Most Americans believe in democracy - or say they do. The United States operates as a representative democracy. That means we elect leaders to do the work of governing, and we get to vote for those …

Talk about lousy optics — and I am not referring to out-of-style eyeglasses. Public perception is the topic for today. There were a couple of recent news nuggets that illustrate in …

A late September, 200-mile drive through the sunny center of northern and central Illinois reveals blue sky, yellowing fields, and not one roaring red, green, or silver combine gathering in any of …

There’s only a few weeks remaining before the 2024 presidential election comes to a close, that is, pending post-Nov. 5 election certification, recounts, challenges and law suits. Ed Kilgore, …

What comes after Nov. 5? Most Americans and the betting markets believe that Kamala Harris will win the election. She’s even close in Iowa. No matter what happens, we need to find center …

This is a nostalgia column. When you’re 83, you’re allowed some nostalgia, provided you can remember what you’re nostalgic about. And that it has some relevance to the current …

It's easy to see why Eligio "Kika" de la Garza was elected to 16 consecutive terms in the House of Representatives (1965 to 1997) and served his final seven (1981 through 1994) as chairman of the …

The Republican senator from Ohio, and Donald Trump’s running mate, acknowledged it during an interview last week with Dana Bash on CNN. He said he would create a story — like Haitians …

When I celebrated my birthday on September 17th growing up on our family farm, I didn’t know I shared the day with Uncle Sam. On that day in 1787, our nation’s founders signed …

  When companies cut corners on wages and safety, executives cash in while putting workers and customers at risk. I saw it first hand at Dollar General. …

The United States is often described as exceptional — an “exceptional nation.” It’s a favorite expression for officeholders and those who strive to become so. Is the …

In 1894, Congress passed legislation to make the first Monday in September a federal holiday honoring the American worker. In recent years, the three-day holiday weekend has marked the unofficial end …

Few states or nations put on a dairy cattle show like the World Dairy Expo in Madison, WI, where 50,000 visitors and vendors from nearly 100 countries will see 1,800 owners exhibiting 2,500 or so of …

Iowa Republicans resorted to the most extreme tactic to preserve their hold on all four congressional seats. They were so scared of losing in two of those races that they knocked the Libertarian …

Buena Vista and Cherokee counties have essentially recovered the jobs lost during the pandemic, according to figures compiled by The New York Times from the US Bureau of Labor Statistics. Buena …

Innovation should not just come from Washington when it is thriving right here in the heartland. In Iowa, small businesses make up  99 % of businesses and employ more than  50 % of the …

We are in the home stretch of another presidential campaign, and it is important for voters to be alert for the unintended consequences of candidates' promises. Office-seekers and their …

Of the nearly 200 op-eds written as a free-lance columnist contributor to 181 news agencies in 39 states (circa 2013-present), none has received wider readership than the one published June 4 in The …

Rain makes grain, and two mid-August Department of Agriculture (USDA) reports offered this year's first in-the-field look at just how much corn, soybeans, and wheat–as well as other crops like …

Republicans, who control the Iowa House, the Iowa Senate, and the Iowa governorship, make no secret of their intent to entirely eliminate the state’s income tax. It probably won’t happen …