Stephen Copek

Is a two seed in sight for Iowa? Unless they go win the Big Ten tournament they’ll probably need a little help, but I think it’s very possible after today.

First Jobs Matter More Than We Think They could help us solve society’s biggest problems.

Starting my career in a couple of public/national service roles this very much resonated with me. Can’t imagine my career would have found the path it did without these early experiences.

www.theatlantic.com/ideas/2026/0...

I hope it’s not about this, but the below quote is echoing in my mind tonight.

“During the war, you can't have elections? So let me just see, three and a half years from now, if we happen to be in a war with somebody, no more elections? That's good."

Congress needs to do more, full stop.

Maryland game not withstanding, I’m very pleased with year one of the Ben McCollum era. Far from the most talented team Iowa has had, but the guy knows how to win. Can’t wait to see the team he builds here over the next few years.

You Know What? Maybe the Time Is Right for an AOC Presidential Bid She’s only 36, and there’s a good argument that she should run for Senate and bide her time. But she also could be a formidable White House candidate.

from the perspective of someone who might want to be president, the best time to run for the white house is now, not later. so if AOC is thinking about it — if the white house is her ambition — then her best bet is to throw her hat in the ring

Why Hospital Policies Matter in States That Ban Abortion Our first-of-its-kind data analysis found that a seismic split emerged in how medical institutions in Texas' two largest metro areas, Houston and Dallas, treated miscarrying patients — and in their ou...

The rate of sepsis in Houston surged 63% after Texas banned abortion.

In the Dallas-Fort Worth area, where hospital leaders empowered doctors to intervene before patients’ conditions worsened, it rose 29%.

(Published May 2025)

Light at the End of the Tunnel? How should philanthropy capitalize on events in Minneapolis? Backing effective civic pushback is just one piece of the puzzle.

“But as obvious as that may sound, supporting organizing has never been a priority for philanthropy, despite the sector’s endless hand-wringing about democracy. Such work is now, and has always been, chronically underfunded. That needs to change.”

www.insidephilanthropy.com/home/light-a...

I appear to be in the minority in that I’m not worried about this Iowa WBB team. Tough stretch after losing a leader who clearly was a bigger piece of the puzzle than I thought.

Still, I think they right the ship next week. Also think this is the last 3 game losing streak we see for a long time.

New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani to endorse Gov. Kathy Hochul The endorsement, expected this week, gives Hochul a critical inroad with left-leaning voters.

I don’t agree with this this endorsement, but I totally get it.

If Delgado wins will he be adversarial because of this? I doubt it.

Will Mamdani lose his base of support over this? No chance.

Will Hochul return favors if she wins? Maybe, it’s worth a shot.

www.politico.com/news/2026/02...

One of the better three point shooters Iowa has ever seen. Hate to see a career end this way. She will deserve every second of the ovation she gets at senior day.

Having lived in Park Slope for the last ~ten years, I have zero doubt that Brad Lander will be out there doing this exact same thing when we elect him to be our Congressman.

We need so many more leaders like him in DC. Community building is part of the job. He shows up every time.

Governor Hochul has made very clear she will keep allowing government agencies to collaborate with ICE.

The only way to make her change course is through a strong primary challenge from the Left.

The power to force Hochul to end collaboration with ICE—and to tax the rich—lies with us, via Delgado.

Love seeing the confidence grow for this Iowa WBB team. Keep this up and they’ll will do some damage in March. The next few years are going to be fun as they gain experience.

It Will Take Years to Fully Grasp Eric Adams’s Corruption New York has turned the page, but more evidence of the ex-mayor’s venality keeps turning up.

The new Speaker says the Council will be looking into possible malfeasance by the Adams admin. “We need to retrospectively take a look back at what happened the last couple years”.

I really hope this happens, we can’t just let people just sail off with no accountability.
nymag.com/intelligence...

Someday corporations and technology companies will pretend they were always against this

Quite a season for the Bears, came up just short tonight but I hope this is a sign of things to come in Chicago.

Can confirm

Opinion | Martin Luther King’s Son to the Supreme Court: Preserve Our Democracy. Martin Luther King’s son and Norm Ornstein, a leading scholar of voting rights, discuss a case that could hollow out the Voting Rights Act.

“This is a test of whether we will accept the slow erosion of democracy, or rise up — as generations before us did — to redeem it,” writes Martin Luther King III.

Honestly didn’t think Iowa’s MBB team would have a shot at the tournament when the year started. Today, I’d be disappointed if they don’t make it.

Great start to the McCollum era, and excited to see what he can build in Iowa City with time.

Opinion | Life, Liberty and the Pursuit of Unhappiness One reason for the toxicity of American politics may be that our quality of life is slipping behind our peers’.

“The United States does a fine job generating economic growth, but it lags at translating that G.D.P. growth into the things we most care about,” our columnist Nicholas Kristof writes.

As a life long Bears fan who had just had my first birthday the last time they won the Super Bowl, I’m used to disappointment.

The second half tonight might have been the best I’ve ever felt as a Bears fan. Running over the Saints in the 2006 NFC championship was great, but it wasn’t the Packers.

Well, we have a third straight year without an SEC team in the national championship game.

Meanwhile, the Big Ten will be competing for its third straight title. If successful, it will be with three different teams.

Today in the New York Times:

"One year after the start of congestion pricing, traffic jams are less severe, streets are safer, and commute times are improving for travelers from well beyond Manhattan."

Hardly the Hawkeyes best here tonight, but also one of those games that great teams make sure they find a way close out and win. If they do, we won’t remember how they won this one in March.

It is incredible to me that the Bears and Packers, one of the longest standing rivalries in American sports, will meet in the post season for only the third time ever next weekend.

Can’t wait. Bear Down.

This is yet another example of the President’s baseless rhetoric putting our people and our democracy at risk.

@governorwalz.mn.gov is a good man and the President’s insinuation is completely ridiculous.

Local advocacy is more important than ever. It's overwhelming to think about how to fix [motions to everything] but I can make it safer for seniors to cross the street, for kids to bike to school, for people to have places to meet in public space... all of which build and strengthen our democracy.

Been a good week for Hawkeyes fans. As for just about everything else going on in the world right now… I’ll happily take the mental distraction.

I’m so happy I was wrong about Iowa’s men basketball team this year. This team is so fun to watch.

NYCers have earned a day to just feel hopeful and happy. Nobody's in denial about political reality, and tomorrow will be here soon enough, but an inauguration is a celebration and an articulation of a vision, and it's okay to let yourself give in to the joy of aspiration.