It’s the Friday news roundup: July 26, 2024.

🔥 What a week, huh?

After a news-filled last couple of weeks, we can all come together as a country and root for Team USA in the Paris Olympics, which kick off today!

🏃 Read up on Iowa’s Olympians: From Davenport rower Emily Delleman to Urbandale long distance runner Karissa Schweizer, check out Iowa’s crop of athletes going for gold this month.

🥖 Things that SHOULD be Olympic sports: Food pantry volunteers from around Johnson County got together to make their own Summer Games out of things like javelin-throwing baguettes, and Starting Line reporter Grace Katzer was here for it.

🍕 Running to grab food between events? Check out the must-have food at each of the major gas station chains across Iowa.

What are you excited for at this year’s Summer Games? (I’ll definitely check out the new sport, breaking.) Email me and tell me.

Iowans weigh in on Kamala Harris for president

Iowa Democrats immediately got behind her, Iowa worker rights advocates are hopeful she’ll be a pro-labor champion, and the MAGA rightwingers are predictably losing their minds.

But beyond all the accolades and tirades, Vice President Kamala Harris has her own vision for America, and is already forming plans on how to get it done if elected. Read about that here.

In my first job, working the grill at the brand-new Muscatine Dairy Queen around the turn of the century (did I really just write that sentence), I made $5.15 per hour.

The federal minimum wage has been raised only a little a bit since that time. And this week marked 15 years since the last time Congress raised it.

Iowa Republicans could raise it here (states around us do!), but they have not. And that’s a big reason one out of every six Iowa workers can’t afford basic needs.

Our question: What was your first job, and how much did you get paid? And do you think Iowa should raise our minimum wage?

In a 2021 speech, Vance laid out his belief that people with kids should have “more power” when they go to the polls than people without kids.

Vance, who is Donald Trump’s choice for vice president, has also repeatedly criticized Kamala Harris (who has step-children) and other Democrats as “childless cat ladies.”

As a childless cat lady myself, let me just say: You do not want to piss off the childless cat ladies.

Question of the Week:
What do you think of Trump picking JD Vance as VP?

• “ha ha ha.” ~Douglas J.
• “It fits with Trump, but really bad for our country.” ~Lois A.
• “Perfect complement to tRump! Both assholes!” ~Joe W.

• “Absolute crap; he will match Trump very well!” ~Patrick D.

• “His views are as authoritarian as Trump’s, if not more so. We keep rolling back the rights of women, LGBTQ+, school kids, taxpayers, union members and others they want to marginalize. There is nothing about this duo that will make America great.” ~Patti M., Clive

• “I think it’s extremely on brand that Trump would pick someone who masquerades as ‘one of the 99%’ while they still own major stock in a company that sells US farm land to private foreign firms. Also, the lack of respect for women’s choice in all ways. That he was so against Trump until offered this position shows his lack of morals & character, which again tracks with how Trump operates.” ~Sara C.

• “2 peas in a pod. What woman would vote for them?” ~Sherrie K.

• “Because he was raised in a home of violent women does not mean he condones it. He is trying to show you that, that doesn’t define him. I, too, was raised with a violent mother and my CHOICE in life has to be the opposite of her and her violence. I win and it looks like he is too.” ~Mary W.

• “Please do some better fact checking before you make false misunderstood claims.” ~Veronica B.

VP Kamala Harris endorsed by Biden:

• “I think Ms. Harris has the intelligence, the guts, the class, and the speaking power to do a great job. I wish her ‘Godspeed’ and hope like hell she can prevail. The two dudes in the other camp are simply disgusting.” ~Greg C.

Iowa spending $230M+ on private schools:

• “Arizona, also a victim of Republican-controlled (legislature), is pumping money into private schools. Paying the rich to send their spoiled kids to schools while the majority of kids go to public schools that are struggling. I tutor in public schools where the need for teachers goes unfilled because they can’t earn a living.” ~Gordy G. 

• “Do you not realize that the money the government give to private schools is less than it costs for public school education. Private schools do a better job of educating. Isn’t it are (NOTE: our) goal to educate our students the best we can?” ~Paul B. (NOTE: This is a really popular myth, happy to debunk!)

Upcoming layoffs in Iowa:

• “Noting all the lay-offs listed across the state, I’m wondering whether we could see some analysis related to Biden’s strong economy and to the upcoming election. The implications seem negative.” ~Barb D., Decorah (NOTE: Here’s a Reddit thread on this very topic; you might be surprised who Iowans are blaming!)

The 40/34 Equal Access Festival will celebrate both the 34th anniversary of the Americans with Disabilities Act and the 40th anniversary of Disability Rights Iowa, which is holding the event on Saturday from 10:30 a.m.-1:30 p.m. at the Athene North Shore Recreation Area in Des Moines. Learn more here.

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