Ernst challenger? Dip your chips in a ketchup bottle? A political apology...
...and oh so much more
This Week in the Iowa Writers' Collaborative
From the halls of Iowa politics to the jazz clubs of history, from urgent debates on book bans to the fight for wind energy, this week's Iowa Writers' Collaborative Roundup is packed with powerful stories that inform, inspire, and challenge the status quo.
🔹 Politics & Power: Chuck Grassley’s latest spiral, Iowa’s sweeping book bans, and how Republican leaders are abandoning rural America—our writers pull no punches.
🔹 Crisis & Courage: A heartbreaking look at how Iowa’s frayed social services failed a young woman, an urgent plea to protect democracy from voter suppression, and a deep dive into how antisemitism lingers in one of America’s top universities.
🔹 Culture & Creativity: April is Jazz Appreciation Month—discover how jazz wasn’t just music but a political movement. Plus, a tribute to legendary poetry critic Helen Vendler and a new play about farm communities grappling with big changes.
🔹 Voices That Matter: What does it mean to be labeled a "minority"? What happens when the government tries to control words? How does misinformation threaten our food and water security? Our columnists tackle the big questions shaping our world.
Rick Jost’s "Bits and Pieces" Business column:
Rick Jost covers a variety of quirky and business-related news in Iowa. This week's highlights include Poultry Patrol Inc.'s turkey robot, which received a $50,000 loan from the Iowa Economic Development Authority to help farmers manage their flocks more efficiently. Meanwhile, ketchup makers are innovating with flavors like jalapeño, bacon, and even pickle ketchup to boost sluggish sales. In snack news, an auction for a Cheeto shaped like Michael Jordan’s “Jumpman” logo stalled at $5,650, with bidding set to close soon. On the relocation front, Iowa saw a decline in net migration, while Vermont surprisingly topped the list for new residents. Finally, Pella Corporation celebrates its 100th anniversary, reflecting on its growth from a small Dutch-founded operation into a national window and door manufacturing leader. Learn more.
Below are 36 other columns posted by our members this past week.
Business
Diana Wright – Entrepreneurship through the lens of Iowa writers and creatives: Explore this week’s roundup of why entrepreneurship roots run deep in our nation and across Iowa, and more!
Read more
Iowa Politics
Laura Belin – After Dave Price scooped that Zach Wahls may run for U.S. Senate next year, Laura Belin shared background on the Democrat and her first thoughts on his prospects against two-term incumbent Joni Ernst.
Read moreLaura Belin – Reynolds, Bird cheer Trump; Lawmakers act on education and DEI in the March 24 edition of “KHOI’s” Capitol Week”
Daniel P. Finney – Iowa lawmakers want religion—specifically Christianity—to play a bigger role in the lives of children, but they've missed an obvious move, writes Paragraph Stacker Daniel P. Finney.
Read moreEd Tibbetts – New evidence on Iowa Secretary of State Paul Pate's decision to unfairly target hundreds of voters.
Read more Also, by Tibbetts - Gerrymandering Comes to Iowa. Learn moreRobert Leonard & Matt Russell – Republican Leaders MIA in Rural America—Republican Governors and Members of Congress Silent while Trump Hammers their Constituents.
Read moreDave Price – Iowa Down Ballot podcast: legal fights, legislative delays, and political apologies.
Read moreDave Price – Dave Price heard something from a politician this week that he rarely does: "I apologize." Find out what led to it and learn the exclusive details on which Iowan may run against U.S. Senator Joni Ernst next year.
Read moreLetters from Iowans (Gordie Felger) – Gov. Kim Reynolds doesn’t need a new state Department of Government Efficiency when there’s already a state auditor.
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National Politics
Barry Piatt – Barry Piatt writes from Washington, DC that Senator Chuck Grassley “jumped the shark” this past week...
Read moreCheryl Tevis – The challenges of navigating the detours and roadblocks of our current political infrastructure.
Read moreArnold Garson – Columbia University struggles to protect Jewish students amid a long history of antisemitism.
Read moreRobert Leonard – Resistance Rangers at Effigy Mounds National Monument: We, the people, need to stand up.
Read moreJoan Zwagerman – The SAVE Act is thinly disguised voter restriction, already being enacted in New Hampshire.
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Books, Art
Michael Judge – A tribute to the brilliant poetry critic and Harvard professor Helen Vendler by Scott Newstok.
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World Affairs
Abena Sankofa Imhotep – Why are Black people considered “minorities” and why do they accept the label?
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Music
Dartanyan L. Brown – April is Jazz Appreciation Month. Dartanyan will spend the month examining jazz's artistic, social, and political significance.
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Around Iowa
Chuck Offenburger – A visit with student journalists at Grinnell College, home of one of the best college news organizations in the state.
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Iowa at Large
Jeff Morrison – New additions to the Collaborative and notes on Iowa Legislature's delay in school funding approval.
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Law and Justice
Lynn Hicks – “Fight for girls like Alyssa”: How a murder victim slipped through the cracks.
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Poetry
Suzanna de Baca – A poem called "Restoring Truth and Sanity," responds to an Executive Order on history education.
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Agriculture
Mary Swander – An excerpt from Taylor Sklenar's new play "Resistance" explores pesticide tensions in farm communities.
Read moreArt Cullen – RFK2 and the new ag secretary suggest letting bird flu run its course. Are they crazy?
Read moreChris Gloninger – Former Governor and U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Tom Vilsack discusses the intersection of climate, agriculture, and our shared future.
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Media
Dave Busiek – How Trump’s howls of protest tell journalists their story is right on the mark.
Read moreDave Busiek – Iowans received an ominous warning this week from a decorated US ambassador about the impact of US withdrawal from the world stage.
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The Iowa Angle
Rekha Basu – Would Uncle Pat—a force of nature—approve of the world today?
Read moreRichard Gilbert —
Two Iowans, attorney David Belin and Secret Service agent Sam Kinney, had front-row seats to history—one investigating the JFK assassination and the other witnessing it firsthand—offering an "Iowa angle" on one of America’s most enduring tragedies.
Weather and Environment
David Thoreson – Wind Energy and Water Quality Work Together... but misinformation is damaging a fine relationship.
Read moreDouglas Burns – The White House Effect: A Climate Reckoning
Award-winning filmmakers Bonni Cohen and Jon Shenk unveil “The White House Effect,” a gripping documentary that revisits a lost moment for climate action under President George H.W. Bush, as former EPA Administrator William K. Reilly reflects on how political will and scientific urgency nearly aligned before polarization took hold.
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Writing
Steve Semken – A Bright Dynamite Creek. Let’s get all magic-realism.
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Iowa Writers’ Collaborative Roster
Des Moines Metro