River to River

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Former Iowa governor recounts 9/11 attacks and response on 25th anniversary

September 12, 2026

A quarter of a century later, we're still living with the world September 11th made. On the 25th anniversary of the attacks, we talk with Tom Vilsack, who was Iowa’s governor during the deadliest terrorist attacks in U.S. history. He remembers where he was and how he chose to respond. Then, we talk with Mark Listes of Pendulum Intelligence on the AI-fueled disinformation war reshaping elections and public trust, and what it means for us ahead of the midterms. We also meet Amber Essau, an Inte...

Political strategist David Axelrod on partisanship, midterms and more

September 11, 2026

On this episode, highlights from a wide-ranging conversation with David Axelrod at Hancher Auditorium in Iowa City earlier this year. Axelrod has been one of the most influential voices in American politics for four decades — he helped build the Obama coalition, he has watched the Democratic Party lose its way with working people, and he's not pulling punches about what comes next. This event, recorded live on April 28, 2026, was part of the Levitt Lecture series presented by Hancher Auditori...

Iowa GOP pushes back on 90-day plan to waive tariffs on foreign beef imports

September 10, 2026

Canada retaliates with new tariffs — and Iowa is named a deliberate target. On this Politics Day episode, we get analysis from political scientists Jim McCormick and Kelly Shaw of Iowa State University. With just over 50 days until the election, we look at how the trade war is shaping our state's most competitive races. Republicans hold their first-ever midterm convention starting Wednesday in Dallas — and some Iowa Republicans are staying home. We also discuss a new rule on mail-in voting he...