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.
DENVER — Iowa Gov. Chet Culver addressed the Democratic National Convention Tuesday afternoon.
In a speech that lasted only a few minutes to an audience that included fewer than half of the states’ delegations, Culver highlighted Iowa’s role in the nomination of Sen. Barack Obama, but he shied away from making a direct appeal to maintain Iowa’s first-in-the-nation caucuses in future election cycles.
“The long journey to this historic convention began on a cold winter’s night in the great State of Iowa,” he said in prepared remarks. “I’m honored to join you, more than seven months and 700 miles from the site of that first contest, as we unite to make Barack Obama the next President of the United States.”
The governor also mentioned the floods Iowa faced early this summer. “Despite three tornados and 500 year flood levels, countless Americans rallied to help us,” he said. “So, on behalf of every Iowan, I want to say ‘thank you’ for assisting us in our time of need.”
But, with the status of federal funds to aid Iowa’s recovery efforts still unknown, the thanks may have been premature.
The main subject of Culver’s speech, which aired on C-SPAN but no major networks, was renewable energy. “McCain has voted against tax credits for renewable energy eleven times, and his only idea to solve our energy crisis is to keep doing what we’re doing as we watch prices go up,” he said. “Only Barack Obama has a detailed plan to give us the change we need – lower energy prices and more green-collar jobs.”
“Our choice is to stick with the status quo or move our country forward. On energy, the stakes couldn’t be higher.”
New York Gov. shares kind words
When New York Gov. David Patterson took the stage after Culver, he praised the state of Iowa for its response to natural disasters.
“The citizens of Iowa taught America a lot about answering the challenge,” said Patterson, who visited Iowa to support Sen. Hillary Clinton on caucus night in January. “Thank you Gov. Culver and all of you in Iowa.”
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