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.
Former U.S. Sen. Rick Santorum, R-Penn., is back in Iowa this week, serving as the keynote speaker for an Iowa Christian Alliance event in Des Moines on Tuesday.
Santorum, who has openly admitted that he is contemplating a run for president in 2012, will be joined by Ralph Reed, a former Republican strategist and executive director of the Christian Coalition who faced national scrutiny for his work with and close ties to Jack Abramoff, the disgraced Republican lobbyist who is still in prison for his illegal activity.
Reed will serve as the event’s master of ceremonies.
Santorum originally sparked 2012 chatter in October when he visited Iowa to deliver two speeches: one at an event sponsored by Iowa Right to Life and another at an event sponsored by the American Future Fund. At the time he told Radio Iowa’s O.Kay Henderson that the reaction he received for his Iowa visit fueled the flames of his presidential aspirations.
As for Reed, he is apparently hoping for a political comeback, openly contemplating a congressional run this fall in a safe Republican district.
Also expected to be in attendance are the Republicans running for governor — Terry Branstad, Rod Robers and Bob Vander Plaats — as well as several other GOP candidates.
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