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Factory farming pollution

Lawmakers are now investigating toxic gas emissions from animal farming, including ammonia pollution that threatens nearby communities (The Bureau of Investigative Journalism, Feb. 17, 2026). For residents living near these facilities, this isn’t new—it’s daily life. We often talk about factory farming in terms of animals or climate, but the human cost is just as real. Families are breathing contaminated air so the rest of us can consume cheap meat and dairy. This raises an uncomfortable question: how cheap is “cheap” if others are paying with their health? If we value ...

World Elder Abuse Day

June 15, 2026, is World Elder Abuse Day. Northeast Iowa Area Agency on Aging joins communities worldwide to raise awareness and highlight solutions to this systemic social challenge. As Americans, we believe in justice for all, but we fail to adhere to this value when we allow older members of our communities to be abused or neglected. Older people are vital, contributing members of American society, and their maltreatment diminishes everyone. Just as we have confronted the social issues of child abuse and domestic violence, we can also find solutions to address elder abuse, which also ...

Ernst silent on Trump’s fleecing

“Folks, the fleecing is occurring in plain sight,” wrote Joni “Make ‘em squeal” Ernst in a column in the T-R of May 26th. You may have wondered, as did I, why Donald Trump and his family has not been awarded her Squeal Award every month since his inauguration. Why hasn’t she ever objected to the billions of dollars Trump and his family have raked in since his second term began? Gifts and contracts from foreign governments, contracts with questionable construction businesses, dodgy bit-coin offerings, multiple stock deals with companies the Trump sons recently invested ...

MPL boardroom antics part 9

Some years ago, with a goal of providing perks to Chinese Communist Party officials, CCP began offering officials transplanted organs to extend life. CCP also offered quick transplants for profit. As a result, CCP devised a reliable supply of human organs. Therefore, CCP began villainizing groups of non- communist citizens for the sole purpose of providing reason to detain them. Thus, a pool of doners was created. In villainized Falun Gong, CCP saw organ doners and the opportunity to eradicate unauthorized spiritual practice. Since many Falun Gong practitioners work for The Epoch Times, ...

Host RAGBRAI riders at your home

By now, most people have heard that RAGBRAI is coming to Marshalltown on July 22. You may be wondering how you can get involved. One of the easiest ways to show off All Wheels Welcome and Marshalltown Strong is to host riders! Hosting riders at your home can involve as little or as much as you like. We ask for a place for the readers to sleep, either in their tents on your lawn or inside if you are willing. We ask that they have access to water and a bathroom. We also ask that you have a safe place for them to come inside in case of bad weather. The housing committee has put together ...

Rocky Damiano for Senate District 27

As a Conservative Republican, in the past I have voted for Annette Sweeney every time she has been on the ballot. But this election year I cannot vote for her because she has not fought or helped pass legislation to protect our constitutional rights to protect private property rights against the use of eminent domain. Private Property Rights is protected in our Federal Constitution, the Iowa Constitution and the Republican Platform. Protecting private property rights affects every single person, not just farmers, who own property. If you own a property or business in town and someone ...