National Politics
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VA shifts explanation as agency dismisses over 1,000 employees; Iowa cuts unclear
The US Department of Veterans Affairs has dismissed more than 1,000 probationary employees just weeks after assuring stakeholders that a federal hiring freeze would not impact operations, raising questions about consistency in the agency’s messaging. Iowa has two major VA health systems in Des Moines and Iowa City. The Veterans Affairs department claimed in January…
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Guest post: Congress needs to stop the handouts to the rich
Paula A. Martinez: Iowans work hard and deserve a government that works for them, not one that rigs the system in favor of the rich and powerful.
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Reynolds admits to gutting Sand’s auditing ability at DC oversight hearing
In a hearing about government oversight, Gov. Kim Reynolds admits to restricting the Iowa auditor’s oversight of state government. Gov. Kim Reynolds was in Washington D.C. today, appearing before a US House committee meeting on government oversight to brag about her work in Iowa and further praise Donald Trump’s presidency. But while she may have…
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Elon Musk is steamrolling worker rights; here’s the latest
Unelected billionaire Elon Musk continues his unconstitutional steamrolling through the federal government under the guise of “efficiency” (with President Donald Trump’s blessing).
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Facing first tragedy of his presidency, Trump blames DEI, Obama for plane crash
Sixty-seven people are presumed to be dead after a passenger plane collided Wednesday night with a US Army helicopter midair while approaching Reagan National Airport. Rather than provide measured leadership, Trump blamed DEI and Democrats for the deadly accident.
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Way more Americans are getting sterilized since Roe was struck down, research finds
A new study has found that from May to August 2022, vasectomies surged by 95% and tubal sterilizations increased by 70% among adults ages 19 to 26. Health care professionals across the country have seen this in real time.
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Guest post: Forget Project 2025. We need a better Farm Bill
When it comes to farm policy in 2025, we don’t need Project 2025. We need a new Farm Bill that acknowledges the challenges we face, tackles them head on, and puts our rural communities before corporate profits. Reading about the recent round of layoffs at John Deere’s Ottumwa plant got me thinking about the future…
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People are leaving states with abortion bans, according to study
A new analysis from the National Bureau of Economic Research found that since 2022, states with near-total abortion bans appear to have lost 36,000 people per quarter, with single people, who tend to skew younger, being more likely to leave. Tens of thousands of people, in particular single people, have left states with abortion bans…
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🌽Cornhole Champions #8 – Best seats for the billionaires (with Rep. J. D. Scholten, Sen. Zach Wahls, and Austin Frerick)
Toss some bags and complain with us about the country’s political alignment with the richest people on earth. Bright ideas: campaign finance reform and lots of it. 🌽Cornhole Champions #8 – Best seats for the billionaires (with Rep. J. D. Scholten, Sen. Zach Wahls, and Austin Frerick) by Zachary Oren Smith Toss some bags and…
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Trump takes on the US Constitution with day one executive orders
Trump issued an executive order to end birthright citizenship, which is guaranteed by the 14th Amendment, doubled down on fossil fuels that drive pollution, and targeted transgender Americans.
