Last year, after the longest government shutdown in U.S. history, Congress finally passed a stopgap funding bill — and ignited a ticking timebomb for the billion-dollar THC beverage industry. A provision slipped into the bill at the last minute changes federal law to effectively ban hemp-derived cannabis (delta-9) products starting Nov. 12, 2026. Even the […]
Emma McClatchey
Posted inEastern Iowa
Where the grass is greener: 10 dispensaries just over the border in Illinois
Since Illinois legalized recreational marijuana in 2020, dozens upon dozens of state-licensed dispensaries have opened or expanded beyond medicinal offerings in the Land of Lincoln. As a result, Iowans willing to hop over the Mississippi for the boutique weed-buying experience have more options than ever. THC products cannot be legally transported across state lines. This […]
Posted inCommunity/News
A cult in Iowa helped hide Yoko Ono’s daughter from her for years: ‘We never talked about my mom and John’
For a pair of prominent anti-war activists, John Lennon and Yoko Ono had many battles to fight in 1971. Upon their move to America, they faced the ire of bitter (and often racist and misogynistic) Beatles fans, investigations by the FBI, deportation attempts by the Nixon administration and pressure to either manifest or temper the […]
Posted inCommunity/News
Seize the means of water testing with a free kit from Nitrate Watch
I wasn’t great at science in high school. Following a set of basic lab protocols was somehow harder for me than memorizing the entirety of “We Didn’t Start the Fire” by Billy Joel. I scored even worse on the science portion of the ACT than the math portion, which is saying something. That said, I love […]
Posted inCommunity/News
A guide to Iowa nonprofits tackling the biggest issues of our time
“When Americans think of freedom, we usually imagine a contest between a lone individual and a powerful government,” writes Timothy Snyder in his treatise On Tyranny — an Antifa 101 reading assignment, if there ever was one. “This is all well and good. But one element of freedom is the choice of associates, and one […]
Posted inFood & Drink
Iowa beer picks to match your Halloween costume
Don’t know what to be for Halloween? These costumes pair perfectly with a beer from one of Iowa’s devilishly talented craft breweries. Illustrations by Emma McClatchey; beer can images courtesy of the breweries A Witch Witch Slap (6% ABV), Clock House Brewing Whether you’re Elphaba, Glinda or some Etsy curse merchant, this year-round hazy IPA […]
Posted inArts & Entertainment
Five questions with Jordan Klepper of ‘The Daily Show’, a MAGA mediator during Iowa caucuses, Jan. 6 and Trump’s ‘weird, dark’ second term
Jordan Klepper is more determined than ever to wrap his mind around the MAGA mindset. A Daily Show correspondent since 2014 (with a two-year hiatus at the start of Trump’s first term that yielded the TV special Jordan Klepper Solves Guns and his own late-night news satire, The Opposition), Klepper is currently one of the storied program’s regular rotating hosts.
Posted inCommunity/News
At a cult compound in rural Iowa, death prayers and doomsday prep gave way to ‘natural’ health grifts and costly tests of faith
On Dec. 12, 1972, cult leader John Robert Stevens made a big announcement: he was a time traveler. “I had a real meeting with the Lord,” Stevens told his followers in the Living Word Fellowship (LWF), also called the Walk. “During this meeting, I was projected seven years ahead of the present time. It was […]
Posted inEastern Iowa
Photos: Iowans recreate Civil War encampments, battles and the Gettysburg Address at annual Muster on the Maquoketa
Iowa may have been the scene of only one minor skirmish during the Civil War, but historians and live-action roleplayers stage battles in the state annually to highlight Iowa’s larger role in the fight to end slavery and preserve the union. The Jackson County Historical Society gathered historians, schoolkids and dozens of Civil War reenactors […]
Posted inCommunity/News
Iowa Youth Writing Project is in talks to ‘find a new home’ after UI axing
Two weeks after the University of Iowa College of Liberal Arts and Sciences’ sudden announcement that the Iowa Youth Writing Project would not continue in 2026, IYWP shared a hopeful message with its community. The UI-based arts outreach org is “currently in the process of setting up meetings with folks inside and outside of UI […]
Posted inArts & Entertainment
‘Waitress,’ ‘Witch’ and ‘The SpongeBob Musical’ rack up honors at the Cloris Awards in Des Moines
Creepy, bubbly, romantic, epic — the past year of Des Moines theater productions offered something for every mood. On Sunday, some of the actors, behind-the-scenes crew and theater companies that brought these shows to life were honored with glass plaques at the 2025 Cloris Awards ceremony. Hoyt Sherman Place hosted the 10th annual local theater […]
Posted inArts & Entertainment
Refuel at these restaurants within walking distance of Iowa museums
Don’t let hunger cut your museum visit short. These local eateries are mere blocks away from some of Iowa’s coolest culture centers. Listed hours are may vary. IOWA CITY Stanley Museum of Art 160 W Burlington St, Iowa CityAlso nearby: Old Capitol Museum, UI Museum of Natural History Le Gourmet Korean Restaurant 201 S Clinton […]
