Ernst's comment at an Iowa Town Hall prompted responses in this Big Beautiful Roundup
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This week’s roundup doesn’t shy away from the hot zones of Iowa and national politics. From Senator Joni Ernst’s latest viral moment—declaring “we are all going to die”—to Laura Belin’s closer examination of her Medicaid and SNAP rhetoric, our writers are holding public officials to account. Cheryl Tevis and Robert Leonard dive into the implications of Trump’s “One Big, Beautiful Bill” and the Democrats’ tone-deaf attempts to reconnect with working-class voters. Dave Busiek, meanwhile, calls out the White House press corps for missing signs of the president’s decline, while Randy Evans explains why Trump’s gift-filled Qatari 747 wouldn’t get off the runway in Iowa.
We also hear sharp insights about Iowa’s own Rep. Mariannette Miller-Meeks and her support for tax policies that critics say benefit coastal elites. From Des Moines to D.C., these stories cut through the spin and put the spotlight back where it belongs—on the consequences of policy for real people. Whether it’s a fishing trip that turns into a leadership lesson, or a retired National Guard soldier drawing crowds in Cedar Falls, this week’s writers take you far beyond the headlines.
National Politics
Cheryl Tevis
Trump’s "One Big Beautiful Bill" gets an “Extreme Makeover” critique—Cheryl Tevis finds the cracks in its School Choice facade.
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Robert Leonard
When Bob Leonard saw $20 million going toward rebranding Democrats for “American Men,” he had thoughts. Here they are.
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Laura Belin
Joni Ernst’s gaffe grabbed headlines, but Laura Belin digs into her Medicaid and SNAP talking points—echoes of broader GOP strategy.
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Matt Russell
Russell writes that Iowa Republicans' SNAP cuts could deprive children of millions of pounds of food.
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Randy Evans
If a Qatari 747 carried gifts to Iowa officials, it would violate state law. Randy Evans explains why that matters in light of Trump’s legal woes.
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Dennis Goldford
While you’re entitled to discuss your faith with anyone and even to attempt to persuade someone that yours is the true faith that everyone should adopt, you are NOT entitled to use the power of the state—i.e., government—to aid you in that project.
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Dan Henderson
“Christ Church DC” is the latest export of radical Christian nationalism to the nation’s capital, led by Pastor Doug Wilson.
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Iowa Politics
Rekha Basu
Shameless! Sen. Joni Ernst's outrageous answer to low-income people's lives being at risk from health-care budget cuts segued to blaming unproven waste, fraud and undocumented immigrants' roles. Again.
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Ed Tibbetts
Ed Tibbetts at Along the Mississippi writes that new mailings are taking on Mariannette Miller-Meeks for a provision in the Trump tax bill that benefits ‘coastal elites’ in states run by Democrats.
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Laura Belin
Laura Belin and Spencer Dirks covered 2026 campaign news, Iowa angles on the "big, beautiful bill," and some new state laws on the latest edition of "KHOI's Capitol Week."
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Ed Tibbetts
Iowa’s ‘New Conservatives’ are committing to years of deficit spending just so they can overhaul tax collections to lighten the load on the wealthy. But as Ed Tibbetts writes, this also means they’re transferring a bigger share of the burden to you.
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Art Cullen
Could we just not be so mean in our politics? Art Cullen isn’t finding much sympathy with his neighbor who thinks DEI is out to screw him.
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Dave Price
There is something that seems missing with legislation Iowa's governor just signed to bring doctors to small communities. The Iowa Down Ballot podcast contributors explain what that could be, plus why something that happened at the end of the legislative session was a bit of a surprise.
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Dave Price
Does Senator Joni Ernst regret telling an angry audience that "we are all going to die?" And what did Dave Price notice at Congressman (and all but certain 2026 candidate for governor) Randy Feenstra's annual picnic?
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Zachary Oren Smith
Iowa Starting Line's Zach Smith sits down with Pints & Diplomacy hosts for an unfiltered conversation about Iowa politics, Kim Reynolds' underestimated political instincts, why Trump rallies bring the "big spectacle," and the future of journalism. Plus: Mississippi vs Iowa food wars and whether podcasters deserve press credentials.
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Around Iowa
Avery Gregurich
In this edition of The Five and Dime, Avery Gregurich explores the town of Atlas, Illinois, which keeps disappearing from Google Maps.
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Pat Kinney
Families and friends showed up to support more than 200 Iowa National Guard soldiers at a sendoff in Cedar Falls, one of two dozen held around the state this past week as some 1,800 soldiers deploy to the Middle East for a year.
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Business
Rick Jost
"Slang Marketing = Epic Fail.
Okay, boomer. Want to come off as cool by pitching contemporary slang in marketing to younger consumers? Chances are you'll succeed — at humiliating yourself, a new study says."
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Suzanna de Baca
In her Leadership Outside the Box column, Suzanna de Baca shares reflections from a fishing trip in an essay called "The Unexpected Trophy: Nine things I learned from a cold morning, a big fish, and a yellow spoon."
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Humor
Vicki Minor
The Quest for My Name on a Coke Bottle
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Chuck Offenburger
We see London! We see France! We now see Iowa Boy Chuck Offenburger's underpants—the ones he wears for big baseball games of his alma mater Vanderbilt University. He's been a fun part of the baseball success there.
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Iowa at Large
Ken Chester
Who is Rural America? Researchers claim that there is little agreement on how to define rural America. The myths perpetuated about its irreversible decline have little resemblance to reality.
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Law and Justice
Lynn Hicks
School-shooting cases close, but questions about kids persist: What if Iowa had more options for the teenage defendants in the Des Moines East High School shooting and other violent youth?
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Media
Phoebe Wall Howard
Beagles rescued by auto reporters in cross-country run.
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Daniel P. Finney
Actress Loretta Swit, who died Friday at 87, had a tour of duty as Major Margaret Houlihan—a triumph of character growth that reflected women's evolving roles in the 20th century.
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Dave Busiek
Reporters in the Biden White House failed the country by missing the president’s health decline, writes Dave Busiek.
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Poetry
Suzanna de Baca
Suzanna de Baca shares a new poem called “What Remains Unbroken.”
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Weather and Environment
Chris Gloninger
The National Weather Service is being gutted—and your favorite weather app may not survive it. “Apps Are Awful,” writes Chris Gloninger.
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Music
Dartanyan L. Brown
Dartanyan's Time Machine takes us back to the 1970s, paying homage to a rock star of the pre-computer era.
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World Affairs
Jane Nguyen
Jane Nguyen shares her experience attending the 50th Anniversary of Operation Babylift at the Cradle of Aviation in New York.
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The Iowa Writers’ Collaborative invites all paid subscribers to join many of our writers in Winterset — Madison County - for a thank-you event
🎬 Iowa Writers' Collaborative Event – Saturday, July 26, 2025
Location: The Iowa Theater, Winterset, Iowa
Time: 3:00 PM
Feature: Private screening of the award-winning documentary Storm Lake, featuring Pulitzer Prize–winning journalist Art Cullen.
Post-Screening: An engaging Q&A session with Art Cullen himself. Winimoranville
After-Party: Join us for a delightful after-party to mingle with fellow writers, discuss the film, and enjoy some refreshments. Winimoranville
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She let the cat out of the bag without thinking of the response she would get. Right now we are afraid we are all going to die before our time with the changes this Big Beautiful Bill will bring. She needs to go!
Cannot access Finney’s new post. I subscribe.