Rekha Basu
The Des Moines Register
Des Moines, IA, United States
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Past articles by Rekha:
Rekha Basu: Iowa, already one of the worst states on guns, got worse with amendment passage
Register columnist: The ruling majority apparently won't rest until it has stripped every reasonable restriction on owning, buying or carrying a gun. → Read More
Rekha Basu: Don't be swayed by fear-mongering ads from unclear interests
From the commentary: So do the research and vet these ads before believing them. And to poor Mrs. Smith, please get a real doctor, and take heart that your drug prices should actually go down. Unless, of course, you're diabetic. → Read More
Rekha Basu commentary: When 'tyranny' meets technology, family relationships can thrive even at a distance
Summary: I've not been good at pursuing relationships virtually, but I'm learning by watching the Padmanabhans manage theirs with Kavi from a distance. He and I will also need to find a way to keep the closeness we've developed after I go back to Des Moines. This, after all, is the price of… → Read More
Rekha Basu: This Iowa (and federal) proposal could be a shot in the arm of adrenaline, hope, Vitamin D
Register columnist: Keep the extra hour of evening sunlight year-round? Thank goodness Republicans and Democrats are coming together on this. → Read More
Rekha Basu commentary: Would Republicans rather go down in defeat than diversify?
Summary: So not only does the Republican Party signal a continued lurch to the extreme right with conspiracy theorists representing it, but it risks becoming obsolete in a nation where communities of color will soon be in the majority. → Read More
Rekha Basu: Chuck Grassley and I have each been wondering how age should affect our work. Only he has decided.
This is about knowing whether to stick with meaningful work you've been doing a (very) long time and feel you've mastered, or call it quits. → Read More
I’ve had a vaccine ‘passport’ since childhood. What’s all the fuss about?
"That is not normal. That's not what we do in America," Iowa state Sen. Jack Whitver declared emphatically on a recent "Iowa Press" TV show. → Read More
Enjoy your visit but leave no trace: Register cartoonist 'Ding' Darling lives on in wildlife refuge
Rekha Basu: Former Register cartoonist "Ding" Darling is namesake for a Florida refuge where birds, fish and mangrove all have functions and quirks. → Read More
How to live carefree in a pandemic: Denial, conspiracy theories, government inaction
Until the president and governors stop pandering to businesses and conspiracy theorists, numbers will keep rising. → Read More
Why rally for black lives in white, rural Grundy Center? 'White lives aren't daily in danger'
Young people are returning to rural Iowa to raise families after living, interacting with other groups - and stirring old-timers to broaden their view → Read More
Krause company shows good corporate citizenship to tenants during a time of uncertainty
The rental company knew some tenants were struggling to make payments on their apartments. So it's giving them May for free. → Read More
COVID-19 exposes visa stresses on doctors, their employers and under-served patients
An Indian-born doctor trained in a U.S. residency program who works in an underserved part of Iowa faces a 55- year wait for permanent U.S. residency. → Read More
Did Maytag Family Foundation deliberately support a white supremacist outfit for 17 years?
The donations from the longtime Newton charity total $1.125 million. Foundation board members did not respond to requests for comment. → Read More
Don't take president's word on the coronavirus. Heed medical experts, take precautions.
From calling it tamer than the flu to planning a rally when health officials discourage crowds, Trump undermines legitimate coronavirus concerns. → Read More
Voters of color, especially blacks, are proving critical to Democrats' electoral prospects
Democratic candidates for president are learning the folly of ignoring black voters and their priorities, writes Rekha Basu. → Read More
Does winning count if it's for the wrong reasons or announced too late? That's up to us
If a tree falls and no one hears it, did it make a noise? If a president subverts the law without penalty and claims victory, did he win? → Read More
How closely have you followed the caucus candidates? Can you tell who said what?
Which presidential candidate said: "What you shouldn't be doing is just going over the fence to give your dictator next door a hot dish.” Take my test. → Read More
Democratic party chair reassures anxious 2016 caucusgoers: 2020 will be a better experience
Complaints about irregularities in 2016 Democratic caucus vote counts spawned changes this year. But criticisms of Iowa's first-place status grow. → Read More
What the candidates needed to show caucusgoers in Democratic debate — and how they did
Biden needed to show he can sway younger voters. Sanders needed to overcome a reported woman-can't-win comment. Warren needed to show she's relatable. → Read More
National View: Biden can make this a teachable moment
I believe Lucy Flores.I also believe Joe Biden.Those are the easy parts, since the facts about what happened between them in 2014, when Biden was helping Flores campaign for lieutenant governor of Nevada, aren't in dispute. Biden says he doesn't remember, but neither does he deny her claims. → Read More