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Election integrity or intimidation?

There’s been a lot of talk lately about election integrity, especially from the Trump administration. What’s disturbing is that the rhetoric doesn’t seem to be lining up with his administration’s actions. Take for example the U.S. Election Assistance Commission. Created in 2002 after ...

Iowa’s economic future depends on a stronger, more resilient electric grid

The recent stretch of prolonged, extreme heat across our region underscored a reality that should matter to every Iowan: electric reliability and affordability isn’t an abstract policy issue. It affects the air conditioning in our homes, refrigeration in our stores, technology we rely on ...

Finding financial breathing room when the unexpected happens

In the heartland, we are no strangers to dark skies and sudden storms. We know what it feels like when the unexpected hits—when the routine of Main Street is instantly interrupted by floodwaters or a blown-out roof. Recently, several locations across the Great Plains were severely impacted ...

Court still preaches open gov’t, but the choir is splintering

The Iowa Supreme Court typically opens its rulings on the state’s public-records and open-meetings laws by reciting that the cases start with a “presumption of openness.” But a new study of the court’s open-government decisions finds the presumption now wins only about half the ...

Data centers and local government

On Thursday, Aug. 6, starting at 5 p.m., the Planning & Zoning Commission will hold a hearing on the data center moratorium. That will be followed by a working session on data center topics. The meeting is open to the public. Websites for the agenda and supporting information are included at ...

Closed primaries are driving America crazy

How could Donald Trump with bottom-scraping approval ratings decide who would represent the Republican Party in the upcoming Texas senatorial race? The primary system offers an explanation. A simple open primary system would have let the broader public choose -- and, ironically, save ...