2019
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Who Impressed Iowans In The First Democratic Debate
Tonight was the biggest night of the year yet for the Democratic field, and hundreds of Iowa caucus-goers filled bars, coffee shops, homes and county party offices to watch the first debate. Team Starting Line deployed reporters to seven different debate watch parties throughout Iowa, speaking with voters in urban, suburban, rural, college town and…
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Early Reactions From Iowans To The First Democratic Debate
First-in-the-nation Democratic caucus-goers gathered en masse Wednesday night to hear what one round of presidential candidates had to say during the first of two 2020 Democratic debates. Iowa Starting Line reporters joined the crowds of Democrats gathered in Ames, Winterset, Clive, Altoona, Fairfield, Johnston and Des Moines to see whether any of the ten candidates…
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Iowa’s Two Medicaid Providers Are Breaking State Contracts, Iowa Auditor Says
State Auditor Rob Sand said Wednesday Iowa’s two Managed Care Organizations are breaking their contracts with the state by not providing proper care for two quadriplegic people who live in rural Iowa. Sand did not name the two people whose cases he’s looking into, but he said their provider, ComfortCare, recently gave them each a…
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Michael Franken, Retired Admiral From NW Iowa, Considering Ernst Challenge
A fourth Democrat told Starting Line Wednesday he is considering a run against Sen. Joni Ernst, in a field still taking shape to defeat the incumbent Republican. Retired Navy Admiral Michael Franken, originally of Sioux Center, a town deep in conservative Northwest Iowa, said he has talked with state and national party leaders about a…
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Note To Candidates: Don’t ‘Forget’ Black Voters In 2020, Even In Iowa
Listen and show up. For presidential candidates working to avoid a repeat of Democratic missteps in 2016, ensuring turnout rebounds among African-American voters is key. Listen and show up. Sounds easy, right? Even with three simple words, questions instantly come to mind. Who are you listening to? Where are you showing up? If you’re looking…
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How A Census Citizenship Question Would Impact Steve King’s District
The Supreme Court of the United States is expected to decide tomorrow whether the Trump Administration can add a question to the census asking about respondents’ citizenship, a decision that will impact some communities in Iowa. If the question is added to the 2020 census, households and communities with undocumented immigrants will face a hard…
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Ep108: Previewing The First Democratic Debate
Iowa Starting Line Podcast host Pat Rynard talks with Erin Murphy, the Des Moines Bureau Chief for Lee Enterprise Newspapers, about how the first Democratic debate could play out.
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AARP’s ‘Stop Rx Greed’ Campaign Kicks Off
Prescription drug prices are rapidly outrunning inflation rates, coverage options and people’s income, speakers at today’s AARP event in Des Moines warned. AARP brought together their members, volunteers, advocates from other agencies and representatives for Joni Ernst and Cindy Axne to kick off their “Stop Rx Greed: Cut Drug Prices Now” campaign this morning. They…
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Laid-Off Iowa Factory Worker Fed Up With Trump’s ‘Lies’
Robert Morrison, 64, hasn’t always been involved in politics. The self-described introvert said he gets easily tongue-tied when he speaks, so he usually keeps to himself. “I’ve always been led to believe if you work hard and you’re productive, you’ll get taken care of,” Morrison told Starting Line. So, he never worried about much. That…
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Internet Mocks Joni Ernst’s Socialism Claim
The Twitter-verse has not taken kindly to Iowa Sen. Joni Ernst’s rallying cry that socialists soon will take over Iowa and the United States if they’re not stopped by Republican voters. Fear of the “radical left” was a central theme of her 2020 campaign kick-off earlier this month, with Ernst telling the Roast and Ride…
