How far right can we go? Selzer talks with Price, A NW Iowa Library needs a new home, and an old fire station found one
...food, climate, cars, tears - a smorgasbord of Iowa commentary
Welcome to our 40 new paid subscribers and two Founding Members. This is a big step toward having the resources to produce the “Iowa Down Ballot” podcast during the Iowa Legislative session.
For those interested in our trajectory, the IWC Roundup column has been viewed 77,100 times in the past 30 days; many thanks to our readers for sharing it with others.
We grew in paid subscribers thanks to an end-of-the-year 50% off sale until December 10. Care to take advantage of the sale?
Meet our newest member
Iowa Writers’ Collaborative member Robert Leonard interviewed the author of
, Nina Elkadi, and encouraged the 24-year-old journalist to join our group.Nina is a writer from Iowa who reports on the intersection of climate change and agriculture. Her work also explores the manipulation of science and how corporate negligence affects consumers and workers. She is the incoming investigative reporter at Sentient Media, where she will investigate factory farming. You can find her work in Civil Eats, National Geographic, Inside Climate News, and here on Substack.
Please welcome Nina and enjoy her interview with
National Politics
responded to a request by a teacher friend and wrote: "Trump's Proposed Mass Deportations of Undocumented Children May Devastate Many of our Public Schools and Communities."
Iowa Politics
How far right can Iowa go? A long country mile,
says. shared a candid conversation with pollster J. Ann Selzer.What's a minority party to do? Cornhole Champions host
speaks with Iowa's House Minority Leader about the road ahead for Democrats this session. Join Zach and Iowa Starting Line’s community editor Amie Rivers to chat about why Iowa rejects federal money to feed kids. explored why three Iowa Senate districts flipped in 2024 (incumbents faced daunting new maps and headwinds from the top of the ticket), as well as two Iowa Senate races that Democrats barely won.Laura Belin and Spencer Dirks covered the state of play on Iowa legislative races, Senator Joni Ernst's big bet on DOGE, the feds rejecting two of Iowa's waiver requests, a sharp decline in abortions performed, and more on the latest edition of "KHOI's Capitol Week."
Some Iowa Down Ballot team members appeared on a panel on the campus of Simpson College.
posted the audio.Around Iowa
goes behind the scenes, exposing the bedrooms where her published quilts reside.
This week on Piecemaker,
writes about her visit to Strangers and Guests Catholic Worker Farm, where she visits with peace activists Brian Terrell and Betsy Keenan, who share their philosophy of intentional living and small acts of resistance, offering a thoughtful reflection on cultivating peace in a fractured world and building a life rooted in purpose and compassion. Steve Semken writes: From Vanilla Ice Cream to Giving Thanks, or The Flavor of Love.From
: Dunkerton history buffs are on the move again . . . this time, moving a 140-year-old train depot into town to a local history campus.
In her column this Thanksgiving weekend,
raises the need to rebuild bridges and create a greater community. She celebrates the power of music as a healing force in our lives.Guest columnist Ray Walton offers a brilliantly written take on his veteran father in Douglas Burns’ The Iowa Mercury: On what would have been his 100th birthday, a World War II veteran's son recalls timely lessons from his dad
Food, Dining, and Travel
tells you what to do and where to eat in Kansas City. Plan a winter trip now through January 12 to enjoy the holiday lights on the Plaza, plus the kinds of restaurants you just don't find in Des Moines.From
of In the Dirt: an essay from Chris Schwartz of the Iowa Food System Coalition. Chris goes all out for the holidays; visitors come from miles around to see the over-the-top decorations and for the good food. This year, he will feature local food grown here in Iowa.
A heartwarming Thanksgiving from
's Buggy Land. In contrast to some of Swander's other journeys through the Amish countryside, this ride spreads good news, gratitude, and joy.Did you host your family Thanksgiving?
did for the first time. Read about everything that went wrong and everything that went right.
Julie hadn’t expected to file two columns this week but was moved to share a personal story after watching a video clip of a bulldozer tearing apart a campsite where homeless neighbors live.
Cars
A 19-year-old Mustang driver dies of cancer—but not before squeezing happiness from every minute of living into this life. Grab a tissue for this heart wrenching story by
.
Weather, Climate, and Environment
Winter is warming quickly across Iowa.
has a chilling, must-read report.
Books and Arts
Listen to Episode 4 of Reading with Rachelle as
dives into "The Black Cabinet: The Untold Story of African Americans and Politics During the Age of Roosevelt" with author Jill Watts. They discuss the African American economists, lawyers, sociologists, and journalists who worked tirelessly behind-the-scenes for the inclusion of Black Americans in FDR's New Deal programs.Humor
A wild and civilized Thanksgiving feast, described by our local humorist, Vicki Minor, of
.Poetry
shares a poem called "12 Haikus of Thanksgiving." offers a poem about being born during historical moments of change: Born in the Air. Black Iowa News features a post election poem by Sharaine Webster, “Rising Through the Fog of the Unknown.”
Iowa Writers’ Collaborative
On December 13, from 5-8 p.m., Iowa Writers’ Collaborative members will hold our annual holiday party for paid subscribers and donors to Iowa Capital Dispatch. (Their guests can attend for a donation to be given at the event). Come mix and mingle with our writers, and readers.
The Tom and Ruth Harkin Center, home of the Harkin Institute for Public Policy & Citizen Engagement at Drake University, is a model of inclusion and accessibility to public policy research and citizen engagement.
Paid subscribers: Click here to register.
Not yet a paid subscriber?
We are offering an annual subscription for 50% off until December 10.
Please explore the columns by members of the Iowa Writers’ Collaborative. Below is our current roster: Your support is vital. Pick five, if you can, and become a paid subscriber.
Piecemaker is Sarah Scull not Sarah Cross.