Iowa’s nonpartisan redistricting process has long been held up as a model for the country, even though most other states have shown little interest in adopting it. This year, Iowa’s much-heralded but little-emulated process is proceeding under two sets of unusual circumstances. The first, ...
Q: Why is it important to strengthen enforcement of synthetic fentanyl? A: Deaths and illnesses from COVID-19 have caused immeasurable pain and suffering among American families for more than a year. The pandemic is distressing our economy, supply chains and schools, causing continued anguish ...
Spending money is not something one enjoys doing unless it is on a vacation or delicious ice cream. Spending on utilities, groceries, or anything else in between is not fun. Watching the greenbacks leave the wallet and never come back is not a fulfilling feeling. An important part of spending ...
Looking out for each other is the best action one can do in society. Trying one’s best to help the greater good is the best one can do. It is hard. Self-interest is the easiest and most comfortable route but volunteering or giving service to the community rises the community’s tide. ...
Q: What goes through your mind two decades after 9/11? A: As the world observes the 20th anniversary of 9/11, it’s notable that an entire generation of Americans was born after the horrific terror attacks. No matter if you watched it unfold on television in real time or read about it in ...
Iowans want to know what their local governments — county supervisors, city councils, school boards — are up to. They always have. The very first newspapers in many of the state’s counties regularly published local public notices, paid for by local governments. It’s an American ...
Labor Day is here. This marks the end of summer, and fortunately, the end of the heat. There might be near-unanimous agreement for the heat to be gone. Unfortunately, Iowa autumns are as rare as bears in Iowa. Once in a blue moon, one comes, but more than likely, it stays in hiding. The worst ...
At my house, 2021 has been the summer of the insurance claim. An ice dam on the roof that leaked into a spare bedroom started the ball rolling in February. We ended up replacing the roof, which was finished less than a week before a July storm pelted us with golf-ball-sized hail. The new roof ...
During Mass on Sunday morning at the Iowa State Fair, Father Ed Hurley paused in his homily to issue a warning: He said he usually tried not to talk about politics. That’s often a sign that what comes next is going to make some people mad. “I think we’ve gone overboard with this ...
Going back to school is not an experience I have had for over five years for college and over ten years for high school. While having all the time in the world to hang out with friends to experience summer was great, it was the worst to step back in the school halls after this glorious period. ...