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Voters must know every Democrat sent to Washington will hurt our Country

Polls are not like a weather forecast. We can’t do anything about the weather. If the prediction is rain, the only thing to do is get ready for it. Polls measure public sentiment. But that sentiment can be influenced. Current polling seems to justify handwringing on the part of Republicans regarding the outlook for November. RealClear Polling’s latest general congressional poll shows Democrats leading Republicans 47.9% to 40.3%. However, again, it’s not the weather. We’ve got months. and this can be influenced. The overall sentiment in the country is not ...

Don’t expect cheap gas anytime soon

There are flickering signs that the United States and Iran might negotiate a settlement to end the unprovoked war launched by President Trump earlier this year. A settlement would be welcome news. But even if a deal happens tomorrow, here’s the reality: Americans will be paying high fuel ...

Iowa makes history and civics great again

This session the House Higher Education Committee was proud to champion reforms to our universities’ core curriculum requirements, and Governor Reynolds has now signed the legislation into law. House File 2800 requires every undergraduate student at Iowa’s public universities to complete dedicated courses in American history and government to graduate. This improvement is both necessary and urgent. A 2024 national survey by the American Council of Trustees and Alumni exposed shocking gaps in civic knowledge among college students; only 31 percent knew James Madison is the Father of ...

The Farm Bill can help keep family farms alive

No matter which way you slice it, the farm economy is in a challenging place right now. Farmers are running the numbers on their operations, and many are coming to hard conclusions: even after a good season, the numbers aren’t adding up. Fertilizer costs are up. Fuel isn’t coming down. Equipment payments aren’t stopping. And the margins, that keep a farm in the family, keep getting thinner. For many folks, that means it’s time to start evaluating their options. Not to get rich. Just to stay afloat. One of those options is putting solar panels on a portion of the farm acreage. ...

It’s not the crime, it’s the cover-up

Here’s betting District Judge Adria Kester does not read the Aspen Daily News. That Colorado newspaper’s front-page slogan declares, “If you don’t want it printed, don’t let it happen.” What happened to Judge Kester occurred outside of her usual venue — the 22 courthouses of north-central and northwest Iowa where, until recently, she served as chief judge of the Second Judicial District. It happened when that Boone County resident found herself on the other side of the law, as a criminal defendant. Now, she is keeping the story alive by filing a civil lawsuit seeking ...

Forget the rainbow, let’s taste the vinegar

My mind wanders, and sometimes I just follow behind it, seeing where it goes. Driving to the gym recently, I debated bringing in my water bottle before remembering there was a water fountain inside. I started thinking about the person who designed the fountain itself, about the mechanics of the water arcing upward at exactly the right angle, about the pressure required to make it work, and the decision to replace the old metal push button by the spout with a broad bar easier to press. Someone had to solve those problems so the rest of us could take a drink without giving it a second ...