even thought I've known him for years I start this interview with former Iowa State Senator Jack Hatch with the admission I didn't realize the depth of his life-long involvement in progressive causes. We move from that into a conversation about his new book, No Surrender - Building a Progressive Agenda for Iowa with the Five Securities. In it Sen. Hatch not only points out the major problems within the Democratic Party, he also lists ways in which his party can reclaim the populist agenda. Something, he says, his party has drifted from. Have a listen...
Insight on Business the News Hour with Michael Libbie is the only weekday, hour-long business broadcast in the Midwest. The national, regional and local business news along with long-form business interviews can be heard Monday - Friday starting at 5:05pm on AM-940, FM-104.5 and in HD at 103.3 HD2. The Business News Hour is a production of Insight Advertising, Marketing & Communications through a business relationship with The Des Moines Radio Group. You can follow us on Twitter @IoB_NewsHour.
