Donald Trump gave a speech in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia last week that blows U.S. government foreign policy out of the water. Rejoice, rejoice! But wait.
Trump traveled to the Middle East without visiting “our greatest ally” (haha), Israel. He made a shocking speech in Riyadh.
 
He said:

During National Police Week, we pause to recognize and thank our police and law enforcement officers who put their lives on the line every day to protect our communities and honor the memory of those who made the ultimate sacrifice in the line of duty. These heroes dedicate their careers to public safety and make incredible sacrifices to keep our families safe.

When I saw the news about the Iowa Migrant Movement for Justice (Iowa MMJ) receiving an intimidating letter from state Representative Charley Thomson of Charles City, it brought back memories. Recent memories and feelings of what I experienced late last year when I received a letter from Summit Carbon Solutions’ attorneys attempting to silence me from speaking out against their pipeline.

My family and I take our Summer trip early in the season, on Memorial Day weekend. We started doing it this way for various reasons, but the main two are that it works best with my husband's work schedule and the weather is always mild at the end of May. 

I see these places on the blacktops where somebody does repeated burnouts. I'm not talking about being stressed out at a job. I'm talking about some kid ruining tires. It seems awfully wasteful. My dad would have kicked me out of the house if he knew I had done that, even if I bought my own tires.
 

Back in 2021, as a result of the COVID Pandemic, Franklin County received money from the federal government.  This is called ARPA Funds or American Rescue Plan Act funds.  There were specific rules and regulations surrounding the funds as to how the County could spend them.  Unfortunately, we weren’t allowed to just “sit” on the funds and allow them to incur interest to use at a much later date.  We were required to “commit” them to projects b

Every year, during National Small Business Week, we recognize and celebrate the contributions that our small businesses make to our economy and our communities. From family-owned-and operated enterprises spanning generations to young entrepreneurs pursuing the American Dream, the spirit of hard work, resilience, innovation, and ingenuity is alive in small towns and flourishing cities across Iowa’s 4th Congressional District.

After I wised up and quit college, I installed skylights in giant houses in Berkeley, California. I still can't believe I did that way up there without a net. It didn't last long but it gave me a chance to experience entrepreneurship. Getting a job with an established business is one thing, being your own boss from scratch is something else.

I know I’ve spent the last several weeks talking about the different reasons we can’t reduce budgets so I feel it is necessary to tell you that we are working diligently to always find ways to be efficient and save money.  

April 29th marked 100 days of promises kept under President Trump. Like he pledged on the campaign trail, he has mobilized every tool at his disposal to make America strong again and reverse the failed policies pushed by the Biden administration.

When I moved to Iowa, I realized I needed a pickup to get my stuff out here from Spokane. I took Amtrack out to Portland and found that the only six cylinder, four speed, ¾ ton on two pages of the Portland Sunday classifieds was a 1963 Chevy. At that time it was only 14 years old.

Since I was first elected to Congress, I pledged that I would travel to all 36 counties in our district – Iowa’s 4th Congressional District – at least twice each year. From Tuesday April 22nd to Thursday April 24th, I upheld that promise by meeting with Iowans in 12 different counties, marking nearly 350 individual stops completed over the last few years.

When lawmakers return to Washington, D.C. from their April recess, I don’t have a good feeling about what’ll come next. They’ll begin the process of budget reconciliation, and it doesn’t bode well for rural America. Just look at the budget resolutions they passed before leaving town.

We were in the library in Dumont and there was a fellow there with a haircut, real short on the sides with a little landing platform on top. I complimented him on his haircut and asked if he got it cut at Bob's. He said, “No, Great Clips in Waterloo, like I used to before I moved here.”

Are you tired of hearing about budgets and numbers?  While the numbers are probably my favorite part of this job, even I get tired of hearing about them and talking about them, but….since the legislature is focused on property tax reform, it is so important that everyone has a clear picture of the financial situation within the county.