Let's talk about the economy

...and war

I’m concerned about my laptop, intrigued by a candidate’s answer, and now confused about whether our country is at war.

(Hopefully, this is not the end.)

I hope that it is not R.I.P. for my Dell laptop. I knocked over my water bottle and soaked the keyboard. Ugh. The computer turns on, but most of the keys don’t seem to work. Looks like I will be searching for a repair place that is open on Sunday.

Anyone have experience with this?

It’s the Economy

How Democratic candidates talk to potential voters about the economy could be huge in 2026, right? In 2024, many Democrats stressed how Republicans were using their political power to significantly reduce or eliminate access to abortion.

One of the things that surprised me most about the 2024 election results was how abortion access did not seem to matter as much as Democrats thought it would to voters. Women in particular. I’m not downplaying the importance of the issue — no matter your position on this — but if it mattered as much as Democrats assumed it did, their candidates should have fared better last year, right?

This week, I interviewed Christina Bohannan, the University of Iowa law professor who announced her third try at winning a seat to Congress to represent Iowans in the 1st Congressional District. Listen to how she talked about economic matters. Is this how you believe Democrats should try to win back voters? Or are Republicans better positioned on this issue as they prepare to cut more taxes?

Watch her interview on “Inside Iowa Politics” here.

Are we at war?

I was confused when the weekend began. President Donald Trump Friday said that Iran had the materials that it needed to make nuclear weapons. In March, Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard testified before Congress that Iran was not building a nuclear weapon.

So which is it? Or did things change that much since March that Iran now has what it needs? Either way, Trump gave the go ahead to bomb three sites in Iran on Saturday. (Also, is Gabbard’s job in jeopardy?)

Was that an act of war? Should he have sought authority from Congress? Or does he not need it? Does this mean that the U.S. is not at war with Iran? I’m not sure what we consider “war” these days.

Will Iran back down or seek revenge? So many questions to think about. Bombing another country is a big deal, no matter whether you agree or disagree that the U.S. needed to take action.

But what happens next?

Gratitude

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This column is part of the Iowa Writers Collaborative, a group of independent contributors who share their reporting, insight, analysis, and opinions (not necessarily all of the above). Check out their work here.