I usually don’t like to get personal, but I just got a heck of a deal.
Our car is getting old – old enough to graduate from high school in a year or two. It has been reliable and dependable. But it is getting old. Also I am tired of buying gas and changing oil that supports the industry that is most responsible for making life on our space earth tenuous.
I am also quite tired of cooling systems and transmissions and all the various accessories that make owning a internal combustion engine car a true pain in the butt.
We had kind of targeted Spring of 2026 as a goal to start looking for a vehicle. Then as he often does the Felon in the White House once more inserted himself into our lives. For a party that claims they stay out of people’s lives, they sure get in the way a lot.
In this case the FIWH made a point to go after the $7500 tax rebate (or whatever it was) on EVs built in America. No doubt the FIWH targeted the rebate as a favor to his oil billionaire buddies. However, for many Americans it just moved their time table up on looking for a new vehicle. The FIWH and his congressional minions put an end to the rebates for September 30th.
Well with that new time table we started hunting. As I said we had a time table so we had been saving toward that goal. So fortunately we had money in savings. Thus over Labor Day weekend we found something we liked. With the government rebates and other incentives we came in at a price much below what we had anticipated.
For what it is worth we got a Chevy Equinox. This about 30 years after I swore I would never buy a GM car again. Here is hoping they grew up in the past three decades.
Here is a short video on the Chevy EV. I am in no way trying to shill for GM. May I also mention that with all the controls and choices it is like I am having to do a lot of learning.
6 minutes:
One last reminder: if you want to break from the dying internal combustion engine while getting a nice rebate, the tax rebate program ends on September 30th. If you are going to look for one you do not have a lot of time left.
Oh and it appears I will be helping some person out with a reliable car while they get back on their feet. BONUS!
(Let’s add privatize the public school system to the list)
Behold the New Republican Party, my friends. Behind a leader who embodies the very worst of human traits has emerged a party whose goals and ambitions embody the very worst that any collection of Americans has ever desired. Is this the Party you want to represent you and your outlook?
This Party is led by a felon – a man convicted of 34 felonies. He would likely have been convicted of more had the prosecutions not been stopped when he assumed power once again.
The Party once stood for real American values, but behind the leadership of Felon Trump they have descended into a group that whose driving principles are shown in their racism, their misogyny, blind loyalty to leadership without question, retribution on their enemies,their hatred of progress, their hatred of science, their hatred of learning and advancement and their desire to end any and all programs that in any way advance society or help people. They work only for the rich. Their mission is to subvert democracy and replace it with an authoritarian ruling class.
When someone declares themselves to be a Republican these days, you can assume that they accept all of the above without even having to ask. Those who vote Republican are saying with their vote that they also accept all of the above without question.
As usual the current president will be referred to as FIWH or the Felon in the White House. The current Republican Party will be referred to as MAGAs so as not to confuse it with what was the party of Lincoln and Eisenhower.
Some bombshells this week:
A) FREEDOM! What state moved this week to end all vaccine mandates for children?
B) What major food conglomerate announced it will split apart last week?
C) What supposed financial genius was instrumental in putting the above company together about a decade ago?
D) SCOTUS declared the FIWH above the law when acting as president. Knowing that, the US bombed a small boat from what country without notice last week?
E) FOOTBALL STARTS! A couple of questions about football are in order. Who won the Super Bowl last year?
F) Name Change from the FIWH The Department of defense will become the Department of what once again?
G) What administration official’s appearance before the Senate Finance Committee Thursday was riddled with lies, coverups, shouting matches and calls for his resignation?
H) What car plant in Georgia was the target of an immigration raid Friday with 475 people being taken into custody?
I) Friday was jobs report day. How did the FIWH’s economy stack up in this report?
J) With all the college conference shake ups it is hard to know what conference a team is in. For instance, what conference is Stanford in these days?
K) Thanks to the FIWH, if you want to join the Space Force you may have to go through what state?
L) And the big news in Iowa is the retirement of what major politician Tuesday?
M) What politician is estimated to have made over $4Billion since he assumed his current office?
N) What once major newser called Democrat Pete Buttigieg a “fake gay guy” Thursday?
O) During the press conference on the capitol steps for the victims of Jeffery Epstein, the FIWH tried to interrupt the press conference by doing what?
P) Iowa has a new (for them) quarterback this year. Who did he play for last year?
Q) In a truly scary test, Dr. Oz (current head of medicare) is testing what as a tool for pre-approval of Medicare treatments?
R) Secretary Kennedy and the FIWH are being accused of covering up a report that links what to cancer?
S)Waste,fraud and abuse!! Governor Newsom has said the deployment of national Guard in Los Angeles has cost about how much so far?
T)Due mostly to a funding freeze by the FIWH administration, the president of what Big Ten university resigned last week?
Bonus) What city in a red state has the FIWH threatened to invade last week?
Dr. Susan Monarez fmr CDC director writing in the Wall Street Journal editorial
Robert F. Kennedy Jr, the CDC and me
“Those seeking to undermine vaccines use a familar playbook: discredit research, weaken advisory committees, and use manipulated outcomes to unravel protections that generations of families have relied on to keep deadly diseases at bay. Once trusted experts are removed and advisory bodies are stacked, the results are predetermined.
That isn’t reform. It is sabotage”
Trump is prepping for canceling an election, and using the National Guard. – Alex Cole 9/2/25
That was real courage on display on the Capitol steps Wednesday afternoon. Victims of child traffickers Jeffrey Epstein and Ghislaine Maxwell coming forward and telling their stories and demanding justice. Congress members Ro Khanna and Thomas Massie held the press conference to highlight an effort to get enough members of the House to sign what is known as a discharge petition.
A discharge petition is when a majority of the House (218 members of 435) override the power of the Speaker on what will come to the floor of the House for a vote. I this are it is for a bill to get the Epstein files released. As noted by Congress member Khanna there are 212 Democratic members who have signed the discharge petition. Therefore the petition needs only 6 more signatures.
Those 6 members will be Republicans (or MAGA if you prefer) simply because that is all that is left. One would think that the issue that this petition is trying to bring to the floor is justice for women, that every woman would be disposed to sign the petition to get justice for women. There are something like 32 Republican members of congress:
This is a long video. It is here if you want to watch it. It is 1:33 14 long. I post it to show what courage looks like.
It is amazing, almost unbelievable that there would be any Republican woman who would not have the courage or the simple empathy to sign a petition to end an injustice. Republican members of congress were threatened openly by their leadership that they would be primaried or ostracizedin some way.
Imagine that: The Republican leadership using intimidation and abuse to stop an investigation on intimidation and abuse. It almost boggles the mind. They are demonstrating what Americans want investigated. But if a person is a member of congress they should have enough courage to stand up for what is right.
But some 30 female Republicans could not find the scintilla of courage to stand up for women and sign the petition. Three Republican women have signed the petition – let me repeat: only three. Margery Tailor Greene, Lauren Bobert and Nancy Mace.
Do Iowans notice any names missing? Ashley Hinson is one name missing. Here is a woman who just this week announced that she wants our votes to make her Senator from Iowa. Yet in the first action where she has a chance to show her courage and her ability – the simple act of signing a discharge petition – she fails miserably. Will you vote for someone so cowardly?
Take heed Iowans. Hinson definitely cowers to the power and will always put Trump first. Iowans are a long way down her list of priorities. For Iowa women and Iowans who have women in their lives this should feel like a real act of cowardice and a slap in the face. Hinson had a chance to show just a smidgeon of courage and she couldn’t do even a little bit.
And where is Marianette Miller-Meeks? She couldn’t screw up even a little smidge of courage either. Miller-Meeks has long voted or acted one way and then lied to her district about what she is doing. It will be interesting to hear he lie her way out of this one. She has simply failed her constituents yet again.
In failing her district, Miller-Meeks once again cowers to an administration that is wrecking the country. In this case Miller-Meeks chooses to continue to support lawlessness over the American ideal of people being responsible for their actions. In this case, Donald J. Trump.
Hinson and Miller-Meeks won’t stand up for you. Why would you ever vote for them?
Oh and BTW, the sound of jets flying overhead was Trump wasting valuable money, resources and personnel by trying to drown out the courageous voices of the Epstein victims with the loud engines of jets. What a coward Trump is. Long past time he is brought to justice. Waste, fraud and abuse in the flesh.
You may remember Miller-Meeks running from Alex Lawson when he asked her about her lies:
Governor Pritzker of Illinois along with other Chicago area politicians are standing up to the potential invasion of Chicago by federal troops that Trump has said he will be sending in unilaterally. The video is 55 minutes long. The Pritzker portion of the video is the first 15 minutes. The Governor returns at 44 minutes to answer questions. {Note: There is a microphone problem at @ 27 minutes that lasts about 4 minutes to 31 minutes.
This may be a rehearsal for the 2028 presidential race. Right now Pritzker and Governor Gavin Newsom of California have been the most outspoken against the insane and authoritarian policies of fascist strongman wannabe Donald Trump.
It is simply nice to hear politicians from the Democratic Party whose speeches make sense and are built on sound and proven policies. It is so good to see anyone standing up to the insanity that is the Trump administration. It would be nice to see one Republican get a spine and call out the accrual of power by Trump and his office. Instead they cower in fear. This includes Iowa’s full congressional delegation: Grassley, Ernst, Miller-Meeks, Hinson, Feenstra and Nunn.
Another point of interest to me is that despite how hard Illinois politicians have tried to cut down on arms in Chicago, they simply cannot stop the flow of guns particularly from Indiana. Instead of sending in Guard troops that are not well trained for such a mission, Republicans should gear efforts toward getting guns off the streets. Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson makes a strong statement against guns and guns coming in from the outside into Chicago in his presentation.
I am hoping media will give more time to those who oppose the insane policies of the cult of personality known as the MAGA or Republican Party.
Trump’s invasion of cities is illegal based on the Posse Comitatus Act of the late 19th century. Of course we all know that violating laws is part of the Trump package.
You and I have a major stake in ending the insanity of Trump policies. We must stand up against the authoritarians and their enablers in 2026. Before that we must pick the very best candidates to stand for office. One criteria I will be looking for is whether a candidate is going to stand up to Trump or not.
From the September 2025 edition ofThe Prairie Progressive, Iowa’s oldest progressive newsletter. The PP is funded entirely by reader subscription, available in hard copy for $15/yr. Send check to PP, Box 1945, Iowa City 52244. Click here for archived issues
Iowa’s governor routinely denies requests for public records. Media outlets have been charged exorbitant fees for emails from public officials doing public business on public time.
When COVID rampaged through the state, the Iowa Department of Public Health stopped posting daily updates and provided only minimal details about the number of infections and where they occurred.
Reynolds sued the Des Moines Register to prevent it from releasing emails from her staff. Reporters have resorted to suing the administration to receive public records. In the 2024 legislative session, lawmakers passed a bill that would have enacted penalties for any
governmental official violating laws on open meetings and open records. Reynolds vetoed this bill—her only veto of the entire session.
Now comes the Governor’s latest affront to transparent government. Recently, Iowa’s Department of Administrative Services (DAS) announced it will close the State Historical Society of Iowa’s Centennial Building (SHSI) in Iowa City.
The decision was made in a brief period of time without consulting the SHSI board, donors, or other stakeholders. The DAS ignored protocol by failing to request funds from the Iowa legislature to merge the Iowa City collections with those of the Historical Society’s building in Des Moines. The closure appears to be illegal; Iowa Code 8A.707
states that the Department of Administrative Services “shall maintain research centers in Des Moines and Iowa City.”
The Reynolds administration is once again acting hastily and without public input. Property owners, attorneys, city planners, documentary filmmakers, genealogists, developers, and everyday Iowans use this incredible resource—not just academics and students.
Abruptly announcing the closure of a widely used state resource serving Iowans since 1857 is only the latest example of our governor’s arrogant, secretive, and heavy-handed style of
decision-making. Reynolds’ excuses of confidentiality and executive privilege have worn thin.
In the words of Randy Evans, director of the Iowa Freedom of Information Council, “Government officials sometimes forget that government belongs to the people, not to the
officials.” Our government officials have also forgotten that the history, culture, and valuable artifacts donated by thousands of Iowans are not their private property.
Governor Reynolds’ phone number is 515-281-5211.
—David Leshtz
BFIA editor’s note: A petition to reverse this bad decision is on its way to 7,000 signatures. Please go to change.org and sign if you haven’t already to help it reach 10,000 signatures. Click here for more information and to add your name.
Watch the rally in Iowa City to save Iowa history.
A huge, huge story broke just before the holiday weekend, but hardly anyone is talking about it. Let’s change that, shall we?
Here’s the story: Donald Trump and Dr. Oz* are rolling out a pilot program to fundamentally change Medicare. They want to require senior citizens to get prior authorization for some healthcare services, and here’s the kicker: Artificial Intelligence (AI) gets to decide whether medical care is approved or not.
Believe it or not, it actually gets worse when you dig into the details of these “AI Death Panels,” which we’ll do in a moment, but if you’re already caught up on this story, here’s what you can do right now:
Medicare has historically covered more procedures, with fewer hoops to jump through, than for-profit insurance companies. Whereas private insurers callously limit care and require “prior authorization” before covering many services or procedures, Medicare offers broad coverage that’s comparatively transparent and simple.
Not anymore, if Trump and Oz get their way. The Trump regime wants to introduce prior authorization — one of the most hated aspects of private insurance — to Medicare, and they’re outsourcing those life-changing authorization decisions to unproven AI companies.
It gets even worse: AI developers will be paid based on the value of requested services or procedures they reject — meaning AI companies would directly profit from denying needed care to seniors.
In short, if a computer program decides that you “don’t need” a medical procedure — even if your doctor recommended it — an AI executive gets paid while you get left holding the bag.
Remember when the GOP invented the term “death panel” in their scare campaign to stop the Affordable Care Act? That was totally manufactured nonsense. This is actually happening. Trump is rolling out real-life AI Death Panels.
OUR DEMANDS
These for-profit AI Death Panels will roll out this January in six pilot states: Arizona, New Jersey, Ohio, Oklahoma, Texas, and Washington. The pilots will reportedly be limited to about 17 procedures to start, but if they achieve their goal — cutting costs by denying a lot of people a lot of care — they could expand to more procedures and more states.
This attack on Medicare creates massive political risk for Trump and his GOP enablers in Congress. Medicare is one of the most popular public programs in US history, and hard working people typically don’t respond well when politicians interfere with their health decisions.
That gives us an outside chance of swaying enough congressional Republicans to take action to stop AI Death Panels before they roll out — or failing that, make them pay a HUGE political price in 2026.
Step one: Let ‘em hear it. Give ‘em hell.
Email your Members of Congress right now! Demand that they stop AI-powered Medicare service rejections and use the upcoming federal budget fight to restore healthcare funding.
This is just the latest dystopian move in Trump and Republicans’ campaign to systematically dismantle our healthcare system at the behest of corporate backers and billionaires. With a huge federal funding deadline around the corner, now is the time to fight back hard.
In solidarity,
Indivisible Team
P.S. We focused much of this email on the Republican side of the aisle. But we need to put pressure on Democratic members of Congress, too, because it’s important they use all their leverage to protect healthcare. Whether Dems or Republicans represent you in Washington, email your senators and representative now.
*Did you forget that Trump picked (and GOP Senators confirmed) another disgraced TV star, Dr. Oz, to run the federal agency in charge of Medicare and Medicaid? That’s right, millions of seniors’ healthcare is in the hands of a famous snake-oil salesman!
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This interview was posted one day before we knew Joni Ernst was not going to run for re-election. Still an interesting interview that gives us a great look at candidate Josh Turek and dives into his friendship with J.D. Scholten including a bit of the back story of J.D.’s decision to suspend his campaign. If you plan to vote in the Democratic primary, I definitely recommend watching the interview with Lauren Egan at The Bulwark.
Click here to find Labor Day events sponsored by labor organizations in Dubuque, Cedar Rapids, Keokuk, Mason City, Sioux City, East Moline, Des Moines, Burlington, Iowa City, Council Bluffs
Click here to find more Labor Day events in Humboldt, Des Moines, Newton, Ames, Independence, Sioux City, Cedar Rapids, Spirit Lake, Iowa City, Decorah, Cedar Falls
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What does Labor Day mean to you? My dad was a factory worker and a loyal union guy. He found meaning in his job through solidarity. Walking the picket line when the workers were out on strike was a point of pride with him, I remember.
When my brother graduated from high school he also found work in a factory and joined the union. It was good paying work and you were considered successful if you had a good union factory job. Eventually, he was laid off as the factory jobs began to disappear and he found a job in sales.
I had to read Studs Terkel’s book “Working” in grad school. Even though it was assigned and I would probably not have picked it up on my own, I found it fascinating and read it cover to cover. There was one quote that I remembered all these years and that was (as I remember it) something like, “People don’t need jobs. People need meaningful work and a way to make a living.”
“It is about a search, too, for daily meaning as well as daily bread, for recognition as well as cash, for astonishment rather than torpor; in short, for a sort of life rather than a Monday through Friday sort of dying. Perhaps immortality, too, is part of the quest. To be remembered was the wish, spoken and unspoken, of the heroes and heroines of this book.”
― Studs Terkel, Working: People Talk About What They Do All Day and How They Feel About What They Do
The jobs may have changed and modernized but the nature of being a working person in America has probably not changed that much in many ways.
Studs Terkel’s classic oral history of Americans’ working lives—and the inspiration for Barack Obama’s new Netflix series about work in the twenty-first century
“Reading these stories, I started to consider my own place in the world, and understand how connected we are to one another. [Working] helped inform the choices I made in my own work.” —President Barack Obama
Perhaps Studs Terkel’s best-known book, Working is a compelling, fascinating look at jobs and the people who do them. Consisting of over one hundred interviews conducted with everyone from gravediggers to studio heads, this book provides a moving snapshot of people’s feelings about their working lives, as well as a timeless look at how work fits into American life.
Working received rave reviews upon its initial publication, including from the New York Times Book Review, which praised its “incredible abundance of marvelous beings” and “very special electricity and emotional power,” and the Boston Globe, which called it a “magnificent book . . . a work of art,” adding, “To read it is to hear America talking.”
Nearly fifty years after its initial publication, Working remains a deeply relevant American classic, one of the most important works of oral history ever published.
“Labor is prior to, and independent of, capital. Capital is only the fruit of labor, and could never have existed if Labor had not first existed. Labor is superior to capital, and deserves much the higher consideration.”
A short (3:13) look at the history of Labor Day. Nothing happens without Labor
From Progress Iowa:
As we head toward Labor Day weekend, we are once again excited to promote the entire month of September as Labor Union Appreciation Month, and we need your support more than ever!
This year, the stakes are even higher. With increasing attacks on unions from Republican lawmakers and anti-worker proposals from initiatives like Project 2025, it’s crucial to stand up and show our solidarity with labor unions. Our effort over the past several years has grown significantly, gaining statewide recognition and press coverage. Proclamations have been passed in counties and city councils across the state, highlighting the vital role unions play in our communities.
Unions are a cornerstone of fair work conditions: as union membership rises, inequality declines, the race and gender wage gap narrows, and everyone’s wages and benefits improve. The contributions of unions extend far beyond Labor Day, and that’s why we are advocating for an entire month to recognize their impact. {ed. note: my bolding}
Attacks on workers’ rights at the state and federal level, along with proposed changes to IPERS by Iowa’s DOGE committee, mean Iowans must stand strong together with our labor unions this month and year-round. In the past two years, over 100 labor unions, organizations, businesses, and elected officials joined us in solidarity, and we aim to exceed that support in 2025. If you or any group you are connected with would like to be featured on our website at ThankAUnion.com, please let us know. We will continue to update the website throughout the month, which will remain live year-round.
Here’s how you can help:
Sign the petition – Add your union/organization/business by signing the petition or replying directly to us.
Share this email – Spread the word! We want to unite as many friends of labor as possible.
Promote on social media – Use the toolkit at ThankAUnion.com to share information, research, and sample messaging about the importance of unions year-round.
Thank you all for standing with us in support of unions and their critical role in our society. We hope you can join an event in your community to recognize Labor Day. Together, let’s make Labor Union Appreciation Month 2025 a powerful statement against anti-worker initiatives and a celebration of solidarity.
Governor Kim Keynolds: (515) 281-5211 U.S. Capitol Switchboard: (202) 224-3121 Iowa Members of Congress - Rep. Randy Feenstra (R) - Rep. Ashley Hinson (R) - Rep. Mariannette Miller-Meeks (R) - Rep. Zach Nunn (R) Iowa US Senators - Senator Joni Ernst (R) - Senator Charles Grassley (R)
Blog For Iowa 