Long before I-80 cut a clear path through the state — and before any asphalt, rubber tires, railways or virtually any infrastructure existed to aid westward travelers — crossing the […]
Emma McClatchey
Pour things from Iowa breweries to imbibe this Oscar season
We’ve paired a pair of Iowa-made beers with each of this year’s Best Picture contenders so no matter who wins, you’re golden. American Fiction Bankrupt On Selling fruited sour6.4% ABVLua […]
Founders of Elkader, Iowa named their town after an Algerian freedom fighter, forging a 175-year tie to the Muslim nation
By all accounts, it’s the only U.S. city named after a Muslim hero. And it’s right here in Iowa. More than 100 years before the Geneva Convention codified in international […]
Keith Haring left his mark on Iowa City. Thirty-five years later, it will go on public display for the first time.
From kindergarten through sixth grade, I spent countless hours staring at a wall in the Horn Elementary School library, daydreaming while an adult read a book to the class. Far […]
Every book removed from Iowa schools (so far) in response to SF 496
Gov. Kim Reynolds signed SF 496 into law in May, after it was pushed through the Iowa Legislature with only Republican votes. Among the bill’s provisions is a requirement that […]
Self-styled ‘Iowa witch’ Kari Lake is hoping her MAGA mission from God will lead to D.C.
These days, Iowa-raised Trump ally Kari Lake is best known for losing — and refusing to concede — her 2022 bid for Arizona governor. But in May 2016, Lake was […]
Five questions with Julia Jessen, the Cedar Rapids Museum of Art’s new lead curator
Since she started as the Cedar Rapids Museum of Art’s lead curator in July, Julia Jessen has been exploring their 8,000-piece permanent collection, scouring shelves, drawers and boxes in preparation […]
10 Iowa-made beverages that belong in a beer garden this fall
’Tis the season of Oktoberfests, tailgates, haunted houses, film festivals and some of the best beer releases of the year. Starting in mid-August, Iowa brewers begin announcing the debut of […]
‘They’re devastated. I’m shocked’: Iowa River Power Restaurant is closing
Iowa River Power Restaurant is closing its doors in November. And while it’s possible the restaurant may reopen after the owner of its building finishes a major renovation project of […]
Amid an anti-LGBTQ culture war in Iowa schools, the GSA is safe space — with constitutional protections
If you’ve seen a student-organized drag show or queer rights protest over the past couple decades, odds are a GSA is behind it. GSAs — gender-sexuality alliances — serve as […]
Letter to the editor: School districts should stand up to Iowa’s legislative bullies
I’m a glasses-wearing college professor, so no one is surprised when I tell them I was a nerdy kid. Like a lot of nerdy kids, I got bullied in school […]
Cooling centers around the Des Moines metro and Ames
It’s hot. Really hot. On Thursday, around 150 million Americans were under heat alerts, with temperatures across the Midwest exceeding 100 degrees Fahrenheit. “Even those places that are used to […]