“Talking to Strangers”
I got anxious again today.
I think I am getting better at leaving anxiety behind, and then anxiety says, “Not so fast! We have more work to do.”
Opinions
It’s been a year since the Supreme Court stripped women of their nearly 50 year right to make their own reproductive health-care decisions (Roe v. Wade). SCOTUS’s Dobbs v. Jackson decision has created a ripple effect, catching many people by surprise:
• For the first time EVER, a majority of...
Q: Why do you embrace social media as a federal lawmaker?
A: When pioneering platforms emerged on the online social networking space two decades ago, I was among the first lawmakers to adopt social media as a tool for direct dialogue. Using an unfiltered communications pipeline via the internet...
“The Last Song”
I’ve never known much about music.
I am the oldest child, so I had no older siblings playing what was popular when I was young. My mother listened to public radio in the morning. My dad played Bach on the piano every Sunday after we got home from church. My parents sang at both...
In the years ahead, U.S. agriculture as we know it will be shaped by transitions. Recent figures show that 34 percent of our nation’s farmers and ranchers are above the age of 65, and only eight percent are younger than 35. Supporting the next generation of agricultural producers will be crucial to...
In the 21st century, access to high-speed, affordable internet is critical to the success of our rural communities and our long-term economic vitality. Reliable broadband connection ensures that our families can work from home, our farmers can effortlessly monitor commodity prices online, and our...
The Iowa Supreme Court upheld a ruling to protect reproductive freedom in Iowa a few weeks ago. It means Iowa’s current law remains unchanged.
With speculation running wild right now amongst insiders at the State Capitol, lots of Iowans are wondering what comes next. The answer is pretty simple:...
Q: What opportunities does your office have for college-age students?
A: No matter the job, nothing compares to real life work experience. Whether waiting tables, starting an IV in a patient or working in an office or on an assembly line, getting work experience under one’s belt burnishes skills,...
“Stubby’s Company”
I spent the week visiting my parents at their retirement home “up north,” and so I got to see them and my mother’s outside pet, Stubby, the red squirrel.
I hadn’t seen Stubby since last winter, when he had made an elaborate network of tunnels in the deep snow outside my parents...
Last Sunday, June 18, I began my journey back to the United States. At the same time, the news was just starting to blow up with reports of a missing submersible that had embarked on its own journey earlier that same day. Unbeknownst to me, I would later fly over the exact area in the Atlantic that...
Wind, solar, and other renewable energy projects offer a significant opportunity to revitalize rural communities and diversify the local economy.
Increased tax revenue from renewable energy projects enables school districts, cities, and other entities to address local emergency services and...
