It's often difficult to appreciate blessings close at hand. Hawkeye State tourism may well be in that category for many Iowans.The truth is, however, that tourism is an extremely important factor in Iowa's economy. It generates more than $7.2 billion annually in spending according to the Travel ...
Egg production is big business in Iowa.The Hawkeye State has more than 50 major egg producers. The state's nearly 60 million layers generate a remarkable 14.4 billion eggs each year, making Iowa the No. 1 egg-producing state in the nation.The Iowa egg industry is a big purchaser of Iowa's other ...
A demonstration of the topsy-turvy, self-defeating nature of U.S. energy policy is being provided right now in Washington, D.C.U.S. senators are debating a major energy bill. Among provisions for which there is bipartisan support is one involving new liquified natural gas terminals at seaports, ...
The men and women who have served this nation in times of war should have a place in our hearts at all times, but most especially as the Memorial Day weekend approaches.One way to show that these veterans are remembered and valued is to buy a poppy and wear it prominently and with pride.Soon ...
Federal regulators demand that the rest of us, including individuals, companies and states, comply with rules intended to safeguard the environment.Any energy company caught not performing environmental inspections on 2,000 oil and gas wells would be put out of business by the bureaucrats. Any ...
The Earned Income Tax Credit can be a blessing to low-income families. It also has been a bonanza for tax cheats - and the Internal Revenue Service cannot seem to stop them.About 27 million families received nearly $62 billion in tax credits through the EITC in 2011. Many received checks from ...
All across Iowa, this is the time of year when high schools celebrate at commencement exercises an important milestone in the lives of seniors - graduation.Graduation from high school is a key benchmark event. It is a major transition point in life. For many young folks, not only does it ...
As chairman of a special U.S. Senate committee investigating logistical aspects of how the U.S. was conducting World War II, then-Sen. Harry Truman made it clear he was not out to second-guess generals and admirals. His mission, Truman said, was merely to ensure they had the tools they believed ...
Members of Congress should apply a simple test to the American Legion's demand that Veterans Affairs Secretary Eric Shinseki and two high-ranking subordinates resign.Some lawmakers already have said they plan to investigate allegations dozens of veterans died while awaiting care at a Phoenix VA ...
U.S. Sen. Joe Manchin, D-W.Va., may be familiar to some Iowans because he is often in demand for nationally televised interview programs. That is because he is plain-spoken, uses common sense to analyze policy questions, and is not afraid to speak the truth - regardless of whether Republicans ...
Several years ago, the book and resultant movie "Outbreak" sparked some public interest in diseases that spread like wildfire and are virtually impossible to treat. Now, it seems, people are more interested in zombies.But a reminder of the potential for a very real worldwide plague came last ...
Department of Veterans Affairs officials have testified in Congress that there is no basis for allegations of corruption and mismanagement that may have killed as many as 40 veterans at a VA?hospital in Phoenix.Not good enough, lawmakers should respond.Reports of the problem surfaced after a ...
On Monday, the Fort Dodge City Council voted 5-2 to temporarily lift the city's ban on open burning. From May 31 to June 8, Fort Dodge residents will be allowed to burn grass and leaves without the use of a fireplace or a fire pit.Let freedom ring.While some people apparently believe bans on ...
President Barack Obama is fond of using executive orders to pursue his agenda even when Congress disagrees. Perhaps it is time for lawmakers to return the favor.Throughout his term in the Oval Office, Obama has blocked construction of the Keystone XL pipeline. It would bring enormous quantities ...
Institutionalized bigotry was abolished years ago in the United States. Yet, as we are reminded regularly, some Americans' hearts still are closed to the idea of equality.Occasionally that manifests itself in violence. To our knowledge, no jurisdiction in the nation takes that lightly. Police ...
National Transportation Week began Sunday and runs through Saturday. This celebration of the transportation industry has taken place each May since it became a permanent event in 1962. An annual observance taking note of this vital industry's importance to the nation dates back to the ...
If you think that Mother's Day is one of those holidays created by the greeting card industry, you may be in for a surprise. Giving thanks to mothers has been a part of many cultures for as far back as history has been recorded.In the United States, the tradition is frequently traced to Anna ...
You've seen it happen dozens of times: A government official breaks the law. He or she is "severely reprimanded" and forced to resign. And there the episode ends.A Federal Election Commission lawyer has resigned after being caught breaking the very laws he was supposed to enforce.FEC officials ...
"Where do hamburgers come from?""The grocery store?"Despite Iowa's agricultural heritage, many of the state's children are familiar with farms only as images through a car window.For the past 19 years, Youth Environmental Agriculture Days have helped children in the region develop an ...
Most Americans can understand why law enforcement and national security officials want access to information about us - though there are serious, in some cases overriding, invasion of privacy concerns.But the Internal Revenue Service? No way. That clearly crosses an unacceptable line.Several ...