By Christine Bricker, Ph.D., Iowa City Imagine if a weatherman said there was a 50 percent chance of rain a month from today. You might believe him. Now imagine his prediction went up to 80 percent. Would you still buy it, or would it seem a tad extreme? Now imagine he told you that he […]
Eastern Iowa
Posted inArts & Entertainment
Karina Longworth will talk Old Hollywood bisexuals at two screenings of classic films in Iowa
Karina Longworth, the writer, film historian and voice behind the podcast You Must Remember This, will be stopping at Varsity Cinema in Des Moines and FilmScene in Iowa City in the days ahead to tour the latest season of the show, titled “The Bisexuals.” First launched in 2014, You Must Remember This features diligent research […]
Posted inArts & Entertainment
Seeking a Dylan for the Trump era, Lucinda Williams decided to give it a shot herself: ‘Somebody had to do it’
When the current chapter of political chaos began swirling around us two years ago, famed singer-songwriter Lucinda Williams knew something important was missing. The kind of music that had marked the political activism of her youth was not there. She decided that, as a songwriter, that was a thing she could do something about. Williams […]
Posted inCommunity/News
‘I could have won the Vietnam War in a week’: At Dubuque rally, Trump comments on Hinson’s body, calls football ‘boring as hell’; Lahn joins in xenophobia
“This isn’t rambling. This isn’t rambling,” President Trump said 80 minutes into his rambling performance on stage in Dubuque on Sunday. “This is genius, if you want to know.” The event — announced on Oct. 15, canceled on Oct. 29 and reannounced less than 24 hours later — was the longest rally Trump has done […]
Posted inArts & Entertainment
Willis Alan Ramsey on skipping his second album, filling a drawer with white whales and learning to ‘just let it live’
Willis Alan Ramsey was only 21 when he released his self-titled debut album in 1972. Its best-known song, “Muskrat Candlelight,” became a major hit as “Muskrat Love” recorded by Captain & Tennille. The album also made a profound impression on a young Lyle Lovett, who learned every song, attended Ramsey’s shows and even bought the […]
Posted inArts & Entertainment
Review: Translation, touch and catastrophe spark conversations onscreen and off at Refocus 2026
The fifth iteration of the Refocus Film Festival in Iowa City has drawn to a close, and it was certainly one to write home about. With a turnout approximately 35 percent bigger than last year, it was a tremendous weekend of installations, book readings, live performances and, of course, movies. Night one of the fest […]
Posted inCommunity/News
Rob Sand encourages UI students to be ‘part of this movement’ and change the direction of the state
“We have one week to change the direction of the state of Iowa,” Rob Sand said at a get-out-the-vote event in Iowa City on Wednesday afternoon. “… So I’m asking you, think about what you’re doing the rest of this week, think about what you’re doing this weekend, think about what you’re doing next week.” […]
Posted inLetters
Letter to the editor: We’re calling on UIPD to divest from unethical corporations that support ICE
A petition by the Young Democratic Socialists of America at the University of Iowa The University of Iowa Police Department (UIPD) operates multiple automated license plate reader (ALPR) cameras across campus. ALPRs gather data on all vehicles in their view by taking pictures of their license plates, models, and bumper stickers — storing this data […]
Posted inCommunity/News
A day at the World’s Largest Truck Stop
It’s a little after 9 a.m. in the Iowa 80 Kitchen. The waitress, dropping my plate of biscuits and eggs on the table, says, “Hope you like gravy,” and boy, is she not kidding. Ahead of me: 12 hours in the 220-acre Walcott truck stop that claims the mantle of “World’s Largest.” Iowa 80 opened […]
Posted inLetters
Letter to the editor: The process of solving ICCSD’s budget crisis is off to a bad start
I am writing to express my extreme disappointment with the first session of the Board Ad Hoc Attendance Boundary Analysis Committee on Thursday, Oct. 15. What took place was not productive or useful.
Posted inArts & Entertainment
Scaring and caring go hand in skeletal hand at this homemade Iowa City haunt
Alex Rain, the artist behind Alex’s House of Horrors, started 28 years ago with a single Frankenstein figure, who can still be spotted along the spooky walk between the front and back of their home. Rain’s creations range from local landmarks (The Black Angel) to figures from Greek myths to the delightfully, horrifyingly gory. Rain […]
Posted inArts & Entertainment
Fully Booked at ICPL: Test-drive Switch 2 games from the library
The Iowa City Public Library’s video game collection is leveling up with the addition of Nintendo Switch 2 games! The collection features everything from Switch 2 exclusives to remakes and remasters of classics. Two games in the collection that I’ve personally enjoyed are Donkey Kong Bananza and Splatoon Raiders. Gaming’s most famous ape makes his […]
