Donald Trump is running a cult with no rules.

'It took a disabled man to lead a disabled nation.' How Josh Turek's formula of empathy + solutions (minus self pity) is a winning one in Iowa's U.S. Senate race theiowamercury.substack.com/p/it-took-a-...

Donald Trump’s desecrating insult of Rob Reiner is no match to message of grace in one of actor’s greatest moments, a healing 1976 Christmas episode of ‘All In The Family’

Hegseth should be 'ousted,' says U.S. Army My Lai Massacre prosecutor

Thanks For Nothing! open.substack.com/pub/theiowam...

"Those of you outside of the Chicago area may not be tapped into the same news sources and accounts from friends." "It’s ugly here." Read more from Bonnie Schindler on the ground in Chicagoland as the streets there are ICE-ed up with fear, terror theiowamercury.substack.com/p/fear-and-r...

Describing fellow western Iowa Democrat as 'wicked smart,' 'great, great' candidate Crawford County's Muhlbauer endorses Turek in U.S. Senate race

The author Peter Hedges suggests this: “For turning his own troops on his own people, the Nobel Committee is pleased to award Donald J. Trump the 2025 Nobel Prize for War.” open.substack.com/pub/peterhed...

New post: @douglaswburns.bsky.social will interview Beth Macy @bethmacy.bsky.social about her new book, Paper Girl, at the Banned Books Festival in Des Moines this Saturday. More on the event and this "powerhouse work of non-fiction" about rural America: www.bleedingheartland.com/2025/10/09/b...

Through what political scientists might call a deep canvass into her own culturally polarized family in rural Ohio author Beth Macy gives us a riveting, devastating and call-to-action mirror into our nation with her extraordinary new book, “Paper Girl" theiowamercury.substack.com/p/coming-to-...

'Very ignorant people' cheerleading demise of family farms in Trump-supporting reaches of rural America —writes Irene Lin in a column in The Iowa Mercury

Iowa U.S. Senate candidate Jackie Norris asks why flags lowered for Charlie Kirk but not for kids massacred in school shootings open.substack.com/pub/theiowam...

The difference between cult leaders Donald Trump and Jim Jones is … there is no difference. Their followers know the Kool-Aid is poisoned and drink it anyway. I guess Jones at least told them.

I talked with @douglaswburns.bsky.social & the Iowa Mercury about how Trump's takeover of DC policing is meant to impose the far-right agenda on blue cities rather than actually reduce crime; and how it will counterintuitively make DC statehood more likely theiowamercury.substack.com/p/from-withi...

Shot by police in a park, homeless immigrant in Denison, Iowa died wearing a friend's clothes Friends said Feglys Campos lost his job because of the Trump administration's elimination of a humanitarian work program for Cuban, Haitian, Nicaraguan, Venezuelan nationals in the United States.

The National Guard didn’t come to protect U.S. Capitol Police officers like Harry Dunn during the Jan. 6 insurrection. He survived that day, and protected members of Congress. Now, Dunn sees The Guard, deployed by President Trump, in everyday DC. theiowamercury.substack.com/p/jan-6-capi...

This is an inspiring, powerful ad. One of more soaring political ads I’ve seen in my career. youtu.be/kCD3vVVAa7U?...

In one of his Iowa Statehouse campaigns Josh Turek climbed and "crawled"while he dragged his wheelchair behind him — the latter his own description — to 14,000 doors in Iowa House District 20. He won the seat by just six votes — 3,403 to 3,397. youtu.be/kCD3vVVAa7U?...

“I’ve seen families calling on their ‘white’ friends to come with them to the grocery store, as if proximity to safety could somehow shield them from being targeted, says Maria Torres, founder and CEO of The CommUnity Project in Council Bluffs, Iowa.

Waking around downtown Omaha after a breakfast interview with Harry Dunn — Capitol Police officer who protected Congress during Jan. 6 insurrection. We stopped in Raygun store here before heading to Council Bluffs, Iowa for Dunn’s major speech this afternoon. @libradunn1.bsky.social

Watching the Trump Cult attempt to adapt in real time is like seeing domesticated animals being dropped into the wild.

'I've been through hell' says Jan. 6 Capitol Police officer slated to keynote Council Bluffs, Iowa political event Harry Dunn says prospect of full-scale slaughter of elected officials, some of nation's top leaders, was within feet, an instant here or there

Donald Trump is American carbon monoxide All dignity shedded, the White House likely will have 'ring girls' at cage fights for the America 250 celebration theiowamercury.substack.com/p/donald-tru...

New post: Douglas Burns @douglaswburns.bsky.social attended the America 250 event at the Iowa State Fairgrounds and shares his impressions from President Trump's speech. www.bleedingheartland.com/2025/07/05/t...

Trump said he plans to create an exemption for undocumented workers in agriculture if farmers vouch for them. He laid out no criteria for how farmers could, in essence, save immigrants from deportation for no other reason, seemingly, than they employ them or even just know them. And 9 other takes

Speaking in Des Moines, Iowa tonight about nation’s 250th celebration planning President Trump says, “We’re going to have a UFC fight on the grounds of the White House.”

The credentialed lot of authors of AI, having lived and worked, dreamed and dared, behind the early curtains of this now mainstreamed but ever-mysterious technology, have released one forecast that near-horizons human holocaust. Total extinction.

Why progressive women are so inspiring to us personally and the nation. Happy Mother’s Day!

Iowa Supreme Court ruled today that the League of United Latin American Citizens does NOT have standing to challenge a 2008 injunction that prevents voter materials from being printed in languages other than English. Unanimous 5-0 decision with 2 justices recusing: www.iowacourts.gov/courtcases/2...

Robust discussion on film "Sinners" with Emmy Award-wining producer Nik Heftman and author-historian Rachelle Chase. Some deep and meaningful takes about this exceptional film. @sinnersmovie.bsky.social

New post: Douglas Burns @douglaswburns.bsky.social makes his case for State Representative Josh Turek of Council Bluffs to run against Senator Joni Ernst in 2026. www.bleedingheartland.com/2025/04/12/w...

The times and the man are meeting. Iowans and Democrats soon will see why. Josh Turek is inspiring gold-medal-winning Paralympian who returned to Iowa where he earned a legislative seat as a Democrat in a challenging district in which he outperformed top of the ticket. AN IOWA DEMOCRAT TO WATCH

Why The Iowa Mercury is staying rural It should be the biggest issue in rural Iowa: Why is so much of the economic health, money, optimism itself, being scooped into the Des Moines sprawl and Iowa City-Cedar Rapids corridors? Our boots-and-blue jeans gal, Governor Kim Reynolds, presided over this.

Tired of dudes who "mansplain" ladies? Get them a shirt so they have to own it! literary-ts.printify.me/product/1869...

What are your Top 5 Denzel Washington movies of all time? LET US KNOW! Filmmaker Nik Heftman and I delve into the topic on the latest edition of The Iowa Mercury Cast. @the7times.bsky.social We also review the extraordinary film "Nickel Boys." theiowamercury.substack.com/p/top-5-denz...

Iowa Filmmaker Nik Heftman, an Emmy Award-winning producer, joined forces with The Iowa Mercury for a preview of tonight’s Academy Awards. We ran through the films with our thoughts on who should win, and who will win. open.substack.com/pub/theiowam...

by @douglaswburns.bsky.social 1/2 "Why do they even want to pass laws like this when we all know it might not actually materialize in the ways they intended? Hate. That’s the only reason. Hate. "It has nothing to do with protecting women. Sex is already protected under the Iowa Civil Rights Act..

A powerful essay from Parker Williamson, a rural iowan with an urgent message "The Place I Call Home No Longer Calls Me One of Its Own" "What happens when the place you love stops loving you back?" @progressiowa.bsky.social @jensinkler.bsky.social theiowamercury.substack.com/p/the-place-...

The next big Trans fight isn't what you think The oligarchy's chase for immortality through transhumanism is frighteningly real, and will explode the wealth divide, likely creating species within humanity itself.

The flying public needs answers. How many FAA personnel were just fired? What positions? And why?

🔥

Your friendly neighborhood librarian here...buy physical copies of your favorite books, especially challenged or banned books. Preferably from small local merchants. That's all; carry on. #Read #BookSky #Resist 📚

This is a VITAL VOICE from Iowa's emerging immigrant community. We need it more than ever. Please SUBSCRIBE, SHARE and SUPPORT! "This is not only a moral issue but also a matter of common sense. This country needs these workers, and these workers need this country." — From Managua To Main Street

Why would the Trump Administration take down notices from the Nuclear Regulatory Commission FOR JUST 2000? Not years before or after? The administration has removed more than 8,000 fed govt web pages over weekend. Why the year 2000 for nuclear? What’s the deal?

President Trump spray-gunned blame around with glee, like a Roman emperor delighting at the sight of blood in the arena. The press briefing room at the White House turned into a political sporting ground featuring the president's adolescent imagination.

A Vietnam veteran, concerned for the Republic as Trump takes office, pens a Letter from Iowa to his children, family theiowamercury.substack.com/p/a-vietnam-...

What President Jimmy Carter taught my late father — and me — about 'they say' sourcing in journalism @cartercenter.bsky.social @columjournreview.bsky.social An Iowa newspaperman passes down valuable lesson he learned from Carter

by @douglaswburns.bsky.social "'The Negro Artist' chronicles Rainey's development as an artist and resilience as a human being though his Columbia, Missouri youth to years at the University of Iowa to what is now a national profile as a spoken-word artist"

Libraries are pure magic. They’re more than books—they’re portals to other worlds, safe havens for curious minds, and the heart of every community. Whether it’s a cosy corner to read or a digital catalogue full of endless adventures, libraries have it all. Support yours today

Guilt will kill you. But grief can be overcome. When loss consumes you, either through the inevitable force of nature and mortality of man, or the roll of outrageously mean fortune, the response is kindness. Restoration of the nearly-defeated heart comes through helping others achieve joy.