Tag: council bluffs iowa

Sen. Bernie Sanders, I-VT, on his first trip to Iowa after announcing he'll run for president, on March 7, 2019, in Council Bluffs. — U.S. Sen. Bernie Sanders kicked off his second Iowa campaign the same way he concluded his first. Sanders walked onto the stage at the Mid-America Center in Council Bluffs Thursday evening as a frontrunner: A December Des Moines Register/CNN/Mediacom Iowa Poll showed the senator polling at 19 percent, second only to former Vice President Joe Biden, who was the preferred candidate for 32 percent of likely Democratic caucusgoers polled. Three years ago, Sanders called for a "political revolution" fueled by working and middle-class Americans. More: Iowa Poll: Biden, Sanders top early look at possible Democratic hopefuls in 2020 caucuses While Sanders has not abandoned his long-held political platform, he said his policy proposals — like instituting a $15-per-hour federal minimum wage, providing Medicare to all Americans and free public college for all — are now mainstream tenets within the Democratic party. "Those ideas that we talked about here in Iowa four years ago that seemed so radical at the time — remember that?" Cyndie Poffenbarger said Sanders is best equipped to defeat President Donald Trump in 2020. "More people know him this time." Wearing a "Bernie 2016" cap and a "Bernie 2020" T-shirt, Poffenbarger said Sanders stands out in a wide field of Democratic presidential candidates. "I followed him for like 10 years before he ever ran for president," she said.

But the audience of nearly 1,000 people was engrossed as Senator Elizabeth Warren, the Massachusetts Democrat and presidential hopeful, did what she does best: “nerd out,” as she puts it. While other Democrats have focused on sweeping themes of unity or change, as Senator Kamala Harris of California did on Sunday at a campaign kickoff rally, Ms. Warren is making a personal and political wager that audiences care more about policy savvy than captivating oration. “But voters — especially voters in Iowa, New Hampshire and other states that have the ability to get to know these candidates well — they want to hear real solutions, and that means a certain level of detail and not just platitudes.” On one level Ms. Warren is running as herself: a former Harvard law professor who likes getting into the weeds of policy. “Policy details in politics works the same way. “Do I have any net metering wonks out here? Thank you for sponsoring the Bankruptcy Reform Act of 2018,” Mr. Goetz said. “Yes, it’s a nerd thing,” Ms. Warren responded, drawing laughter from the crowd. “It’s absolutely a nerd thing.” By playing up her instincts as a wonk, Ms. Warren is trying to define herself and her candidacy on her own terms before Democratic rivals try to cast her in a more unflattering light. Past presidential candidates in both parties have grappled with this. “Elizabeth Warren is trying to position herself as the ideas candidate of the field, and thus far, in the early going, she’s winning that,” Mr. Shakir said.

John Yang: In the heart of corn country, President Trump made good on a campaign pledge to farmers. Ethanol is a biofuel made from corn. Also against the move, oil companies. The Trump administration's EPA has waived some rules requiring ethanol's use in gas at the behest of oil producers. Grant Gerlock: Well, corn prices have been down in the dumps for a few years now. John Yang: And explain to us why E15, why these higher ethanol blends were banned in the summer months. That's one reason E15 wasn't allowed to be sold during that time of the year. But the trick, especially when you talk to ethanol — ethanol groups about this, is that during those summer months, when you can't buy E15, you could still buy E10, the 10 percent blend of ethanol, which has about the same impact on ozone and those smog issues. Grant Gerlock: Well, one thing they argue is that ethanol was supposed to be the lower-carbon fuel. And that's 5 percent of ethanol that you're using, instead of gasoline made from oil.

Live at 7:30 pm ET: President Donald Trump holds a 'Make America Great Again' rally in Council Bluffs, Iowa. This comes the day of United Nations Ambassador Nikki Haley resigns and Justice Brett Kavanaugh's first day on the Supreme Court.…