Will it happen? Remember to get out and vote this election year!

Looks like at least four former Hawkeyes were invited to Spring Training
Mason McCoy now with the Padres
Adam Mazur Padres
Tyler Cropley Royals
Cole McDonald Astros

Nick Gallagher is currently a free agent and Nick Allgeyer was released

Lots of ranked opponents to end the regular season. Some tough paths for a majority of the guys, but a great opportunity to solidify seeds for B1Gs/NCAAs this month. Excited to see how February plays out.

*(updated) Intermat rankings

Ayala - 14 DeAugustino, 3 Davis, 2 Barnett, 20 Spratley
Schriever/Teske - 4 Ragusin, 5 Nagao, Rivera, 3 Fix
Woods - 19 Lemley, 2 Bartlett, Lettini, 8 Jamison
Rathjen - 6 Gomez, 12 Kasak, 22 Zargo, 17 Alvarez
Franek - 12 Lewan, 1 Haines, Mechler, 17 Travis
Caliendo - 10 Amine, 7 Mesenbrink, 5 Hamiti, 3 Olejnik
Kennedy - 3 Griffith, 1 Starocci, 12 Maylor, 25 Thompson
Riggins - 19 Bullock, 5 Truax, 16 Leigel, 2 Plott
Glazier - Striggow, 1 Brooks, Otto, 16 Surber
Hill/Kueter - 6 Davison, 1 Kerkvliet, Rosenfeld, 9 Doucet

An Iowa House subcommittee unanimously approved a bill Wednesday to allow the Iowa Legislature to intervene in the permitting process of a pipeline or other energy project seeking to use eminent domain.



Republican lawmakers who spoke at the hearing suggested they were supporting House Study Bill 608 because the Iowa Senate so far has refused to take up another bill passed last year by the House that would require pipeline projects to have 90 percent of their route’s easements voluntarily granted by landowners before using eminent domain to force them.


“I am very frustrated we even have to be here,” said Rep. Steven Holt, R-Denison. “I have objection to these companies using the heavy hand of government to try to seize private property of landowners in my district for what is clearly a private economic development project that does not meet the constitutional requirement of public use.”

Rep. Steven Holt R-Denison



The Iowa Utilities Board is considering a permit application from Summit Carbon Solutions to build more than 680 miles of pipeline in Iowa to transport carbon dioxide from ethanol plants to an underground storage site in North Dakota.


Summit has said it has voluntary easements on about three-quarters of the Iowa route, the Iowa Capital Dispatch reported, but still would need the board to grant eminent domain rights to force easements on the rest of the parcels.


Five landowners spoke at the legislative hearing, saying the board’s multiweek permit hearing in Fort Dodge felt like a farce because Summit staff were given preferential treatment, the board met during fall harvest when it was harder for farmers to attend and because there was little notice before landowner testimony.


Chaz Allen, executive director of the Iowa Utility Association, which represents investor-owned utilities including MidAmerican Energy and Alliant Energy, was the only person to speak against the bill Wednesday.


“We rarely use eminent domain, but this bill could impact our efforts for reliability and bringing services to unserved or underserved growing communities in Iowa,” he said.


HSB 608, which now goes to the House Judiciary Committee, would allow 21 members of the Iowa House or 11 members of the Iowa Senate to file a petition that would force the Utilities Board to stop eminent domain proceedings. A vote of or signed affidavits from at least three-fifths of the House and Senate would be required for the proceedings to resume.

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The bill would not be retroactive, so the review of Summit’s proposal could not be disrupted. The measure could be used for any project seeking to use eminent domain, not just a pipeline.


Pete McRoberts, policy director for ACLU of Iowa, said he supports HSB 608 because it has a provision for landowners whose land is subject to an eminent domain claim to ask a District Court judge to decide whether the proposed project fits legal requirements to force easements.


“These landowners should have the ability to get a review up front so they don't have to wait years to get a resolution,” he said.


Last March, the Iowa House voted 73-20 to pass House File 565, which would prohibit the state from approving a permit for a hazardous liquid pipeline unless the developer had voluntary leases for 90 percent of the miles of the proposed project.


“It's extremely disappointing to me the legislation we passed last year did not move forward in the Senate,” Holt said Wednesday.


Iowa Senate Majority Leader Jack Whitver, R-Grimes, said in late December there wasn’t consensus among Senate Republicans about further pipeline regulation.


“We have some of the strongest eminent domain laws in the country right now.” he said then. “ … There are people in our caucus all over the board. Some are very supportive of the pipeline. Some that aren't as supportive of the pipeline."

The Federal Reserve left interest rates unchanged on Wednesday, but central bankers indicated they’d probably cut rates in the coming months for the first time since 2020.
The move comes as the Fed enters a new phase of policymaking. For almost two years, officials have been focused on raising borrowing costs and keeping them high enough to tame inflation and meaningfully slow the economy. And while that fight is not fully over, it’s clear central bankers feel will feel comfortable loosening their grip as they become more certain that progress will continue.


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“The [Fed] judges that the risks to achieving its employment and inflation goals are moving into better balance,” policymakers wrote in a statement. “The economic outlook is uncertain, and the Committee remains highly attentive to inflation risks.”


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The statement also noted that the central bank doesn’t expect to trim borrowing costs until “it has gained greater confidence that inflation is moving sustainably toward 2 percent,” which is the Fed’s target.
Inflation rose slightly in December as fight to tame prices continues
The Fed’s decision, announced at the end of its two-day policy meeting, keeps the central bank’s benchmark interest rate between 5.25 and 5.5 percent. So far, officials have signaled three rate cuts this year, each of a small quarter-point. But they haven’t dictated exactly when that process will begin.

Got a quick lowdown on each of Iowa's 13 newest offers in the 2025 and 2026 classes.

STORY:

Ok, Moore was officially hired Jan. 26. Harbaugh was hired Jan 24. Help me out here. I was always under the impression that a job position had to be publically posted for either 10 days or 2 weeks. What am I missing? I know Kirk said something about posting the OC position for like 10 days.

Last night I thought I had a link for the Wisconsin women's game at #2 Iowa but all it did was buffer. Luckily this was not a must see game. This is the first time that's happened. Hopefully, moving forward, I will have a working link for those who need it. I know it's just $12 (for Jan and Feb) IF you remember to cancel the subscription. At the same time, several people have expressed that they are sick of paying $10/month for BTN Plus, $6/month for Peacock and other monthly fees for other streaming services on top of their already expensive TV bill.

Upcoming IOWA Women's games on Peacock:
Wed Jan 31 at N'western
Thur Feb 15 vs Michigan
Thur Feb 22 at Indiana
Wed Feb 28 at Minnesota

Upcoming IOWA Men's game on Peacock:
Tues Feb 20 at Michigan State

Besides for being the only OC in the history of the world to only use one cadence for an entire season when at Syracuse?

A great second half coming back from down 17 on the road. Had multiple leads in the 2nd. Went up 3 and then back down 3.

Bugaboo strikes again with a lack of rebounding. Absolutely killed us.

Unfortunately, close doesn't count for anything.

WHO: Northwestern Wildcats (7-13 overall, 2-7 Big Ten)
WHEN: 7:00 PM CT (Wednesday, January 31)
WHERE: Welsh Ryan Arena (Evanston, Illinois)
TV: https://www.peacocktv.com/watch/home
RADIO: Hawkeye Radio Network
ONLINE: https://www.peacocktv.com/watch/home
MOBILE: https://www.peacocktv.com/watch/home
FOLLOW: @IowaAwesome | @IowaWBB | @IowaonBTN

In the 2019-20 season Northwestern finished 26-4 overall, and 16-2 in the Big Ten. Those highs for the program seem like a distant memory now.
Last year, the Wildcats collapsed to 9-21 overall, and 2-16 in the Big Ten. This year has been similar. The Wildcats sit 7-13 overall and 2-7 in the Big Ten. Their only saving grace is that their February schedule isn't particularly daunting. They have winnable games at home against Wisconsin and Purdue, and end the year by traveling to 6-16 Rutgers.

Northwestern has shown some flashes of decently play throughout the season. The Wildcats won at NET #99 Temple late December. They also won at Wisconsin, and only lost to 15-5 Penn State by 11 points on Thursday.

But there have also been some blowout losses, including 110-52 at Notre Dame, 90-52 against Florida State, 90-60 against Ohio State, and 100-59 at Indiana on Sunday.

More here: https://iowa.rivals.com/news/preview-no-3-iowa-wbb-at-northwestern

Our favorite Liberal Redneck explains the Trump Immunity case and other stuff for us.

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I am old school 1980s so i think i have this correct:

Playing on 2 feet: jump stop
Getting down hill: getting in the lane
Mid range: 2 point shot
2 way player: plays defense and offense
BIGs: 4 and 5 spot players
Throwing it in there: passing to a 4 or 5 on the block

I have also noticed these days:

Nobody blocks out
3 seconds is never called
Players still jump and try to pass
Everyone goes for ball fake

Wife thinks I should sell our tickets to see the Iowa Woman but I want to go and exorcise all of the Northwestern demons from all of the crappy games I have gone to in Evanston. I hope Iowa wins by 50.

Let's see how the smug Wildcat fans react then.

Go Hawks!

She is having a great time and thinks I’m rich.

I’m a Hooters waitress — here’s how much men tip me on my birthday​

Florida will no longer allow a sociology course to count toward students’ graduation requirements at state universities, replacing it with a class that officials say will teach “factual history” in a decision critics say was fueled by political motivations.

The 17-member Florida Board of Governors, which oversees public universities in the state, on Wednesday removed a “Principles of Sociology” class from its list of approved core course options, despite outcry from some sociology professors. The board replaced the sociology requirement with a course called “Introductory Survey to 1877,” which members said will provide a “historically accurate account of America’s founding, the horrors of slavery, the resulting Civil War, and the Reconstruction Era.”

When asked about the change, a spokesperson for Florida Education Commissioner Manny Diaz Jr. referred The Washington Post to a December tweet in which he claimed sociology had been “hijacked by left-wing activists and no longer serves its intended purpose.”



State universities, he added in the tweet, would “focus on preparing students for high-demand, high-wage jobs, not woke ideology.”
The American Sociological Association said in a statement Thursday that it was “outraged” by the change, which it argued stemmed from “a gross misunderstanding of sociology as an illegitimate discipline driven by ‘radical’ and ‘woke’ ideology.” The organization, which had previously written a public comment against the change, urged the Florida Board of Governors to reinstate sociology as a core course, saying the subject is “at the core of civic literacy.”
“Failure to prioritize the scientific study of the causes and consequences of human behavior is a failure of Florida’s commitment to providing high-quality civics education and workforce readiness,” the American Sociological Association said.
Most of the Board of Governors’ 17 members are appointed by the governor and confirmed by the state senate to serve seven-year terms. Gov. Ron DeSantis (R) appointed a majority of the current board members.
Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis (R) throws pens into the crowd after signing education bills at Cambridge Christian school in Tampa on May 17, 2023. (Thomas Simonetti/For The Washington Post)
Wednesday’s decision, which applies to the state university system’s 12 schools and more than 430,000 students, is the latest in a series of changes to Florida classrooms, which for years have been subject to restrictions on what can be taught about race, racism, history, sexual orientation and gender identity at both the K-12 and college levels.


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The state has seen several high-profile fights over allegedly “woke” courses that conservatives claim reflect the ideological priorities of the political left. Many of these conflicts first centered on K-12 offerings.

Last year, Florida refused to accept a newly created Advanced Placement course on Black history, with a spokeswoman for the Florida Department of Education saying it “lacks educational value and is contrary to Florida law.” DeSantis blasted the class as “woke.” Florida also rejected a host of math and social studies textbooks for alleged references to prohibited subjects, including “critical race theory,” a legal framework examining systemic racism which has become a conservative catchall for politically motivated teaching about race.