Good morning, central Iowa. It is Wednesday, Sept. 2, 2026, and this is your Daily Umbrella Podcast. Let’s get started….

The Urbandale City Council has rejected a request to change the land use designation for about 20 acres near Northwest 100th Street and Northpark Drive. That is where Buc-ee’s had proposed building a new travel center. The property is owned by former Des Moines Mayor Frank Cownie, who plans to sell it to Buc-ee’s. Traffic was one of the council’s biggest concerns. Buc-ee’s Real Estate Director Stan Beard told the council the company’s engineers would address those issues. For now, though, the proposal is rejected. …

Iowa officials are also sounding the alarm about kratom. Gov. Kim Reynolds, the Iowa Department of Health and Human Services, and the Iowa Department of Public Safety are raising concerns about the subst ...