From time to time, I come across particularly interesting or topical articles, videos and materials. Some stand out as items that may interest you, our readers, or help you understand local or national news stories. I will offer these recommendations from time to time. Here are four articles I’d recommend checking out from my Monday morning reading (in no particular order):

From CNN: “Paid parental leave elusive 25 years after Family and Medical Leave Act.” 

From the Des Moines Register: Here’s a nice tie-in to the Super Bowl viewing you did last night. “How a small Iowa town and ‘Albert the Bull’ came to star in a Super Bowl commercial.”

“Powell becoming Fed chief as economy starts to show strain.” Jerome Powell gets sworn in today as chief of the Federal Reserve. This New York Times article provides the context surrounding his new job. 

The Cedar Rapids Gazette peeked into the life of Iowa’s first acting lieutenant governor, Adam Gregg, who is months into the job after spending several years as a public defender.