Pulitzer Prize winner Art Cullen and award-winning cinematographer Jerry Risius have teamed up again for the new docuseries What’s Eating Iowa to highlight issues and struggles faced by working families in Iowa.
Visit Iowans for Stronger Communities
Donate to fund the remainder of this docuseries: https://givebutter.com/whats-eating-iowa
Clint stocking shelves at the Clarksville Food Pantry in Butler County on December 1.
Clint Twedt-Ball Announces he has Visited All 22 Counties in Iowa’s Second Congressional District
Today, Clint Twedt-Ball announced that he has visited all twenty-two counties in Iowa’s Second Congressional District since launching his campaign for Congress. His final stop was on December 1 in Butler County, where Clint dropped off donated food and toured the Clarksville Food Pantry.
“Being a Representative is about listening to Iowans and then taking action to improve their lives. As I’ve traveled this district and had conversations with Iowans from all walks of life, there is one thing nearly everyone agrees we need: change,” Twedt-Ball said.
“During my 20 years leading Matthew 25, the nonprofit I founded, I learned that creating change starts with showing up, listening to people’s goals and aspirations and then taking action. So that’s what I’ve done in this campaign. I’ve visited with seniors on a fixed income struggling under crushing healthcare costs, parents worried about the state of Iowa’s education system, and young people uncertain about what a future in Iowa looks like.”
“Iowans are tired of our angry, broken political system, with the culture of contempt and shameless self-enrichment by career politicians in both parties. They are looking for a new kind of politics where we listen to each other and solve problems. I know if we elect the right leaders, we can build a better future for Iowa, with better healthcare, better schools, and stronger communities.”
Clint’s stops included candidate forums, county party events, and visits to farms, food banks, economic development organizations and small businesses. He has driven nearly 3,800 miles across northeast Iowa to meet Iowans where they are.
Clint plans to visit every county again early next year to hold listening sessions, town halls and meet and greets. A public schedule will be released in the coming weeks.
About Clint
Clint Twedt-Ball is a United Methodist pastor and founder of Matthew 25, a Cedar Rapids nonprofit focused on affordable housing, food, and education. Clint played a pivotal role in recovery efforts after the 2008 flood and the 2020 derecho. His organization recruited thousands of volunteers, rehabbed over 1,000 homes, and has driven millions of dollars of investment into core neighborhoods in Cedar Rapids.
Clint was born and raised in Iowa and has dedicated his life to building up his community and stepping in when the system is broken. He is centering his campaign on his optimistic leadership that has proven to bring people together through difficult times. Clint is committed to fighting rising costs, chaos, and corruption and finding common ground on solutions to make sure everyone has the opportunity to reach their God-given potential.
About the Race
Iowa’s second congressional district spans the northeast part of the state and includes Cedar Rapids, Dubuque, Waverly, Waterloo, and Grinnell.
With incumbent Rep. Ashley Hinson running for Senate, the seat is open this cycle and Cook Political Report has shifted the race towards Democrats. It is one of only four open seats Democrats are targeting in the country.
“After many years of reporting and writing, the day is finally here: THERE IS NO PLACE FOR US is out today. I poured everything into this book, and I hope it ignites outrage at the fact that so many people in the richest nation on earth have been deprived of one of the most basic human necessities.” – Brian Goldstone
Journalist and Author Brian Goldstone was on pbsnews.org discussing his book, There Is No Place for Us: Working and Homeless in America, about the staggering rise of the “working homeless.”
“Homelessness today isn’t just the person sleeping outside a Walmart. It’s often the cashier or worker stocking the shelves inside.”
It’s in cities across America today, in one city after another, a low wage job really is homelessness waiting to happen. And what they have in common is they all belong to the low wage workforce. And it’s not just that their wages are too low to keep up with the skyrocketing cost of having a place to live.
It’s also that the jobs themselves have become increasingly volatile and precarious where they often don’t know how many hours they’re going to be getting from one week to the next. Their employers give them 29 hours a week because at 30 they would be eligible for basic benefits like health insurance or sick leave…”
Read the full transcript here
Follow Brian Goldstone on bsky/brian-goldstone
FCC Commissioner Anna Gomez, the only Democrat on the FCC, is standing up for the public interest. In April she embarked on the first leg of her First Amendment Tour to raise and hear concerns about government censorship and control over media. The tour features speaking engagements and listening sessions across the country, often in partnership with consumer and civil society groups, such as Free Press.
“I embarked on my First Amendment tour because I became alarmed by the campaign of control and censorship that I saw this administration embarking on,” said FCC Commissioner Gomez.
Gomez joined community leaders for a special forum on November 13 at Rutgers University.
Also on the panel is Jennifer Jessica Gonzalez of Free Press. Among many accomplishments, she “co-led effective advertiser boycotts of Facebook and Twitter for their permissive approaches to hate speech and to democracy destabilization one of the few boycotts that have actually been successful.”
Watch the conversation below.
Free Press and Rutgers Law School
“Local news and freedom of speech across the country are under threat. Due to federal funding cuts, NPR and PBS affiliates of all sizes have announced that they will need to lay off staff, reduce programming. News for diverse populations is further under threat due to additional media consolidation, which the Federal Communications Commission is poised to bless. The FCC chairman and President Trump are brazenly attacking journalists and media outlets for seeking to foster diversity, equity and inclusion and for critical reporting.”
White House Reclassifies Nursing As Hobby
WASHINGTON—Describing the practice as a “fun little side project” rather than an occupation, Education Secretary Linda McMahon announced Monday that nursing would be reclassified as a hobby under new student loan regulations. “While those seeking degrees in veterinary medicine, law, and podiatry will still have access to the full financing available to future professionals, our department will henceforth limit loans for those Americans simply blowing off a little steam by attending nursing school in between shifts at Buffalo Wild Wings,” said McMahon, who questioned the federal government’s role in loaning out money so students could purchase masks, gloves, and stethoscopes for their “fun little nurse costumes.” “There’s a lot of cutting and sewing in nursing, so it’s really an activity that falls under arts and crafts. Some moms choose to knit, others choose to nurse. Plus, rushing between ER patients is a great way to stay active, just like riding your bike. And what’s also great is you get to brush shoulders with doctors, who can give you career advice should you choose to pursue a real job in the medical world some day.” McMahon concluded her statement by announcing the loan cap for theology degrees had been increased to $800,000.
tip of the hat to democraticunderground.com
tip of the hat to all-hat-no-cattle.com
Friends,
The richest man on earth owns X.
The family of the second-richest man owns Paramount, which owns CBS — and could soon own Warner Bros. Discovery, which owns CNN.
The third-richest man owns Facebook, Instagram, and WhatsApp.
The fourth-richest man owns The Washington Post and Amazon MGM Studios.
Another billionaire owns Fox News, The Wall Street Journal, and the New York Post.
Why are the ultra-rich buying up so much of the media? Vanity may play a part, but there’s a more pragmatic — some might say sinister — reason.
As vast wealth concentrates in the hands of a few, this small group of the ultra-wealthy may rationally fear that a majority of voters could try to confiscate their wealth — through, for example, a wealth tax.
If you’re a multibillionaire, in other words, you might view democracy as a potential threat to your net worth. New York City real estate and oil tycoon John Catsimatidis, whose net worth is estimated at $4.5 billion, donated $2.4 million to support Trump and congressional Republicans in 2024 — nearly twice as much as he gave in 2016. Why? “If you’re a billionaire, you want to stay a billionaire,” Catsimatidis told The Washington Post.
But rather than rely on Republicans, a more reliable means of stopping majorities from targeting your riches might be to control a significant share of the dwindling number of media outlets.
As a media mogul, you can effectively hedge against democracy by suppressing criticism of yourself and other plutocrats and discouraging any attempt to tax away your wealth.
And Trump has been ready to help you. In his second term of office, Trump has brazenly and illegally used the power of the presidency to punish his enemies and reward those who lavish him with praise and profits.
So it wasn’t surprising that the owner of The Washington Post, Jeff Bezos — the fourth-richest person — stopped the paper from endorsing Kamala Harris last year, as Trump rose in the polls. Or that, once Trump was elected, Bezos decreed that the Post’s opinion section must support “personal liberties and free markets.” And that he bought a proposed documentary about Melania Trump — for which she is the executive producer — for a whopping $40 million.
Map of Iowa Congressional District 01 – Davenport, Iowa City, Burlington, Muscatine, Newton, Pella, Tipton, Clinton, Mount Pleasant, Marengo, Maquoketa, Fairfield, Anamosa, Sigourney, Fort Madison, Wapello, Oskaloosa, Knoxville, Keosauqua, Indianola, Washington plus surrounding small towns and rural communities
This is a public post I ran across on the Facebook page of Democratic state legislator Elinor Levin of Iowa City.
If you look at a red/blue map of Iowa, it’s easy to assume the story is simple: “Iowa’s gone red.”
But if you zoom in on Iowa’s 1st Congressional District, the picture gets a lot more interesting.
IA-01 stretches across southeast Iowa and includes places like Davenport, Iowa City, Burlington, Muscatine, Newton, Pella and the surrounding small towns and rural communities. It’s about two-thirds urban and one-third rural, with roughly 800,000 people and a median household income just over $72,000.
Politically, this is not a deep-red district. The Cook Partisan Voting Index rates IA-01 at about R+4 – a slight Republican lean, but a far cry from the 20- or 30-point GOP strongholds you see elsewhere.
And when you look at the recent elections here, the message is crystal clear:
In 2020, Mariannette Miller-Meeks first won a seat in Congress (in the old IA-02) by just six votes out of nearly 400,000 cast – one of the closest federal races in modern U.S. history.
In 2022, after redistricting turned most of that old district into today’s IA-01, she beat Democrat Christina Bohannan by about 53.4% to 46.6% – roughly a seven-point margin.
In 2024, Bohannan came back… and the race went right down to the wire. After a full recount in all 20 counties, Miller-Meeks was certified the winner by fewer than 800 votes – less than a single percentage point and one of the closest House races in the country that year.
That means the margin in IA-01 shrunk from about seven points in 2022 to under one point in 2024. In raw numbers, you’re talking about roughly 40 votes per county across the district. That’s… one church basement full of folks. One small-town precinct. One shift at the factory.
No wonder the Cook Political Report now lists IA-01 as a “Toss Up” for 2026.
So why is this such a big target for Democrats — and for Open Road — this cycle? Because the people who live here are sending a message:
This district is home to a major university town (Iowa City), union-strong river cities like Davenport and Burlington, and dozens of smaller communities and farm towns that just want fair treatment, working hospitals, good schools, and a little honesty from the people in charge.
Voters here have watched rural hospitals and maternity wards close, main streets struggle, and wages lag behind the cost of groceries and rent.
They’ve seen big promises on things like health care and renewable energy collide with votes in Washington that put party politics ahead of local jobs and common sense.
In other words: IA-01 isn’t a district that’s “naturally” red or blue. It’s a district where a lot of people are tired of being talked at instead of listened to. Tired of being treated like props in somebody else’s culture war. Tired of being told “you’re a lost cause” by national consultants who’ve never actually set foot in their towns.
For Open Road, that’s exactly why IA-01 is a top priority.
This is a place where:
Respect still matters. You can’t fake it on a front porch or at the co-op.
Community still matters.
People show up when the barn roof blows off, even if they don’t agree on every last issue.
Integrity still matters. If you lie, someone’s cousin will tell everybody at the café by 7 a.m. tomorrow.
We believe Democrats can win in IA-01 by treating rural and small-town voters like neighbors, not demographics — by talking honestly about hospitals, schools, wages, and farms, and by showing up in every county, not just the easy ones.
The last three cycles have proven the same thing over and over:
IA-01 is competitive, flippable, and absolutely worth fighting for.
Open Road is here to help make sure that in the next election, those last few hundred votes break toward candidates who bring respect, community, and integrity back to rural politics — and who actually show up for the people who live here.
If you’re ready to help close that gap in IA-01 and similar districts, follow Open Road, share this, and stay tuned. The next few hundred votes are going to matter.
“Open Road is rebuilding respect, community, and integrity in rural politics — and helping elect Democrats who actually show up for competitive small-town and rural districts.”
Find out more about Open Road PAC:
https://www.openroadpac.org/
This Thanksgiving weekend we can still help American democracy live to see another day by withholding our buying power from corporations that are bending the knee to MAGA. If you must shop this weekend, try to buy from locally owned small businesses. For four days only if you can, just say no to Target, Home Depot and Amazon.
Why these three? Because in order to be successful, a boycott campaign needs to have a focused target. Because it would not be effective to try to boycott all of the corporations that are bad actors. These three companies have supported harmful policies from the Trump administration, including rolling back diversity initiatives, enabling immigration raids, and donating to political campaigns.
With that in mind, here is an important historical message relevant to today from Heather Cox Richardson and Joy Reid.
Every day, I am struck by all the ways in which we are reliving the 1890s.
In that era too, consumers organized, using their buying power to affect politics. As the first general secretary of the National Consumers League, Florence Kelley, put it: “To live means to buy, to buy means to have power, to have power means to have responsibility.” – Heather Cox Richardson
More from HCR:
Today, the relationship between consumption and reform has taken on heightened meaning after the Tesla and the Disney boycotts. The day after Thanksgiving is the start of the holiday shopping season, and like their predecessors of a century ago, reformers are focusing on consumers’ power to push back on the policies of the Trump administration, launching a campaign they call “We Ain’t Buying It.” “We aren’t just consumers; we’re community builders,” their website says. “We’re driving the change we want to see, and demanding respect.”
As Joy-Ann Reid put it in an Instagram video: “Dear retailers who’ve decided you don’t like diversity, equity, and inclusion, or you really love ICE and you have no problem with them busting into your establishments to drag people away: Here’s the thing. We ain’t buying it. I mean, for real, for real, we ain’t buyin’ it.”
She explained: “We’re gonna spend our money with businesses who actually respect our dollars, respect our communities, and respect our diversity, equity, and inclusion. We are going to buy from people who respect immigrants, who respect immigrants’ rights, and respect freedom and liberty. We are going to buy from establishments that respect our right to vote and our right to live in a free society. And if you ain’t that, we ain’t buying it.”
“Let’s show them our power,” she told listeners. “Let’s show them what we can do together.”
Follow HCR on Substack and other social media platforms including YouTube, Facebook, Blue Sky.
Follow Joy Reid on Instagram, Blue Sky and YouTube
Happy Thanksgiving, patriots!
Public defender sues state claiming she was fired for Kirk-related commentsby Clark Kauffman, Iowa Capital Dispatch
November 25, 2025
The State of Iowa is being sued by an attorney who claims she was fired from the Office of the State Public Defender for online comments made in the wake of Charlie Kirk’s murder in September.
Maria Ruhtenberg, an attorney for the State Public Defender, is suing the State of Iowa and State Public Defender Jeff Wright in U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Iowa, alleging violations of her First Amendment right to free speech.
According to the lawsuit, the state hired Ruhtenberg in October 2010 as a trial attorney for the Story County division of the Office of State Public Defender. In May 2013, Ruhtenberg became an assistant appellate defender based in Des Moines.
The lawsuit alleges that throughout her employment, Ruhtenberg’s performance reviews indicated she consistently met or exceeded expectations and that she was never subject to discipline until she was terminated.
The lawsuit alleges that on Sept. 15, 2025, she argued a case before the Iowa Supreme Court and later that day saw the news about the shooting death of conservative activist Charlie Kirk.
Judge rules in favor of teacher facing dismissal for Kirk-related posts
According to the lawsuit, Ruhtenberg, on her own time and using her own computer, posted a message on her private Facebook account about Kirk and engaged with other citizens on Facebook about Kirk’s political views.
In her posts, Ruhtenberg indicated her disagreement with the views Kirk had expressed about the Second Amendment and also indicated Kirk’s killer should go to prison.
On Sept. 15, according to the lawsuit, Ruhtenberg’s boss, Appellate Defender Martha Lucey, asked her to join a video conference with First Assistant Public Defender Kurt Swaim and Waterloo Public Defender Office Supervisor Aaron Hawbaker.
During the conference call, the lawsuit alleges, Swaim indicated someone had reported Ruhtenberg’s online comments and provided screenshots of some of her Facebook posts. About one hour after the conference call ended, according to the lawsuit, Lucey told Ruhtenberg she’d been fired and asked her to return all state-owned equipment to the office that afternoon.
According to the lawsuit, the letter Ruhtenberg was given notifying her of her termination stated that she weas being fired due to statements posted on social media — particularly the comments, “Live by the sword, die by the sword,” and, “You reap what you sow,” which were drawn from the Bible.
The state “did not fire Maria for any reason other than her statements posted to social media,” the lawsuit alleges, adding that the online comments “did not impede the performance of her job duties,” damage relations with her coworkers, or cause turmoil within the office.
According to the lawsuit, Ruhtenberg appealed her termination through the Iowa Department of Inspections, Appeals and Licensing, which later issued an order finding the state had failed to prove its interests in the efficient provision of public services outweighed Ruhtenberg’s interests in privately commenting on a matter of public concern.
According to the lawsuit, DIAL ordered the Office of State Public Defender to immediately reinstate Ruhtenberg.
The lawsuit claims the public defender’s “retaliation against Maria was part of a broader attempt by the state to suppress and punish free speech on the issues surrounding Charlie Kirk and his death.” It notes that several conservative Iowa legislators and Republican Gov. Kim Reynolds openly called for public employees to be fired for comments that were critical of Kirk or his views.
“Such deliberate and intentional actions are repugnant to the First Amendment and echo the political repression of the age of McCarthyism, when manufactured lists of ‘subversives’ were used to destroy the lives and reputations of people based on their political views,” the lawsuit alleges.
Ruhtenberg’s lawsuit seeks unspecified damages for violations of freedom of speech through retaliation.
The state has yet to file a response to the lawsuit. The Iowa Attorney General’s Office said it does not comment on pending litigation.
In recent weeks, several other lawsuits have been filed by former Iowa public employees alleging they were fired for comments they made about Kirk.
Iowa Capital Dispatch is part of States Newsroom, a nonprofit news network supported by grants and a coalition of donors as a 501c(3) public charity. Iowa Capital Dispatch maintains editorial independence. Contact Editor Kathie Obradovich for questions: info@iowacapitaldispatch.com.
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