The Exchange

This week on The Exchange, we hear the story of Ponca tribe chief Standing Bear. Siouxland Public Media and Small Wonders' Jim Schaap has been telling Standing Bear's story in a four-part series. We will hear that series today.

The general election was November 3. This week on The Exchange, we discuss the election results. Siouxland Public Media's Mary Hartnett and Sheila Brummer are the program's hosts.

Democratic Sioux City State House Representative Chris Hall and Woodbury County Republican Party Chairwoman Suzan Stewart discuss and analyze the results.

Today on The Exchange, we talk with incumbent Republican US Senator Joni Ernst and her challenger Democrat Theresa Greenfield.  In two separate interviews, the candidates talk about their priorities and differences in the lead up to the November 3rd election next Tuesday. 

This week on The Exchange, we have a taped forum with the 4th District Congressional candidates.  They are Republican Randy Feenstra of Hull and Democrat JD Scholten of Sioux City. Siouxland Public Media's Mary Hartnett is the moderator.  First, the candidates introduce themselves.

Below is a link to the Zoom forum:

https://www.facebook.com/watch/?v=380182183113674

On Wednesday, Octobert 7th, Siouxland Public Media held a forum with the candidates for three seats on the Woodbury County Board of Supervisors in the November 3 general election.

Another family taking part in the Going Viral series is the Marquez family.  They live in Sioux City. Daisy Marquez is the mother of four children.  Two of them, girls, are learning virtually while spending time Girls, Inc.    

Daisy says the Girls, Inc. program has made it easy for her girls to learn distantly.

Coming up this week on The Exchange, we talk about protecting the vulnerable.  

A Siouxland family is dealing with the loss of a loved one from complications of COVID-19, and we hear from his sister.
 

Chris Mennen who served as an inspiration for others with disabilities. Mennen's sister says Chris brought joy into the lives of countless people, and did a lot with the gifts God gave him. 

This week on The Exchange, we are introducing a new ongoing project. It's called: Going Viral: Lessons Learned During the Pandemic. We focus on parents, teachers, and children's experiences as students return to school with the Coronavirus still raging in some parts of Iowa. 

Coming up on The Exchange, the Trump administration is suing Woodbury, Linn and Johnson Counties for prepopulating absentee ballot request forms, because of concerns about voter fraud. However, Roxanna Moritz, the president of the Iowa Association for County Auditors, says there are several checks and balances that prevent voter fraud, and mail-in voting is safe in the era of COVID-19.  

Coming up on The Exchange, we hear from newly minted Democratic Vice Presidential Candidate Kamala Harris, in an interview with SPM last summer when she visited Sioux City.

Also, we talk with Democratic 4th district Candidate JD Scholten, who goes up against Republican state Senator Randy Feenstra in this falls’ general election. 

Plus, Sioux students go back to school on a hybrid plan, a drought is bearing down on western Iowa counties, and suspect Chinese seeds show up in Siouxland. 
 

This week on The Exchange, we talk with Republican Senator Joni Ernst and her opponent Theresa  Greenflield.  Both candidates have been raising record levels of campaign funds, and recent polls show Ernst and Greenfield in a very tight race.

Also on the program,  the Sioux City Council this week approved the purchase of body cameras after years of debate.  Supporters say the re-evalution of police tactics and equipment after the murder of George Floyd in Minneapolis in May was a motivating factor in their decision..

And, we talk with an author about why community 

This week on The Exchange, as students, teachers and parents prepare to go back to school after nearly six months interruption becuase of the Coronavirus, we talk with Sioux City Community Schools Superintendent Dr. Paul Gausman. Gausman talks about how the schools will stay safe, and part of that strategy is requiring face masks for everyone. He also discusses contingency plans if the virus does ramp up in Woodbury County.  Some students will learn virtually from home.

This week on The Exchange we talk about returning to school while Coronavirus cases still mount in parts of Iowa.

There is a lot of concern on the part of parents, teachers and students about returning to school next month.   Today on the program, we will speak to those concerns with a recorded Zoom forum called A Safe Return to School.  Our guest is a University of Iowa physician who is an expert in infectious disease. More than a hundred people asked questions at this forum.   First, we will hear from Dr. Eli Perencevich.  

These days, there is a lot of talk about the demagogic style of President Donald Trump. Historian Reinhard Luthin defined a demagogue as “a politician skilled in oratory, flattery and invective; appealing to the passions rather than the reason of the public; and arousing racial, religious, and class prejudices.”

Coming up on The Exchange today we talk with the winner of the special election to fill the seat once occupied by Republican Jeremy Taylor.  Taylor resigned in January when it was shown that his primary residence was not located in his district.  Republican Justin Wright defeated Democratic State representative Tim Kacena to serve out the remaining 18 months of Taylor's term. 

432 news 062420

The Sioux City Public Museum, the Sioux City Art Center, and the Lewis & Clark Interpretive Center have all announced plans today to reopen to the public on July 7. 

All of the facilities had been closed since March due to COVID-19 concerns.

Each will have new hand sanitizing stations and will require social distancing. Facility personnel will be required to wear face masks. Visitors are also encouraged to wear masks.

Coming up on the exchange, we have a wrap up of the 2020 legislative session with Republican Siouxland State Senator Jim Carlin and Siouxland Democratic State Represenative Chris Hall. Carlin and other Republicans voted for a budget that is basically status quo in the age of COVID 19.

However, Chris Hall says republicans basically handed over decisions about the 8 billion dollar state budget to the governor and her staff.  

This week on The Exchange, we talk with essayist and activist J. Chester Johnson about his new book Damaged Heritage: The Elaine Race Massacre and a Story of Reconciliation.  Johnson's beloved grandfather took part in the massacre where hundreds of African American share croppers where killed.  His grandfather was also a member of the Klu Klux Klan. 

This week on The Exchange we recap the June 2nd primary election.  The big takeaway is veteran 4th district congressman Steve King was defeated by State Senator Randy Feenstra of Hull.  Feenstra raised three times the amount of money King did and ws the only primary candidate to run television ads in Sioux City.  

Welcome to this special edition of The Exchange.  I’m Mary Hartnett and with Sheila Brummer.  On Wednesday, we held a we held a live Zoom forum with the Republican 4th District Congressional candidates.  The primary election is next Tuesday, June 2nd.  The 4th district is the largest geographically, spanning 39 counties.  Here is that forum.

Candidate List

4th District Congressman Steve King of Kiron

State Senator Randy Feenstra of Hull

Former Woodbury County Supervisor Jeremy Taylor,

Okoboji real estate broker Steve Reeder 

Democratic Senate Candidate Michael Franken talks with Mary Hartnett on The Exchange  

Democratic Senate Candidate Kimberly Graham talks with Mary Hartnett on The Exchange

Democratic Senate Candidate Eddie Mauro talks with Mary Hartnett on The Exchange

Siouxland Public Media's Mary Hartnett talks with Democratic Senate candidate Theresa Greenfield on The Exchange.