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3 weeks ago | 
wvik.org | Robin Johnson
Lon Helton, host of Country Countdown USA, Country Music Hall of Famemember and 12-time winner of the CMA National Broadcast Personality ofthe Year, talks about country music's impact on American culture, hiscareer, memorable interviews, and some of the misconceptions aboutcountry music. Helton, who began his radio career in Monmouth andGalesburg, is a Monmouth College grad and will be giving theCommencement address tomorrow, May 18. He gives a sneak preview of hisremarks in the interview as well.
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1 month ago | 
wvik.org | Robin Johnson
David Masciotra, author of Mellencamp: American Troubadour, talks abouthow Mellencamp's roots in southern Indiana influenced his music, hissongs that most influenced American culture, the impact of his family onsome of his most famous hits, his politics ("blue guy in a red state")but how his music also challenges the left's disconnect from ordinarypeople, and more.
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2 months ago | 
wvik.org | Robin Johnson
Iowa Secretary of Agriculture Mike Naig discusses tariffs, immigration, the latest on the Choose Iowa program, water quality, the Guatemala-Costa Rica trade mission last month, new USDA Secretary Brooke Rollins, and more.
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Feb 6, 2025 | 
wvik.org | Robin Johnson
Who was James Jesus Angleton? Why is he important to understanding America in the Cold War era? Jefferson Morley, author of The Ghost: The Secret Life of CIA Spymaster James Jesus Angleton, talks about Angleton's involvement in the Six-Day War, the Bay of Pigs, Cuban Missile Crisis, JFK assassination, The Huston Plan on domestic spying and much more. Morley is the author of three books on the CIA and editor of the JFK Facts blog on Substack.
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Jan 31, 2025 | 
wvik.org | Robin Johnson
Mike Thomas, co-author with the late Bill Zehme of a new biography of Johnny Carson called Carson the Magnificent, shares some little-known facts about Carson's rise to stardom, his roots in rural Iowa, place in American culture, and tidbits about Ed McMahon, the 'Tonight Show' theme, his end-of-monologue golf swing, and much more.
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Jan 23, 2025 | 
wvik.org | Robin Johnson
Sarah Vogel discusses her recent book The Farmer's Lawyer: The North Dakota Nine and the Fight to Save the Family Farm. Vogel tells the tale of her roller coaster battle on behalf of family farmers that came atgreat personal sacrifice but ultimately prevailed. It's a story of justice served but also a cautionary tale for today.
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Jan 21, 2025 | 
dailyyonder.com | Robin Johnson |Matt Barron
There are many reasons for the outcome of the 2024 elections being cast about, but Democrat’s continuing problems in rural America stand out. Take the US Senate races in the Great Lakes states, including the Blue Wall. Four incumbent Democrats ran for reelection and one open seat featured a sitting and former members of Congress facing off. Senator Amy Klobuchar stands out above everyone else with a solid 58.1% of the two-party vote in Minnesota.
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Jan 16, 2025 | 
wvik.org | Robin Johnson
Paul Collier, renowned development economist and author of Left Behind:A New Economics for Neglected Places, talks about the failure ofbureaucratized, one-size-fits-all and market driven approaches tohelping areas that lost their core industries. Collier shares practicalsolutions based on his experiences from around the globe for left behindcommunities that have applications to many regions in Iowa and Illinoisthat experienced economic dislocation.
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Dec 5, 2024 | 
wvik.org | Robin Johnson
Glenn Poshard discusses his book, Son of Southern Illinois: GlennPoshard's Life in Politics and Education, that includes his upbringingand values in southern Illinois, military service, entry into politics,principled stands on PAC money, abortion and guns that cost him theIllinois Governor's race, problems the Democrats have with rural andworking class voters, the Poshard Foundation for Abused Children, andmuch more.
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Nov 20, 2024 | 
wvik.org | Robin Johnson
Forrest Claypool, discusses his new book, The Daley Show: Inside theTransformative Reign of Chicago's Richard M. Daley, and takes listenersthrough the successes and failures of Chicago's longest-serving mayor. Claypool, originally from downstate Illinois, played a key inside roleas Daley's chief of staff and mayoral appointee to run Chicago's parks,transit, and schools and offers a unique perspective on Chicago'scomeback under the mayor's leadership.
