Washington, D.C
Sponsored: Collaboration wins: Community leaders unify in Washington, D.C.
Each day we lead efforts to champion and promote the projects, products and people in our communities and throughout the region to support economic resiliency and growth.
We are a region rich with stories, like our aviation history that began with the Wright Brothers living here, to world-renowned education institutes producing great authors and athletes, to welcoming immigrants who’ve been at the foundation of many of our communities.
There is no shortage of stories that allow us to champion and promote the region.
Our stories came in handy earlier this month when we brought a regional delegation of business and community leaders to Washington, D.C., to advocate and promote our region and the communities within.
Some ask, “Why do you do this together?” or “Why stand behind another’s priorities that don’t directly impact your particular business or community?”
The simple fact is that the business community faces many common challenges, and, more importantly, has the same goals. We all want to see our communities thrive, our businesses grow and our workers and future workers succeed.
In public policy advocacy, there is power in numbers.
Together, we are represented by four federally elected officials, who are members of 11 powerful congressional committees, including Finance, Small Business, Appropriations, and Energy and Commerce.
Together, the Cedar Rapids Metro Economic Alliance and Greater Iowa City Inc. represent more than 4,000 business members that collectively employ over 100,000 workers.
We went to Washington with one unified bipartisan voice and message: championing each other’s projects and priorities to uplift our entire region.
As a group, we advocated for policies that will allow our region to attract and retain a skilled workforce and our businesses to remain competitive, including pushing to increase Pell Grant funding so more students have access to high-demand post-secondary degrees and training, including the trades.
We sought support for a joint grant application between the Eastern Iowa Airport (CID), Kirkwood Community College and Coe College to further their innovative efforts to build the aviation workforce pipeline.
We shared stories of how Collins Aerospace, as well as their local small business suppliers, will benefit from visa reform that will increase the number of high-skilled workers coming to our region.
Our region has proven that strong public-private partnerships have contributed to the growth of our communities, including new investments to plan for increasing our populations.
We urged continued support for crucial Eastern Iowa infrastructure projects that spur economic development and further our ability to remain competitive, including Forevergreen Road expansion, the Burlington Street Bridge replacement and completing Tower Terrace Road.
The return on investment of this trip goes beyond financial or monetary outcomes to the rich relationships we continue to build. We spent considerable time talking with our diligent and dedicated federal staff, hosted a reception promoting our region to 75 D.C.-based professionals with a connection to Eastern Iowa, and built stronger connections with each other.
Time is your friend when you travel as a group. Normally, you don’t have the chance to spend so much “off-time” with the mayor of a neighboring town, or see a small businessperson share a conversation with a university official at the Congressional Baseball Game for Charity or meet a recently retired Marine who attended our celebratory reception and is interested in returning home to Iowa.
Two quick days in our nation’s capital brought all that and more. We welcome all who wish to join our efforts. By showcasing our region as cohesive and collaborative, we will continue to achieve great things and have even more stories to tell.
Nancy Bird is president and CEO of Greater Iowa City Inc. Doug Neumann is the executive director of the Cedar Rapids Metro Economic Alliance.
Opinion content represents the viewpoint of the author or The Gazette editorial board. You can join the conversation by submitting a letter to the editor or guest column or by suggesting a topic for an editorial to editorial@thegazette.com
‘No Kings’ protests across DC
Thousands of people took to the streets of Washington, D.C., and across the U.S. on Saturday to protest President Donald Trump’s administration as part of massive “No Kings” protests.
WASHINGTON – Washington, D.C., and the surrounding DMV area are set to host the third major “No Kings” march and rally this Saturday, March 28, 2026, as part of a wave of nationwide demonstrations planned for the same day.
Event details:
Organized locally by area chapters of Indivisible and allied grassroots groups, the event aims to draw protesters to downtown Washington and surrounding counties to oppose policies of the Trump administration and to voice broader concerns about civil rights and democratic norms.
The march will kick off at 10 a.m., with participants gathering at Memorial Circle near Arlington Cemetery, with additional access from the Blue Line or nearby parking at the Fashion Centre at Pentagon City, according to the event organizers. There is no public parking in the immediate area, but participants can be dropped off at the circle.
People take part in a “No Kings” protest in Washington, D.C., the United States, on Oct. 18, 2025. (Photo by Li Rui/Xinhua via Getty Images)
From there, the procession will head across the Memorial Bridge into Washington, D.C., passing the Lincoln Memorial and continuing on to the Washington Monument.
At the conclusion of the march, participants can walk to a downtown rally, from 1:30 p.m. to 4 p.m.
A broader movement
Big picture view:
A nationwide series of “No Kings” protests is set for March 28—over 3,000 events are scheduled.
These protests are organized by groups including Indivisible and the broader 50501 Movement, which have coordinated previous actions in June and October 2025 that drew millions of participants nationwide, including in Washington, D.C.
Other ‘No Kings’ rallies in the DMV
Dig deeper:
In addition to the main rally in downtown D.C., several other demonstrations tied to “No Kings 3” are scheduled around the DMV this Saturday.
In Arlington, Virginia, activists are organizing a march across the Memorial Bridge beginning at 10 a.m., with protesters expected to continue into West Potomac Park before joining larger crowds in the District proper, for example.
There are hundreds of “No Kings” events scheduled to take place this Saturday throughout the DMV. You can click here to find a list of all of them.
The Source: Information from “No Kings” organizers, Indivisible, Mobilize and previous FOX 5 DC reporting.
ASHEVILLE, N.C. (FOX Carolina) – The Great Mother March has begun a 500-mile pilgrimage from Asheville, North Carolina, to Washington, D.C.
Organizers said the 32-day journey is a women’s empowerment pilgrimage inspired by the Buddhist monks’ Walk for Peace.
“This is a universal movement,” founder Whitney Freya, an artist, author and sacred activist, said. “Everyone has a mother. Every tradition reveres a Great Mother. And we all depend on Mother Earth. This march is a call to honor those truths while reminding us what is possible when we move together, with intention, hope, and love.”
The march is expected to end April 22, Earth Day, when participants reach the steps of the U.S. Capitol.
Here’s a look at the group’s route:
Organizers said the group will walk alongside the Appalachian Mountains through rural communities in North Carolina and Virginia, with planned stops including Black Mountain, Old Fort, Marion, Linville and Boone, North Carolina.
From there, the group plans to travel via Todd and West Jefferson, North Carolina, and the River Country Campground along the New River, to the Peace Pentagon near Independence, Virginia.
The marchers are expected to arrive in Galax, Virginia, on April 1, then continue to Hillsville, Floyd, Ferrum and Rocky Mount, arriving in Rocky Mount on April 5.
The group is expected to reach Lynchburg on April 9 and travel up U.S. 29 to Waynesboro, arriving April 12.
Organizers said the marchers plan to arrive in Charlottesville on April 13 and spend April 14 at IX Art Park to rest and prepare for the final leg to Washington.
From Charlottesville, the group plans overnight stops in Barboursville, Orange, Culpeper and Warrenton, Virginia, before arriving in Manassas on April 19. Additional stops include the Workhouse Arts Center in Lorton, Virginia, and Alexandria, Virginia, ahead of the group’s arrival in Washington on April 22.
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A U.S. Park Police officer was shot in Washington, D.C., while on duty, according to a statement from the agency.
Park Police said the officer was shot at 7:30 p.m. on Monday in Southeast Washington on Queens Stroll Pl.
The officer has been transported to a local hospital, officials said.
The circumstances of the shooting are unclear. A Park Police spokesperson told ABC News the officer has non-life-threatening injuries.
Attorney General Pam Bondi said on X that she has spoken to D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser and Metropolitan Police Chief Jeffery Carroll and was briefed on the shooting.
“Please pray for the officer’s recovery,” the attorney general said.
This is a developing story. Please check back for updates.
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