Josh Cook
Latest from Josh Cook
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Poll: Iowans Want Medicare Negotiation; Grassley Opposes
A new poll from Public Policy Polling shows that 86% of Iowans, including 83% of Iowa Republicans and 81% of Iowans who voted for President Trump, would support legislation that would allow Medicare to negotiate prescription prices with drug companies. This poll is being released ahead of a Senate Finance Committee hearing, where Chairman Chuck…
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5 Character-Defining Moments From AARP Candidate Forums
Watching eight hours of forums is a lot to process. Unless you’re going to sit down and watch all of them, like I did, it’s hard to get a feel for how the candidates truly feel about some of these issues. Even then, it can all get sort of jumbled into one big discussion. If…
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I Watched 8 Hours Of 2020 AARP Forums. Here’s What I Learned.
Last week, coincidentally timed with AARP/Des Moines Register candidate forums, nearly all of the Democratic presidential candidates rolled out long-term health care plans, as well as plans to strengthen social security and combat rising health care costs. While rising costs have been a major topic of discussion in Iowa during the summer, most of the…
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Iowans Urge Congress to Fund Rural Hospitals and Health Centers
As critical-access hospitals around the state continue to have their existence threatened, Iowa organizations are stepping up and fighting back to protect health care in rural areas. After proposed federal funding cuts to programs that support health care services for Medicaid beneficiaries and uninsured patients, ten Iowa organizations have teamed up on a letter to…
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The Policy Pushback On Medicare For All Begins In Earnest
Health care discussions have proven to be a major flashpoint for the 2020 Democratic candidates, leading to unsure endorsements on the debate stage, redacting debate answers and nuanced hesitancy on Medicare for All. A majority of the candidates are now offering health care plans other than an immediate Medicare for All system, most choosing instead…
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Iowa Dems Knock Trump EPA’s “Bait-And-Switch” On Iowa Farmers
Focus on Rural America hosted a press conference Thursday to call out President Donald Trump for the promises he made to farmers and the biofuel industry during his first campaign, but has failed to live up to. “We have a bait-and-switch. They said we’re gonna give you year-round E15 sales, but we’re gonna grant enough…
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What Steve Bullock Gets About The Rural Vote
Late to the race? Low name recognition? Steve Bullock doesn’t care if you’re writing him off; he’s running to fight for the written-off. Bullock’s campaign is in full swing as he prepares for the next round of Democratic primary debates, one that he should be a part of and which will be his first crack…
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Iowans Warn Of Consequences Of Anti-ACA, Trump-Backed Lawsuit
Oral arguments for the Texas v. United States lawsuit, a suit filed in 2018 by 20 Republicans to challenge the Affordable Care Act, began today in New Orleans, Louisiana. The case is currently in the U.S. Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals after a cherry-picked, conservative Texan judge declared the entirety of the ACA invalid and…
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Poll Shows Rural Voters Back More Centrist Approach, Biofuel Support
Rural Democrats are looking to support a presidential candidate who will focus on their communities and invigorate the renewable fuel industries, a poll from David Binder Research showed earlier this week. Of the 600 people surveyed in the poll, 53% report living in rural areas and small towns, and 76% self-identified as middle-class or lower…
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27,110 Steps With Bernie Sanders In Iowa
Who are you calling old? Bernie Sanders showed off both his organizational strength and personal stamina during a marathon of parades over the 4th of July holiday in Iowa. While nine other candidates criss-crossed the state this week, the 77-year-old Sanders certainly had them beat on distance traveled – by foot, that is. Sanders spent…
