Our busy lives and the way our mainstream news is structured makes it very hard for most of us to just keep up with the day-to-day news let alone dig deeper into the story behind story. As we all know, the Trump Administration is a violent and extreme far right wing turn in our history.
But this administration did not just pop up out of nowhere. It has been built on decades of pushing the country to their goal.
I found this interview fascinating. I hope you will also.
We have a great opportunity to change the course that the extreme right has set us on. This election will be the great opportunity to throw the bums who support the extremism by their silence – people like Hinson, Miller-Meeks and all those who support Trump with their silence from the courthouse on up – out on their ears.
Have you noticed that so many of the Republican Party problems are tied up with water right now? The Strait of Hormuz, nitrogen in the drinking water in Iowa, the Lincoln Reflecting Pool, the push to give AI compnies all our collectively owned water for them to cool their plants without regard to consequences.
The newest Republican problem with water is that they are pissing themselves when they look at polls. Especially now that Trump is being exposed as a clown and a loser by his own party. (Brilliant idea to primary sitting congress members there DJT!)
Of course they have no solutions for their problems. They never have answers. They start problems and eventually Democrats must come in and bail the country out. The best solution is to never put them in office again so when can make progress and keep it.
Happy 250th next week, America. Since Republicans are currently in charge, I think we can expect a celebration muted by hate and extremism. But try to enjoy anyway. (7 minutes):
A) SCOTUS going out with a bang! Tuesday they decided what company could not be sued for one of their herbicides possibly causing cancer?
B) My annual question. What formerly close ally celebrates its Independence Day next Wednesday, July 1st?
C) What country suffered two major earthquakes within minutes Wednesday killing hundreds so far?
D) It is that time of year. Revolutionary War questions. Who led the Green Mountain Boys during our Revolution?
E) What Iowa city has had to evacuate buildings in its downtown due to structural problems in those buildings?
F) Trump refused to sign a bill designed to do what in order to leverage a bill that would throw the midterm election into chaos?
G) Trump is having an on-going party in DC starting last Wednesday and going through July 10. What is this party called?
H) What former head of the Fed died last week at the age of 100?
I) What were the German mercenary soldiers who fought for the British in the Revolutionary known as?
J) British PM Keir Starmer’s resignation last week coincided with the 10th anniversary of what ill begotten referendum to leave the EU?
K) Who was the German officer who trained the American forces at Valley Forge?
L) Jimmie Kimmel announced fill in hosts for his show while he takes his summer vacation. What former View host, now living in Ireland, caught particular attention because of Trump’s hate for her?
M) Among all the mess in the Reflecting pool, what animal deaths have been linked to the incompetence surrounding the pool?
N) Francis Marion was a particular thorn in the Britsh sides. Known as the Swamp Fox, what colony did he operate in?
O) Europe is experiencing what climate change induced weather currently?
P) What former Trump advisor pleaded guilty to mishandling documents Thursday?
Q) In a meeting behind closed doors Wednesday what MAGA senator reportedly ripped into Donald Trump?
R) In a break with past behavior, Australia signed an agreement to buy defense weapons from what entity rather than the US?
S) Who was America’s major ally during the Revolution?
T) What two Revolutionary War figures and Presidents both died 200 years ago on July 4th, 1825?
REPUBLICAN SEN. TILLIS: “What Freakin’ parallel universe did I wake up in? You’re telling me — if it’s true — damaging the reflecting pool lining is something Pirro wants to prosecute… yet they’re releasing people who pled guilty to assaulting officers?”
tip of the hat to all-hat-no-cattle.com
Answers:
A) Monsanto or Bayer for lawsuits against Roundup herbicide
B) Canada July 1, 1867
C) Venezuella – may be thousands dead when fully counted
D) Ethan Allen
E) Muscatine
F) ease housing prices
G) The Great American State Fair.
H) Alan Greenspan
I) Hessians
J) Brexit
K) Baron Von Steuben
L) Rosie O’Donnell
M) ducks
N) South Carolina
O) extreme heat (France recorded 111 degrees last week)
P) John Bolton
Q) Bill Cassidy of Louisiana who Trump had primaried this year
After dissecting Miller-Meeks bogus attempt to paint herself as a healthcare advocate, my thoughts turned to a story I read earlier this week concerning Josh Turek’s contrasting his views with those of his opponent Ashley Hinson.
2 minutes:
Much as Rep. Miller-Meeks is trying to fool Iowans on her record on elderly issues, so too is Republican senate candidate Ashley Hinson. But Democratic senate candidate Josh Turek is not sitting idly by allowing Hinson’s misrepresentations go unchallenged. And as noted in the video above, Turek has a better plan to cover ALL Iowans.
As reported on Iowa Capitol Dispatch Monday, Hinson supported the “big, beautiful (really ugly) bill” a year ago that slashed Medicaid in Iowa and also voted to slash the ACA subsidies in another vote.
But Turek and others also brought up laws passed by Republicans and President Donald Trump in the past year they believe would need to be reversed by Congress in order to avoid further healthcare provider closures and increased costs. They cited Medicaid cuts and changes to the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) made through the 2025 “Big, Beautiful” law.
Turek said Hinson, who currently represents Iowa’s 2nd Congressional District, “voted for the largest Medicaid cut ever” when she supported the tax and spending law last year. He said the law will hurt Iowans most who are already facing difficulties obtaining healthcare.
“Two in five Iowans who rely on Medicaid in rural communities are already seeing the impact of these cuts, with rural healthcare and hospitals closing,” Turek told reporters. ” Just since the passage of the ‘Big Beautiful’ bill, five Iowa healthcare centers have announced closures, elimination of units, significant reduction in services, to both rural and urban communities. Many of these clinics seek cuts coming their way, and know they just can’t survive.”
Turek also brought up Hinson’s vote against extending Affordable Care Act (ACA) tax subsidies. U.S. Rep. Zach Nunn was the only member of Iowa’s all-GOP federal delegation to vote in favor of extending the enhanced ACA tax credits, which expired at the 2025, and led to higher premium costs for people receiving healthcare coverage from ACA Marketplace plans.
“When you’re looking at a state with a legitimate healthcare crisis — only state with a growing cancer rate, closed 250 more healthcare clinics than we opened — then what has she done?” Turek said. “She has voted to see 110,000 Iowans lose their health care, thousands more lose their basic food assistance, just to give tax breaks to billionaires. Voted against the ACA subsidies, as you heard out here, what that has done to Iowans, seeing their healthcare premiums double, triple, quadruple.
“She’s not looked out for Iowans, she has just looked out for billionaires, large corporations, lobbyists, and donors … that’s not what Iowans are, and that’s not what we stand for, that’s not what I’m going to be up there. I’m not taking a nickel of corporate PAC money, I’m going up there to fight for Iowa and Iowans, and that’s going to be certainly fighting for their healthcare,” Turek said.
Don’t be fooled by Republicans in populist’s rhetoric. When given a chance to support the common Iowan, Iowa Republican politicians always opt to help the billionaire.
As you can see here, Josh Turek will fight FOR you, me and Iowans like us.
Wasn’t I surprised to find a campaign email in my inbox Thursday morning. It was an email claiming she had picked up an endorsement from a “nonpartisan” group supporting senior programs such as Social Security and Medicare. Given Miller-Meeks history and her avoidance of really discussing these issues my bullshit detector started beeping loudly.
After all, who can forget Miller-Meeks little run in with Alex Lawson, the head of Social Security Works and someone who does stand up for seniors, last year after she voted on that big ugly bill that slices the hell out of Medicare. Miller-Meeks no doubt knows Lawson because she ran like a cornered animal: (45 seconds):
Therefore I opened the email, figuring she would be lying her butt off – or shall we say stretching the truth. I was greeted with a boastful headline:
Recognized as a Guardian of Seniors’ Rights
This was followed by some text that was kind of general and definitely not endorsing the current system. Here are her first three paragraphs:
I was honored to be recognized by the 60 Plus Association as a “Guardian of Seniors’ Rights,” an award that reflects my legislative work in Congress to protecting the programs Iowa seniors have earned through a lifetime of hard work.
Social Security and Medicare are promises made to America’s seniors, and I believe we have a responsibility to keep those promises. Iowa seniors paid into these programs throughout their working lives, and they deserve the peace of mind that comes with knowing the benefits they earned will be there for them.
Protecting Social Security and Medicare has been one of my top priorities in Congress. I have consistently opposed efforts that would jeopardize these vital programs and have worked to strengthen access to quality health care for seniors while helping lower costs for patients and families.
Boy my BS detector is going nuts. Who is this “60 Plus Association?” A name like that shouts that they are a phony, fake group for a right wing, program destroying astro-turf group fronting for billionaires. Time for the Googles as we say around here.
The 60 Plus American Association of Senior Citizens is an American conservativeadvocacy group founded in 1992 and based in Alexandria, Virginia. Its stated purpose is to promote solutions to seniors’ issues that are grounded in free markets, less government, and less taxes.[1] The organization is pro-Republican Party.[2] The organization is known for its advocacy for the privatization of Social Security and senior citizen health programs, as well as its opposition to the estate tax.[3] The organization has been funded by Charles and David Koch (of Koch Industries).[3] Although the organization did have ties to Koch family in the past, they said in 2022 that there have been no contributions from anyone in the Koch network for well over a decade.[4]
Political advocacy
The organization is known for its advocacy for the privatization of Social Security and senior citizen health programs, as well as its opposition to the estate tax.[3][5] The organization bills itself as a conservative alternative to the American Association of Retired Persons (AARP).[6] In the 2012 election, the organization ran a $3.5 million ad campaign which claimed that President Barack Obamahad proposed rationing and denial of certain Medicare treatments, and that he would cut $500 billion from the program.[7]
I think you get the drift. They advocate to privatize SS and Medicare. Their goal is to essentially destroy both programs and let the billionaires and corporations privatize them and plunder them for billions.
SHAME, SHAME, SHAME ON YOU, MILLER-MEEKS. Quit trying to fool us. We are not stupid. We can spot a phony when we see one and you are as phony as they come!
If you want to preserve AND strengthen Social Security, vote for Christina Bohannan and other Democrats. They will address problems not try to fool you.
Below is a video of his live presentation sponsored by the Interfaith Alliance of Iowa. Here is the bio on the the IAIA YouTube page. Streamed live on May 1, 2026
“Iowa has become an incubator for Christian nationalist legislation that is being promoted through national affiliates of powerful groups. In our May Intersections presentation, author and educator Daniel Henderson will show how many in the Iowa GOP are networking with national Christian nationalist organizations to wage culture wars that erode the principles of a free democratic society. After having worked and lived on the inside of that movement for many years, he has a unique voice to reveal what is going on behind the scenes. Daniel will focus on six major trends the citizens of Iowa should know.”
Susan will talk about how the Soil Conservation and Water Quality Division works alongside farmers, landowners, city managers, and public and private partners to advance and accelerate conservation projects across Iowa. Using a combination of in-field management, edge-of-field filtration, and urban practices, the division is working to reduce soil erosion, filter nitrates and improve water quality. You’ll also find out about Federal Funding available for conservation work by farmers in the Raccoon River Watershed.
Small group chat at 5 in the Crum Center with Mike Delaney, Tenderloin dinner at 6, and a large group talk at 6:45!
After every weekly What’s the Plan call if you were signed up you will receive an email with all of the follow-up information you need from the call. This is last week’s recording available on YouTube and the text with links of the follow up email from the call Sign up info. below.
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Thanks for joining us for today’s What’s the Plan call with Leah and Ezra! If you couldn’t make it or missed any of the links we shared, no worries – we’ve got everything you need right here.
Before we share links and calls to action, a quick request to support next week’s call!
For the next What’s the Plan on 6/25, we’re sitting down with a senior leader from Protect Democracy to go deep on election sabotage — how Trump is trying to interfere with the 2026 midterms and what we can actually do about it. We’ve got a short pre-read for that conversation here: Executive Override. The short version of their framework is that the threats fall into three buckets — deceive (manufacturing fraud claims and flooding the zone with disinformation), disrupt (turning federal power against officials, organizations, and voters), and deny (contesting or refusing to certify results they don’t like).
🌟 If you’ve heard about the 15 Minnesota organizers that the DOJ is going after, and want to support them, you can donate to their legal defense fund here (please note this fund is not managed or monitored by Indivisible).
🌟 When ICE surges in your community, do you know what to do? Join Indivisible for the first call in our Immigrant Justice Summer training series, where we’ll give you a concrete three-step blueprint for mounting a safe, hyper-local, immigrant-aligned response. We kick off July 9 – sign up today!
🌟 Indivisible’s Election Defense Corps is a grassroots network of volunteers located in Alaska, Georgia, Iowa, Michigan, North Carolina, Ohio, and Texas dedicated to protecting the right to vote before, during, and after the 2026 election. You can sign up to join it here.
🌟 Urge Dems to oppose and stop Trump’s crypto corruption – say no to the CLARITY Act! Call and email.
🎥 Couldn’t catch the call? No worries, you can catch the recording on YouTube. You’ll be able to find the most recent What’s the Plan recording by midday every Friday on our YouTube What’s the Plan Playlist.
Governor Kim Keynolds: (515) 281-5211 U.S. Capitol Switchboard: (202) 224-3121 Iowa Members of Congress - Rep. Randy Feenstra (R) - Rep. Ashley Hinson (R) - Rep. Mariannette Miller-Meeks (R) - Rep. Zach Nunn (R) Iowa US Senators - Senator Joni Ernst (R) - Senator Charles Grassley (R)
Daniel Henderson is a retired educator and author of 
Blog For Iowa 