There are plans to set up a temporary street blockade and checkpoint outside the ICE field office in Cedar Rapids on Tuesday, Escucha Mi Voz Iowa was told by Department of Homeland Security officials this week. The nonprofit, which assists and advocates on behalf of immigrants, and members of the Catholic Worker have for years […]
Eastern Iowa Community/News
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 […]
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Iowa conservation group sues Trump administration over frozen AmeriCorps funding
Bur Oak Land Trust, an Iowa City-based nonprofit, joined more than a dozen groups from across the country in a lawsuit against the Trump administration for continuing to withhold funding for AmeriCorps programs. Bur Oak and 13 additional nonprofits won a preliminary injunction in July from a lawsuit in response to Department of Government Efficiency […]
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Rally planned in Iowa City to protest closure of State Historical Society research center by Reynolds administration
As the Trump administration continues its attempts to erase and rewrite history — on Tuesday, President Trump said he had “instructed my attorneys to go through the [Smithsonian] Museums” to ensure the Smithsonian is focused on “Success” and “Brightness” instead of “how bad Slavery was” — Iowans will rally on Saturday to demand the state protect […]
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Dubuque Rep. Lindsay James is the latest Democrat to enter the race to take on Ashley Hinson in 2026
Lindsay James, who represents Dubuque in the Iowa House, announced she’s running for Congress on Tuesday. James is the third Democrat actively running to replace three-term Republican Rep. Ashley Hinson in Iowa’s 2nd Congressional District. “You may know me as a state representative, but I’m also a chaplain and I work every day to live […]
Posted inEastern Iowa
As oligarchs accrue more power, Bernie Sanders brings his tour back to Iowa
Bernie Sanders is bringing his national speaking tour back to Iowa next week. The Vermont senator’s “Fighting Oligarchy: Where We Go From Here” event will be held at the River Center, South Building in Davenport on Friday, Aug. 22. Doors open at 4:30 p.m., and the first speaker is scheduled to take the stage at 7 […]
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‘I just keep thinking about it. Why us?’ Pascual Pedro Pedro thanks supporters in Iowa as protests of his deportation continue
The parking ramp across the street from the federal building in Cedar Rapids provided shade and some relief from the heat, so that’s where people started gathering before noon on Tuesday for the biggest demonstration yet in support of Pascual Pedro Pedro, a 20-year-old West Liberty resident who was suddenly and unexpectedly deported to Guatemala […]
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Le Mars school district bars religious groups from holding events on school grounds
A northwest Iowa school district has agreed to prohibit religious organizations from holding events at schools after receiving a complaint about a Christian group holding National Day of Prayer celebrations on school grounds. The Freedom From Religion Foundation (FFRF), a nonprofit organization advocating for the separation of church and state and for nonreligious people, sent […]
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University of Iowa to form new Office of Writing and Communication
The University of Iowa is working to bind its writing centers, programs and initiatives closer together with a new office. The UI announced online Thursday its launch of the Office of Writing and Communication, which will serve as a “strategic hub” and support system for the university’s writing programs. Executive Vice President and Provost Kevin […]
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‘We can do so much better’: Clint Twedt-Ball, co-founder of Matthew 25, launches a run to defeat Rep. Hinson in IA-02
Clint Twedt-Ball, co-founder of the Cedar Rapids nonprofit Matthew 25, entered the race for Congress in Iowa’s 2nd District this week. Twedt-Ball, a first-time candidate, joins Kathy Dotler, another first-time candidate and the former dean of nursing at Kirkwood Community College, in seeking the Democratic nomination to challenge three-term incumbent Republican Ashley Hinson in next […]
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AG Bird drops her lawsuit against Winneshiek County over sheriff’s Facebook post
On Friday, Attorney General Brenna Bird dropped her lawsuit over a February Facebook post by Winneshiek County Sheriff Dan Marx. Bird had been seeking to strip Winneshiek County of all state funds, unless Marx publicly disowned his Facebook post and declared his support for ICE enforcement actions, using language provided by the AG’s office. Bird […]
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Democrat Kathy Dolter launches bid for 2nd Congressional District; Rep. Lindsay James mulls a run
Democratic hopefuls are launching — or moving toward — bids to compete for the party’s nomination in Iowa’s 2nd Congressional District for the 2026 election. State Rep. Lindsay James, D-Dubuque, said Tuesday she is considering a run for the 2nd District. The 44-year-old Presbyterian pastor, currently serving her fourth term in the Iowa House, said […]
