Katarina Sostaric
State Government ReporterExpertise: Reporting, writing and producing stories to help IPR listeners and readers understand their state government and how it affects Iowans' lives
Education: University of Missouri
Favorite Iowa Destination: Loess Hills hiking trails
Experience:
- Covered local and statewide government issues, local community issues and other news for IPR, as part of the Alaska public radio network, and KBIA in Columbia, Mo
- Has reported and written features on all branches of Iowa's state government, including continued coverage throughout the duration of each annual legislative session
- Is a multi-award-winning reporter, including a regional Edward R. Murrow and an Iowa Broadcast News Association award for her coverage of abortion rights in Iowa and several Eric Sevareid awards for reporting on Iowa's strict time limit on sexual abuse lawsuits, voting rights, social isolation of nursing home residents during the COVID-19 pandemic and the drop in family planning services
- Regularly appears on Iowa Press on Iowa PBS, where she interviews elected officials
- Has reported and produced features for All Things Considered
- Serves as the secretary of the Iowa Capitol Press Association
- Served as a mentor for NPR’s Next Generation Radio in Iowa
Contact Katarina at ksostaric@iowapublicradio.org.
My Favorite Stories
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Iowa's Glenwood Resource Center, which was once home to hundreds of people with disabilities, grabbed national headlines about four years ago when federal investigators found senior staff were conducting harmful human subject experiments and providing poor medical care. It will close on June 30. -
Immigrants and advocates held rallies and marches in four Iowa cities Wednesday evening to protest a law set to take effect July 1 that will allow state and local officials to arrest and deport immigrants who illegally re-entered the country. -
More Iowans with disabilities who work could qualify for government-funded health coverage through Medicaid under a bill in the Iowa House of Representatives. But those who have been pushing for changes say it wouldn’t go far enough to ensure disabled Iowans can continue to receive services if they get a job promotion or get married. -
Iowa’s strict time limit on suing perpetrators of childhood sexual abuse means Iowa victims could see their financial compensation from the Boy Scouts of America reduced by 55 to 70% compared to victims in other states. Sen. Tim Kraayenbrink filed a bill Monday to prevent that from happening. -
A bill advanced Wednesday in the Iowa House of Representatives would limit Iowans’ ability to sue pesticide companies when their products are linked to serious health problems.
My Latest Stories
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Refugees in Iowa are learning they are no longer eligible for SNAP benefits. The federal government has ordered states to start enforcing a part of the One Big Beautiful Bill that cuts off food assistance for refugees and many other types of immigrants with legal status. -
Zach Lahn is the fifth Republican to officially launch a campaign for Iowa governor. He said he is his "own biggest donor" who "can't be bought." -
The state of Iowa will pay $600,000 to settle a wrongful termination lawsuit brought by former Iowa Department of Public Health Communications Director Polly Carver-Kimm, who claimed she was forced to resign for attempting to comply with Iowa’s open records law. -
The food assistance program, SNAP, is headed into November without federal funding. Gov. Kim Reynolds said the state will match cash donations to Iowa food banks up to $1 million to help fill the gap. -
Election Day is Tuesday, Nov. 4 — the final day for Iowans to vote in the 2025 election. Polling places are open from 7 a.m. to 8 p.m. on Tuesday for in-person voting. The deadline for returning an absentee ballot is also on Tuesday. -
Iowa's 4th District U.S. Rep. Randy Feenstra launched his campaign with a news release Tuesday after exploring a run for months. He is the fourth Republican to formally join the race for the GOP nomination for governor of Iowa. -
About 131,000 low-income Iowa households may not receive SNAP benefits at the beginning of November because of the government shutdown. Food pantries and food banks in Iowa are preparing for “unprecedented” need. -
Republican U.S. Senate candidate Jim Carlin said businesses and government regulations are creating monopolies that drive costs up for American families. He also said he's the right candidate to help preserve President Trump's legacy after he leaves office. -
Gov. Kim Reynolds released 45 recommendations Tuesday made by her Iowa DOGE Task Force. She said there has been misinformation about changes to IPERS, and she assured public employees that their pensions are not going anywhere. -
Iowa will have to dip further into its reserves to cover a larger budget gap than expected as federal tax changes add to the impact of state tax cuts. Republican leaders say they have saved enough money to pay the state's bills, while Democrats say the majority party is mismanaging the state's finances.
