Beshear in town, cat ladies, DEI hires, giddy Ds, and taking car keys away from mom
Beshear in town, cat ladies, DEI hires, giddy Ds, and taking car keys away from mom
....climate change, climate change, climate change - Chris Glonginger can say it all he wants now
Climate / National Politics / State Politics / Des Moines Politics / Cars / Food, & Travel / Around Iowa / Sports / Humor / Poetry / IWC Roster
What a week, eh? Our columnists have a lot to say!
Politics
In The Iowa Mercury, covers potential vice presidential candidate Andy Beshear, who, as the Kentucky governor, speaks in Iowa. Beshear questioned the Appalachian origin story of GOP VP candidate JD Vance. Burns also delves into how the conservative (and Trump's second-term blueprint) Project 2025 would criminalize pornography — and perhaps set off the second Civil War.
Why does an Iowa Democrat think a Zoom call she was on proves how much Kamala Harris has completely changed the 2024 presidential race? explains in his latest "Dave Price's Perspective."
Iowa Down Ballot is a new podcast by Iowa Writers’ Collaborative political analysts. The second episode, hosted by , with panelists: , , , , , , Ty Rushing (launching his IWC column in August), , and .
Our moderator on August 7 will be Kathie Obradovich of Iowa Capital Dispatch. Other panelists joining us:
, Dana James, and .In the future, we will have one moderator and four panelists rotating from our group. Episode 2: Iowa Down Ballot.
Will you Vote?
Have you checked to make sure your Iowa voter registration information is up-to-date? Click here: Iowa Voter Info.
Climate Iowa
The drought has been erased, but that isn't all good news. , in his column, Weathering Climate Change, he explains why this all-or-nothing scenario is our new normal going forward.
National Politics
This week, asked readers who they thought should be Kamala Harris' running mate here and wrote the column Kamala Harris and the MAGA Meltdown, just when you thought MAGA couldn't sink any lower.
turns the spotlight on yet another unexpected development in the 2024 campaign: the self-proclaimed “pro-family” party attacks families.
, at Along the Mississippi wrote last week about how swing voters and non-voters who have tuned out Joe Biden--and are turned off by Donald Trump--will give Kamala Harris a new look. This gives her a unique opportunity to reset the whole conversation of the 2024 presidential race. Kamala Harris changes the trajectory of the 2024 presidential campaign (substack.com) writes about how the term DEI is being misused in a racist way against Kamala Harris and why an inclusive management team or workgroup is good for business and good for America.posted an interview with Kamala Harris, who was running for president in 2019.
on Media asks, “NOW, who is too old and confused to be president?”
The selection of J.D. Vance as the GOP Veep candidate was a head-scratcher for many in our group, and he’s attracting a lot of attention (not in a positive way). He’s offended almost about half of the adults in the country by saying couples should not get divorced, even in cases where there is domestic violence. According to Chatgpt, 40-50% of American adults have been divorced.
JD Vance got out of Appalachia with all his teeth and couldn’t wait to shake the dirt off his boots as he hightailed it for fame and fortune, now as Donald Trump’s running mate. He would sell out Hillbilly Holler in a San Francisco minute, Art Cullen writes.
took a couple of swings at Vance this week as he created something new in this political cycle, which she calls the ‘cat lady’ caucus.
In “Let’s Talk Politics” with Dennis Goldford, he says that January 6, 2021, isn’t over.
and Spencer Dirks discussed Iowa's reaction to the switch from Biden to Harris, Iowans at the Republican National Convention, and more political stories in "KHOI's Capitol Week."
JD Vance's 'childless cat ladies' comment shows Republicans' limited view of women, writes
Politics: Iowa
has a remarkable way of translating how decisions made by the governor and legislature hit home in rural Iowa. As a farmer, former school board member, and community volunteer, she is on the frontlines of their impact on those who are powerless in the ‘games politicians play.’
As she looks ahead to the new school year, offers a primer on how the state of Iowa persists in playing games that subject children to the School of Hard Knocks.
has one for the "you can't make this up" file: top Iowa Republicans complained about "disenfranchising" Democratic voters days after cheering on the man who tried to overturn the 2020 election.
There's been much attention paid to Joe Biden's reluctance to answer questions. writes about an Iowa politician who, since taking office in 2023, still has not held even one public town hall Q&A session with his constituents. Like Biden, Iowa politicians avoid tough questions, too.
Politics: Des Moines
988: Mental Healthcare in Iowa columnist Kali White VanBaale discusses the Des Moines city council’s controversial proposed ban on sleeping in public and its target on the homeless—and mentally ill—population.
Cars + People
writes about a tough issue for families: when to take the car keys away from mom and dad. This ace auto reporter shares stories, including her own, of when this has to happen. It’s a wake-up call, and you’ll find a few tips for taking this action step. featured Phoebe as her Monday Zoom Potluck guest last week. Take a listen to the conversation.
Sports
Jane Burns introduces us to three Iowa-connected Olympians because when it comes to the Olympic Games, everyone has a story.
From :
"Maybe in our adulation of the incredible Caitlin Clark, we can also find some iota of sympathy for a woman who is now reunited with her spouse and grateful for every day she’s back in the U.S.," Pat Kinney writes about Caitlin Clark and Brittney Griner in his new View from the Cedar Valley" column, "A tale of two ballplayers."
Around Iowa
went to Greenfield on the day RAGBRAI came through. He talked to survivors of the May 21 tornado about their experiences and the generous spirit of both their neighbors and RAGBRAI riders.
Marianne Fons jumped on her bike and rode Day 4 of RAGBRAI from Winterset to Knoxville (75 miles). She climbed a zillion hills, discovered pickle juice shots, and picked up fun snippets of conversation from a few of the 18,000 other riders. Read about it in Reporting from Quiltropolis.
“Showing Up” columnist revisits the life and times of a New Yorker who made a transformational art gift to Charles City, his boyhood hometown. It's entitled “Giving an Enigmatic Character His Due.”
From via : "Honoring her Native Roots, Designer Redefines Jewelry"
Alicia Velasquez, owner of The House of DOTŁ'IZHI in Iowa City, is redefining jewelry by honoring her Apache, Yaqui, and Spanish heritage. Her boutique showcases handmade pieces crafted with materials from Native artisans, reflecting her cultural roots and personal journey. Velasquez envisions her store as a community space offering workshops on Native and Latino crafts, emphasizing the importance of supporting Indigenous identities.
A World of Your Own
Writers often have lots of reasons to put words on the page. But in the end, says in "A World of Your Own," it comes down to one reason—one that you may not have thought of.
Ahhhhhhhhh
celebrates the month of July through her photography—from bluebird nestlings to scarlet flame zinnias in bloom to a video clip of audience members dancing on Bunker Mill Bridge. Fun!
On the occasion of The Des Moines Register’s 175th anniversary, our Iowa Boy, , salutes the editor, Carol Hunter, and staff.
Food, Travel, Dining
Taylor Deckert and her pup took a trip to see the sunflowers in Stanhope. Ride along!
$$$
In light of the sky-high costs of dining out these days, offered five savvy ways to save money at area restaurants.
Says : "I think many of us still have this impression that Iowa is full of small family farms with gardens and orchards and a wide variety of animals scattered about the farm yard. These scenes provided the state of Iowa the reputation of being America's bread basket."
has the juicy details about Watermelon Day in Stanhope and her family tradition.
is in a growth stage, and she feels a bit nuts because of it. She ruminates on her self-awareness around this phase of her life before sharing a piece from her first guest contributor, Karen Downing, about ’s AgArts farm-to-artist residencies.
Humor
Fern and Joe are at it again. Check out their column: Divorce, Diamonds and J.D. Vance.
Gone crazy. Be back soon.
, by Vicki Minor.Poetry
shares that her poem "The Camino" was short-listed for The Letter Review Prize for Poetry. This poem was inspired during a visit to Whiterock Conservancy in Coon Rapids, Iowa.
reacts to the death of Sonya Massey.
IOWA WRITERS’ COLLABORATIVE
We brought in one new paid subscriber to this Roundup column last week, 156 new subscribers, and 7,000 new page views. That’s great about our readership numbers but not so great on the paid subscriber front.
We use these funds for group promotional efforts and need about ten monthly to sustain the effort. Being a paid subscriber has perks, too. We’ll invite you to real-time gatherings and our monthly Office Lounge Zoom call at the end of the month.
Today, we have over 60 writers, and our readership of this roundup column is the size of a daily paper in a medium-sized Iowa town. Our writers have their subscriber base, so our average accumulated readership is now over 65,000.
Much of this content is free and does not depend on advertising. YOU are the only source of financial support. We don’t want you to over-stretch your budget, but if you can spare enough to become a paid subscriber, please know how important that is to keep this going.
Below is a roster of our members. We hope you have the means to pick five and become paid subscribers. If enough readers can, we can keep providing this important commentary. To make a direct, one-time donation: