Former Iowa Gov. Robert Ray died this month at age 89. Younger Iowans may not realize just how important a role he played in our state’s history. For 14 years — from 1969 until 1983 — he served as Iowa’s top elected official. He won the governorship five times and served in that post ...
While the rest of us may be thinking of getting in a few last-of-summer days off in August, our U.S. senators will be chained to their workplace, the Capitol building. Normally, members of Congress are in recess during August. But this year, Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., has ...
The Tax Cuts and Jobs Act, passed by Congress late in 2017, made major changes in the federal government’s tax policies. A new report just issued by the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Economic Research has evaluated the impact of the tax changes on American agriculture. The conclusion ...
FBI agent Peter Strzok was emphatic to the point of flashes of anger during his testimony to a congressional committee looking into political bias at the nation’s premier law enforcement agency. In 2016, Strzok made his dislike of then-presidential candidate Donald Trump perfectly clear. ...
No doubt President Donald Trump, who visited four countries in Europe last week, expected a frosty reception from some leaders. Those whose nations are members of NATO are upset with Trump for demanding they pay a fairer share of the alliance’s defense costs. Some already do bear reasonable ...
Bad politicians do not translate automatically to bad policy. Scott Pruitt was not an acceptable administrator of President Donald Trump’s environmental policies — but that does not mean Trump should change them. It appears he has no intention of altering course.Pruitt resigned as ...
How nice it would be to believe that President Donald Trump’s plan to reorganize the federal government will result in more efficiency and less bureaucratic stupidity. Most Americans have had enough exposure to federal agencies to believe an improvement has occurred when they see it, ...
One of summer’s most enjoyable events begins Monday. The Girls State Softball Tournament will be the highlight of the season for the 40 teams that made it to state-level competition. All the teams are outstanding. Making it to this final event of the season means that none will have any ...
So-called “gender equity” rules have been adopted in some places with the specified goal of getting rid of good old boy dominance in politics. Sometimes they backfire. In Pennsylvania, two women who should have won election to the Democratic Party Central Committee in Philadelphia are ...
From the earliest days, the emergence of successful farms and related industries in the American Midwest depended on the hard work and vision of people who played leadership roles in these vital enterprises. That was true when pioneers first cultivated the vast prairies, and it is increasingly ...
When a politician makes a promise, it’s not uncommon for voters to respond with skepticism. When U.S. Sen. Charles Grassley says he will do something, however, it’s a good idea to pay close attention – the Iowa Republican has a history of following through on his pledges. Many years ...
If — and this may be the most critical “if” to occur in diplomacy for many years — North Korean dictator Kim Jong Un is serious about a proposal being discussed now, it could represent a true breakthrough. While most attention during recent months has focused on North Korea’s ...
As we celebrated Independence Day last week, some Americans will have reflected not just on the political significance but also on our ideals as a people. One of them is that individual initiative is rewarded. Not always it turns out, as Asian-Americans in some places have learned. Hard work ...
President Donald Trump is being criticized roundly by some for his plan to meet personally with Russian leader Vladimir Putin this summer. That very important event will take place on July 16 in Helsinki, Finland. Since even before the 2016 election, conspiracy theories about Trump and Putin ...
Times change. Even so there are a few constants in life. One is the pleasure provided by the county fairs that continue to be a highlight of summer in the Hawkeye State. For as far back as anyone who now lives in this part of Iowa can remember, these summer festivals have been ...
The $21.2 trillion national debt today is worrisome enough. But it is going to get worse, according to the nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office. You may want to sit down for this: Within 30 years, the national debt will top $100 trillion, if nothing changes, the CBO is predicting. That ...
According to the federal government’s Bureau of Labor Statistics, agriculture is the second most dangerous occupation in the nation with a death rate at 22.7 per 100,000 workers. Given agriculture’s central role in Iowa’s economy, an emphasis on farm safety is of crucial concern in the ...
Florists and bakers who decide their religious beliefs are not compatible with selling their wares to gay couples planning weddings are derided roundly by liberals. That, the liberals insist, is intolerable discrimination. Refusing to serve a restaurant customer because she happens to work ...
Whether you spend this Fourth of July picnicking, swimming, boating, enjoying a parade, attending a community celebration, watching a fireworks display or just plain loafing, there should be at least a brief time to pause and reflect on this country’s enduring experiment in constitutional ...
All across the Hawkeye State, people will be taking advantage of the Independence Day holiday to pursue fun summer activities. That makes it especially important that each of us resolve to keep our streets and highways safe. Paying heed to a few safety tips can help prevent what should be an ...