Was trying to find the video where they were playing basketball to send my dad who's very checked out of politics, and found out he just posted another one this morning.

Honestly, it is super cool to see Obama doing so much for Iowa specifically. I actually feel like we have a real chance to win this election, which is crazy because just last year I had basically given up hope in Iowa as a Democrat. Obviously, ignore the polls and vote!!!

How water, cancer and factory farming are fueling a grassroots political campaign in Iowa for Chris Jones.

Jesus Christ this guy has gone on and on and on without answering a single question in this debate. Just blah blah blah blah blah shut up and go home to Kansas

A pretty effective ad reminding people that clean water and cancer are on the ballot

"An Iowa City semitruck driver fled the scene after striking and fatally injuring a motorcyclist Tuesday in southwest Wisconsin"

After today's rain it looks to be a crisp and clear fall weekend. Get out there and enjoy some fun events in your community! Please share anything else you would like to in the comments.

Community Events

Capital City Gaming Convention Fri-Sun at Holiday Inn Airport

Iowa Home Expo Fri-Sun at the State Fairgrounds

Polk City Fall Festival Sat

Young Women's Resource Center Book Sale Thurs-Sun at the State Fairgrounds

Marching Band Competitions Sat at Waukee HS and Ankeny Stadium

Meet and Play Game Night Thurs at The Rook Room

Jazz Jewels and Jeans Fundraiser for the Oakridge Neighborhood Thurs at the Loft DSM

Trivia Thurs night at: Royal Mile, The Merc, the Kee, Mickey's Waukee

Iowa Culinary Institute Fall Bistro Fri at Ankeny DMACC'

Granger Fall Festival and Kids Fishing Tournament Sat

Taste of Norway Food Festival Sat at Valley High School

Doll and Toy Show Sat at American Legion #374

Glendale Cemetery History Tour Sat

Cribbage Tournament Sat at the Rook Room

Storyteller's Market Sat at Merle Hay Mall

IABE Book Club Sat at Mayalu Coffee

A Court of Books and Bat Boys Program Sat at WDM Library

Squash Cooking Class Sat at Iowa Food Co-Op

Flynn Mansion Teas Sun at Living History Farms

Gem, Jewelry, Mineral, and Fossil Show Sun at the State Fairgrounds

Bridges and Bubbles Trolley Tour Sun at Whiskey River

Iowa Files Presentation: Iowa Weird Sun at WDM Library

Miss Polk County Pageant Sun at Grand View

Prism Tabletop Club LGBTQ+ Game Night Sun at the Rook Room

Pride Storytellers Capital City Pride Speaker Series Thurs at Temple Theater

Halloween Events

Night Eyes Thurs-Sun at Blank Park Zoo

Phantom Fall Fest Fri-Sun at Adventureland

Nightmare on Ingersoll Thurs-Sun at The Station

Pumpkin Fest Thurs-Sun at Center Grove Orchard

Pumpkins after Dark Thurs-Sun at Water Works Park

The Haunting at Exile Thurs-Sun

Wicked Heights Thurs-Sun at Republic on GZrand

Harvest Hoedown Fri at Valley Community Center

Haunt on the Hill Fri-Sat in Indianola

Rocky Horror Picture Show Movie Screening Fri at Big Grove

Pumpkin Express Trains Sat at Boone and Scenic Valley Railroad

Ghoulish Gala Sat at Salisbury House and Gardens

Halloween Drag Brunch Sun at Big Grove

Halloween Family Glow Bowling Party Sun at Warrior Lanes

Arts/Dance/Theater/Comedy Events

Junie B. Jones in Boo... and I Mean It! Play Fri-Sun at the Des Moines Playhouse

Velveteen Musical Sat at the Civic Center

Dinner Detective Murder Mystery Show Sat at Embassy Suites

Becky Robinson Comedy Thurs at Hoyt Sherman Place

Psychic Medium Cindy Kaza Thurs at Funny Bone

Sam Adams Comedy Fri-Sat at Funny Bone

Improv about Books Thurs at Highland Underground

Comedy Open Mic Night Thurs at the Ridgemont

Comedy Xperiment Fri-Sat at Tallgrass Theatre

Bomb Shelter Comedy Showcase Fri at Beechwood Lounge

Art in the Dark Flashlight Tour Fri at the Des Moines Art Center

Artists in Action Festival Sun at Urbandale Library

Furia Tanguera Dance Sat at Temple Theater

Big Momma's Man Candy Show Sat at The Garden

Sports/Outdoors Events

IMT Des Moines Marathon Sun Downtown

Des Moines Buccaneers Hockey Fri vs Waterloo at the RecPlex

Drake Women's Soccer vs. Murray State Thurs at Mediacom Stadium and Sun vs. Belmont

Drake Volleyball vs. UIC Fri at the Knapp Center and Sat vs. Valparaiso

Drake Football vs. Marist Sat at Drake Stadium

Drake Men's Soccer vs. Western Michigan Sat at Mediacom Stadium

Fall Colors Hike Thurs at Grandview Park

CITA Trail Festival Sat at Greenwood Park

Fossil Fun Program Sat at Easter Lake

Fall Leaf Hike and Crafts Sat at Jester Park Nature Center

Live Music List Below From DSM at Dawn

Thursday

Piano Man Richard Spierenburg | 11am | Skywalk Local Bites

CeCe Stewart | 5 | Chamberlain Pub

Chip Happens: Chip Albright & Friends | 6 | Unity Center

Jesse & The Medicine Men | 6 | Poncho's

Geordie Greep | 7 | Wooly's

DAMAG3 w/ Film and Gender & Connor Cristi | 7 | xBk Live

Tae & The Neighborly | 7 | Stoner Theater

John Kizilarmut & Co. | 7 | Noce

Scorched Waves w/ Rutabaga | 7 | Locals Bar & Stage

Open Jam | 7 | Kenny's Garage

Joshua Sinclair | 7 | Board & Batten

Our House: A Tribute to Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young | 7:30 | The Ingersoll

The Soul Searchers | 8 | Greenwood Lounge

MFKS | 8 | Confidence Speakeasy

Luke Thomas | 9 | Shotgun Betty's

Friday

Piano Man Richard Spierenburg | 11am | Skywalk Local Bites

Fenimore Bros Vinyl Release w/ Night Bees & Ben Hallow | 5 | Strychnine

Bob Pace & The Dangerous Band | 5 | Greenwood Lounge

Brad Seidenfeld | 5 | Caffrey's

The Juan & Only | 6 | Toreado

Jared Benson | 6 | Shotgun Betty's

Big Joe Kinser Band | 6 | Middlebrook Mercantile

Taylor King | 6 | Iowa Distilling Co.

Danielle Nicole | 7 | Wooly's

Tribute to Sonny Rollins w/ Damani Phillips | 7 | Noce

Miles Kean Trio | 7 | The Cave

JB Williams | 7 | Kelly's Little Nipper

Emily Meyers w/ Katie & the Honky Tonks | 7 | Locals Bar & Stage

Mastodon | 7 | Val Air Ballroom

Big Head Todd & The Monsters | 7:30 | Hoyt Sherman Place

The Spooklights | 8 | xBk Live

Decoy | 8 | Kenny's Garage

Keifer & Scott | 8 | Marv's Mainstreet Dive

Hold On | 8 | Prairie Meadows

Mike Bernard | 8 | Brick & Ivy

Rattlebox | 8:30 | Doc's Lounge

The Other Brothers | 9 | Greenwood Lounge

Dustin Farrow & The Relics | 9 | Yacht Club

Yubu Band | 9 | Miss Kitty's

After Hours | 9:30 | Noce

Saturday

Lauren Igou, Zachary Freedom, Joe Demerath, Sam Pattison & Saints & Sinners | 8am |

Downtown Farmers' Market

Confluence 14th Anniversary w/ Chip Albright, Harrison Ingham & Ryne Doughty | Noon |

Confluence Brewing

Blues with a Feeling w/ Rob Lumbard | 1 | On With Life

Kris Karr | 4 | Revelton Distilling

Bob Dorr & The Blue 2 | 6 | Middlebrook Mercantile

Wes Hoffman, The Slow Retreat & New Neighbors | 7 | Locals Bar & Stage

Coyote | 7 | Croatian Slavic Center

Yubu Band | 7 | Shirley's Bar & Grill

David Watson | 7 | Reclaimed Rails Brewing

Lucas Beebe | 7 | 36th St. Tavern

The Black Jacket Symphony: Slippery When Wet | 7:30 | Hoyt Sherman Place

Soulcage, Rapture & Wastegate | 8 | xBk Live

Heath Alan | 8 | Greenwood Lounge

Mad Delirious | 8 | Down Under Bar & Grill

Black Top | 8 | Mickey's Irish Pub

Retroactive | 8 | Kenny's Garage

Royce Johns | 8 | Prairie Meadows

Peyton Burns | 8 | Marv's Mainstreet Dive

Recoil | 8:30 | Miss Kitty's

Orphan Annie | 9 | Striking Sparrow

Red Dirt Renegade | 9 | Goodtimes

Sunday

Lightcube | 1 | DSM Biergarten

Malcolm Wells & The Two Timers | 2 | Middlebrook Mercantile

Boon & Lambert | 3 | Wilson's Ciderhouse

Yubu Band | 4 | Greenwood Lounge

Stanley Simmons w/ The Velvet Daydream | 7 | xBk Live

Modern Joey w/ Unique Vibrationz | 7 | Locals Bar & Stage

Dogstar | 7:30 | Val Air Ballroom

Jazz Night | 8 | The Contrary

BEAT: Belew, Vai, Levin & Bozzio | 8 | Vibrant Music Hall

Literally just got this text, have lived in Iowa my whole life and haven't been to Texas in half a decade. Can this election be done yet?

So, what’s the story on amendment 1 on the ballot? Ive formed what I think is a rational opinion, but I’d like to hear what other people have to say about it, and its not something I’ve really seen discussed much, altho I also haven’t been searching it out either

I’m moving to Fairfield in late February. I was originally planning on bringing my car, but unfortunately, I can’t depend on it to make the drive all the way from my hometown to Fairfield.

My plan is to buy an e-bike and use that as my main way of getting around town. I’d also really like to explore nearby cities and other parts of Iowa while I’m there. Would taking buses be the best option for that, or are there other ways to get around without a car?

I’m also wondering what the weather is usually like around late February and early spring and whether it’s realistic to rely on an e-bike during that time.

If anyone lives in Fairfield or has experience getting around the area without a car, I’d really appreciate any advice or recommendations! I’d also love recommendations for places near Fairfield that are worth exploring! I’ll be there from late February until mid-June, so I’d love to take advantage of that time and see as much of the surrounding area as I can.

I just wanted to post a small little review of this cereal because I’ve literally been looking anywhere and everywhere online, and I literally can’t find a single one. That struck me as super weird, by the way. It’s almost like every review was negative and they’re being swept under the rug lol.

So anyways I got a box of these, figuring they would be somewhat similar to Kellogg’s Frosted Flakes, obviously a little bit less quality. However, when I decided to have a bowl of cereal not long ago, I was severely disappointed. When I went to take my first bite, my brain already painted a picture with all the details. Taste, texture, etc.
My brain was not just thrown for a loop, it was loosely strapped to a launched rocket wildly spiraling out of control. The taste is in the ballpark of what Kellogg’s brand tastes like, but the texture….
What in the actual merciful deity was done in the creation of this cereal to produce such a vile, haunting, downright evil texture that’s present in this cereal? I have no way to form a comprehensive description that does the skin-crawling factor of the texture justice.
I’d say it’s like eating mounds of soggy wax paper and mud, but that would be an insult to wax paper and mud.

Seriously, who was 1. In charge of creating this despicable children’s cereal? 2. The food study participants who tested the cereal? And 3. The corporate members of the company responsible for allowing this disgrace of a breakfast cereal to leave the factory?

This is by far, no exaggeration whatsoever, the single worst breakfast food I’ve ever had the misfortune of consuming in my entire life. I’m baffled by this absolute gutter ball of a lifetime.
Shame on all involved in its creation and distribution.
0/10 I legitimately would not recommend this whatsoever to anyone unless it’s life or death.

Here is the short - https://youtu.be/3SNnVmqON6o?is=-bgN9X-OaUy9xUl0

Watch this and see Josh Turek cares about Iowa. VOTE

Ukrainian strikes hit Yandex data centers, and the circulating traffic comparison shows automated requests from its main network collapsing by more than 99%.

Meanwhile, the bills here haven’t gone quiet.

Today’s September inflation report:

• Inflation: 3.7% year over year, up from 3.4% in August.
• Prices jumped 0.6% in ONE MONTH, the largest monthly increase since April.
• Core inflation: 0.3% for the month and 2.6% over the year.

Both headline and core inflation exceeded expectations. Using the rounded monthly figures, core inflation over the past three months annualizes to roughly 3.25%. The pressure extends beyond fuel.

Compared with last September, the national price indexes show:

• Gasoline: +34.2%
• Fuel oil: +74.2%
• Electricity: +4.4%
• Groceries: +1.8%

Groceries edged down slightly during September, but remain more expensive than a year ago.

Gasoline jumped 9.1% in the month, accounting for more than half the overall monthly inflation increase.

And wage gains aren’t keeping up.

Real average hourly earnings fell 0.7% over the year and 0.5% in September alone.

A bigger paycheck buys less.

The GasBuddy update puts September’s national gasoline average at $4.332 a gallon, up 6.8% from August’s $4.056: the second-highest monthly average of 2026 and the most expensive September on record in nominal dollars.

At those averages, buying 25 gallons went from $101.40 to $108.30. Another $6.90 per fill for exactly the same fuel.

How it affects Iowa:

Iowa State Extension reports September farm diesel averaging $5.50 a gallon, against the $2.89 planning estimate used in February. Roughly 90% above that assumption, just as harvest demands combines, grain carts and trucks.

For every 1,000 gallons purchased at those prices, that’s $2,610 more than planned. Harvest doesn’t stop because the fuel budget fell apart.

Enter the red-diesel tax scheme**.**

Farmers already have access to dyed diesel for eligible off-road equipment. The new benefit expands highway use temporarily. Iowa’s proclamation covers vehicles hauling specified agricultural products and runs through February 2, 2027.

But the federal order defers tax payments and directs Treasury to explore forgiveness. It doesn’t itself erase the tax liability. The Iowa Soybean Association is advising farmers to keep receipts and track the deferral because eliminating those taxes would likely require legislative action.

The federal highway-tax component is approximately 24.4 cents per gallon: $244 deferred on 1,000 gallons, with forgiveness unresolved. Every dollar helps, but temporary cash-flow relief doesn’t solve the underlying fuel-price problem. And a combine already burning eligible off-road dyed diesel doesn’t suddenly receive a new highway-tax benefit.

Now add borrowing costs. Good luck buying (or selling) a house.

After today’s inflation report, market-implied odds of an October Fed hike reached 45% in one morning reading, while the 2-year Treasury yield jumped to approximately 4.92%. These are moving market readings, but the direction is clear: investors are taking another hike seriously.

For Iowa, sustained higher rates would put further pressure on new farm operating loans, equipment financing and business credit. Variable-rate borrowers could face higher payments.

More expensive fuel. Paychecks losing purchasing power. The risk of more expensive debt.

That means less room for groceries, medicine, savings and spending at local businesses. These costs force choices.

Twenty days until November 3. Iowa’s in-person absentee voting starts today. Look at your receipts, your paycheck and what’s left after the bills.

The Republicans / GOP created all of these issues. 10+ years of full control in Iowa, 2+years at the federal level.

Are you tired of all of this winning yet?

Time for the bots to yell "AIiiiiiiiiiiiiiiii" or not.... lol

*edit 1: https://x.com/factpostnews/status/2110368351830569052?s=20

References:

•  Inflation, gasoline, electricity, groceries and core CPI: BLS September 2026 CPI report
• Declining purchasing power and real wages: BLS September 2026 Real Earnings report
• Iowa farm diesel: $5.50 versus the $2.89 planning estimate: Iowa State Extension: Addressing higher harvest machinery costs
• Federal diesel tax deferral and unresolved forgiveness: October 5 executive order
• Iowa dyed-diesel permissions and February 2 expiration: Governor Reynolds’ proclamation
• Advice to retain receipts and track deferred taxes: Iowa Soybean Association
• 45% probability of an October rate hike: MarketWatch’s October 14 market update
• 2-year Treasury yield reaching 4.92%: Reuters’ October 14 market reaction
• November 3 election and October 14 start of absentee voting: Iowa Secretary of State

Non-Iowan here, but I just watched the first gubernatorial debate. My God, this guy is a chode. I cannot imagine a weasel personified more than this man, and yet this is the person the GOP in Iowa is going to hitch their wagon to? Yikes, guys. Figure it out. I don't know what the answer is, but there's no fucking way this guy is the best option.

Following up from my post a few months ago, Joey Norris was acquitted of felony first-degree election misconduct by a jury in deep-red Montgomery County. This despite the judge in the case obviously biasing in favor of the prosecution by suppressing important jury instructions and evidence, such as the unredacted copy of the Absentee and Special Voters Precinct Board Guide that board members like Joey were required to follow in the first place. After sending clarifying questions to the judge during deliberations and receiving responses, the jury returned their verdict in under an hour.

From one Iowan - who doesn't know Joey at all and has no connection to any of this - to another, thank you to many of you who donated to his defense fund after my last post and shared it with others. The only hope we have to turn this state around is to highlight the injustices inflicted on us by those in power, like Brenna Bird.

We cannot afford four more years of lawfare against innocent citizens while big Ag is allowed to continue to poison us and our children with zero consequences. Early voting in Iowa starts tomorrow. Make a plan to get out and vote early; let's take back our state from these lunatics.