We’re on the road again with cinematographer Jerry Risius, not quite gypsies, trying to find out what grinds Iowa’s gears. Jerry and I toured the state from Alleman to Algona making …

Martial law was imposed last weekend on Los Angeles when President Trump ordered in the California National Guard to disband lawful protests over the deportation of Latino immigrants. The military …

We celebrate Father’s Day on Sunday. It’s a good day to also celebrate George Washington, who was the “Father of Our Country.” George did not have any children of his …

Jane Austen’s “Pride and Prejudice” focused on manners and goodness, two virtues sometimes forgotten today. Shortly before the novel was published, our Founding Fathers settled …

Iowa’s DOGE task force, a Governor Reynolds’ creation channeling the 2025 federal DOGE Department headed until recently by Elon Musk, last week discussed the possible consolidation of …

A lifetime ago, I worked at a small-town newspaper setting type, pasting up pages, covering city council and school board meetings, writing features and a column. It was great training for meeting …

In 1957 I was 12 years old. It was a beautiful summer night at the Little League ballpark, now named Jim Reese Field, next to East School. The lights were on. Fans lined the fence and filled the …

Saturday, June 14, is No Kings Day, when tens of thousands of people at thousands of events around the country will protest the autocratic actions of Donald Trump. One such event will be here in …

“Jesus is my Savior. Trump is my President.” That banner hung proudly less than a mile from our newly purchased home in Arlington, Texas. I remember stopping my car, staring at it, …

If you’re struggling to comprehend the massive and complex One Big Beautiful Bill Act, you’re not alone. It’s complicated, messy and ominous. As written, it will slash at least …

Apparently, the new official response to Iowa families worried about losing their health care is: “We’re all going to die.” That’s what Senator Joni Ernst told Iowans …

The Fiscal Year 2026 budget will spend $9.424 billion in the next year, an increase of 5.33% over the current year. With the ending of the enhanced federal matching rate for Medicaid in 2023, it …

As a life-long marketer and consumer behavior professor, it’s interesting to observe how people’s opinions change as details of an issue become more apparent. Behavioral change — …

Despite all his accolades and achievements, Dwight D. Eisenhower remained modest and plainspoken. “The proudest thing I can claim” he noted after his triumphant return to the U.S. from …

The woman on the phone from the Mayo Clinic was growing exasperated as she ran through how to sweep up my medical records. “So, you got the CT scan in Storm Lake? And the hormone therapy …

Joni Ernst is a US senator because she understands Iowa voters and speaks their language, cynical as it is. She castrated pigs. Gonna make ’em squeal in DC. Roast and ride a hog. Wear bread …

I had only been to Decorah once, nearly 50 years ago, and Mary had never been there, so on our way back from Out East a couple of weeks ago we passed through the northeast Iowa community. It was a …

If an opinionated old guy from southern Iowa delivered the recent commencement address at the United States Military Academy, my message would have contrasted with the one given by another …

Donald Trump got it half right about the recent omnibus tax-plus-everything else bill that the U.S. House passed on Tuesday last week. It’s big, but it ain’t beautiful. The bill …

Christianity began as a cell network. Small pockets of believers gathered to worship and spread the story of Jesus’ life, death, and resurrection. A few centuries later, Emperor Constantine …