JOHNSTON, IOWA (September 17, 2019) — Season 13 of Woodsmith Shop will feature more woodworking projects, tips, and techniques than ever before, all with the fine craftsmanship that viewers love to see in the workshop. The new season premieres Tuesday, October 1, at 6:30PM, on statewide Iowa Public Television. New episodes will air weekly throughout the fall.

On September 14, US president Donald Trump tweeted (of course) the suggestion of a US-Israel "Mutual Defense Treaty," citing a call with Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu. Hopefully there's less going on here than meets the eye: The tweet may just be another mutual publicity back-scratch of the type Trump and Netanyahu frequently exchange when they find themselves in political pickles. And Netanyahu is likely in the biggest such pickle of his career.

"Imagine what would be possible right now with ideas that are bold enough to meet the challenges of our time, but big enough, as well, that they could unify the American people [like the 9/11 attacks did]," said South Bend, Indian mayor Pete Buttigieg in his opening statement at the September 12 Democratic presidential nomination debate. "That's what presidential leadership can do. That's what the presidency is for."

National Security Advisor John Bolton became the latest American casualty of Washington's 18-year war in Afghanistan on September 10, fired by US president Donald Trump shortly after Trump announced that he had planned, but was canceling, a meeting with Taliban leaders at Camp David to ink a "peace deal."