Courtesy of White House Photographer Eric Draper
Sioux City native John Grote plans to return to the Pentagon for the 25th anniversary of 9/11. As a potential witness in the prosecution of the men accused of planning the attacks, he says he’s still waiting for justice.
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More than 60 years after a Cold War missile site was deactivated near Missouri Valley, a toxic compound remains in the groundwater. People living nearby are pressing federal officials for answers about health risks and how long the cleanup will take. -
The Pentagon launched a formal review of women in ground-combat positions. On this archive episode, what lead to this review and how could it impact the United States Armed Forces? Amy Rutenberg, an ISU historian, summarizes the long arc of women's service in the U.S. Military. Then, guests offer competing perspectives on combat effectiveness and standards. (This episode was originally produced in January 2026.) -
In his new book, historian Kevin Mason looked into the 1835 Dragoon Expedition along the Des Moines River to better understand how Iowa’s landscape has transformed over time. He retraced the 371-mile expedition on foot. He joins 'Talk of Iowa' to share insights from his journey and new book.
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After the filing deadline, Auditor Rob Sand is the sole Democrat still in the race for governor. On this Politics Day, Caufield of Drake University and Jim McCormick of Iowa State analyze the gubernatorial race, rifts in the MAGA movement over the war in Iran and a legal challenge to Iowa's food stamp rules.
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Over a week into the U.S.-Israel war against Iran, two Iranian-born Iowans give their differing perspectives on military intervention in the Middle East. Then, a conversation with the vice president of the Iowa chapter of Blue Star Mothers of America, a nonprofit organization that provides support to fellow military families, veterans and gold star families.
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The U.S. Army Reserve said Maj. Jeffrey O’Brien died when an Iranian drone struck a command center in Kuwait. That attack killed six soldiers from the same Des Moines-based unit.
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An Iowa soldier killed. A war in its fifth day. This episode, analysis of the U.S.-Israel war on Iran — and Congressional moves to check the president. Political scientists Jim McCormick and Kelly Shaw join the program to discuss these developments.
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Sgt. Declan Coady, 20, of West Des Moines, died on the second day of the war with Iran when his unit in Kuwait was struck by an Iranian drone. -
The International Spy Museum in Washington D.C. will feature the art of visual deception in its new exhibit, "Camouflage: Designed to Deceive." We hear about the new exhibit from the vice president of exhibits and collections, Katheryn Keane. Then, University of Northern Iowa camouflage expert Roy Behrens, who wrote the introduction to the exhibit, joins the program. Then, Isabel Muzzio grew up during a violent time in Argentina, but found that years later, some from her community viewed those events much differently. Today, she studies how memories are altered and joins the show to talk about how our politics impact our memories.
