The United States system of government is one of the most complicated such mechanisms in the world. It’s a blessing and a curse. A blessing, because it disperses power. That’s what …

Every Fourth of July, the First Reformed Church of Hospers held its church picnic on the church grounds, and unlike going to church on Sunday mornings AND evenings, it was one event I looked forward …

I’ve celebrated the 4th of July in many places all over the United States. Whether it was in Iowa, Ute and Storm Lake, Atlanta, Philadelphia, Indianapolis, Houston, Anchorage, or San Jose, …

With the city cutting the library budget, two full-time employees, who had worked there for many years, had their hours cut in half. Shouldn't good work and seniority be rewarded? Newell, …

This session the House and Senate advanced reform of Iowa’s pharmacy benefit managers (PBMs) with bipartisan support. More than 200 pharmacies have closed in Iowa in the last decade, …

Peggy Noonan has been a right-leaning columnist for The Wall Street Journal since leaving the Ronald Reagan Administration as his primary speechwriter. Five of Noonan’s books have been New York …

Six months into my first job as pup reporter in the last century, I pestered my boss to transfer me from the green fields of north central Iowa to the story-littered streets of Washington, D.C. to …

Brother John and I decided to see the USA in our Chevrolet, so we hopped in our Equinox EV and buzzed through the Great Plains and the Rockies and the Mojave Desert to Long Beach like generations of …

One of our visions of Hell involves Iowa PBS running programs about the British monarchy in a constant loop interspersed with episodes of Antiques Roadshow. We joke. We love public broadcasting. We …

If you watched CBS Sunday Morning last weekend, you may have noticed that former Storm Laker Dave Diamond was mentioned prominently in one of the features. CBS correspondent Anthony Mason was …

Several dozen people gathered last Saturday in Monticello for a citizen workshop the Grassroots Iowa Network organized to get more everyday Iowans engaged in the political process. They spent …

When I went to college a billion years ago, I stood out among my peers because I had a portable typewriter. Imagine! That was a defining piece of technology that few others owned, and it was the only …

I mowed the lawn last weekend. Temp was in the middle 90s, with heat index over 100. With a strong breeze, it really wasn’t so bad. But my mom would probably have said, “You don’t …

Yes, Joni, we’re all going to die — someday. But do you want to be responsible for speeding that day along for many Iowans if you vote to cut Medicaid and SNAP to bankroll tax breaks for …

The United States Postal Service is on the brink of a self-induced collapse. The failed policies of the Delivering for America Plan have driven away customers through a combination of sky-high rate …

With the 2025 legislative session concluded, the Local Government Committee reported 25 bills out of the committee for full consideration of the House of Representatives. Of those bills, 10 have been …

If you’re in charge of reversing American agriculture’s three-years-old-and-growing trade deficit, your list of options is as limited as it is unworkable. You can, for instance, …

Eminent scientists reported in the eminent journal Nature last week that a crop catastrophe is ahead thanks to a warming climate. No kidding. Can you hear an echo? Corn yields could drop by …

As rumors swirled last week that immigration agents would raid Storm Lake meatpacking plants, Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins got on the horn to President Trump to call off the dogs. “She …

I hope all fathers out there had a good Father’s Day last Sunday. I did. We headed out to northwest Indiana at the invitation of our daughter Bridget and her husband Branden. As we sat …