Maria Bamford is a bit of a lightning bug. Not that she’s small in any way. She has flown through decades of the dark, between her own struggles with mental illness, the rigors of Hollywood and whatever perils modern life throws her way. How she flies is hilarious, but how she lands is divine. As […]
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Posted inCommunity/News
ACLU sues State of Iowa in federal court on behalf of the Satanic Temple, alleging religious discrimination
On behalf of The Satanic Temple, the ACLU of Iowa filed a federal lawsuit Thursday alleging the state has blocked the temple’s rights to free speech, nondiscrimination and religious exercise. The lawsuit, filed in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Iowa, stems from the state’s repeated refusal to grant permission for the […]
Posted inElection Coverage
Campaigning for Zach Nunn, Steve Scalise compares Sarah Trone Garriott to winning candidates in New York, Michigan
U.S. House Majority Leader Steve Scalise linked Iowa Sen. Sarah Trone Garriott, the Democrat running for Iowa’s 3rd Congressional District, with candidates affiliated with the Democratic Socialists of America — though she is not associated with the organization — as he spoke to Republicans in Iowa Wednesday in support of Rep. Zach Nunn’s reelection. Scalise, […]
Posted inCommunity/News
Four programs helping immigrants, refugees and underserved Iowans grow a farm business
Iowa has farmland in abundance, but astonishingly little of that land is used to grow food for humans — especially not food for Iowans. It’s too bad, because the state is full of folks with the skills and desire to nourish their community, and support their family in the process. Many of these would-be farmers […]
Posted inCommunity/News
Legal challenge to Iowa’s school book ban enters a new phase
Penguin Random House and eight co-plaintiffs have renewed their legal challenge to Iowa’s school book ban. The coalition of the country’s largest publishing houses, the Author’s Guild, two bestselling authors whose works have been pulled from school libraries because of the ban, and an Urbandale High School alum who was still a student when Gov. […]
Posted inCommunity/News
Democrats running in Iowa’s competitive 1st and 3rd Districts release first TV ads
Iowa Democrats running in two of the country’s most competitive U.S. House districts have released their first television campaign ads of the 2026 general election cycle. On Thursday, state Sen. Sarah Trone Garriott, a Democrat who is running in Iowa’s 3rd Congressional District, released an ad titled “Quick.” The 30-second spot will begin airing on […]
Posted inCommunity/News
CDC adds Iowa to list of states affected by ‘record-setting outbreak’ of intestinal disease from contaminated lettuce
Iowa has been added to the list of states with confirmed cases of a parasite-caused gastrointestinal disease linked to contaminated iceberg lettuce, the FDA confirmed Wednesday in an update on the ongoing cyclosporiasis outbreak. The New York Times and the Washington Post had already reported on Tuesday that Iowa was one of six states with […]
Posted inCommunity/News
Despite the health crisis in Iowa and beyond, the EPA has stalled its long-planned nitrate cancer review
The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has backed off its reassessment of cancer-causing nitrates despite decades of research suggesting the contaminant is more harmful than previously thought and that nitrate pollution is at crisis levels in U.S. drinking water. The agency would not confirm the assessment was canceled, but the work has been stagnant for more […]
Posted inCommunity/News
After resisting pressure from Zach Nunn and RFK Jr. to drop his bid for Congress, Libertarian Marco Battaglia leaves anyway, citing medical emergency
Libertarian Marco Battaglia is no longer seeking a place on the November ballot as a candidate for the U.S. House in Iowa’s 3rd Congressional District. Battaglia, who was in his fourth run for office, has given up his campaign due to a medical emergency, according to a statement on Monday from the Libertarian Party of […]
Posted inCommunity/News
‘What did we do wrong now?’: Rural Iowa schools weigh costs of expanding ‘school choice’
As Iowa’s Education Savings Account program continues to expand to include all K-12 families, rural public school districts are still trying to determine how the scholarships will affect their classrooms, budgets and enrollment. Supporters argue ESAs give families more educational choices, while critics say the program diverts money away from public schools that remain the […]
Posted inCommunity/News
Elon Musk plans to spend millions to put Ashley Hinson in the Senate
Efforts to elect Ashley Hinson to the U.S. Senate and keep the seat held by the retiring Joni Ernst in Republican hands will get a major boost from billionaire and prominent racist Elon Musk. Axios broke the news that Musk has directed his super PAC to spend heavily to boost the chances of Republican Senate […]
Posted inArts & Entertainment
UI alum and icon Ana Mendieta is the focus of a new London art exhibition, joining a Frida Kahlo show with Iowa connections
Right now at London’s Tate Modern, there is a single room in which select works from late University of Iowa alumna Ana Mendieta are displayed on a wall directly opposite the multi-paneled painting, Conservatory (Portrait of Frida Kahlo) (1988), by late University of Iowa alumna Miriam Schapiro. And the Iowa connections don’t end there. Hanging […]
