Brad VanGorkom LISW
@harmonicfamily.bsky.social
Family man, child trauma therapist, musician, philosopher. Music makes families better!
Reposted by Brad VanGorkom LISW
There are debatable exceptions, but as a historical and theological matter, no, most likely would not.
Some Founding Fathers were deists. Some were Quakers. Others were Presbyterians who wrote a lot about religious freedom.
And some were, uh, Thomas Paine (here in a later edition of Common Sense):
Some Founding Fathers were deists. Some were Quakers. Others were Presbyterians who wrote a lot about religious freedom.
And some were, uh, Thomas Paine (here in a later edition of Common Sense):
January 11, 2026 at 3:10 AM
There are debatable exceptions, but as a historical and theological matter, no, most likely would not.
Some Founding Fathers were deists. Some were Quakers. Others were Presbyterians who wrote a lot about religious freedom.
And some were, uh, Thomas Paine (here in a later edition of Common Sense):
Some Founding Fathers were deists. Some were Quakers. Others were Presbyterians who wrote a lot about religious freedom.
And some were, uh, Thomas Paine (here in a later edition of Common Sense):
Reposted by Brad VanGorkom LISW
NEW from me: My dispatch from two different events in DC marking the fifth anniversary of Jan 6 attack on the U.S. Capitol.
Both leaned heavily on religion, and both appealed to divine truths about that day.
The thing is: their truths were…very different. religionnews.com/2026/01/06/t...
Both leaned heavily on religion, and both appealed to divine truths about that day.
The thing is: their truths were…very different. religionnews.com/2026/01/06/t...
January 7, 2026 at 12:24 AM
NEW from me: My dispatch from two different events in DC marking the fifth anniversary of Jan 6 attack on the U.S. Capitol.
Both leaned heavily on religion, and both appealed to divine truths about that day.
The thing is: their truths were…very different. religionnews.com/2026/01/06/t...
Both leaned heavily on religion, and both appealed to divine truths about that day.
The thing is: their truths were…very different. religionnews.com/2026/01/06/t...
Reposted by Brad VanGorkom LISW
Bible Bricks is one of a number of Lego-compatible bricks tapping a market for offline toys inspired by biblical figures and events.
religionnews.com/2025/12/22/r...
religionnews.com/2025/12/22/r...
Religious-themed brick sets hold appeal for both children and adults in digital age
(RNS) — Faith-based companies making Lego-compatible building blocks are tapping a market for offline toys inspired by biblical figures and events.
religionnews.com
January 1, 2026 at 4:30 PM
Bible Bricks is one of a number of Lego-compatible bricks tapping a market for offline toys inspired by biblical figures and events.
religionnews.com/2025/12/22/r...
religionnews.com/2025/12/22/r...
Reposted by Brad VanGorkom LISW
The end of ACA enhanced premium tax credits, and an average out-of-pocket premium increase of 114% for 22 million people, has been hypothetical. Now it is real.
December 31, 2025 at 8:20 PM
The end of ACA enhanced premium tax credits, and an average out-of-pocket premium increase of 114% for 22 million people, has been hypothetical. Now it is real.
Reposted by Brad VanGorkom LISW
Here's how Iowa's $209 million award compares to the amount received by other states. iowacapitaldispatch.com/2025/12/29/r...
Alaska, Montana, Oklahoma crack top five in first rural hospital funding allocation • Iowa Capital Dispatch
WASHINGTON — President Donald Trump’s administration unveiled Monday hundreds of millions of dollars each state will receive this fiscal year as part of a massive $50 billion rural health fund baked i...
iowacapitaldispatch.com
December 29, 2025 at 11:17 PM
Here's how Iowa's $209 million award compares to the amount received by other states. iowacapitaldispatch.com/2025/12/29/r...
Reposted by Brad VanGorkom LISW
“A lot of us grew up with Legos and understand how fun they are,” said Sean Sutton, a 28-year-old entrepreneur who was raised in the Southern Baptist church. “I think people are hungry for high-quality religious sets.”
religionnews.com/2025/12/22/r...
religionnews.com/2025/12/22/r...
Religious-themed brick sets hold appeal for both children and adults in digital age
(RNS) — Faith-based companies making Lego-compatible building blocks are tapping a market for offline toys inspired by biblical figures and events.
religionnews.com
December 23, 2025 at 8:00 PM
“A lot of us grew up with Legos and understand how fun they are,” said Sean Sutton, a 28-year-old entrepreneur who was raised in the Southern Baptist church. “I think people are hungry for high-quality religious sets.”
religionnews.com/2025/12/22/r...
religionnews.com/2025/12/22/r...
Reposted by Brad VanGorkom LISW
Y’all know we have a tool for finding exactly these kinds of bad redactions, right? free.law/open-source-...
December 23, 2025 at 5:12 AM
Y’all know we have a tool for finding exactly these kinds of bad redactions, right? free.law/open-source-...
Reposted by Brad VanGorkom LISW
Social workers nationwide directed furious complaints toward their national association, demanding accountability, transparency and an external review of finances, Kansas Reflector reports.
Social workers question spending, standards and 'harmful dynamics' at national association • Iowa Capital Dispatch
Social workers nationwide directed furious complaints toward their national association, demanding accountability, transparency.
iowacapitaldispatch.com
December 23, 2025 at 6:03 PM
Social workers nationwide directed furious complaints toward their national association, demanding accountability, transparency and an external review of finances, Kansas Reflector reports.
Reposted by Brad VanGorkom LISW
Seth Watkins' family health insurance premiums are about to go up from around $600 a month to around $2,300 a month, with a $9,200 deductible per person.
A lot of Iowa farmers are in a similar situation.
Watch the Iowa Farmers Union news conference from today:
www.youtube.com/watch?v=y14H...
A lot of Iowa farmers are in a similar situation.
Watch the Iowa Farmers Union news conference from today:
www.youtube.com/watch?v=y14H...
Iowa Farmers Union Press Conference: Affordable Care Act
YouTube video by Iowa Farmers Union
www.youtube.com
December 15, 2025 at 9:51 PM
Seth Watkins' family health insurance premiums are about to go up from around $600 a month to around $2,300 a month, with a $9,200 deductible per person.
A lot of Iowa farmers are in a similar situation.
Watch the Iowa Farmers Union news conference from today:
www.youtube.com/watch?v=y14H...
A lot of Iowa farmers are in a similar situation.
Watch the Iowa Farmers Union news conference from today:
www.youtube.com/watch?v=y14H...
Reposted by Brad VanGorkom LISW
Army identifies 2 Iowa National Guardsmen killed in Syria attack trib.al/ADG0vaE
Army identifies 2 Iowa National Guardsmen killed in Syria attack
The two soldiers and a U.S. interpreter were killed during a “key leader engagement.” Three others were wounded in the attack.
trib.al
December 15, 2025 at 4:50 PM
Army identifies 2 Iowa National Guardsmen killed in Syria attack trib.al/ADG0vaE
Reposted by Brad VanGorkom LISW
“…[I]t’s hard to hear story after story of people being failed by hospitals, agencies, and professionals we trust to help,” guest columnist Leslie Carpenter writes via Iowa Writers’ Collaborative.
The mental health crisis calls I dread — and why I keep answering them • Iowa Capital Dispatch
"... [I]t's hard to hear story after story of people being failed by hospitals, agencies, and professionals we trust to help."
iowacapitaldispatch.com
December 12, 2025 at 5:06 PM
“…[I]t’s hard to hear story after story of people being failed by hospitals, agencies, and professionals we trust to help,” guest columnist Leslie Carpenter writes via Iowa Writers’ Collaborative.
Reposted by Brad VanGorkom LISW
OPINION: We surveyed 849 professional Santas who live across the U.S. and interviewed 53 of them, collecting data between 2018 and 2021. We identified three types of professional Santas: prototypical, semi-prototypical and nonprototypical.
religionnews.com/2025/11/26/w...
religionnews.com/2025/11/26/w...
What makes a true Santa is inside – and comes with the red suit
(The Conversation) — A survey of 849 professional Santas found that one-third of them don’t match the usual image of a roly-poly bearded white man.
religionnews.com
December 7, 2025 at 1:00 AM
OPINION: We surveyed 849 professional Santas who live across the U.S. and interviewed 53 of them, collecting data between 2018 and 2021. We identified three types of professional Santas: prototypical, semi-prototypical and nonprototypical.
religionnews.com/2025/11/26/w...
religionnews.com/2025/11/26/w...
Reposted by Brad VanGorkom LISW
Sick of the same old #Christmas songs? Reggae, metal and pop punk have some wild alternatives.
Tired of the same old Christmas songs? So were these countercultural carolers
Roots reggae, thrash metal and pop punk add new layers to familiar holiday tropes.
buff.ly
December 5, 2025 at 7:48 PM
Sick of the same old #Christmas songs? Reggae, metal and pop punk have some wild alternatives.
Reposted by Brad VanGorkom LISW
In a rare spot of good news from federal CMS, the Iowa Medicaid 1115 waiver (this is their Medicaid expansion) was just extended for 1 year and the waiver of the important non-emergency medical transportation (NEMT) benefit will sunset 12/31/26.
medicaid.gov/medicaid/sec...
medicaid.gov/medicaid/sec...
medicaid.gov
December 1, 2025 at 5:43 PM
In a rare spot of good news from federal CMS, the Iowa Medicaid 1115 waiver (this is their Medicaid expansion) was just extended for 1 year and the waiver of the important non-emergency medical transportation (NEMT) benefit will sunset 12/31/26.
medicaid.gov/medicaid/sec...
medicaid.gov/medicaid/sec...
Reposted by Brad VanGorkom LISW
KFF's estimate that out-of-pocket ACA premiums will increase if enhanced tax credits expire by an average of 114% has been widely reported. But, it varies a lot, especially by income. Here's what increases look like in dollar terms -- from $378 at $18,000 to $1,836 at $45,000.
November 11, 2025 at 3:47 PM
KFF's estimate that out-of-pocket ACA premiums will increase if enhanced tax credits expire by an average of 114% has been widely reported. But, it varies a lot, especially by income. Here's what increases look like in dollar terms -- from $378 at $18,000 to $1,836 at $45,000.
Reposted by Brad VanGorkom LISW
As the ~discourse~ seems to bend interminably towards Republicans trying to figure out how they can (further) HDHP-ify ACA coverage, it's worth revisiting what is probably our best (most rigorous) study on the effect of deductibles in health insurance.
academic.oup.com/qje/article-...
academic.oup.com/qje/article-...
November 10, 2025 at 9:51 PM
As the ~discourse~ seems to bend interminably towards Republicans trying to figure out how they can (further) HDHP-ify ACA coverage, it's worth revisiting what is probably our best (most rigorous) study on the effect of deductibles in health insurance.
academic.oup.com/qje/article-...
academic.oup.com/qje/article-...
Reposted by Brad VanGorkom LISW
NEW: Our calculator is now updated to include 2026 average benchmark silver premium data.
ACA Marketplace open enrollment starts Nov. 1. Estimate how much more you would pay in premiums with and without the enhanced premium tax credits: https://on.kff.org/4olBSa4
ACA Marketplace open enrollment starts Nov. 1. Estimate how much more you would pay in premiums with and without the enhanced premium tax credits: https://on.kff.org/4olBSa4
Calculator: ACA Enhanced Premium Tax Credit
The ACA's enhanced premium tax credits are set to expire at the end of 2025. This calculator estimates how much out-of-pocket premiums would increase for families if Congress does not extend the credits. The projected premium increases are estimated bas...
on.kff.org
October 30, 2025 at 7:52 PM
NEW: Our calculator is now updated to include 2026 average benchmark silver premium data.
ACA Marketplace open enrollment starts Nov. 1. Estimate how much more you would pay in premiums with and without the enhanced premium tax credits: https://on.kff.org/4olBSa4
ACA Marketplace open enrollment starts Nov. 1. Estimate how much more you would pay in premiums with and without the enhanced premium tax credits: https://on.kff.org/4olBSa4
Reposted by Brad VanGorkom LISW
The expiration of enhanced premium tax credits, combined with premium increases by ACA insurers, will mean that 22 million subsidized ACA enrollees will see an average out-of-pocket premium increase of 114%.
October 27, 2025 at 2:40 PM
The expiration of enhanced premium tax credits, combined with premium increases by ACA insurers, will mean that 22 million subsidized ACA enrollees will see an average out-of-pocket premium increase of 114%.
Reposted by Brad VanGorkom LISW
If I'm elected Governor, we are going to reverse the privatization of Medicaid.
October 13, 2025 at 2:45 PM
If I'm elected Governor, we are going to reverse the privatization of Medicaid.
Reposted by Brad VanGorkom LISW
Since most individual market coverage is bought via the ACA Marketplaces, changes to the ACA — including the expiration of the enhanced premium tax credits — would have significant implications for small business owners’ and workers’ health care costs: https://on.kff.org/3HSj0jb
About Half of Adults with ACA Marketplace Coverage are Small Business Owners, Employees, or Self-Employed | KFF
This analysis estimates that 48% of adults under age 65 with individual market coverage are either employed by a small business with fewer than 25 workers, self-employed entrepreneurs, or small business owners. Because the vast majority of this coverage...
on.kff.org
October 7, 2025 at 5:04 PM
Since most individual market coverage is bought via the ACA Marketplaces, changes to the ACA — including the expiration of the enhanced premium tax credits — would have significant implications for small business owners’ and workers’ health care costs: https://on.kff.org/3HSj0jb
Reposted by Brad VanGorkom LISW
Iowa’s newest purpose-built mosque stands only 150 miles from the nation’s oldest.
religionnews.com/2025/10/01/o...
religionnews.com/2025/10/01/o...
Opening of Iowa mosque becomes a celebration of refugees' resilience and interfaith unity
(RNS) — ‘From the very beginning, we did not feel like strangers. We did not feel like outsiders,’ said a leader of the mosque, whose inauguration drew some 15,000 celebrants.
religionnews.com
October 6, 2025 at 12:01 PM
Iowa’s newest purpose-built mosque stands only 150 miles from the nation’s oldest.
religionnews.com/2025/10/01/o...
religionnews.com/2025/10/01/o...
Reposted by Brad VanGorkom LISW
In the debate over extending the enhanced ACA Marketplace tax credits, there has been no discussion of their benefit for children's coverage. The enhanced credits helped increase child Marketplace enrollment (under age 18) by 2.5X to 2.6 million between 2020 & 2025 (based on open enrollment data).
October 2, 2025 at 4:42 PM
In the debate over extending the enhanced ACA Marketplace tax credits, there has been no discussion of their benefit for children's coverage. The enhanced credits helped increase child Marketplace enrollment (under age 18) by 2.5X to 2.6 million between 2020 & 2025 (based on open enrollment data).
Reposted by Brad VanGorkom LISW
Mosque leaders said future plans for the land include a community center, housing, a playground and a memorial commemorating victims of the Srebrenica genocide.
religionnews.com/2025/10/01/o...
religionnews.com/2025/10/01/o...
Opening of Iowa mosque becomes a celebration of refugees' resilience and interfaith unity
(RNS) — ‘From the very beginning, we did not feel like strangers. We did not feel like outsiders,’ said a leader of the mosque, whose inauguration drew some 15,000 celebrants.
religionnews.com
October 2, 2025 at 12:01 PM
Mosque leaders said future plans for the land include a community center, housing, a playground and a memorial commemorating victims of the Srebrenica genocide.
religionnews.com/2025/10/01/o...
religionnews.com/2025/10/01/o...
Reposted by Brad VanGorkom LISW
Breaking news from Des Moines: ICE has detained Dr. Ian Roberts, the superintendent of Iowa's largest school district.
The Des Moines Public Schools said "We have no confirmed information as to why Dr. Roberts is being detained or the next potential steps."
www.bleedingheartland.com/2025/09/26/i...
The Des Moines Public Schools said "We have no confirmed information as to why Dr. Roberts is being detained or the next potential steps."
www.bleedingheartland.com/2025/09/26/i...
ICE detains Des Moines Superintendent Dr. Ian Roberts
Iowa's largest school district had "no confirmed information" on why ICE detained Dr. Ian Roberts, the superintendent since 2023.
www.bleedingheartland.com
September 26, 2025 at 6:23 PM
Breaking news from Des Moines: ICE has detained Dr. Ian Roberts, the superintendent of Iowa's largest school district.
The Des Moines Public Schools said "We have no confirmed information as to why Dr. Roberts is being detained or the next potential steps."
www.bleedingheartland.com/2025/09/26/i...
The Des Moines Public Schools said "We have no confirmed information as to why Dr. Roberts is being detained or the next potential steps."
www.bleedingheartland.com/2025/09/26/i...
Reposted by Brad VanGorkom LISW
KFF estimates the changes could leave 68,000 Iowans without health insurance.
September 18, 2025 at 10:02 PM
KFF estimates the changes could leave 68,000 Iowans without health insurance.