Sandhya Dirks arrived in Iowa in January of 2012 as a general assignment reporter. Since coming to Des Moines she has covered the Statehouse and traveled across Iowa to bring back stories for IPR. Sandhya was previously a reporter at KALW in San Francisco, covering education and criminal justice issues. Her work was awarded a SPJ Sigma Delta Chi and a regional Edward R. Murrow award.

Most recently, Sandhya earned her Master of Science from Columbia Journalism School in New York. Her masterââ

Around the Nation
6:02 pm
Fri June 22, 2012

A Century-Old Grotto That Might Out-Glitter Vegas

Originally published on Fri June 22, 2012 6:11 pm

The Midwest is known for its roadside attractions — world's largest ear of corn, heaviest ball of twine, biggest truck stop.

But it's also home to one of the largest collections of grottoes in the world. Most of these man-made caves were created by immigrant priests at the beginning of the 20th century. And the mother of them all — encrusted in $6 million worth of semiprecious stones — is in West Bend, Iowa.

This weekend, the Grotto of the Redemption turns 100.

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Sports
5:47 pm
Fri June 22, 2012

40 Years On, Title IX Still Shapes Female Athletes

Originally published on Fri June 22, 2012 6:30 pm

Title IX, which turns 40 on Saturday, has helped reverse years of bias, banning sex discrimination in federally funded schools and colleges.

Its guarantee of equal access to sports was a small part of the original legislation. But it's become the most recognizable part of Title IX. That guarantee has not always played out, and the law has its critics. For four decades, however, it's played a huge part in shaping lives.

'I Can Handle This World'

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It's All Politics
5:08 pm
Fri June 22, 2012

Obama Basks In Latino Politicians' Love After His DREAM Moves

Credit Brendan Smialowski / AFP
President Obama returned a young fan's salute at the conference of the National Association of Latino Elected Officials in Orlando, Fla.

Originally published on Fri June 29, 2012 3:55 pm

Coming a week after President Obama announced that he would defer deportation proceedings for many young illegal immigrants, it was safe to predict that he'd get an appreciative response from an audience of Latino leaders. They didn't disappoint.

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Movie Interviews
5:05 pm
Fri June 22, 2012

Digital Domain Pins Hopes On Things With Feathers

Originally published on Mon June 25, 2012 5:42 pm

You may not have heard of the special-effects studio Digital Domain, but you've probably seen their work. They sank the Titanic for James Cameron; they aged Brad Pitt backward in The Curious Case of Benjamin Button. Most recently, their virtual likeness of the late Tupac Shakur performed in concert.

Having worked those wonders, they're tackling thornier challenges: fur and feathers.

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Business
5:03 pm
Fri June 22, 2012

The Downside To Owning Your Own Island

Originally published on Fri June 22, 2012 5:41 pm

Who hasn't dreamed of having their own coral-fringed island, lounging on its sandy beach, coconut daiquiri in hand?

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Politics
4:57 pm
Fri June 22, 2012

Candidate Accidentally Uploads Four Reaction Videos

Originally published on Fri June 22, 2012 6:11 pm

Indiana Treasurer and Republican Senate candidate Richard Mourdock accidentally released video responses to the Supreme Court's decision on the Affordable Health Care Act. The court has yet to announcing their ruling. Muourdock prepared four responses for if the court upholds the law, overturns it, if it splits and if it doesn't provide an answer. Melissa Block and Robert Siegel have more.

The Two-Way
4:51 pm
Fri June 22, 2012

Germany Knocks Greece Out Of Euro Championship

Originally published on Fri June 22, 2012 6:11 pm

Germany scored three goals in the second half to knock Greece out of the European Championship, today.

As we reported, it was a match dubbed the "debt derby," because it pitted the Eurozone's weakest economy with its paymaster.

The AP adds:

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NPR Story
4:38 pm
Fri June 22, 2012

Eurozone Prescriptions Easier Said Than Done

Originally published on Fri June 22, 2012 6:17 pm

Leaders of Germany, France, Italy and Spain met Friday in Rome to find a way out of its current financial crisis ahead of a full European Union summit next week. Robert Siegel talks to Matthias M. Matthijs, Assistant Professor of International Political Economy at Johns Hopkins University, for more.

Shots - Health Blog
4:38 pm
Fri June 22, 2012

Drug-Resistant Germ In Rhode Island Hospital Raises Worries

Credit CDC
Pretty to look at, almost, but Klebsiella pneumoniae bacteria these are a common cause of infections in hospitals.

Originally published on Fri June 22, 2012 4:39 pm

A highly resistant form of a common bacterium recently popped up in two Rhode Island patients, only the 12th and 13th times it has been spotted in this country.

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