This week’s episode includes education reform, Jason Glass, session end and new polls on Gov. Terry Branstad and the U.S. Senate race.  This episode features The Gazette’s James Lynch, Quad City Times political writer Ed Tibbetts, Waterloo-Cedar Falls political reporter Jon Ericson and Lee Enterprises Iowa Bureau Chief Mike Wiser. The show was produced by [...]

DES MOINES — Gov. Terry Branstad hired Mitt Romeny’s former New Hampshire state director for a full-time campaign spot, giving the surest sign to date that the five-term governor will seek re-election in 2014. Phil Valenziano began work last week and is the only full-time employee of the Branstad campaign. “There are parades and events [...]

This week’s episode features a “shrewd” move on education reform, a claim of Washington-style politics in Iowa over Senate confirmations and real Washington-style politics in Washington over gun control. This week’s show features Gazette political reporter  James Lynch, Quad City Times political reporter Ed Tibbetts, Lee Enterprises Iowa Bureau Chief Mike Wiser and Waterloo-Cedar Falls [...]

A trade mission to China, the legislative legacy of the Evansdale killings, and the percentage of voters that believe “lizard people” control our society and other conspiracy theories might surprise you.  Featuring The Gazette’s James Lynch, Quad City Times political reporter Ed Tibbetts, Lee Enterprises Iowa Statehouse Bureau Chief Mike Wiser and Jon Ericson, political [...]

DES MOINES — Iowa, it seems, has become a destination for companies that want to produce ammonium nitrate fertilizer. Gov. Terry Branstad has announced two such deals, one in Lee County and one in Woodbury County, each requiring more than a billion dollars in corporate investment in the past 12 months. There’s also talk of [...]

  While state legislators tried to craft meaningful revisions to state anti-bullying laws last week, a small group of conservative Christian pastors and their supporters dragged out a tired drum. For the second consecutive year, the Family Leader went banging on about the Governors Conference on Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, and Questioning Youth — an [...]

The League of United Latin American Citizens flexes its muscles, Gov. Terry Branstad blames Democrats & the Koch brothers, plus the continuing developments in the 1st Congressional District of Iowa. This week’s show features Gazette political reporter James Lynch, Quad City Times political reporter Ed Tibbetts, statehouse bureau chief Mike Wiser and Waterloo-Cedar Falls Courier [...]

Gov. Terry Branstad offered a fiery defense Tuesday of his administration’s efforts to woo an Egyptian company to build a $1.4 billion fertilizer plant in southeastern Iowa, seeking to get beyond criticism and negative publicity that have dogged the deal. Branstad lashed out at critics during a meeting with residents in Fort Madison, pledging the [...]

  Iowans already angry over a fertilizer plant’s record-breaking tax break were ready to blow their stack after learning the company’s sibling stands accused of defrauding the U.S. government. Already, critics were saying the more than $200 million in state and local tax credits was too much to pay for the much-needed jobs in Lee [...]

DES MOINES – The war was waged and now the armies are assembling. Some of Iowa’s top wrestling and political personalities showed their solidarity to announce their latest campaign to help wrestling remain in the Olympic Games. Wrestling great Dan Gable, University of Iowa associate head coach Terry Brands, University of Northern Iowa head coach [...]