Newsletters


  • 🗳️ Did you vote yet? It’s Election Day!

    Plus: Protests, rallies, and more Share with a friend Amie here. It’s Election Day Tuesday! Plus, I’ve got protests/events, a quick authoritarianism explainer, and this week’s viral post.   But first: It’s time to throw the bums out, keep the good ones in, and decide where your tax money should go. It’s city/school Election Day! Forgot all…


  • 🎃 Happy Halloween!

    Plus: Your emails and Positively Iowa Share with a friend 🗣️ It’s Friday and All Hallows’ Eve (lest you think even one US holiday has been untouched by Christianity). Hope you saved some of that candy for the trick-or-treaters!   My take: We’ve had a couple of wins for the Constitution in Iowa lately. A…


  • Here’s why Nov. 1 is so important

    News about and for the working class Share with a friend Saturday is Nov. 1, and Nov. 1 is when the monthlong federal government shutdown—assuming it hasn’t been lifted—will become very personal and very real.   There are two big reasons for that.    First: Nov. 1 is when SNAP benefits will end for 42 million…


  • Iowa’s trees are at full color

    Plus: Protests, rallies, and more Share with a friend Amie here. It’s Tuesday, so I’ve got  protests/events, a quick authoritarianism explainer, and this week’s must-see video.   But first: It’s *finally* peak fall color season up in Northeast Iowa, two or three weeks late! My backyard maple and mulberry trees. (Amie River/Iowa Starting Line) If you…


  • Why it took nearly a century to bring Halloween to Des Moines

    Plus: Your emails and Positively Iowa Share with a friend 🗣️ It’s Friday; time for Only in Iowa, Positively Iowa, this week’s pet photo, and of course reader replies! Amie Rivers Newsletter Editor, Iowa Starting Line Email me   Why it took nearly a century to bring Halloween to Des Moines Two kids celebrating on…


  • Shutdown means no pay for 10K Iowa workers

    News about and for the working class Share with a friend   A correction from last week: Meghan Holloran graduated from Drake University with a degree in multimedia journalism, not environmental journalism.   Amie here. The ongoing federal government shutdown is resulting in lots of Iowans not being paid—and it’s not just federal workers.  …


  • The inflatable Antifa army at No Kings Des Moines

    Plus: Protests, rallies, and more Share with a friend Amie here. Thanks again for your support of our series on Cancer in Iowa, which had previously taken over Tuesdays in your inbox.   Now, we’re back with your week ahead: protests/events, a quick authoritarianism explainer, this week’s must-see video, and 3 things to know.  …


  • Final request, we want to hear your opinion

    We need your help Dear Iowa Starting Line reader, Iowa Starting Line is committed to delivering the news and information that matters most to you and your community. We truly value your readership. As a show of our commitment, we are turning to you to ensure we’re on the right track:  We’re inviting you to…


  • All the No Kings protests happening this weekend in Iowa

    Plus: Your emails and Positively Iowa   It’s Friday, October 17, 2025. 🗣️ It’s Friday; time for reader replies!   My take: We’ll be headed to No Kings protests tomorrow in Des Moines (Avery) and Waterloo (me); if you spot us, say hi!   Now that our Cancer in Iowa series has wrapped, I’ll be…


  • AI has wiped out a third of entry-level jobs

    News about and for the working class Share with a friend   Amie here. Another young college graduate from Iowa can’t find any sort of entry-level job, she told me last week. And AI may be to blame.   Meghan Holloran just graduated from Drake University this May with an environmental journalism degree. She did…