Nate Willems For Iowa Attorney General

Posted on November 24, 2025 by Trish Nelson

Nate Willems is running for Iowa Attorney General. Check out his campaign website. 

Sunday he posted the following on his public Facebook page:

I want to share something Iowans should know about this race.

An out-of-state dark money group poured hundreds of thousands of dollars into TV and streaming ads to boost Brenna Bird’s image, over a year before the election. After that blitz, their own poll claims that this race is tied.

But the truth is, ads can’t fix Bird’s record.

While Bird has focused the Attorney General’s office on political lawsuits and Washington fights, too many Iowans are dealing with real issues: wage theft, fraud targeting seniors, unsafe workplaces, and corporate misconduct. The AG’s office should be on the side of regular people, not special interests who pay for a politician’s brand.

That’s why I’m running. The Attorney General’s office is the largest law firm in Iowa, and it should be laser-focused on protecting Iowans, holding powerful interests accountable when they break the law, and making sure justice works for all people, not just special interests.

If you believe this office should fight for workers, seniors, and families again, I’d be honored to earn your support.

Conservative group attempted image makeover for Brenna Bird

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Miller-Meeks: Care, Not Cuts Food Drive Protest

Posted on November 23, 2025 by Dave Bradley
Monday November 24th 12 to 1 PM
at Miller-Meeks Davenport office – 
201 W. 2nd Street
Davenport, Iowa 

Got this notification from the Muscatine County Democrats:

About this event  https://www.mobilize.us/mobilize/event/870533/

Rep. Mariannette Miller-Meeks voted to take away SNAP benefits from 260,000 Iowans, putting families’ access to food at risk. We won’t stand by while our neighbors go hungry. Join us outside her Davenport office for a rally and food drive to hold her accountable for this cruel vote. Bring non-perishable food items to help feed the Iowans she’s left behind.

Sponsored by Iowa Citizen Action Network, Fairness for Iowa, and Citizen Action Illinois.

Editor comment:

A good participation would be great to show the current congress member from IA 02 that he vote to cut off SNAP benefits is never acceptable. Starving babies, the disabled and the elderly is cruel and stupid policy and should never be OK. Not acceptable, Miller-Meeks!

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Sunday Funday: Thanksgiving Day Edition

Posted on November 23, 2025 by Dave Bradley

Robert Reich: We can’t afford McDonald’s (3:40)

First: Remember not to shop from Nov. 25 to Dec. 2nd. If you must shop try not to go to Amazon, Home Depot or Target (I would add Walmart to that list). Try to confine shopping to local companies and Democratic friendly companies as much as you can.The only thing the current version of the Republican Party seems to understand is money. I intend to spend what little money we will spend this holiday season with merchants who share our values.

As the Epstein noose tightens around the FIWH, expect some truly outlandiish actions and rhetoric – especially the rhetoric. We saw an example when he called for the death of six Democratic congress critters who merely exercised their right of free speech.

Good lord do I miss Joe Biden, his economy and his steady hand on the wheel. Well another Thanksgiving under a Republican where you hope the economy doesn’t crash.

A) Nurses were surprised as of Thursday that their occupation is no longer viewed as what by the current administration?

B) Whoosh! What legislation went flying through congress at a blazing speed Tuesday?

C) How did Iowa’s congressional legislation vote on that legislation?

D) What song usually associated with Christmas is actually a Thanksgiving song?

E) What senior member of the George W. Bush administration was buried this week?

F) Yesterday was the 62nd anniversary of what event in the US?

G) Maybe you didn’t notice, but the FIWH claims that this year’s Thanksgiving dinner will be cheaper by using what deceptive technique for comparison?

H) The first football game on Thanksgiving ocurred in 1934, but it was not on TV. Why wasn’t it on TV?

I) A three judge panel foud what state’s attempt to gerrymander more Republican seats illegal last week?

J) It was revealed this week that an ICE detainee was found dead at an ICE facility in what position?

K) What member of congress promised to read the Epstein Files on the floor of the House if the FIWH tries to interfere with their release?

L) Thanksgiving will not be celebrated in Canada next Thursday. Why not?

M) Speaking of Canada, Parliament had a budget vote last week that has the force of a vote of confidence. Did Carney survive the vote?

N) OOOPS! Missed this anniversary last week. Nov. 14, 1960 (65 years ago) what brave little girl was the center of integrating New Orleans schools?

O) The Public Interest Research Group offered what advice on giving an AI enhanced toy, such as a teddy bear, to children?

P) What former Clinton cabinet member stepped away from public activities after he was revealed to have ties to Jeffrey Epstein?

Q) Dorcas Reilly is a name that may be heard during the Thanksgiving Day holiday. What TDay related item did Reilly create?

R) Due to waning vaccination rates, what usually childhood disease is on the rise around the country?

S) Speaking of vaccinations, what government agency’s web page was changed Wednesday from “vaccines do not cause autism” to a statement that we do not know the link between vaccines and autism?

T) How many feathers does an average turkey have?

Donald Trump said “quiet piggy” to a female reporter because she dared to ask about the Epstein files, and as bad as that is, the fact that none of her colleagues defended her, is even worse. – JoJoFromJerz

Tip of the hat to democraticunderground.com

Answers:

A) a profession – it was part of a ploy to cut student loans

B) The legislation to release the Epstein files

C) all 6 members voted to release the files. This seemed to be opposite of previous positions

 

D) Jingle Bells

 

E) Former VP Dick Cheyney

 

F) The assassination of President Kennedy

 

G) not comparing exactly the same ingredients

 

H) Because TV was in a very nascent stage and there was no regular broadcasting. Football on TV on Thanksgiving started in 1953

 

I) Texas

 

J) his hands and feet were hogtied and he supposedly commoitted suicide by hanging himself

 

K) MT Greene

 

L) Canada celebrates their Thanksgiving on the second Monday of October

 

M) Yes by a vote of 170 to 168

 

N) Ruby Bridges

 

O) don’t – the AI toys can get in subjects such as sex or how to start fires etc.

 

P) Larry Summers

 

Q) the green bean casserole for Cambell’s Soup (to sell cream of mushroom soup)

 

R) pertussis aka whooping cough

 

S) the CDC 

 

T) 5000

 

In the last 48 hours as you’ve watched the way that Donald Trump has spoken to women on camera for the world to see publicly, you can only imagine the way that he spoke to the victims behind closed doors. – Adam Parkhomenko

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63 Years Ago Today, President Kennedy Died

Posted on November 22, 2025 by Dave Bradley

A montage of TV and radio bulletins from November 22, 1963:

I am among the generation that was sitting in a classroom when the principal interrupted our day with the announcement that the President had been shot. About 10 minutes later the principal came back on to tell us the president was dead. Then a few minutes later he came on to say school was dismissed. And that the local newspaper would like some help selling newspapers downtown.

Perhaps one of the most memorable bits of TV ever is the clip at @ 8 minutes of Walter Cronkite’s announcement that the President was dead.

That weekend was perhaps one of the strangest ever in the United States.  We had never had such stunning news shared so widely and so quickly. We were all deer in the headlight zombies. I think most of us went home to keep our eyes on the TV – maybe waiting for the announcement that this was all a dream or a play.

But it wasn’t. It was real. The young and vivacious President was dead. Lyndon Johnson was now President. Camelot was suddenly ended. The dreams were gone. Even as an early teen I knew this was big.

We have heard that Kennedy would have pulled us out of Viet Nam. Johnson plunged us deeply into the conflict. Stalled Civil Rights legislation that would greatly change the country were finally able to get through congress. Those were a couple of immediate consequences of Kennedy’s death.

So many years ago, yet the memories are still fresh.

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Fasten Your Seatbelts, Folks. It Will Get Bumpy

Posted on November 22, 2025 by Dave Bradley
19 minutes
.

Heather Cox Richardson, as most of you know, is perhaps America’s best current interpreter of the historic value of America’s daily events. In this excerpt from her daily video, HCR confronts the two questions that everyone has: What happens when the administration hides behind the shield that “information cannot be revealed about an on-going investigation” and the shield of redacted information that will make the investigation as useless as the Mueller files were after Bill Barr go ahold of them.

HCR answers these questions by pointing to other sources of information. Perhaps the biggest source will be Epstein’s brother, Mark, who  appears to have a deep knowledge of his brother’s workings and schemes. Other sources will be records such as banking transactions and flight recordings.

Trump ordered the DOJ to investigate specific Democrats in a move that he hoped would do two things. the first was to scare current Democratic leaders away from the investigation because they would fear that exposing Democrats as Epstein customers would tarnish the party. When asked about such a possibility on CNN Sen. Chris Murphy said “So what” thus blunting that Trump weapon.

We have already seen some prominent names emerge early on – Noam Chomsky and Larry Summers for instance. As of right now the it appears the list will be long. The second and main purpose of Trump’s ploy in ordering the DOJ to investigate Democrats is to use the “can’t comment on an ongoing investigation” shield when questioned. As HCR notes and Anonymous discusses below, that shield can be circumvented by using other sources.

Another question that is implied is whether the Epstein Files have already been illegally tampered with and scrubbed by the Trump administration and the current AG Pam Bondi and the DOJ including Kash Patel and the FBI. Once again, we will have other sources. Remember that if a case can be made to prove that the files had been tampered with, Bondi, Patel and others may be looking at long prison stretches. I doubt any future president would even consider a pardon in those cases.

At this juncture I might add that we must expect that Trump’s deflection machine to keep any and all Epstein news out of the corporate media headlines will be whirring at full tilt. What will that mean? Probably more invasions of cities, possibly New York where much media makes its home. Maybe that war against Venezuela, maybe even an invasion of Greenland. There will be little limit to what Trump will do to keep himself out of jail and in power.

Finally just a quick comment on the role of the Iowa delegation in this ongoing drama. First I will remind you that all Iowa federal seats in congress except for Grassley’s are up for a vote next year. Iowa’s four congressional representatives have acted shamefully in this ongoing saga. The petition to force a vote on requiring the Epstein Files to congress to be investigated was open for signatures for a long time. The fact that no Iowa congress member signed the petitions says a lot about Iowa’s congressional delegation.

The most important thing such inaction states loudly is that not one of the Iowa delegation – Feenstra, Miller-Meeks, Nunn or Hinson – had the moral compass to sign a petition calling for an investigation about the raping of children, for gawd’s sake. What kind of a moral compass do they have if they couldn’t sign such a petition?

Then they voted to demand the files only after Trump gave them a signal that he had in his mind constructed a shield to blunt any investigation. Each member of the Iowa delegation displayed a level of cowardice seldom seen. Do you honestly feel they can represent our best interests when they can’t even stand up in such a clear cut moral case?

Have no doubt in the future that before they make any move on any issue they will look to Trump for a signal before uttering a peep. Whether it be starving kids on SNAP, ending Medicaid, ending Social Security or Medicare, Iowa’s delegation will do what Trump wants, not what is good for Iowa. You don’t have to search very far to see Hinson, Miller-Meeks or Nunn calling themselves Trump’s favorite.

While they look for Trump’s favor they do not care about you or me or morality.

9 minutes:
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Bohannan: Tariffs Wreaking Havoc On Farm Economy

Posted on November 21, 2025 by Trish Nelson

 “This is clearly a winnable seat – if we do the work.” – Simon Rosenberg

Posted in Blog for Iowa | Tagged , , , | 1 Comment

Iowa Republicans Delayed Justice for Epstein’s Victims

Posted on November 20, 2025 by Trish Nelson

Des Moines, Iowa — Iowa Republican Representatives Randy Feenstra, Ashley Hinson, Mariannette Miller-Meeks, and Zach Nunn had a chance months ago to stand up for the survivors of Jeffrey Epstein’s abuse, but they failed. Tuesday’s vote to release the Epstein files only happened after political pressure and party guidance, highlighting how long justice was denied.

These representatives previously blocked efforts to make the files public, refused to sign the discharge petition, and withheld support related to transparency. Their inaction allowed months of delay, keeping crucial information about Epstein’s crimes and his connections out of the public eye.

“Iowa’s Republican leaders had plenty of opportunity to do the right thing for these brave survivors and the public, but instead they covered for the rich and powerful,” said Mazie Stilwell, Executive Director of Progress Iowa. “What’s clear today is that these Iowa Republicans remain puppets for Trump. They cared more about his approval and alignment than pursuing justice.

“This vote is a step forward, but we must keep calling on legislators to release all the files. Supporting victims and survivors requires legislators to demand full transparency, even if Trump continues to stall.”

Facebook: ProgressIowa
Instagram: @ProgressIowa
Threads: @progressiowa.bsky.social

Progress Iowa is the state’s progressive communications hub with a network that reaches nearly 100,000. Year-round, we promote progressive ideas and causes with research-backed creative media strategies to empower Iowans who want to improve our state.

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How You Can Help Secure A Future For Iowa Wildlife

Posted on November 19, 2025 by Trish Nelson

Eastern Screech-owl

Action alert posted at IDP Rural Caucus Discussion group a public Facebook group.

Iowa Wildlife Action Plan Revision available for public comment

The Iowa Department of Natural Resources is seeking comments on the second comprehensive review and revision to the State Wildlife Action Plan, “Securing a Future for Fish and Wildlife: A Conservation Legacy for Iowans.”

The plan is available for review online at iowadnr.gov/iwap.

Comments may be submitted by email to Katy.Fullin@dnr.iowa.gov
or by mail to Katy Fullin, Iowa DNR, 6200 Park Ave., Ste 200, Des Moines, IA 50321.

Comments are due by Dec. 5, 2025

First approved in 2006, the Iowa Wildlife Action Plan is a 25-year strategy for conservation of all wildlife in Iowa. The plan is the result of a cooperative effort between land managers, fish and wildlife biologists, individual conservationists and others who share an interest in wildlife conservation.

All state wildlife action plans are mandated by Congress to be fully reviewed every 10 years; the last edition of the Iowa plan was reviewed and revised in 2015. The proposed revisions are the result of input from representatives from a variety of entities such as higher education, non-profit organizations, governmental agency staff, and independent fish and wildlife experts.

posted by Chuck Isenhart

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More On Chris Jones’ Potential Run For Ag Secretary

Posted on November 18, 2025 by Trish Nelson

Photo Credit: Jim Slosiarek/The Gazette

“We’re not going to change until we start articulating different ideas and start talking about the pathways to get to these other ideas.” – Chris Jones

It is great news that Chris Jones is considering running for Secretary of Agriculture in Iowa.  In this interview with Laura Belin he indicated that he truly hasn’t decided yet and is looking to decide by January.  Belin asked some great questions including one political question.

Belin: “You would be running in a Democratic primary and we have some Democratic candidates this cycle in Iowa that you’ve been very critical of including Rob Sand and Zach Wahls. If you were the nominee for Secretary of Agriculture, would you endorse the whole Democratic ticket?”

Jones: “Yes of course.”

The rest of the interview focused on Jones’ policy ideas.  Watch here or on the Bleeding Heartland YouTube channel.

 

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Nuclear Testing Again?

Posted on November 17, 2025 by Paul Deaton
Trinity Marker near Bingham, N.M.

There is no acceptable rationale for the United States to conduct more nuclear weapons testing. I was surprised when I heard the president took to Truth Social on Oct. 30, to post he had “instructed the Department of War to start testing our Nuclear Weapons…” The president says a lot of crazy stuff, yet I was scratching my head over this one.

The global moratorium on nuclear testing is a mainstay against the dangers inherent in the existence of nuclear weapons. The question should be whether the world can bring a complete end to nuclear testing by ratifying and putting into force the Comprehensive Test Ban Treaty. The president would take us in the opposite direction.

Mine is not the position of a few activists. Literally millions of people, around the globe, have stood up and fought to bring a complete end to nuclear testing.

According to Daryl Kimball of the Arms Control Association, “The journey has been long and difficult, from the citizen-led campaign that prompted Kennedy and Khrushchev to sign the 1963 ban on atmospheric blasts… to the campaign to push Congress to halt testing in 1992… and secure the Comprehensive Test Ban Treaty in 1996.”

Nuclear testing should remain “taboo.” We should resist the president by contacting our U.S. Senators and Members of Congress and telling them so.

No other nation is testing nuclear weapons. Nor should the United States.

~ Submitted as a letter to the editor of the Cedar Rapids Gazette

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