IOWA

Several women were named to the Des Moines Register’s People to Watch in 2020, including Amber Lynch, newly appointed director of Invest DSM, and Chelsea Chism-Vargas, one of the few Latinos to ever seek a seat on the Des Moines City Council.

A new business on Ames’ Main Street, owned by Mindy Bergstrom, hopes to help the community live more sustainably by providing plastic-free, reusable and eco-friendly products for everyday use.

NATION

Experts predict a large number of women will again run for office in 2020 like they did in 2018, and child care remains a hurdle for many of them.

Twelve of the 113 directors on last year’s 100 top movies were women, a historic high. But another report found that the number of women in key behind-the-scenes jobs remains stagnant.

A new study found the gender wage gap in the film industry is significantly wider than the average pay gap. Top female actors earn 38% as much as the top male actors.