Last week, before a show, I was chatting with someone I had just met. He asked me about my job, my church, my theology. When I told him that I believe the Bible leads toward love, grace, justice and inclusion for all people (and in fact all Creation), he pushed back. He reminded me that the ...
Recent federal actions have placed a critical source of funding for public libraries and museums in jeopardy. Within weeks following an executive order from President Trump, the federal Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS) staff was placed on administrative leave and grant processing ...
The Iowa Supreme Court gave citizen engagement and accessibility to public meetings a much-needed boost Friday (May 16) in an appeal of a lawsuit against the Iowa City Community School District. The district’s practice of posting full videos of school board meetings on the internet for ...
The 2025 legislative session is over, we adjourned “Sine Die” in the early morning hours of Thursday, May 15, after a 22 hour marathon session. This has been another historic session, there is so much to write about, but so little space in these newsletters. I will touch on a few key pieces ...
When I saw the news about the Iowa Migrant Movement for Justice (Iowa MMJ) receiving an intimidating letter from state Rep. Charley Thomson of Charles City, it brought back memories. Recent memories and feelings of what I experienced late last year when I received a letter from Summit Carbon ...
While driving by the North Tama school building recently, I saw the new addition being constructed on the northeast-eastern side of the school. The wave of construction will help push the school forward. This is like all the other additions to the school which have been made over the years. ...
Q: What is National Police Week? A: Since 1962, U.S. presidents have proclaimed the second week of May as National Police Week to pay tribute to the men and women who put on the badge to serve and protect their community. As Americans go about their daily lives, law enforcement officers put ...
Members of the Iowa Farmers Union (IFU) traveled to Washington, DC, recently to participate in the National Farmers Union (NFU) Week of Action, advocating for a unified farm bill that addresses critical issues facing farmers and rural communities. At a time of unprecedented uncertainty in farm ...
For those who do not know, Douglas Avenue and the road it turns into, Euclid Avenue, is one of the major thoroughfares of the Des Moines metro. Douglas runs from the western part of Waukee, turning into Euclid in the middle of Des Moines, before ending on the east side of Des Moines at the road ...
Q: What is National Nurses Week? A: Efforts to honor and celebrate nurses in the United States first got underway during the Eisenhower administration. In 1974, President Nixon issued a proclamation to honor the expanding role nurses were taking on in the health care system, such as nurse ...