Being an Iowan has been difficult for those of us who love our home and are horrified by its policies. Art Cullen, in his new book Dear Marty, We Crapped In Our Nest (Ice Cube Press), lays bare the complicated web of events that made it this way…
Statewide
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Sierra Club report gives Iowa utilities an F for clean energy plans
Iowa utilities, along with the majority of utilities across the country, scored an F grade in a report from the Sierra Club that rates utilities’ plans to transition to clean energy and to meet increased demand rates through 2035. Iowa utility companies said the report “oversimplifies utility planning” and that they are still striving for […]
Posted inArts & Entertainment
‘Clarence Darrow’, a play about the storied American lawyer, is coming to five Iowa cities in October
“History repeats itself — that’s one of the things wrong with history,” Clarence Darrow once said. Darrow, who died in 1938 at age 80, understood history, or at least how to make it. The most famous trial lawyer of his era, he mounted eloquent and ingenious defenses for the accused in some of the biggest […]
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Republicans mourn Charlie Kirk, compare his murder to abortion at Iowa Faith and Freedom Coalition fundraiser
The death of conservative activist Charlie Kirk — and the national response — was a major talking point Saturday at the Iowa Faith and Freedom Coalition fall banquet for GOP speakers, who said his shooting was a call to action for Republicans. U.S. Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem, U.S. Sen. Bernie Moreno of Ohio and […]
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Iowa public universities to investigate employee social media posts about Charlie Kirk death
After hours of closed discussion, the Iowa Board of Regents directed state universities Wednesday to investigate social media posts allegedly made by university employees relating to rightwing influencer Charlie Kirk and his death. The board began its first meeting of the fall semester with a closed session, added to the agenda after multiple Iowa State […]
Posted inArts & Entertainment
Iowa theater companies aren’t afraid to unsettle as they hold a mirror up to our times
Let’s start this survey of Iowa’s local theater landscape with a bit of a dramatic flourish: The start of the COVID-19 pandemic was half a decade ago. Apologies if that messes with your tethering to time, but I bring it up for a reason. When looking at the last five years of local theater output, […]
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Sioux City roofer held in jail by ICE sues over being denied a bond hearing
An Iowa man who claims he is being held in jail while facing deportation, without the opportunity to argue for release on bond, is suing county and federal officials for alleged violations of his due process rights. The lawsuit, filed in U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Iowa, alleges the actions of federal […]
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‘I’m looking forward to getting to work’: Catelin Drey sworn in as the newest member of the Iowa Senate, ending the Republican supermajority
Catelin Drey officially became a member of the Iowa Senate on Monday, taking her oath of office at the State Capitol. “There is something very humbling about taking the official oath to uphold the Constitution of the United States and the state of Iowa at a moment when it feels like that has become increasingly […]
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Ashley Hinson pledges loyalty to Trump, throws Zach Wahls a jab at Senate campaign kickoff
U.S. Rep. Ashley Hinson, officially launching her U.S. Senate campaign in Cedar Rapids on Sunday, said Iowa Republicans can’t be complacent in 2026 if they want President Donald Trump to be able to accomplish his agenda. The Marion Republican announced her run earlier in September, hours after U.S. Sen. Joni Ernst said she would not […]
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EPA withdraws proposed rule for stricter water pollution guidelines at meat packing plants
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency has withdrawn a January 2024 proposed rule that would have reduced the discharge of nutrients and pollutants from meat packing plants and slaughterhouses. The agency said it chose to withdraw the rules in an effort to prioritize the nation’s food supply and to keep food prices down. The proposed rules […]
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Rob Sand talks water quality, trans rights and ‘tables in Des Moines that need flipping’ on the campaign trail
Not everyone at Field Day Brewing in North Liberty last Thursday night was there to see Rob Sand, something he acknowledged as he started the Johnson County stop on his 100 Town Hall Tour. Some people were just there to eat, which is why the clatter of knives and forks on plates was the background […]
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More Republican candidates join 2nd and 4th District congressional primaries
Two more Republican candidates, Joe Mitchell and Christian Schlaefer, have declared their campaigns for congressional seats in Iowa. The GOP primary race for Iowa’s 2nd Congressional District opened up last week when incumbent U.S. Rep. Ashley Hinson entered the 2026 U.S. Senate race after U.S. Sen. Joni Ernst announced she would not seek reelection. Following Hinson’s announcement, several Republicans expressed […]
