Wednesday was a difficult day for The American Independent News Network, which is the larger entity that operates The Iowa Independent. Our chief executive and founder announced two of our sister sites would close and their content would be moved to The American Independent.
A recently introduced bill could have far-reaching impact on the U.S. sugar industry, including American Crystal Sugar, a farmer-owned cooperative that locked out 1,300 Midwest workers on Aug. 1.
The chairman for Herman Cain’s Iowa effort says the campaign “relied more on the word of farmers than Washington regulators” in deciding to run an ad containing claims the Environmental Protection Agency says are false.
The Iowa Senate will remain under the control of a slim 26-25 Democratic majority when it reconvenes in January 2012.
Iowa’s largest gay-rights group is asking U.S. Sen. Chuck Grassley to speak out against a bill being considered in the in Ugandan parliament that would criminalize homosexuality.
Sen. Charles Grassley, R-Iowa (Lauren Victoria Burke/wdcpix.com)
Des Moines-based One Iowa is conducting a petition drive demanding Grassley denounce the bill and use his influence to stop it. The reason they believe Grassley could have an impact is his association with a group known as “The Family.”
“The Family, a fundamentalist group of powerful politicians in America and abroad has ties to Uganda legislators pushing this horrific affront to human rights,” the group said in a press release. “Our very own Sen. Grassley is a member of this so-called ‘family.’”
If the law were passed, gays and lesbians convicted of having gay sex would be sentenced to life in prison. People who test positive for HIV would be executed, as would anyone who has homosexual sex more than once.
The bill also criminalizes advocacy of LGBT issues, which most believe would ultimately ban organizations from working in the country on HIV and AIDS prevention.
According to National Public Radio, “The Family” is a secretive fellowship of powerful Christian politicians that centers on a Washington, D.C., townhouse. Investigative journalist Jeff Sharlet, who has written a book about the group, told NPR’s Terry Gross that Grassley “has been very involved in African affairs on behalf of ‘The Family.’”
Sharlet says Grassley has been involved with “The Family” since the 1980s.
Grassley’s office could not be reached for comment.
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