Veep picks, Lisa Bluder, Homeless under attack, Grassley/Ernst, Byrons, Cupholders...
...turbines, and much more!
National Politics / Letters from Iowans / State Politics / Local Politics / Around Iowa / Sports / Food and Dining / Weather and the Environment / Media / Humor / Poetry / Our Writers
National Politics
Vice President Kamala Harris is swatting away negative comments meant to define her, one by one. Dana James, the publisher of , sums up what Black women get to be.
: Almost one-third of the time, a vice presidential nominee does not deliver his/her home state. In one case, a presidential nominee failed to deliver his home state, and it cost his party the election.
In The Iowa Mercury, talks with an Iowan who has deep ties with Vice President Kamala Harris — Harris’s former Iowa campaign chair, Deidre DeJear.
: Political language matters—especially what’s implied between the lines to manipulate you.
asks readers, "Should Kamala Harris debate Donald Trump?"
at Along the Mississippi writes that US Sen. Joni Ernst continues to ignore wealthy tax cheaters, even as she uses a new study to try to con Iowans into thinking she's on their side.
Iowa Families Deserve So Much Better Than Raw Partisanship From Senators Grassley & Ernst, writes On Behind the Curtain.
Letters From Iowans
Charlotte Hubbell contributes a fascinating perspective on the topic of money in politics.
Do you have an opinion essay you would like to submit to this section? Click: Letters From Iowans
State Politics
was struck by how State Auditor Rob Sand (a potential Democratic candidate for governor in 2026) draws on the language of faith to press his case against Republican policies.
Laura Belin and Spencer Dirks discussed many aspects of Iowa's new abortion ban, as well as other political news, on "KHOI's Capitol Week."
Local Politics
weighs in against Des Moines leaders' shameless approach to homelessness, which involves evictions, fines, and arrests instead of meaningful solutions like affordable housing. But there's still time to use your voice to stop the ordinance before Monday's next City Council vote on it.
Media
This week, contributes the best column in the history of Substack. A look back at 175 years of The Des Moines Register.
on Media says VP Kamala Harris should not debate Donald Trump and Trump just demonstrated why.
Sports
chats with former Iowa women’s basketball coach Lisa Bluder and finds out that while life leading Hawkeyes was great, retirement is pretty great, too – especially when it includes time for Wordle every day and an invitation to the U.S. Open from Billie Jean King.
GO, DAD, GO, writes “On my long-overdue journey to Green Bay with my Packers-loving pop. A Packers Hall of Famer led a tour on my 85-year-old dad, Henry's, first-ever visit to Lambeau Field. I'm a Vikings fan, but I was still moved by the moment.”
Are you watching the Olympics on TV? Simone Biles? LeBron James? is tuning in to see Karissa Schweizer run track, Iowans on the basketball court, and the wrestling mat.
Around Iowa
reports from Northwest Iowa that the iconic music venue Byron’s Bar has found a new home in Pomeroy. Donors came out of the woodwork to help Byron Stuart buy a new joint as his old bar was about to fall down. The support shows Iowa’s real heart.
is following the arrival of moving vans in her rural Boone County neighborhood. In her column “Would You Be My Neighbor?” she explores how this arrival may not fit into larger demographic trends in Iowa.
knows a thing or two about being the author of a bestselling book. She’s on the cusp of going for it again, only this time with a novel.
Iowa Boy writes about his “Great Cinnamon Roll Challenge of 2024” next Saturday at the Iowa State Fair, where the best roll can win up to $2,000 and $4,500 in prize money!
On The Five and Dime, reports from that annual Iowa tradition, RAGBRAI.
Iowa's effort to combat a form of avian influenza attacking Iowa dairy herds stands in sharp contrast with the state's controversial approach to COVID during the height of the pandemic when more than 100 Iowans were dying each week. explores this contradiction in his new Stray Thoughts column.
, : While stranded in Iowa during a snowstorm, Miavan Feliciano, a chemist who received her title in Havana, Cuba, decided to make Storm Lake her home. Combining her chemistry expertise with business management\, she launched MMKL Cosmetics, offering affordable, high-quality makeup. In 2023, Walmart began selling her products, marking a significant milestone for MMKL Cosmetics' growth and global reach.
began a new Q&A series with creatives. Her first guest is the brilliant Suzanna de Baca, a fellow IWC member.
A car dedicated to Waterloo's five Sullivan brothers killed during World War II was featured in a series of "Honoring Veterans" benefit stock car races in western Iowa last weekend. Kelly Sullivan was on hand to represent her grandfather, great-uncles, and family. "That gives me joy to know that the Sullivan family ends up bringing good things to people today," Sullivan told columnist Pat Kinney.
ran a piece by a documentary film producer, Nik Heftman, of
. He looks at the life of Caleb Rainey, a break-out Spoken Word artist.writes about an organization having an upcoming meeting and inviting Iowans to speak up.
Do you have a story? takes stock of the Okoboji Writers’ and Songwriters’ Retreat.
I wouldn't wish the Des Moines police chief job on anybody I loved, writes Paragraph Stacker Daniel P. Finney.
Around Iowa-ish
A CrowdStrike glitch stranded five young men at the Meyers’ "Urban Cabin" for several days. Kinda like old-fashioned snow days, says in “Far Better Than Expected,” savoring the chance to get acquainted with engaging “strandees” from Cambridge, Massachusetts.
Weather and Environment
: Turbines aren't killing the number of birds you might think - oil, gas, and cats are killing more.
Why did bluebirds disappear? buys bluebird houses from her Amish neighbors and explores conservation efforts to help these beautiful creatures.
From: : On the industrial outskirts of west Davenport, between a train switching station and a busy interstate bridge, a miraculous wetland full of birds, reptiles, fish, and flora is helping clean water returning to the Mississippi River. If you haven't yet, you need to visit Nahant Marsh.
Cars, Cupholders, and Cat Ladies
A mix of delicious morsels: Ford unveils the new itty-bitty 2025 Maverick pickup truck. Scientific research shows cat people have lower stress. And a Mackinac Island fire chief throws a pickle party to celebrate epic loss.
is on a roll this week, and all three posts are fascinating. Check out her reporting on the new Maverick, a racer finishing last, and FACTs about cat ladies.
Food, Dining and Entertainment
Here’s some news you can use. found nourishing, healthy food at a farm-to-table spot in Waukee.
From : What happened when 40 food and ag groups gathered to think about the future of farming in Iowa?
and her readers share an hour with national children’s musical treasure, Justin Roberts. Hear the fun podcast.
Humor
, Vicki Minor says: Sock it to me.
Poetry
responds to a month of unprecedented and unforgettable headlines and storms with a poem called “The July of Never Before.”
IOWA WRITERS’ COLLABORATIVE
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