Kate Payne
Kate Payne is an Iowa City-based reporter for Iowa Public Radio. Before she came to the Hawkeye State she was a reporter and fill-in host for WFSU, the NPR member station in Tallahassee, Florida. Kate has won awards for her political and feature reporting and her sound editing.
Kate is a proud Florida native, an avid reader and loves experimenting in the kitchen.
You can send her story tips and road trip ideas at kpayne@iowapublicradio.org.
Kate's favorite public radio program is Wait Wait...Don't Tell Me!
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Florida is counting more cases of measles as the state's surgeon general defies federal guidelines and declines to urge people to vaccinate their children.
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Miami public schools are experiencing significant growth as a historic number of students from other countries have moved into the district. Schools that were under capacity are now filling up.
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A year ago, a powerful derecho in Iowa downed tens-of-thousands of trees in a matter of minutes. Residents are trying to reforest their communities in a more resilient and equitable way.
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NPR looks at voting in Iowa on Election Day 2020, where final polls have showed President Trump and Joe Biden in a close heat. Absentee voting in the state has seen large numbers.
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As many as 30% of Iowa voters could be affected by polling place closures, according to a new analysis by NPR, the Center for Public Integrity and Stateline. -
Sen. Joni Ernst, R-Iowa, is considered one of the most vulnerable incumbents in the Senate. Her path to reelection is complicated by her past statements about how she'd handle a Supreme Court vacancy.
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Iowa's tight-knit Burmese community is inundated by the coronavirus. Many work at meatpacking plants and estimates are as high as 70% being infected, with entire families struggling to cope.
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Meatpacking workers are scared to work as the coronavirus ravages plants. Many of them are immigrants or refugees, and language and cultural barriers make protecting themselves more challenging.
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As the number of meatpacking workers with COVID-19 rises, Iowa plants struggle with remaining open amid political pressure. Food supply interruption versus worker safety is one of the tradeoffs.
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The Iowa caucuses are criticized for excluding people who work nights, are out of town or don't speak English well. This year, Democrats are setting up satellite caucuses to make them more accessible.
