You might recall the Stamp Act from 5th grade social studies. Passed on March 22, 1765, it was the mechanism used by the British to fund the standing troops lingering in the American colonies after the Seven Years’ War. In practice, the Stamp Act required that colonists pay a tax on all paper products, ranging […]
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Posted inCommunity/News
A guide to Iowa nonprofits tackling the biggest issues of our time
“When Americans think of freedom, we usually imagine a contest between a lone individual and a powerful government,” writes Timothy Snyder in his treatise On Tyranny — an Antifa 101 reading assignment, if there ever was one. “This is all well and good. But one element of freedom is the choice of associates, and one […]
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Father Guillermo Treviño, a leading advocate for immigrants and workers in eastern Iowa, dies at 39
Father Guillermo Treviño, Jr., pastor of St. Joseph Catholic Church in West Liberty, died on Friday. His sister, Mariela Treviño-Luna, said in a social media post on Friday evening that Treviño had died unexpectedly after a brief illness caused by complications from diabetes. He was 39 years old. In addition to his pastoral duties in […]
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Wellmark celebrates as judge in lawsuit temporarily restricts parts of Iowa law regulating prescription drug cost negotiators
Iowa’s law putting new regulations on pharmacy benefits managers is temporarily blocked from enforcement for Wellmark Blue Cross-Blue Shield health plans and insurance policies. Chief U.S. District Judge Stephanie Rose issued a temporary injunction last week in the case, brought earlier this month by Iowa’s largest health insurer against the state insurance commissioner. The case […]
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Final weekend for early voting before Nov. 4 election: Locations and hours
Early in-person voting for the Nov. 4 city and school election will take place this weekend in Johnson, Linn and Story Counties. Many other counties — including Polk, Black Hawk, Dubuque and Scott won’t have a voting location open on either Saturday or Sunday, but in every county, the auditor’s office will be open for […]
Posted inArts & Entertainment
An art writer with a true crime obsession, Rachel Corbett used her new book to delve into the dark history of criminal profiling
In her latest book The Monsters We Make, author and journalist (and Iowa native) Rachel Corbett dives deep into the dark history of criminal profiling as “a tool for social control,” our collective appetite for true crime entertainment and her own personal history with, as she puts it, “an early father-figure [who] committed an unconscionable act of violence.”
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Appeals court sides with Trump, letting him move his Iowa Poll lawsuit back to state court
In a split decision on Friday, a three-member panel of the 8th Circuit Court of Appeals sided with Donald Trump, overturning a lower court ruling and clearing the way for Trump to move his lawsuit over the final Iowa Poll of the 2024 election back to state court. Last December, then-President-elect Trump filed a lawsuit […]
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Rep. Mariannette Miller-Meeks touts role in firing of teacher over Charlie Kirk remarks
Rep. Mariannette Miller-Meeks, speaking to supporters at a fundraiser in Iowa City on Friday, claimed credit for her involvement in the firing of an Oskaloosa teacher over remarks about slain conservative activist Charlie Kirk. Miller-Meeks, speaking at her fifth annual tailgate fundraiser, said there’s “a lot at stake” in the upcoming election. To show voters […]
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Appeals court upholds injunction against Reynolds’ attempt to create state-level deportation system; ICE deports Des Moines high school student
On Thursday, a three-judge panel of the 8th Circuit Court of Appeals upheld a preliminary injunction stopping an attempt by Gov. Kim Reynolds and Republican leaders in the legislature to create a state-level deportation program in Iowa. SF 2340, passed with only Republican votes, made it a state crime for a person to be in […]
Posted inCentral Iowa
Trial date set for Ian Roberts; Rob Sand announces audit of DMPS
On Wednesday, a federal magistrate judge set a trial date for Ian Roberts, the former Des Moines Public School Superintendent. Roberts is charged with illegally possessing firearms while being in the country without legal authorization, and for knowingly making a false statement on a federal form he submitted to the Des Moines School Board. Magistrate […]
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After record-setting rallies across the country, Trump and Joni Ernst dismiss No Kings Day protesters as paid and ‘whacked out’
On Saturday, millions of Americans around the country, including more than 12,000 people across Iowa, took part in the No Kings Day of Peaceful Protest. Thousands filled the Pentacrest in Iowa City, and a crowd of similar size gathered at the Iowa State Capitol in Des Moines. In Cedar Rapids, thousands lined 8th Avenue SE […]
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GOP federal candidates outraise Democrats in Iowa — with one exception
Though there have been many shake-ups in Iowa heading into the 2026 campaign season, Republican candidates have largely kept their fundraising leads in Iowa’s U.S. Senate and House races, according to the most recent Federal Election Commission reports. Iowa will have open races for two U.S. House seats, as well as for governor and U.S. […]
