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Iowa DB Sebastian Castro returning for sixth year

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Iowa DB Sebastian Castro returning for sixth year


IOWA CITY, Iowa — Defensive back Sebastian Castro will return to Iowa for a sixth year and forgo his opportunity to play in the NFL, he announced on social media Saturday.

Castro, a two-year starter at Iowa’s cash position, is the fifth Iowa player to return for an extra season. He was named a third-team All-American by The Associated Press and a first-team All-American by Pro Football Focus.

One of the Big Ten’s most prolific tacklers, Castro finished with 67 overall, including eight for loss. He intercepted three passes and had eight pass breakups.

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Castro was named the Big Ten’s defensive player of the week after returning an interception for a touchdown against Iowa State. He had another against Wisconsin which he could have taken the distance but instead dropped to a knee so the team could run out the clock.

Along with cornerback Jermari Harris, linebacker Jay Higgins, offensive lineman Nick DeJong and quarterback Cade McNamara, Castro will use his extra season based on the COVID-19 pandemic.

What this means for Iowa

Castro possibly is Iowa’s hardest-hitting defensive back over the last two decades, and he brings a physical element to the Hawkeyes’ secondary. Along with his quick-strike power, Castro also has developed into a savvy pass defender. His interceptions showed him baiting the quarterback into mistakes.

As for the secondary, Castro joins Harris and safety Xavier Nwankpa as returnees. Safety Quinn Schulte has yet to decide if he wants to come back for another season. Likely first-round cornerback Cooper DeJean announced Thursday he will enter the NFL Draft.

The Hawkeyes now have six starters slated to return on one of the nation’s top defenses. Along with Schulte, linebacker Nick Jackson also could come back next season.

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What this means for Castro

A likely NFL Draft pick, Castro has the opportunity to bolster his NFL resume with one more season and polish a few of his shortcomings. He could become Iowa’s next consensus All-American defensive back in the process.

Now a veteran, Castro has freedom to operate within the defense at a position that serves as a hybrid outside linebacker and slot corner.

“When you’ve got somebody like Castro who can change the game every time he touches somebody with the ball, we’re going to try to get him to the ball anytime we can,” Higgins said.

“We know how Castro plays. We appreciate that. And when you got a guy like that, who can make plays, you kind of just let him do what he does.”

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(Photo: Jeffrey Becker / USA Today)

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Elections live updates: Key races to watch in California, Iowa, Montana and New Jersey primaries

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Elections live updates: Key races to watch in California, Iowa, Montana and New Jersey primaries


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In California, competition is fierce for the gubernatorial and Los Angeles mayoral nominations. Iowa, Montana and New Jersey have open U.S. Senate seats. In New Jersey, a silent congressman could lose his House seat.

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Iowa joins wave of states forcing porn sites to verify users’ ages

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Iowa joins wave of states forcing porn sites to verify users’ ages



Beginning July 1, Iowans must verify they are adults to access porn websites.

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Iowa will require porn websites to verify users are at least 18 under a new law signed by Gov. Kim Reynolds. 

The Hawkeye State joins at least 25 other states, including Kansas and Nebraska, in requiring age verification for adult content in an effort to prevent minors from accessing it. 

House File 864 is modeled after a Texas age verification law the U.S. Supreme Court upheld in a 6-3 decision in June. The measure will apply to websites or apps if at least one-third of their content is pornographic. 

Beginning July 1, the law will require the websites to verify a user’s age using government-issued identification, financial documents or other documents that are “reliable proxies for age.” Age verification may also be performed by third parties or through any “commercially reasonable and reliable method.” 

The law states websites and third parties “shall not retain, sell, lease or otherwise disseminate any identifying information of an individual subject to reasonable age verification unless retention or dissemination of the identifying information is required by law or a court order.” 

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It also requires third parties and websites to use “reasonable methods given the person’s scope of business to secure all data collected and transmitted” during the age verification process.  

Under the new law, Iowa’s attorney general can sue companies in violation of the law. Violators could face fines up to $1,000 for each time an individual accesses a site in violation of the law. Civil penalties for providers are capped at $10,000 per day.

Iowa Senate lawmakers unanimously approved the measure while the House advanced it 82-2.

Rapid Response Politics Reporter Maya Marchel Hoff can be reached at mmarchelHoff@usatodayco.com. You can find her on X (formerly Twitter) at @mmarchelhoff.

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Iowa Democratic Senate primary: Wahls, Turek make final push before election

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Iowa Democratic Senate primary: Wahls, Turek make final push before election


DES MOINES, Iowa (Gray Media Iowa State Capitol Bureau) — Iowa’s primary election is Tuesday, and candidates across the state are making their final push to voters.

One of the most closely watched contests is the Democratic primary for U.S. Senate. The winner will advance to November’s general election to compete for Senator Joni Ernst’s seat.

Iowa State Senator Zach Wahls and State Representative Josh Turek are competing for the Democratic nomination.

Wahls spent Monday in Des Moines speaking with voters about the issues they want addressed in Washington.

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“It’s time for change. We’ve been talking about it from day one. Iowans have been failed by leaders in both parties for far too long,” Wahls said. “In order to get the change that we need, we need a leader and a fighter who’s willing to challenge the broken status quo and clean up the corruption in Washington DC.”

Turek toured the state during the final days of the race. He was in Sioux City Friday and said he will represent working class Iowans if elected.

“I come from a working class family, a working class community, somebody that’s gone through a lot of hardships, a lot of struggle, both on the economic and on the health care side,” Turek said. “I think what’s fundamentally wrong with DC right now is we’ve got enough millionaires up there. I’m the only one in this race that’s not a millionaire.”

For the first time in more than a decade, Iowa will have an open U.S. Senate seat.

While campaigning, candidates have heard concerns ranging from affordability and housing costs to agriculture and water quality.

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Polls open Tuesday morning across Iowa.

Isabella Warren covers state government and politics for Gray Media-owned stations in Iowa. Email her at isabella.warren@kcrg.com; and follow her on Facebook at Isabella Warren TV on X/Twitter@isabellaw_gray, and on Instagram@IsabellaWarrenTV.

Copyright 2026 Gray Media Iowa State Capitol Bureau. All rights reserved.





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