Sept. 11, 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, Sept. 11, 2026, and this is your Daily Umbrella Podcast. Let’s get started. …Today marks 25 years since the Sept. 11 attacks. Across the country, Americans are remembering the nearly 3,000 people who died and the enormous changes that followed the attacks. Memorial ceremonies, moments of silence, flag displays, vigils and readings of victims’ names are taking place today. …Iowa farmers are heading toward harvest with another major expense hanging over them: diesel fuel. KCCI reports that diesel prices are at record highs, with the national average approaching $6 a gallon. Mark Mueller, a farmer and president of the Iowa Corn Growers Association, says he hopes these prices are not the new normal. Mueller says he has a 5,000-gallon diesel tank that is empty. At more than $5 a gallon, filling it would cost about $25,000 — nearly twice what he paid last year. …In Des Moines, 10 residents have been sentenced to federal prison for their roles in a methamphetamine distribution conspiracy. The sentences follow guilty pleas in a case involving a conspiracy from 2025. …A 72-year-old woman was hospitalized Thursday night after her SUV crashed into an apartment on Des Moines’ east side. A dog inside the apartment was also injured. …The Iowa Republican Party is keeping Iowa’s First in the Nation status for presidential nominations through 2028. Iowa GOP Chairman Jeff Kaufmann says the state will remain first in the Republican nomination process following a Republican National Committee Rules Committee meeting in Dallas. …Now, some good news for local travelers on two wheels. The Lighted Bridge on the Raccoon River Valley Trail at Adel has reopened. The bridge had been damaged by fire and reopened in August. …And congratulations are in order for some of Iowa’s restaurant professionals. The Iowa Restaurant Association has announced its 2026 awards. Simon Goheen of Simon’s in Des Moines is Restaurateur of the Year. Chef Cory Barrett of Barrett’s Quality Eats in Coralville is Chef of the Year. Gwen Page of Whatcha Smokin? BBQ + Brew in Luther is Rural Operator of the Year. See all the winners at www.thedailyumbrella.com. …Now let’s check the weather. Friday will be mostly sunny with a high of 84 and a low of 67. There’s a 30% chance of rain. Saturday will be partly cloudy with a high of 81 and a low of 62, with a 20% chance of rain. Sunday brings scattered showers, a high of 78 and a low of 63. The chance of rain is 30%. And if your nose is telling you that something is blooming — or dying — you’re not imagining it. Today’s allergy alert is 10.5, which is in the high range. The top allergens are nettle, chenopods and ragweed. …Before we go, let’s finish with today’s morning chuckle. What kind of bug can tell time? 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. …And finally, a quick look back at this date in history. On Sept. 11, 1812, Russians dedicated Fort Ross, their first stronghold on the California coast. In 1851, the Christiana Riot took place in Pennsylvania when a group of Black residents and white abolitionists confronted a Maryland posse seeking to capture four fugitive enslaved people. And, of course, Sept. 11, 2001, changed American history forever.