Aug. 21, 2026, Des Moines Daily Umbrella Podcast

Hey! I'd love to hear your thoughts, send me a voice note.Good morning, central Iowa. It’s Friday, Aug. 21, 2026, and this is your Daily Umbrella Podcast. Here are some of the stories, oddities and weekend happenings making news today. …Let’s start with politics. The Cook Political Report has shifted Iowa’s U.S. Senate race from leaning Republican to a toss-up. The change reflects a tightening contest between Republican Ashley Hinson and Democrat Josh Turek. According to the report, some private polling now shows Turek ahead, although the results are within the margin of error. The Cook Political Report also says Iowa’s governor’s race is leaning Democratic. Democrat Rob Sand, Iowa’s state auditor and the only Democrat currently holding statewide office, is running against Republican Zach Lane, a Belle Plaine farmer and entrepreneur. …A Friday hearing in the Kristin Ramsey case — involving the killing of Ashley Oakland — is expected to focus on claims of grand jury misconduct. The judge recently narrowed the hearing to legal arguments rather than the previously scheduled discussion about possibly dismissing Ramsey’s first-degree murder charge. …Meanwhile, some Iowa police departments are suspending the use of Flock Safety automated license plate reader cameras. The cameras record information about passing vehicles and retain that data for possible use in future investigations. Critics, including Altoona resident Heather Ryan, say the technology represents government overreach. …And in Dallas Center, a woman has been sentenced to 18 months in federal prison after admitting to a fraud scheme involving more than $572,000 from a cattle feedlot where she worked as an office manager. …Omaha police have agreed to stop carrying electric-shock gloves in Nebraska’s largest public school district. The decision follows an Associated Press report about plans to provide the devices to Immigration and Customs Enforcement officers. …And now, the story you probably didn’t know you needed. Oscar Mayer is celebrating its 90th birthday, and apparently a regular birthday cake just wasn’t enough. The company has created what it calls a Weiner Cake — spelled W-E-I-N-E-R — consisting of 90 hot dogs stacked in two tiers. That’s right: 90 hot dogs. Somewhere, a child is looking at a birthday cake and thinking, “Finally, somebody got it right.” …Here is your weekend forecast, and it looks like a pretty good one. Today will be mostly sunny with a high around 85 and a low of 65, with just a 10% chance of rain. Saturday should be sunny, with a high of 82 and a low of 61. The rain chance is essentially zero. Sunday will be mostly sunny, with a high near 79 and a 20% chance of rain. …The current issue of CITYVIEW magazine features a story about Iowa artist Ana Mendieta, who reached a career zenith this summer, 41 years after her murder. A retrospective of Mendieta’s work opened at London’s Tate Modern in July. It includes more than 120 works tracing her breakout years in Iowa City through 1984 and is the largest-ever U.K. exhibition of her work. …And finally, today’s riddle. Yesterday’s question was: Why are some fish at the bottom of the ocean? The answer? They dropped out of school! Of course, readers came up with alternatives. One suggested they’ve been “schooled” not to get caught. Another answer: Because they’re bottom feeders. And today’s question is even more suspicious: H2O is water. But what is H2O4? Think you know the answer? Send your guess to [email protected] before noon today for a chance to be featured in the next edition. And be sure to subscribe to our full email version of The Daily Umbrella for free at www.TheDailyUmbrella.com.