Happy Friday!

It has been another long week dealing with the divisive and harmful agenda of Iowa Republicans and their leader, Corporate Kim Reynolds. We’re thankful to have reached Friday, and excited for a couple days off.

Before we head out for our long weekend nap, let’s take a look at today’s number one story:

1. ONE YEAR ARPA-VERSARY: In the year since President Biden signed this historic piece of legislation into law, it has become the backbone of the country’s COVID-19 recovery. ARPA ensured Iowa families had what they needed to survive a pandemic, helping parents ensure their kids didn’t go hungry, and had what they needed to learn, at home and at school.

Thanks to ARPA, Iowa has $210 million in federal funds to expand rural broadband, $100 million for housing infrastructure, and another $100 million for water quality infrastructure and nutrient reduction. Best of all, plenty of funds are going directly to schools and cities to immediately recover, without having to wait on the Governor.

Click to tweet: Thank you @POTUS and @RepCindyAxne for passing the American Rescue Plan Act one year ago today, and investing in Iowa families & workers! #ARPA #ARPAversary 

Once you’ve shared that message, check out our other top stories for today:

2. REYNOLDS CAN’T HIDE FROM HER RECORD: We are tired of Corporate Kim Reynolds selling us out, taking credit for the work of others and trying to hide from the press and the public. Iowans deserve to know the truth, not the Governor’s twisted version of it. That’s why our team has launched ReynoldsRecords.com, a website for all Iowans to get the facts about Reynolds’ terrible record.

Iowans work hard every single day, and we deserve better than Governor Reynolds selling us out to the wealthy corporations who support her politically. She failed to keep us safe during a global pandemic, undercut our public schools and waged war on Iowa’s working families.

3. STUDENTS, FACULTY PROTEST TRANSGENDER ATHLETE BAN: Today at 11 a.m., Iowa City Students joined their Cedar Rapids peers in walking out of class in protest of the transgender athlete ban that forces children to sit on the bench while their friends go and have fun. Iowans know that Corporate Kim Reynolds doesn’t stand for what we believe in. We applaud these students for taking a stand and telling Governor Reynolds that Iowa is a home for all, not just the wealthy donors she works for.

4. HOW TO HELP TORNADO DAMAGE VICTIMS: You can sign-up to volunteer or donate to one of the organizations helping tornado victims at this link here: How You Can Help Tornado Victims.

There are also ways to donate to the families who lost their loved ones and homes this weekend. The Bolger family lost their father, grandmother, and two children in this weekend’s storm. You can donate to their recovery efforts here: Bolger Family GoFundMe.

Another central Iowa family, the Burketts, also lost their home this weekend. You can help support them at their page here: Burkett’s Bounce Back GoFundMe.

5. RUSSIA CONTINUES TO INVADE UKRAINE: Our thoughts remain with the people of Ukraine as Russia continues their unlawful invasion into the Eastern European country. Ukraine’s cities and citizens continue to resist the invading Russian army, while protests continue worldwide in opposition to Putin’s imperialism. Now, the Kremlin is doing even more to shut down press and coverage of dissent in Russia. We need to continue to uplift the Ukrainian people, their voices, and the reporters on the ground who are risking their lives to overcome the Russian propaganda machine. If you want to help the people of Ukraine, you can go to NPR’s article about organizations leading the humanitarian efforts in the country.

Want to hear more from our team? You can go to our online news blog, Potluck, to hear from Iowans and leaders around the state. You can also hear more from our team on our podcast, “What a Week,” where we break down each week’s top news stories and speak with leaders from around Iowa about issues you care about.

Want to help progressive messaging and policy in the state of Iowa? Sign up at ProgressIowa.org to volunteer, donate, and hear more from our team!

Thanks for reading, and we’ll get back with you Monday for another Hive Five!

– The Progress Iowa Team