21 minutes: Christina Bohannan at the Soapbox 2024

 

It is that time in the yearly cycle for the Iowa State Fair! One of the most recognized fairs in the world, the Iowa State Fair even had a starring role in the movie State Fair in 1945. The fair starts Thursday August 13 and runs through Sunday August 23. So far it looks like the weather will be moderate with temps in the upper 70s / low 80s during the day.

One of the true highlights of the Iowa State Fair is the Soapbox sponsored by the Des Moines Register. Speakers are given 20 minutes to speak an hopefully for the crowd to listen. Here is a link to the CR Gazette with a list of the times and speakers at the Soapbox. 

Note that Naig, Bird and Hinson will only be given 10 minutes. No explanation. I will guess they want to get on and off the stage as quickly as possible to avoid any questions, such as air and water quality, the gutting of medicaid and SNAP or Iowa’s involvement in trying to supress votes.

 

Lets go – this weeks background music will be state fairs:

 

A) Once again Donald Trump oversees job disasters in the US. What were the hiring numbers for July in the US?

 

B) With July numbers setting the tone, May and June employment numbers were also revised. Do you know how much these employment numbers were revised?

 

C) Meanwhile, how did our neighbors to the north (Canada) do with their job numbers last month?

 

D) The Iowa State fair averages about how many visitors per year for its 11 day run?

 

E) On to other subjects. Trump seemed to be surprised to find out that America’s inventory of what was running low due to the Iran War?

 

F)  It was revealed this week that Capitol One shut down hundreds of bank accounts of Donald Trump in 2021 based on evidence of what?

 

G) Iowa joined the growing group of states that have been officially touched by what food borne disease?

 

H)  Space still continues to blow our minds. Last week the size of the largest known galaxy was released. Any idea how big that galaxy is?

 

I) Texas is usually the largest attended state fair. It takes place over 24 days in October. What is the second most attended fair? It is in a midwestern state.

 

J) The normal deployment for a navy ship is @ 2 months. The USS Abraham Lincoln has been deployed for how long with only a brief port stop at Guam?

 

K) In Michigan the Democratic Party selected who as their candidate to run for US senator in a race that was extremely close?

 

L) Senator Whitehouse of Rhode Island called who “the most reprehensible candidate ever for Attorney General”?

 

M) Senator Rand Paul sought and got a recommendation from his investigating committee to pursue a charge of Contempt of Congress against whom?

 

N) Thanks to a law, what can not take place in Iowa until the end of the fair?

 

O) David Hearn – what happened to him this week?

 

P) What current US congressman had a Contempt of Congress citation that he ignored for years?

 

Q) A new mRna vaccine has been approved by the FDA for what disease?

 

R) Who debuted a new wig at an appearance in Las Vegas last week?

 

S) In Ohio is Max Miller in or out of the race for his congressional seat?

 

T) How long has the Iowa State Fair been in Des Moines?

Answers:

A) We lost 23,000 jobs. Expect that to be revised downward in coming months

 

B) May was revised down by 60,000 and June revised downward by 40,000

 

C) Canada grew by 75,000 jobs – huge considering their size

 

D) 1.1 million

 

E) Offensive weapons.

 

F) money laundering. Senator Ron Wyden of Oregon is working on this

 

G) officially now we have cyclosporiasis

 

H) 1.7 million light years across (a light year is about 6 Trillion miles)

 

I) Minnesota which usually has more than 2 million in attendance

 

J) 260 days or just short of 9 months. They are having really serious problems and shortages

 

K) Abdul El-Sayed

 

L) Todd Blanche

 

M) Doctor Anthony Fauci (I believe Joni for the contempt citation)

 

N) the opening of the school year

 

O) The case against him for vandalizing the Reflecting Pool was thrown out of court due to lack of evidence

 

P) Jim Jordan

 

Q) the flu

 

R) the ultra vain Donald Trump

 

S) As I write he is still in the race, but sinking like a rock

 

T) It has been in Des Moines since 1878 and at the fairgrounds since 1886