The highlight of today's show is an interview with Craig Cox and Soren Rundquist of Environmental Working Group, who released a troubling report last week documenting how, in the years 2011-2014, more acres in Iowa were taken out of conservation practices than were put in. We explore the reasons farmers give for these changes, and how a "basic standard of care"--i.e., regulation rather than voluntary, subsidized participation--could help rectify the situation. The show starts with Alex Fejfar of Ames Historical Society retelling the story of ISU football hero, Jack Trice. A film featuring Jack Trice is scheduled for February 23. Host Greta Anderson shares snippets from Senator Chuck Grassley's town hall forum this week in Tama, where he fielded questions about his plans as Senate Judiciary Chair to hold or not to hold confirmation hearings on President Obama's eventual Supreme Court nominee. We also peek into the mysterious world of dark money, with a recent complaint against Trees of Liberty, a Koch brothers-funded "nonprofit" funding Joni Ernst’s senate race to the tune of $400K--which, according to the Center for Media and Democracy, broke the law.
Music by Obsidian’s Dream.
Online Resources:
- Fooling Ourselves: Voluntary Programs Fail to Clean up Dirty Water
- Jack Trice film
- Trees of Liberty complaint
- Obsidian’s Dream
Originally broadcast 02/19/2016
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