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E.L. Doctorow

Columnists

Since I seem to lack the resilience to bounce back with any speed to my previous pre-cancer, healthy condition of medium-to-high energy, and have been forced into what you might call a palliative existence, it has left me ample time to read and write. I am thankful that, although my body may be failing, my mind is as active as ever, probably over active. When I find an author I like, I like to read all or most all of that author’s works. Thanks to Kindle, for a few bucks and the touch of a finger, this is possible without leaving my recliner. When I was still living and working in ...

Fix what’s broken at home so we can defend ourselves abroad

Columnists

In 2024, for the first time in almost a century, the United States spent more financing its national debt than it did, as a percentage of GDP, on national defense. In 2024, interest on our national debt expenditures came in at 3.1 percent of GDP and defense spending at 2.9 percent. This has been the case through this year, although it’s too soon to say what the picture will finally be for 2026. But it’s very close. Hoover Institution scholar Niall Ferguson notes that this is an ominous sign. He quotes what he calls Ferguson’s Law, after 18th century Scottish political theorist ...

Are Trump’s mass deportations leading to state-sanctioned ethnic cleansing?

Columnists

For the past 14 months, Americans of all political persuasions have witnessed how Trump’s ICE-related actions have involved aggressive detention and tdemonization of immigrants and minorities. Historians have not observed this large-scale scope of discrimination behavior since 1953-1955 when President Dwight Eisenhower (R) deported ~1.3 million Mexicans from America. Actions by Mr. Trump and personnel within the Department of Homeland Security, FBI and ICE have widely been condemned as racist and ethnic cleansing in orientation. Knowing Americans have witnessed ICE agents kill two ...

MPL Boardroom Antics pt. 8

Your View

Editor, “blankets” (Call Number GN Thompson) is a book available at MPL. Summary according to MPL “Loosely based on the author’s life, chronicling his journey from childhood to adulthood, exploring the people, experiences, and beliefs that he encountered along the way.” “Quaint, meditative and sometimes dreamy, blankets will take you straight back to your first kiss.” “blankets” review by author Matthew Hughstun. “Implied molestation, child abuse, child negligence, scenes showing the difficulties of mental retardation and family life, drug use, violence, ...

Iowans deserve clean water — and we’re making progress

Columnists

Every Iowan deserves clean, safe drinking water. That’s not negotiable. It’s fundamental to our health, our communities, and our quality of life. As Secretary of Agriculture, protecting our natural resources while keeping Iowa agriculture strong has been one of my top priorities. Those goals are not conflicting – they go hand in hand. Let’s start with the facts. Iowa’s treated drinking water meets national safety standards, which are regularly reviewed and updated, most recently in 2024 under the Biden administration. At the same time, we know there is more work to do ...

It’s time to pass the Iowa Healthy Water Act

Columnists

Every Iowan, every human, needs water to survive. Whether to drink, to grow plants, to fish, swim, kayak, and paddle, or to uplift amazing local breweries, wineries, and cideries, the water we access simply must be healthy and plentiful for us to have a future. Right now, Iowans across the state are recognizing and speaking out about the fact that we have a real water challenge. And they are no longer asking us to make a change. Some are begging, some are demanding, and some are crying out from their children’s hospital rooms. And Iowa doesn’t start from a great position- unlike ...