We are back at the Capitol in Des Moines and the 2026 legislative session has officially started. The first week is always busy with speeches from legislative leaders, the governor, the chief justice …
The start of the second half of the 91st General Assembly ushered in a wave of activity at the statehouse. This first week included opening speeches by Senate President Amy Sinclair and Senate …
Last Spring, a “Dauntless Dozen” Iowa Senators formed and stood together, including Lynn Evans of Aurelia, forged an alliance and stood together against all the king’s horses and all the …
For the ninth time, Gov. Kim Reynolds told us last week the condition of the state is strong. Except we have the worst economy of the 50 states, and personal income growth was 48th last year, …
US Rep. Randy Feenstra and Rep. Ashley Hinson joined ranks with House Republicans to vote against subsidies for health insurance policies offered on the federal exchange. Feenstra is running for …
I joined a virtual book club during the Covid-19 lockdown, and it was a lifeline. It was also the first time I’d ever joined a book club. Odd thing for a book lover/word nerd/writer/librarian to …
Truth should be measured by evidence, not by political allegiance. nnCan’t we all agree on that? With that in mind, a useful question for citizens and journalists to ask at times like this is …
Greenland, again? Really? Apparently yes. Donald John Trump, President of the United States, on Jan. 9 vowed to take control of Greenland, an autonomous part of America’s NATO ally Denmark. In …
President Donald J. Trump loves to point out that farmers “love” him. The November 2024 election results prove it’s no boast. In fact, while the then-former president beat Vice President …
The Cherokee County Fund Drive for 2025 has concluded and the checks have been issued to the non-profit agencies we represent. We now wish to thank everyone who has contributed and also the Chronicle …
So I’ve become that grumpy old man. Not funny like Walter Matthau. Just grumpy. Curmudgeonly, somebody said. Shrill. I wake up PO’d. It’s hard to stay in good humor when dawn breaks to a …
President Trump said we invaded Venezuela not so much over the drugs or democracy but for the oil. We left the drug runners in charge of the country with gunboats moored offshore ready to invade …
Until 2015, I shied away from political news. Growing up, I paid scant attention to history, civics or government classes. They didn’t land in a way that connected with anything real in my life. …
It was Christmas Eve. The gifts were laid beneath the Christmas tree at the home of Merlin and Nelda Powers in Urbandale. But the family’s holiday celebration ended abruptly that day in 1968 …
A few days ago a team effort by U.S. military, intelligence, and law enforcement personnel seized Venezuelan strongman Nicolas Maduro and his wife Cilia Flores, and took them into American custody. …
I’m writing today with a heavy heart but a clear purpose because I am tired and deeply concerned: our rural communities are facing a healthcare crisis, and we need help — especially when it comes …
One of the most under-reported stories of 2025 — the departure of more than 20,000 U.S. Department of Agriculture employees — finally surfaced just before the quietest, most unwatched news …
Those with high hopes for a two-party system in Iowa must put their minds and means on reaching rural voters. We had a balanced government a decade ago, before shelled-out river towns went …
Days removed from the winter solstice, when Iowa’s nights are the longest, we have another example of the absence of sunshine in Iowa government. And this example shows why the Legislature has much …
As we step into a new year full of resolutions, imagine a healthier home, safer children and pets free from toxic risks, all starting with your lawn. With so many new goals, I am writing because one …