David Chung

Cedar Rapids

Editorial Fellow at The Gazette (Cedar Rapids, IA)

Articles

Opinion: Farmers Market Time in Cedar Rapids

1 week ago | thegazette.com | David Chung

The Gazette offers audio versions of articles using Instaread. Some words may be mispronounced. I was born in Iowa, and 32 years ago, my family and I moved to Cedar Rapids. When you live in a place long enough, you become attuned to its rhythms. It's summertime in Cedar Rapids — it's getting warm, the days are growing longer, school is out, and the pools are open. But the surest sign of summer in Cedar Rapids is the opening of the Cedar Rapids Downtown Farmers Market.
Opinion: Oh SNAP! No to junk food and yes to a healthier SNAP

3 weeks ago | thegazette.com | David Chung

The Gazette offers audio versions of articles using Instaread. Some words may be mispronounced. No to junk food and yes to a healthier SNAP Iowa Gov. Kim Reynolds submitted a waiver request to the U.S. Department of Agriculture to remove taxable food items from the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) in Iowa. Among the targeted items are candy, gum, some granola bars, pop (I am an Iowan, so I said pop), and some juices. Last week, Trump’s Department of Agriculture approved the waiver.
Opinion: Illegal aliens have rights too

1 month ago | thegazette.com | David Chung

The Gazette offers audio versions of articles using Instaread. Some words may be mispronounced. No party ever completely lives up to its principles. But we Republicans have always advertised ourselves as the defenders and believers in individual rights, personal responsibility, and small government.
Opinion: The deportation of Kilmar Abrego Garcia

1 month ago | thegazette.com | David Chung

The Gazette offers audio versions of articles using Instaread. Some words may be mispronounced. This is not the column I planned to write this week. I have been following President Donald Trump’s executive orders and actions on deportations. Without having done much research, it seemed to me that Kilmar Abrego Garcia was deported to El Salvador without due process. Instead, as I learned more about the case and read some of the court decisions, I have reached a different conclusion.
Opinion: Cedar Rapids wants neighborhood schools

2 months ago | thegazette.com | David Chung

The Gazette offers audio versions of articles using Instaread. Some words may be mispronounced. Dr. Tawana Grover became interim superintendent of the Cedar Rapids Community School District on April 4, 2023, and officially assumed the role on July 1. Upon taking the reins, Grover found herself in the unenviable position of preparing for a school bond referendum already in motion. The proposal sent to voters had been trimmed from an initial $312 million to $220 million.
Opinion: The Trump deportations and Order 9066

Mar 23, 2025 | thegazette.com | David Chung

The Gazette offers audio versions of articles using Instaread. Some words may be mispronounced. On Feb. 15, President Donald Trump made a truly remarkable post on X. He posted: He who saves his Country does not violate any Law This post gives us incredible insight into Donald Trump's mindset. The most important thing we can learn here is that Trump really believes that he is saving America, or dare I say it, Making America Great Again – and he sees deportations as a key part of the mission.
Opinion: DEI in the GOP: Time to put our own house in order

Mar 2, 2025 | thegazette.com | David Chung

The Gazette offers audio versions of articles using Instaread. Some words may be mispronounced. In six weeks, Donald Trump’s second term is already the most disruptive in U.S. history. There is no shortage of topics I could write about this week; I considered writing about Ukraine or maybe federal workers. In the end, I decided to write about a topic that’s in the news about which I have a unique perspective.
Opinion: Unburdened by Bureaucracy -- It is time to abolish the Department of Education

Feb 16, 2025 | thegazette.com | David Chung

The Gazette offers audio versions of articles using Instaread. Some words may be mispronounced. Newton’s First Law of Motion says, in part, “An object at rest stays at rest…” Physics tells us that the more mass an object has, the more force it takes to overcome inertia and move it. This same principle can be applied to government. As government has become more massive, making changes has also become more difficult.
Trouble with a capital ‘C’ for casino

Feb 2, 2025 | thegazette.com | David Chung

The Gazette offers audio versions of articles using Instaread. Some words may be mispronounced. I remember watching Saturday morning cartoons as a kid. I watched my cartoon heroes face all kinds of perils. I learned that if you venture into the ocean, you will be immediately circled by sharks. If you wander too far into the woods, you will soon be sucked into quicksand. Finally, if you end up on a tropical island, you will be captured by cannibals. Since those idyllic days, I became a SCUBA diver.
Opinion: An unlikely nominee

Jan 19, 2025 | thegazette.com | David Chung

The Gazette offers audio versions of articles using Instaread. Some words may be mispronounced. Donald Trump is a “disruptive” politician, and his cabinet picks prove it. Perhaps the most disruptive of Trump’s nominees is Robert F Kennedy Jr., also known as RFK Jr., for Secretary of Health and Human Services. There may be more controversial nominees, like Matt Gaetz for Attorney General, Pete Hegseth for Defense Secretary, or Tulsi Gabbard for Director of National Intelligence.