Lyle Muller
@lylemuller.bsky.social
Freelance journalist, retired; professional adviser for Grinnell College’s Scarlet & Black. Hawkeyes. Grandpa. "A MESSY CHURCH: An Iowa Church’s Journey Through United Methodist Celebrations, Controversies" author, buy it here https://bit.ly/46YXQbh
Updated because Donald Trump brought his traveling show of lies to Iowa. open.substack.com/pub/lylemull...
The Trump tar pit’s deep hold in Iowa
The line was crossed long ago and it is getting too late to go back
open.substack.com
January 28, 2026 at 3:28 AM
Updated because Donald Trump brought his traveling show of lies to Iowa. open.substack.com/pub/lylemull...
Perspective on the border.
open.substack.com/pub/lylemull...
open.substack.com/pub/lylemull...
Road trip to the Mexican border gives perspective to immigration disputes
Meanwhile, immigration check-ins are back in Iowa
open.substack.com
January 28, 2026 at 12:27 AM
Perspective on the border.
open.substack.com/pub/lylemull...
open.substack.com/pub/lylemull...
This has been updated to reflect
The now-completed Donald Trump Iowa visit today.
open.substack.com/pub/lylemull...
The now-completed Donald Trump Iowa visit today.
open.substack.com/pub/lylemull...
The Trump tar pit’s deep hold in Iowa
The line was crossed long ago and it is getting too late to go back
open.substack.com
January 28, 2026 at 12:23 AM
This has been updated to reflect
The now-completed Donald Trump Iowa visit today.
open.substack.com/pub/lylemull...
The now-completed Donald Trump Iowa visit today.
open.substack.com/pub/lylemull...
We were lucky in Iowa City IA last September that things did not escalate into a Minneapolis-like situation during what a judge called an indefensible take-down arrest of an immigrant that someone shot video of at close range. iowacapitaldispatch.com/2026/01/26/f...
Federal judge slams Iowa ICE agents for unlawful arrest, 'misleading' actions • Iowa Capital Dispatch
A federal judge says ICE agents illegally arrested an Iowa man and then attempted to “cover their tracks” with misleading legal filings.
iowacapitaldispatch.com
January 27, 2026 at 4:08 PM
We were lucky in Iowa City IA last September that things did not escalate into a Minneapolis-like situation during what a judge called an indefensible take-down arrest of an immigrant that someone shot video of at close range. iowacapitaldispatch.com/2026/01/26/f...
Iowa’s congressional reps in DC might be losing their line back to reality after crossing it for Donald Trump, even in this astonishing time.
lylemuller.substack.com
lylemuller.substack.com
January 27, 2026 at 2:56 PM
Iowa’s congressional reps in DC might be losing their line back to reality after crossing it for Donald Trump, even in this astonishing time.
lylemuller.substack.com
lylemuller.substack.com
Life goes on for those of us fortunate to survive. Read this in anticipation of Donald Trump’s visit to Iowa today.
open.substack.com/pub/okobojiw...
open.substack.com/pub/okobojiw...
Life Goes On
…does it?
open.substack.com
January 27, 2026 at 12:08 PM
Life goes on for those of us fortunate to survive. Read this in anticipation of Donald Trump’s visit to Iowa today.
open.substack.com/pub/okobojiw...
open.substack.com/pub/okobojiw...
Act Surprised.
Prosecutors say a betting ring targeted some of the most vulnerable athletes in major American sports: players on the lowest rungs of the Division I ladder. on.wsj.com/4pZuDoc
The Easiest Play in College Basketball: Rigging Games for Gamblers
Prosecutors say a betting ring targeted some of the most vulnerable athletes in major American sports: players on the lowest rungs of the Division I ladder.
on.wsj.com
January 27, 2026 at 12:06 PM
Act Surprised.
Reposted by Lyle Muller
Pope Leo’s top U.S. ally — Cardinal Joseph Tobin — calls on Congress to defund ICE.
January 27, 2026 at 12:55 AM
Pope Leo’s top U.S. ally — Cardinal Joseph Tobin — calls on Congress to defund ICE.
Seriously, I hope Trump gets in, tells his lies, and gets out without any problems in Iowa. His enablers can then spin in peace about wind energy. First, some thoughts in a new column coming out around 6:45 Iowa time this morning.
January 27, 2026 at 6:36 AM
Seriously, I hope Trump gets in, tells his lies, and gets out without any problems in Iowa. His enablers can then spin in peace about wind energy. First, some thoughts in a new column coming out around 6:45 Iowa time this morning.
Reposted by Lyle Muller
I know it's hard to track all the threats to democracy out there right now, but this is at the top of the list.
January 26, 2026 at 1:40 AM
I know it's hard to track all the threats to democracy out there right now, but this is at the top of the list.
From October but as pertinent as ever now.
open.substack.com/pub/lylemull...
open.substack.com/pub/lylemull...
Iowa United Methodist bishop calls on Iowans to use their privileged status to help immigrants
Bishop Kennetha Bigham-Tsai and members of her cabinet visited the Cedar Rapids ICE office briefly and then heard from Iowan immigrants Tuesday, Oct. 27.
open.substack.com
January 26, 2026 at 5:24 AM
From October but as pertinent as ever now.
open.substack.com/pub/lylemull...
open.substack.com/pub/lylemull...
Reposted by Lyle Muller
A video of Alex Pretti reading out the final salute of an unnamed veteran he cared for until the end of his life in the ICU, posted to Facebook by his son.
January 25, 2026 at 1:18 AM
A video of Alex Pretti reading out the final salute of an unnamed veteran he cared for until the end of his life in the ICU, posted to Facebook by his son.
Reposted by Lyle Muller
Sad and soulful look at USA…
There's no hiding the national rot now
ICE killing two Americans exposes our longstanding moral decay.
open.substack.com
January 25, 2026 at 11:31 AM
Sad and soulful look at USA…
Another facet of the health concerns In Minneapolis. www.startribune.com/ice-immigrat...
Minnesota doctors say ICE deters patients from seeking health care
Clinics are offering telemedicine and house calls to patients who won’t leave home during the federal immigration crackdown and are running out of medicine and food.
www.startribune.com
January 25, 2026 at 1:13 AM
Another facet of the health concerns In Minneapolis. www.startribune.com/ice-immigrat...
Walz just said he is going to use the National Guard to protect Minnesotans from violence. Good Lord, civil war?
What a crock of shit. They grabbed him off the street and threw him down and kicked him in the head when he tried to help a woman up who they had knocked down. Scum, every one of them.
DHS released a statement claiming that “an agent fired defensive shots” after an individual approached CBP agents with a gun and “violently resisted” when they attempted to disarm him. DHS claims that he “wanted to do maximum damage and massacre law enforcement.” x.com/DHSgov/statu...
January 24, 2026 at 11:19 PM
Walz just said he is going to use the National Guard to protect Minnesotans from violence. Good Lord, civil war?
Act Surprised
www.nytimes.com/live/2026/us...
www.nytimes.com/live/2026/us...
Minneapolis Live Updates: Videos Appear to Contradict Federal Account of Killing
www.nytimes.com
January 24, 2026 at 11:17 PM
Act Surprised
www.nytimes.com/live/2026/us...
www.nytimes.com/live/2026/us...
Correction. The UIHC Colloton Pavilion is named after John Colloton only. Ann, however, served as a long-time community volunteer in Iowa City. facilities.uiowa.edu/named-buildi...
January 24, 2026 at 9:17 PM
Correction. The UIHC Colloton Pavilion is named after John Colloton only. Ann, however, served as a long-time community volunteer in Iowa City. facilities.uiowa.edu/named-buildi...
Many of you already read this a few weeks ago but Alex Pretti’s death and the smear campaign launched against him in death just amplifies my points. We are crumbling into unthinkable territory.
lylemuller.substack.com/p/sad-lesson...
lylemuller.substack.com/p/sad-lesson...
Sad Renee Good lesson: country’s leaders don’t care
Legal observing training for ICE check-ins just got dicier, but more are needed
lylemuller.substack.com
January 24, 2026 at 7:51 PM
Many of you already read this a few weeks ago but Alex Pretti’s death and the smear campaign launched against him in death just amplifies my points. We are crumbling into unthinkable territory.
lylemuller.substack.com/p/sad-lesson...
lylemuller.substack.com/p/sad-lesson...
And just like that, Alex Pretti is added to the sad, dark list.
x.com/joshkraushaa...
x.com/joshkraushaa...
x.com
January 24, 2026 at 7:48 PM
And just like that, Alex Pretti is added to the sad, dark list.
x.com/joshkraushaa...
x.com/joshkraushaa...
Circuit Court Justice Steven, the recipient of this letter, is an Iowa City native. Son of John Colloton, of UIHC fame as long-%term director, and his wife, Ann Colloton. The UIHC hospital Colloton Pavilion is named after the parents. Big stage for an Iowa native. x.com/annabower/st...
Anna Bower on X: "A magistrate judge found no probable cause to support arrest warrants for 5 people involved in the St. Paul church protest. DOJ appealed to the 8th Cir. That appeal led to this remarkable letter from the Chief Judge of the Minnesota district court… https://t.co/JvR1aT300A https://t.co/pdN8YEEQRj" / X
A magistrate judge found no probable cause to support arrest warrants for 5 people involved in the St. Paul church protest. DOJ appealed to the 8th Cir. That appeal led to this remarkable letter from the Chief Judge of the Minnesota district court… https://t.co/JvR1aT300A https://t.co/pdN8YEEQRj
x.com
January 24, 2026 at 7:36 PM
Circuit Court Justice Steven, the recipient of this letter, is an Iowa City native. Son of John Colloton, of UIHC fame as long-%term director, and his wife, Ann Colloton. The UIHC hospital Colloton Pavilion is named after the parents. Big stage for an Iowa native. x.com/annabower/st...
Act Surprised.
Caught directly in a lie
CNN put together a clip of JD Vance claiming ICE agents have "absolute immunity" followed by him two weeks later claiming "I didn't say that officers who engage in wrongdoing would enjoy immunity"
January 24, 2026 at 3:59 PM
Act Surprised.
From the Trump press service. Others will fact check but not Fox (news)
January 24, 2026 at 3:58 PM
From the Trump press service. Others will fact check but not Fox (news)
Nice tribute to an Iowa veteran, from Pat Kinney.
Final roll call for Waterloo Arlington tomb guard
Dennis Sommer guarded Tomb of The Unknown Soldier with U.S. Army's "Old Guard"
open.substack.com
January 24, 2026 at 3:09 PM
Nice tribute to an Iowa veteran, from Pat Kinney.