A Moment of Trumpenfreude
- By cigaretteman
- Off Topic
- 6 Replies
Feb. 28, 2024, 2:41 p.m. ETFeb. 28, 2024
Feb. 28, 2024
Paul Krugman
Opinion Columnist
A Moment of Trumpenfreude
OK, I have to admit it: I’m enjoying the spectacle of Donald Trump begging for a delay in the $454 million fine he’s required to pay for fraudulently inflating his net worth, for two reasons.First, his inability to come up with the cash basically confirms the charges: He isn’t as rich as he claims to be. Second, his evident inability to get anyone to lend him the money is poetic justice for a man who has a history of bilking gullible investors.
One small addition to the Trumpenfreude: A GoFundMe set up to help Trump pay his bills has so far managed to raise about a third of 1 percent of the amount he owes.
You do have to wonder about how this will affect his psychological state. Trump’s speeches have become increasingly incoherent lately — a trend that has attracted sufficient attention that a few days ago he felt compelled to respond, telling an audience: “There’s no cognitive problem. If there was, I’d know about it.”
I think I’ll just leave that there.
Musk Ordered To Testify After False Nazi Accusation
The (basically) kid's family was forced to flee their home all because the Proud Boys wouldn't own up to the fact THEY were the problem, not federal agents planted to make them look bad. Of course, the Proud Boys were there to disrupt a Pride event.
www.huffpost.com
The tech billionaire and far-right sympathizer was hit with the lawsuit in October after he falsely accused 22-year-old Ben Brody of being a federal agent involved in an Oregon brawl last year between neo-Nazi group Rose City Nationalists and neo-fascist group the Proud Boys.
Brody, a recent college graduate who was not even in the same state when the brawl occurred, said he and his family were forced to flee their home after his personal information was revealed, and he received threats following Musk’s amplification of the dangerous conspiracy.
Elon Musk Ordered To Testify In Lawsuit For Falsely Linking Jewish Man To Neo-Nazi Brawl
Musk is being sued for defamation after falsely accusing a 22-year-old Jewish man of being a federal agent involved with a neo-Nazi group.
The tech billionaire and far-right sympathizer was hit with the lawsuit in October after he falsely accused 22-year-old Ben Brody of being a federal agent involved in an Oregon brawl last year between neo-Nazi group Rose City Nationalists and neo-fascist group the Proud Boys.
Brody, a recent college graduate who was not even in the same state when the brawl occurred, said he and his family were forced to flee their home after his personal information was revealed, and he received threats following Musk’s amplification of the dangerous conspiracy.
Do you answer your front door when strangers knock?
- By BrianNole777
- Off Topic
- 81 Replies
Spring is almost here and strangers will be knocking on your door. I stopped answering a year ago. 99% of the time it's a salesperson.
I wish I stopped ages ago.
Do you answer the door when strangers knock? What was the result?
www.yahoo.com
I wish I stopped ages ago.
Do you answer the door when strangers knock? What was the result?
Video Shows Why You Shouldn’t Open the Door for Strangers
Parents often tell their young kids and teens to never open the door for strangers. STORY: Man Abducted as a Child Reunited With Parents 20 Years Later The woman, who wishes to remain anonymous, told WBTV that a female stranger showed up at her house around 9:30 p.m. on Thursday and, after...
State cuts ties with AEAs on program that helps special education students’ families navigate services
- By cigaretteman
- Off Topic
- 0 Replies
A program through which special education experts help families navigate services for students with disabilities will no longer be operated by Iowa’s nine Area Education Agencies after the Iowa Department of Education recently announced it will not renew contracts with the agencies.
The state education department informed AEA leaders in a Jan. 22 email that the state is discontinuing contracts and grants for the AEAs to operate the Family Educator Partners program at the end of June.
Under the program, AEA coordinators at no cost to families provide support, information and resources to families and educators about special education services that are available to Iowa students with disabilities and their families.
The Jan. 22 email, sent by Barbara Guy, director of special education at the Iowa Department of Education, did not give a reason for why the state is discontinuing its partnership with the AEAs on the program.
A spokesman for Iowa Gov. Kim Reynolds said the state is separating from the AEAs on the Family Educator Partners program because of conflicts of interest — the program workers also are AEA employees — and because of what he said were inconsistencies in support provided and confusion over roles and responsibilities as identified in a 2014 report.
“AEA advocates help resolve issues or disagreements between parents who believe their child’s educational needs are not being met and the AEA or school district that provides their services. This creates a conflict of interest as the family’s advocate is an employee of the same AEA providing the student’s services and supporting the school district to meet federal requirements,” Reynolds spokesman Kollin Crompton said in an email to The Gazette.
Crompton said the state is exploring a partnership with an independent, third-party entity to operate the program.
The state’s decision to discontinue its partnership with AEAs on the Family Educator Partners program comes as Reynolds has proposed an overhaul of how Iowa’s AEAs operate and are funded. Guy’s email to the AEAs was sent 12 days after Reynolds introduced her legislation and three days after she wrote an open letter to Iowans making the case for her proposal.
Crompton said Reynolds’ proposal to reform AEAs “had no bearing” on the state’s decision to part with AEAs on the Family Educator Partners program.
“Effective partnerships between families, educators and community providers are critical in supporting the success of all students with disabilities across Iowa,” Crompton said. “All families, no matter what AEA region they reside in, deserve to receive consistent services and high levels of advocacy support. While some families have received meaningful and impartial support, unfortunately, that has not been the experience of all families across Iowa.”
Reynolds’ proposal underwent significant revisions after initial reaction, and state lawmakers in the Iowa Senate and Iowa House have proposed their own, separate proposals for AEA reform.
Ending the contracts with AEAs on the Family Educator Partners program will impact an estimated 17 full-time equivalent staff across Iowa’s nine AEAs, including two at Grant Wood AEA in Cedar Rapids, according to Dr. Maria Cashman, Grant Wood AEA’s Associate Chief Administrator and Director of Special Education.
“Our AEA has two individuals currently serving as Family Educator Partners. Each year they help our families and districts navigate special education procedures and laws, with a focus on ensuring equity in voice from the schools, from the families, and from the AEA during challenging conversations related to the support of children with special needs,” Cashman said in a statement emailed to The Gazette. “This loss is significant for our families and partners, and yet another change to our programs and services that we hadn't anticipated.”
Johnna Davis, a Family and Educator Partnership coordinator with Heartland Area Education Agency in Johnston, estimated the move will impact about 15 staff members across the state’s nine AEAs.
Davis said because of the move, she has resigned from her role to pursue another career opportunity effective March 1.
“I was heartbroken, to say the least,” she said. “I felt like it was a dismantling power grab. … It felt like being backstabbed, honestly.”
Davis lives in Mingo and has two children with autism. She has been at Heartland AEA for the last three years as a liaison, working together with families of students with disabilities and school officials to understand, navigate and mediate disputes and disagreements over a student’s Individualized Education Plan.
An Individualized Education Plan is a legal document for students who need special education. It is created through a team of special education parents, educators and experts.
“We partner with families and school districts to build a cohesive model of an IEP team and empower families to be meaningful participants of the IEP process and provide the parent perspective with educators, and make sure parent voices are heard in the IEP process,” Davis said.
Davis called Crompton’s description of Family Educator Partners’ work and the issues raised in the 2014 report “misinformed.”
“We are not parent advocates,” Davis said. “We’re really advocating for the IEP process to be upheld, to be upheld well and with fidelity. … We are advocates for the IEP process. We are more of a family liaison.”
The Gazette requested information on how much it cost the state to operate the Family Educator Partners program, and what funding source has been used. An Iowa Department of Education spokeswoman said the department was working to compile that information. The Gazette had not yet received it as of late Wednesday afternoon.
www.thegazette.com
The state education department informed AEA leaders in a Jan. 22 email that the state is discontinuing contracts and grants for the AEAs to operate the Family Educator Partners program at the end of June.
Under the program, AEA coordinators at no cost to families provide support, information and resources to families and educators about special education services that are available to Iowa students with disabilities and their families.
The Jan. 22 email, sent by Barbara Guy, director of special education at the Iowa Department of Education, did not give a reason for why the state is discontinuing its partnership with the AEAs on the program.
A spokesman for Iowa Gov. Kim Reynolds said the state is separating from the AEAs on the Family Educator Partners program because of conflicts of interest — the program workers also are AEA employees — and because of what he said were inconsistencies in support provided and confusion over roles and responsibilities as identified in a 2014 report.
“AEA advocates help resolve issues or disagreements between parents who believe their child’s educational needs are not being met and the AEA or school district that provides their services. This creates a conflict of interest as the family’s advocate is an employee of the same AEA providing the student’s services and supporting the school district to meet federal requirements,” Reynolds spokesman Kollin Crompton said in an email to The Gazette.
Crompton said the state is exploring a partnership with an independent, third-party entity to operate the program.
The state’s decision to discontinue its partnership with AEAs on the Family Educator Partners program comes as Reynolds has proposed an overhaul of how Iowa’s AEAs operate and are funded. Guy’s email to the AEAs was sent 12 days after Reynolds introduced her legislation and three days after she wrote an open letter to Iowans making the case for her proposal.
Crompton said Reynolds’ proposal to reform AEAs “had no bearing” on the state’s decision to part with AEAs on the Family Educator Partners program.
“Effective partnerships between families, educators and community providers are critical in supporting the success of all students with disabilities across Iowa,” Crompton said. “All families, no matter what AEA region they reside in, deserve to receive consistent services and high levels of advocacy support. While some families have received meaningful and impartial support, unfortunately, that has not been the experience of all families across Iowa.”
Reynolds’ proposal underwent significant revisions after initial reaction, and state lawmakers in the Iowa Senate and Iowa House have proposed their own, separate proposals for AEA reform.
Ending the contracts with AEAs on the Family Educator Partners program will impact an estimated 17 full-time equivalent staff across Iowa’s nine AEAs, including two at Grant Wood AEA in Cedar Rapids, according to Dr. Maria Cashman, Grant Wood AEA’s Associate Chief Administrator and Director of Special Education.
“Our AEA has two individuals currently serving as Family Educator Partners. Each year they help our families and districts navigate special education procedures and laws, with a focus on ensuring equity in voice from the schools, from the families, and from the AEA during challenging conversations related to the support of children with special needs,” Cashman said in a statement emailed to The Gazette. “This loss is significant for our families and partners, and yet another change to our programs and services that we hadn't anticipated.”
Johnna Davis, a Family and Educator Partnership coordinator with Heartland Area Education Agency in Johnston, estimated the move will impact about 15 staff members across the state’s nine AEAs.
Davis said because of the move, she has resigned from her role to pursue another career opportunity effective March 1.
“I was heartbroken, to say the least,” she said. “I felt like it was a dismantling power grab. … It felt like being backstabbed, honestly.”
Davis lives in Mingo and has two children with autism. She has been at Heartland AEA for the last three years as a liaison, working together with families of students with disabilities and school officials to understand, navigate and mediate disputes and disagreements over a student’s Individualized Education Plan.
An Individualized Education Plan is a legal document for students who need special education. It is created through a team of special education parents, educators and experts.
“We partner with families and school districts to build a cohesive model of an IEP team and empower families to be meaningful participants of the IEP process and provide the parent perspective with educators, and make sure parent voices are heard in the IEP process,” Davis said.
Davis called Crompton’s description of Family Educator Partners’ work and the issues raised in the 2014 report “misinformed.”
“We are not parent advocates,” Davis said. “We’re really advocating for the IEP process to be upheld, to be upheld well and with fidelity. … We are advocates for the IEP process. We are more of a family liaison.”
The Gazette requested information on how much it cost the state to operate the Family Educator Partners program, and what funding source has been used. An Iowa Department of Education spokeswoman said the department was working to compile that information. The Gazette had not yet received it as of late Wednesday afternoon.
State cuts ties with AEAs on program that helps special education students’ families navigate services
Iowa Gov. Kim Reynolds’ office says the state will hire a new partner, citing conflicts of interest in the program as operated by AEAs, but one recent program worker pushed back at that characterization.
www.thegazette.com
Capitol Notebook: State would be barred from buying land at auction under Senate bill
- By cigaretteman
- Off Topic
- 0 Replies
The Iowa Department of Natural Resources would be prohibited from purchasing land at an auction, and nonprofit organizations would be prohibited from doing the same with the intention of donating the land to the state for public use under legislation approved by the Iowa Senate largely along party lines.
Sen. Tom Shipley, R-Nodaway, said the legislation does not prohibit landowners from selling their land directly to the state or nonprofits, and argued that the state already owns too much land that could be otherwise used for agricultural purposes.
Just 3 percent of Iowa’s land is publicly owned, according to studies by Texas A&M University’s Natural Resources Institute and the hiking and climbing website Summit Post. That puts Iowa near the bottom of states’ shares of publicly-owned land: only Kansas, Nebraska and Rhode Island had lower shares of publicly-owned land than Iowa in the two reports.
Iowa acquired 2,462 acres of land in 2022, according to state figures.
Iowa Sen. Sarah Trone Garriott, D-Waukee, said the proposal would undermine landowners’ ability to get the best price in a land sale at auction by prohibiting potential bidders — the DNR and nonprofits — from the process.
The bill, Senate File 2324, passed the Iowa Senate with only Republican support, and Republican Sen. Brad Zaun, R-Urbandale, joining Democrats in voting against. It is now eligible for consideration in the Iowa House.
Iowa Senate Republicans once again passed legislation that would require all Iowa businesses to use the E-Verify program to help determine the legal U.S. residency status of all employees.
Currently, it is optional for Iowa businesses to use the E-Verify program, and more than 5,000 do, according to Iowa Sen. Julian Garrett, R-Indianola.
Business groups have historically been opposed to the proposed mandate — organizations registered in opposition to the latest bill include the Agribusiness Association of Iowa, Iowa Grocery Industry Association, Iowa Business Council, Iowa Retail Federation, Iowa Motor Truck Association, and Casey’s, according to state lobbying records.
Senate Republicans have moved similar provisions in the past — it also passed out of the full Senate in 2019 — but the bill has never been passed by majority Republicans in the Iowa House.
That is where Senate File 108 is headed after it passed the Senate on a largely party-line vote, with only Republicans supporting and Republican Sen. Dan Zumbach, R-Ryan, joining all Democrats in opposition.
Legislation that would place in state law the current practice of the state workforce department requiring four work searches each week for recipients of unemployment benefits passed the Iowa Senate with only Republican support.
Republican Sen. Charlie McClintock, R-Alburnett, joined all Democrats in voting against the proposal. Proponents say the bill simply codifies how the Iowa Workforce Development agency operates the state’s unemployment insurance program.
With its passage out of the Senate, Senate File 2106 is now eligible for consideration in the Iowa House.
Students in grades 7-12 would be required to be shown “a computer-generated rendering or animation” that shows every stage of an embryo and fetus’ development, using an anti-abortion rights video as a model.
House File 2617 passed largely along party lines, 59-35, with majority Republicans in favor and minority Democrats opposed. The bill now moves to the Iowa Senate for consideration.
Republicans and anti-abortion rights activists say the video provides a medically accurate animated representation of fetal development, which Planned Parenthood and others dispute.
Rep. Molly Buck, D-Ankeny, noted the information and views contained in the “Meet Baby Olivia” video referenced in the bill runs contrary to those accepted by the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists.
“The video … which introduces us to baby Olivia deliberately misinterprets the timeline of fertilization, the timeline of fetal heartbeat, and other medical facts about fetal development,” Buck said.
House Minority Leader Jennifer Konfrst, D-Windsor Heights, argued the bill is not about providing information but rather about indoctrinating students with a political agenda.
Live Action, which produces the video referenced in the bill, says on its website it “exists today to shift public opinion” on abortion and is dedicated to supporting a “culture of life.”
Rep. Anne Osmundson, R-Volga, the bill’s floor manager, said the video is offered “unbranded” and it is not required.
“It is simply a suggestion,” Osmundson said, asserting is has been “reviewed and endorsed by several medical experts” and endorsed by science educators across the nation.
“The bill ensures the teaching to our children of basic facts about human development in a very approachable way,” Osmundson said. “This is scientific information. This is teaching basic biology to our children. And it helps to answer one of life's biggest questions. Where did I come from?”
The legislation mirrors a North Dakota law passed last year, and similar bills are being considered in the Kentucky, Missouri and West Virginia legislatures.
www.thegazette.com
Sen. Tom Shipley, R-Nodaway, said the legislation does not prohibit landowners from selling their land directly to the state or nonprofits, and argued that the state already owns too much land that could be otherwise used for agricultural purposes.
Just 3 percent of Iowa’s land is publicly owned, according to studies by Texas A&M University’s Natural Resources Institute and the hiking and climbing website Summit Post. That puts Iowa near the bottom of states’ shares of publicly-owned land: only Kansas, Nebraska and Rhode Island had lower shares of publicly-owned land than Iowa in the two reports.
Iowa acquired 2,462 acres of land in 2022, according to state figures.
Iowa Sen. Sarah Trone Garriott, D-Waukee, said the proposal would undermine landowners’ ability to get the best price in a land sale at auction by prohibiting potential bidders — the DNR and nonprofits — from the process.
The bill, Senate File 2324, passed the Iowa Senate with only Republican support, and Republican Sen. Brad Zaun, R-Urbandale, joining Democrats in voting against. It is now eligible for consideration in the Iowa House.
E-Verify requirement passes Senate
Iowa Senate Republicans once again passed legislation that would require all Iowa businesses to use the E-Verify program to help determine the legal U.S. residency status of all employees.
Currently, it is optional for Iowa businesses to use the E-Verify program, and more than 5,000 do, according to Iowa Sen. Julian Garrett, R-Indianola.
Business groups have historically been opposed to the proposed mandate — organizations registered in opposition to the latest bill include the Agribusiness Association of Iowa, Iowa Grocery Industry Association, Iowa Business Council, Iowa Retail Federation, Iowa Motor Truck Association, and Casey’s, according to state lobbying records.
Senate Republicans have moved similar provisions in the past — it also passed out of the full Senate in 2019 — but the bill has never been passed by majority Republicans in the Iowa House.
That is where Senate File 108 is headed after it passed the Senate on a largely party-line vote, with only Republicans supporting and Republican Sen. Dan Zumbach, R-Ryan, joining all Democrats in opposition.
Work search requirements for unemployment benefits
Legislation that would place in state law the current practice of the state workforce department requiring four work searches each week for recipients of unemployment benefits passed the Iowa Senate with only Republican support.
Republican Sen. Charlie McClintock, R-Alburnett, joined all Democrats in voting against the proposal. Proponents say the bill simply codifies how the Iowa Workforce Development agency operates the state’s unemployment insurance program.
With its passage out of the Senate, Senate File 2106 is now eligible for consideration in the Iowa House.
‘Baby Olivia’ could appear in Iowa classrooms
Students in grades 7-12 would be required to be shown “a computer-generated rendering or animation” that shows every stage of an embryo and fetus’ development, using an anti-abortion rights video as a model.
House File 2617 passed largely along party lines, 59-35, with majority Republicans in favor and minority Democrats opposed. The bill now moves to the Iowa Senate for consideration.
Republicans and anti-abortion rights activists say the video provides a medically accurate animated representation of fetal development, which Planned Parenthood and others dispute.
Rep. Molly Buck, D-Ankeny, noted the information and views contained in the “Meet Baby Olivia” video referenced in the bill runs contrary to those accepted by the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists.
“The video … which introduces us to baby Olivia deliberately misinterprets the timeline of fertilization, the timeline of fetal heartbeat, and other medical facts about fetal development,” Buck said.
House Minority Leader Jennifer Konfrst, D-Windsor Heights, argued the bill is not about providing information but rather about indoctrinating students with a political agenda.
Live Action, which produces the video referenced in the bill, says on its website it “exists today to shift public opinion” on abortion and is dedicated to supporting a “culture of life.”
Rep. Anne Osmundson, R-Volga, the bill’s floor manager, said the video is offered “unbranded” and it is not required.
“It is simply a suggestion,” Osmundson said, asserting is has been “reviewed and endorsed by several medical experts” and endorsed by science educators across the nation.
“The bill ensures the teaching to our children of basic facts about human development in a very approachable way,” Osmundson said. “This is scientific information. This is teaching basic biology to our children. And it helps to answer one of life's biggest questions. Where did I come from?”
The legislation mirrors a North Dakota law passed last year, and similar bills are being considered in the Kentucky, Missouri and West Virginia legislatures.
Capitol Notebook: State would be barred from buying land at auction under Senate bill
Also, Iowa Senate Republicans once again advanced a proposal to require all businesses use the E-Verify program for verifying employees’ U.S. residency status
www.thegazette.com
This is AMAZING!!! The Caitlin effect!!!!
- Iowa Men's Basketball
- 25 Replies
The Caitlin Clark Effect: Iowa draws record viewership in win vs. Maryland
Big audiences are the norm for Clark and Iowa this season.
www.yahoo.com
Who will win before celebrating the semi quin?
- By cigaretteman
- Off Topic
- 0 Replies
Let’s break free of our Golden Dome of Wisdom for a moment and ponder the future.
And the future I’m pondering is 2026. Do you, like me, have “Semiquincentennial” fever? Or maybe it’s “semi quin,” “Sestercentennial” or a “quarter millennium.”
No matter how you say it, on July 4, 2026, it will be the 250th anniversary of the signing of the Declaration of Independence. Take that Brits.
Yes, fine, the Continental Congress voted on July 2 and the declaration wasn’t signed until Aug. 2. I bet you sticklers are fun at semiquincentennial celebrations.
One of the most important issues regarding America 250, which is what a federal commission planning the celebration calls it, is who will be our president as this big national moment passes.
If it’s President Joe Biden, we can expect a truly authentic celebration. After all, he was there when the declaration was signed. (Rimshot.) Get it? He’s old.
Surely there will be parades, fireworks and big doings in Washington, D.C., Philadelphia and other cities and towns with historic ties to independence. Sure, Biden might inadvertently call George Washington George Costanza or, God forbid, eat ice cream.
It won’t be a massive Biden ego trip. Not his style.
And, like the Bicentennial in 1976, there may be a renewed interest in the country’s history. That would be great, so long as it’s real history, chronicling the nation’s triumphs, failures and problems marring the U.S. to this day. No, kids, George Costanza didn’t cut down a cherry tree.
If Donald Trump is president again, the nation’s 250th birthday will be all about him. He’s also old, but his childishness may have fooled you.
You may recall, last year in a video Trump suggested a Great American State Fair lasting for a year would be a centerpiece in his celebration plans. But where would it be held?
“My hope is that the amazing people of Iowa will work with my administration to open up the legendary Iowa State Fairgrounds to host the Great American State Fair and welcome millions and millions of visitors from around the world to the heartland of America for this special one-time festival,” Trump said in the video, according to Politico. “Together we will build it, and they will come.”
Pander alert.
But that was before Iowa Gov. Kim Reynolds endorsed Trump’s primary rival, Ron DeSantis. Iowa may now be on the naughty list. Perhaps Trump can make his ally, Iowa Attorney General Brenna Bird, “governor of the Great American State Fair.” She will rule with an iron fist.
Trump also wants some sort of Patriot Games for high school athletes and hopes to revive his “National Garden of American Heroes.” Who gets to pick the heroes? Who do you think?
There also will be a parade of military vehicles painted gold and marked with a red “T” emblem. OK, Trump hasn’t said that, but you know he’s thinking it.
As for history, Trump started the 1776 project to promote whitewashed “patriotic” education. He said American-loathing libs are weaving a “twisted web of lies.” It’s really going to bring us together.
But the best aspect of America 250, presented by MAGA, is we’ll be celebrating the long history of our republic’s democratic institutions as they’re being blown up. Ooh, ah!
(319) 398-8262; todd.dorman@thegazette.com
www.thegazette.com
And the future I’m pondering is 2026. Do you, like me, have “Semiquincentennial” fever? Or maybe it’s “semi quin,” “Sestercentennial” or a “quarter millennium.”
No matter how you say it, on July 4, 2026, it will be the 250th anniversary of the signing of the Declaration of Independence. Take that Brits.
Yes, fine, the Continental Congress voted on July 2 and the declaration wasn’t signed until Aug. 2. I bet you sticklers are fun at semiquincentennial celebrations.
One of the most important issues regarding America 250, which is what a federal commission planning the celebration calls it, is who will be our president as this big national moment passes.
If it’s President Joe Biden, we can expect a truly authentic celebration. After all, he was there when the declaration was signed. (Rimshot.) Get it? He’s old.
Surely there will be parades, fireworks and big doings in Washington, D.C., Philadelphia and other cities and towns with historic ties to independence. Sure, Biden might inadvertently call George Washington George Costanza or, God forbid, eat ice cream.
It won’t be a massive Biden ego trip. Not his style.
And, like the Bicentennial in 1976, there may be a renewed interest in the country’s history. That would be great, so long as it’s real history, chronicling the nation’s triumphs, failures and problems marring the U.S. to this day. No, kids, George Costanza didn’t cut down a cherry tree.
If Donald Trump is president again, the nation’s 250th birthday will be all about him. He’s also old, but his childishness may have fooled you.
You may recall, last year in a video Trump suggested a Great American State Fair lasting for a year would be a centerpiece in his celebration plans. But where would it be held?
“My hope is that the amazing people of Iowa will work with my administration to open up the legendary Iowa State Fairgrounds to host the Great American State Fair and welcome millions and millions of visitors from around the world to the heartland of America for this special one-time festival,” Trump said in the video, according to Politico. “Together we will build it, and they will come.”
Pander alert.
But that was before Iowa Gov. Kim Reynolds endorsed Trump’s primary rival, Ron DeSantis. Iowa may now be on the naughty list. Perhaps Trump can make his ally, Iowa Attorney General Brenna Bird, “governor of the Great American State Fair.” She will rule with an iron fist.
Trump also wants some sort of Patriot Games for high school athletes and hopes to revive his “National Garden of American Heroes.” Who gets to pick the heroes? Who do you think?
There also will be a parade of military vehicles painted gold and marked with a red “T” emblem. OK, Trump hasn’t said that, but you know he’s thinking it.
As for history, Trump started the 1776 project to promote whitewashed “patriotic” education. He said American-loathing libs are weaving a “twisted web of lies.” It’s really going to bring us together.
But the best aspect of America 250, presented by MAGA, is we’ll be celebrating the long history of our republic’s democratic institutions as they’re being blown up. Ooh, ah!
(319) 398-8262; todd.dorman@thegazette.com
Opinion: Who will win before celebrating the semi quin?
FILE – The U.S. Flag flies at the Capitol in Washington, Feb. 6, 2023. The United States has started the …
www.thegazette.com
House approves bipartisan bill aimed at bolstering nuclear energy
- Off Topic
- 14 Replies
Long overdue….
The House on Wednesday evening approved bipartisan legislation that aims to bolster nuclear energy.
The vote was 365-36, with one additional lawmaker voting present.
The legislation aims to bolster the U.S.’s nuclear energy production by speeding up environmental reviews for new nuclear reactors and reducing fees that applicants for advanced nuclear reactor licenses must pay.
It would also extend a law that limits the industry’s legal liability for nuclear accidents by 40 years.
The bipartisan legislation was sponsored by Reps. Jeff Duncan (R-S.C.) and Diana DeGette (D-Colo.).
While it has bipartisan support in the House, it’s unclear whether the bill will advance in its current form, as the Senate has its own nuclear energy bill.
Both bills have bipartisan support and reports have indicated that both chambers have been in talks on how to reconcile the legislation
The House on Wednesday evening approved bipartisan legislation that aims to bolster nuclear energy.
The vote was 365-36, with one additional lawmaker voting present.
The legislation aims to bolster the U.S.’s nuclear energy production by speeding up environmental reviews for new nuclear reactors and reducing fees that applicants for advanced nuclear reactor licenses must pay.
It would also extend a law that limits the industry’s legal liability for nuclear accidents by 40 years.
The bipartisan legislation was sponsored by Reps. Jeff Duncan (R-S.C.) and Diana DeGette (D-Colo.).
While it has bipartisan support in the House, it’s unclear whether the bill will advance in its current form, as the Senate has its own nuclear energy bill.
Both bills have bipartisan support and reports have indicated that both chambers have been in talks on how to reconcile the legislation
House approves bipartisan bill aimed at bolstering nuclear energy
The House on Wednesday evening approved bipartisan legislation that aims to bolster nuclear energy. The vote was 365-36, with one additional lawmaker voting present. All of the “no” vot…
thehill.com
Sherry Bates elected president of Iowa Board of Regents
- By cigaretteman
- Off Topic
- 1 Replies
For the first time in nearly seven years, Iowa’s Board of Regents has a new president — Sherry Bates, a social worker from Western Iowa who’s been on the board for nearly a decade.
In becoming the board’s 23rd president, Bates succeeds Michael Richards — who announced in January plans to resign from the board in April after eight years, including seven as president. Richards, who stepped down from his presidential post immediately Jan. 16, first was appointed to the board in 2016 and reappointed in 2021 for a term that was to expire April 30, 2027.
He first was elected board president in 2018 and chosen again in 2020 and 2022.
Bates, in her unanimous election by fellow board members Wednesday to fill his spot, became only the second female Iowa Board of Regents president and first since 1981 — when Mary Louise Petersen’s eight-year presidency ended.
Given that Bates had been president pro tem since June 2021, the board Wednesday also unanimously picked Greta Rouse as its new president pro tem. Of the board’s eight president pro tems, four have been women — and Rouse will be the fifth.
Bates, who’s been serving as interim president since Richards’ announcement, has been on the board since December 2014. She was reappointed in 2017 and again in 2023 for a term set to expire in 2029.
“I have worked with Regent Bates for several years on a very close basis,” Richards said in nominating her as his successor. “I believe that she’ll be an excellent person for the president of the Board of Regents.”
Gov. Kim Reynolds will nominate a new regent to fill out the nine-member volunteer board that governs the state’s public universities. Although the board must maintain gender and political balance, Reynolds can choose either a man or a woman of any political affiliation — given the board currently has four women and five Republicans, including Richards.
Bates identifies among the three independents on the board, with Regent Nancy Dunkel as the sole Democrat.
The regent election comes as lawmakers have proposed legislation to change the Board of Regents makeup and its powers — proposing, among other things, adding two non-voting members from the Iowa Legislature. One of those would be designated by the House speaker and the other designated by the Senate majority leader.
That bill also proposes changing the way the board hires new university presidents — considered among its most important duties — to form a presidential selection committee. “The board shall not elect a president of an institution of higher learning unless the presidential selection committee recommended the election of the president to the board,” the proposal says.
And the legislation limits the board’s power to increase tuition — asserting that resident tuition and fees for undergraduates who start on or after the 2025-2026 academic year “shall not increase during the student’s first four full academic years of participation in the baccalaureate program.”
That isn’t meant to block the regents from increasing rates for first-year students — although the bill does cap resident undergraduate hikes at 3 percent.
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In becoming the board’s 23rd president, Bates succeeds Michael Richards — who announced in January plans to resign from the board in April after eight years, including seven as president. Richards, who stepped down from his presidential post immediately Jan. 16, first was appointed to the board in 2016 and reappointed in 2021 for a term that was to expire April 30, 2027.
He first was elected board president in 2018 and chosen again in 2020 and 2022.
Bates, in her unanimous election by fellow board members Wednesday to fill his spot, became only the second female Iowa Board of Regents president and first since 1981 — when Mary Louise Petersen’s eight-year presidency ended.
Given that Bates had been president pro tem since June 2021, the board Wednesday also unanimously picked Greta Rouse as its new president pro tem. Of the board’s eight president pro tems, four have been women — and Rouse will be the fifth.
Bates, who’s been serving as interim president since Richards’ announcement, has been on the board since December 2014. She was reappointed in 2017 and again in 2023 for a term set to expire in 2029.
“I have worked with Regent Bates for several years on a very close basis,” Richards said in nominating her as his successor. “I believe that she’ll be an excellent person for the president of the Board of Regents.”
Gov. Kim Reynolds will nominate a new regent to fill out the nine-member volunteer board that governs the state’s public universities. Although the board must maintain gender and political balance, Reynolds can choose either a man or a woman of any political affiliation — given the board currently has four women and five Republicans, including Richards.
Bates identifies among the three independents on the board, with Regent Nancy Dunkel as the sole Democrat.
The regent election comes as lawmakers have proposed legislation to change the Board of Regents makeup and its powers — proposing, among other things, adding two non-voting members from the Iowa Legislature. One of those would be designated by the House speaker and the other designated by the Senate majority leader.
That bill also proposes changing the way the board hires new university presidents — considered among its most important duties — to form a presidential selection committee. “The board shall not elect a president of an institution of higher learning unless the presidential selection committee recommended the election of the president to the board,” the proposal says.
And the legislation limits the board’s power to increase tuition — asserting that resident tuition and fees for undergraduates who start on or after the 2025-2026 academic year “shall not increase during the student’s first four full academic years of participation in the baccalaureate program.”
That isn’t meant to block the regents from increasing rates for first-year students — although the bill does cap resident undergraduate hikes at 3 percent.
Sherry Bates elected president of Iowa Board of Regents
For the first time in nearly seven years, Iowa’s Board of Regents has a new president in Sherry Bates -- a social worker who’s been on the board for nearly a decade.
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Fees for proposed Iowa ‘don’t tread on me’ license plates would fund NRA-affiliated gun trainings
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Iowans could soon purchase a license plate that features the yellow “don’t tread on me” Gadsden flag, with the fees collected going to fund training and education by National Rifle Association-affiliated groups.
The flag, which features a coiled rattlesnake and the slogan “Don’t tread on me,” has become a symbol of individual liberty favored by Libertarians and conservatives. It has its origins in the American Revolutionary War and was designed by Christopher Gadsden, a South Carolina delegate to the Continental Congress.
House File 2424, which would make the plates an option for drivers in Iowa, was passed out of the Ways and Means committee by majority Republicans on Wednesday, making it eligible for a vote in the full House.
The specialized plates would cost $50 to register and require a $50 annual fee. The money collected by the plate registration would be directed to the Department of Public Safety, which would distribute grants for education and training on the right to keep and bear arms under the constitutions of the U.S. and Iowa.
The bill would direct the department to give first consideration for those grants to “any official state association of the National Rifle Association or similar nonprofit organizations.” The Iowa Firearms Coalition, an influential gun rights lobbying group, is the official Iowa state association of the NRA. The coalition is the only group registered in favor of the bill.
“We do a lot with different plates, right? We direct funds to different commodity groups or other organizations.” said Rep. Phil Thompson, a Republican from Boone and chair of the House Public Safety Committee. “It was kind of a brainchild of senators that wanted to do the same thing with Second Amendment advocacy.”
Iowans have the option to pay for plates associated with the state’s three public universities, natural resources, emergency medical services, firefighters, and motorcycle riders, among many others. The fees for those plates are also directed to specific state funds to benefit those groups.
The bill originally called for a $35 registration fee and a $10 annual fee, but Republicans amended the bill in the Ways and Means committee meeting on Wednesday to increase those fees to $50 each.
Based on estimates from the Legislative Services Agency, adjusted for the new cost, the bill would bring in more than $157,000 in fees during the first year. The agency expected around 3,150 plates would be issued.
Democrats opposed the bill in committee and offered an amendment to redirect the funding to mental health support and school shooting counseling by the state’s area education agencies, which was voted down by Republicans.
“We’ve heard for years and years and years, the question is on mental health,” said Rep. David Jacoby, a Democrat from Coralville. “Well, after years and years and years of that question, here’s an answer. That we divert those funds toward mental health or our children in the state of Iowa.”
Jacoby also proposed an amendment to reduce the fees for the plates to what was originally proposed in the bill, which was voted down. He said he was not opposed to offering the flag as an option for Iowa drivers, but he did not want to see the money collected going to the NRA-affiliated groups.
Thompson said he supports directing the money to gun rights organizations because they are the groups that offer education around the second amendment and right to bear arms.
The bill was also amended to allow vehicle owners to place frames around a license plate that obscure the name of the plate's county, as long as they do not obscure the other numbers and letters on the plate.
Twelve other states, including Texas, Florida and Virginia, offer Gadsden flag license plates.
Senate lawmakers advanced a similar bill last year, but it did not include the provision to direct funds to gun rights groups. The bill did not reach a floor vote.
www.thegazette.com
The flag, which features a coiled rattlesnake and the slogan “Don’t tread on me,” has become a symbol of individual liberty favored by Libertarians and conservatives. It has its origins in the American Revolutionary War and was designed by Christopher Gadsden, a South Carolina delegate to the Continental Congress.
House File 2424, which would make the plates an option for drivers in Iowa, was passed out of the Ways and Means committee by majority Republicans on Wednesday, making it eligible for a vote in the full House.
The specialized plates would cost $50 to register and require a $50 annual fee. The money collected by the plate registration would be directed to the Department of Public Safety, which would distribute grants for education and training on the right to keep and bear arms under the constitutions of the U.S. and Iowa.
The bill would direct the department to give first consideration for those grants to “any official state association of the National Rifle Association or similar nonprofit organizations.” The Iowa Firearms Coalition, an influential gun rights lobbying group, is the official Iowa state association of the NRA. The coalition is the only group registered in favor of the bill.
“We do a lot with different plates, right? We direct funds to different commodity groups or other organizations.” said Rep. Phil Thompson, a Republican from Boone and chair of the House Public Safety Committee. “It was kind of a brainchild of senators that wanted to do the same thing with Second Amendment advocacy.”
Iowans have the option to pay for plates associated with the state’s three public universities, natural resources, emergency medical services, firefighters, and motorcycle riders, among many others. The fees for those plates are also directed to specific state funds to benefit those groups.
The bill originally called for a $35 registration fee and a $10 annual fee, but Republicans amended the bill in the Ways and Means committee meeting on Wednesday to increase those fees to $50 each.
Based on estimates from the Legislative Services Agency, adjusted for the new cost, the bill would bring in more than $157,000 in fees during the first year. The agency expected around 3,150 plates would be issued.
Democrats opposed the bill in committee and offered an amendment to redirect the funding to mental health support and school shooting counseling by the state’s area education agencies, which was voted down by Republicans.
“We’ve heard for years and years and years, the question is on mental health,” said Rep. David Jacoby, a Democrat from Coralville. “Well, after years and years and years of that question, here’s an answer. That we divert those funds toward mental health or our children in the state of Iowa.”
Jacoby also proposed an amendment to reduce the fees for the plates to what was originally proposed in the bill, which was voted down. He said he was not opposed to offering the flag as an option for Iowa drivers, but he did not want to see the money collected going to the NRA-affiliated groups.
Thompson said he supports directing the money to gun rights organizations because they are the groups that offer education around the second amendment and right to bear arms.
The bill was also amended to allow vehicle owners to place frames around a license plate that obscure the name of the plate's county, as long as they do not obscure the other numbers and letters on the plate.
Twelve other states, including Texas, Florida and Virginia, offer Gadsden flag license plates.
Senate lawmakers advanced a similar bill last year, but it did not include the provision to direct funds to gun rights groups. The bill did not reach a floor vote.
Fees for proposed Iowa ‘don’t tread on me’ license plates would fund NRA-affiliated gun trainings
The flag, which features a coiled rattlesnake and the slogan “Don’t tread on me,” has become a symbol of individual liberty favored by Libertarians and conservatives.
www.thegazette.com
