Election analysis, misses, perspectives...
... humor, poetry and places to eat in Ankeny
Election 2024
The Iowa Down Ballot podcast was recorded the day after the election.
moderated the conversation, featuring: , , , , , , and . Thanks to producer Zachary Oren Smith."It’s an election unlike any other. Again," writes
, who went to Dysart to report on the presidential election, a brand-new five-member Tama County Board of Supervisors, and a Union school district bond issue.
On the eve of the election,
was ‘waiting and wondering.’While
pondered whether women would pull off a stunning win. provides a fresh look at the potential impacts of an upcoming Trump Administration on the auto industry, the overall economy and consumers.Promises made, promises kept, said Donald Trump.
ponders what that means for Storm Lake. shared "The Grapes of Wrath, and Welcome to the Resistance" the day after the election. Also, he opines about his swing and a miss regarding the election.Can a sitting vice president win a presidential election? Not very often, writes
.From
: It's a good time to be a Republican. Like it or not, the Republicans can legitimately say that they represent a democratic majority. This is due both to Republicans' successes and to Democrats' failures.A Democracy Runs Through It: This is no game for somebody that can’t get up and dust themselves off.
lays it all out. writes this week from Washington, DC on the seven stages of losing an election - big time - Democrats are experiencing, and starts answering the question Democrats need to answer - What Now? and Spencer Dirks recapped Iowa's election results (including the back of the ballot) on a special edition of "KHOI's Capitol Week."A day before election officials began counting the results
published a column in The Iowa Mercury on how to process the outcome: "Lessons from Abraham Lincoln on turning depression into a superpower on the eve of a stressful hour in our Republic"Also, on the eve of the election,
interviewed pollster J. Ann Selzer, who rocked the world with her poll showing Harris winning in Iowa. offered an ‘election prayer.’ invited readers to consider the ways community will always matter more than politics.Is this who we are,? asks
The biggest lesson from the 2024 election? It's us. We're the problem. It's us, writes
Disrespecting Black women is a national pastime, writes Dana James, publisher of Black Iowa News.
The irony of a peaceful transition of power is lost on Trump, according to
on Media, who also peeks into the future of journalism in the coming year. chose to seek consolation in the natural world, rather than dwell on disappointing election results.
Iowa Politics
In her column this week,
reflects on what went right on November 5, and what silver lining lessons we may learn from it.Around Iowa
This week on Piecemaker,
shares how she survive political differences in a house divided, bridges community, and her approach to raising a compassionate human. In her latest piece, she reflects on lessons learned celebrating with a stranger she met through an ad in her local paper: The Best Birthday Ever.In his new "View from the Cedar Valley" column,
pays tribute to one newspaper colleague who just retired and another who passed away on the job a few years ago.Weather and the Environment
As record heat, relentless drought, and monster storms batter the planet, voters still rank climate change low on their list of concerns. Why are we more worried about egg prices than the escalating climate crisis? It’s time to cut through the noise and face the reality of our burning world, writes
.How can the living roots of history inspire us to change farm policies and practices before we are left with irreparably degraded soil and hypoxic, dead water in our lakes and rivers? In
's Emerging Voices, conservationist Joshua T. Anderson provides some answers.
Food and Dining
Expert layer cakes, masterful salads, beautiful ice creams, apple fritters, and more--
offers numerous reasons why local food lovers need to check out Ankeny.
Arts, Books, Entertainment
From
: Listen to Episode 1 of the Reading with Rachelle podcast as she discusses "Corporatocracy: How to Protect Democracy from Dark Money and Corrupt Politicians" with author Ciara Torres-Spelliscy. Also listen to her podcast trailer to learn what Reading with Rachelle is all about.Explorations in writing and creativity in this look at Blackbirds with publisher Steve Semken,
has a piece about a classic comedy, “Blazing Saddles.”Sometimes a simple cat story can make your world feel a whole lot better, writes
.Our resident film maker, Nik Heftman, has an update on a showing of his documentary about Spoken Word poet, Caleb Rainey.
Sports
examines an activity that's migrated from support status to being a competitive sport. His overview includes early beginnings in the Midwest... and cites participation by four future Presidents. Rah-rah-rah!Decoding success,
found words of wisdom from sports figure Ross Bernstein in his program: “The Champion’s Code: Building Relationships Through Life Lessons from the Sports World to the Business World.”Finding Peace
Robert Leonard runs a guest column by Cathy Strucker, who owns a Yoga studio on Knoxville: “Be the Lighthouse.”
mused that perhaps it is time to pick up pen & ink and watercolors, and unplug from politics. Another columnist eats crow after the election results are tabulated.reports from Madison County on poll watching, novel-writing, and sewing.
Humor
Voting and basic skills, according to our
columnist, Vicki Minor.Poetry
shares a poem called "Spill Over" that she wrote a few years ago and was reminded of this week. She says for her it is time to reread the Book of Ecclesiastes and walk in nature.
Iowa Writers’ Collaborative
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