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Are America's divisions really about red versus blue?
Are America’s divides truly political — or is something else at work? In his book 'Nations Apart: How Clashing Regional Cultures Shattered America,' …
1 month ago
Rural areas struggle to attract, maintain lawyers
More than half of rural counties in Iowa are legal deserts. So, what happens when you need a lawyer but there isn't one? Sociologist David Peters and…
1 month ago
How the U.S. has arrived at its most blatant era of oligarchy
On this episode we listen to highlights from a conversation with political scientist Jeffrey Winters of Northwestern University. His book, 'The Blind…
1 month, 1 week ago
Analysis on neighboring states' primary results and latest Iowa campaign ads
On this Politics Day episode, Dani Gehr sits in for host Ben Kieffer. We get analysis from political scientists Rachel Caufield of Drake University a…
1 month, 1 week ago
How will the SAVE America Act impact Iowa voters?
In this archive episode, host Ben Kieffer speaks with two members of the 'Planet Money team' about their new book. Then, the SAVE America Act has bee…
1 month, 1 week ago
New book examines ties between 2008 Iowa tragedy and international adoption
How does family's private tragedy relate to 70 years of history? On this episode, we talk with journalist and author Paige Towers about her new book …
1 month, 1 week ago
The Senate's Farm Bill stalls, along with billions in conservation dollars
The Senate's farm bill has stalled along with billions in conservation money. WCMU’s Emma George-Griffin discusses what that means for farmers. On th…
1 month, 1 week ago
Record high temperatures put Iowa prisons lacking air conditioning at risk
Iowa's record summer heat isn't just uncomfortable. Inside two of the state's oldest prisons, it's dangerous. For 15 years, the Iowa Department of Co…
1 month, 2 weeks ago
It's almost soapbox time
A progressive won Michigan's Democratic Senate primary. Political scientists Sara Mitchell and Dave Peterson discuss what that may mean for the midte…
1 month, 2 weeks ago
The country's oldest association for Black attorneys began in Iowa
The Iowa National Bar Association turns 125 this year. We look at the history of the Des Moines organization that gave rise to the nation's largest n…
1 month, 2 weeks ago