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The independent newspaper of the University of Iowa community since 1868

The Daily Iowan

The independent newspaper of the University of Iowa community since 1868

The Daily Iowan

The independent newspaper of the University of Iowa community since 1868

The Daily Iowan

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Opinion | It is time to move on from toxic weight loss trends like Ozempic

Kennedy Lein, Opinions Contributor February 22, 2024

American culture is rapidly transitioning away from the celebration of different body types to the promotion of instantaneously shedding pounds and sunken cheeks. Ozempic, a drug originally created...

The Iowa State Capitol is seen in Des Moines on Wednesday, Jan. 10, 2024.

Opinion | A new Iowa “Religious Freedom” bill could protect discriminatory actions

Natalie Nye, Opinions Columnist February 21, 2024

People should not get a pass to discriminate in any and all cases under the guise of expressing religious beliefs. Iowa Republicans in the Iowa Senate and House have decided to push for a religious...

Photo of Margaret Kaus

Opinion | The UI’s learning assistant program expansion will benefit students

Shelley Mishra, Opinions Columnist February 20, 2024

When the first participation question popped up on the first day of a higher-level University of Iowa STEM class, I raised my hand, looked around, and waited for an undergraduate learning assistant so...

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Opinion | Iowa needs to prioritize juvenile prevention and rehabilitation

Jordan Coates, Opinions Columnist February 15, 2024

In the state of Iowa, youth of color consistently continue to be disproportionately suspended in juvenile detention centers compared to their white peers. The disproportionate suspension and detention...

The American flag flies above the Old Capitol Building on Thursday, January, 24, 2019. The semester theme of "The American Dream" celebrates the diversity and perseverance of the American people.

Opinion | Iowa should not force students to sing the national anthem

Caden Bell, Opinions Columnist February 14, 2024

House Senate Bill 587 was introduced in the Iowa Legislature in January that would require students to sing the national anthem daily at public K-12 schools. This bill would also require social studies...

Opinion | We should follow the Amtrak way by creating a state-run airline

Opinion | We should follow the Amtrak way by creating a state-run airline

Caden Bell, Opinions Columnist February 8, 2024

Flying can be a stressful and difficult endeavor, and the airlines are no help. Passengers can often be hit with delays and left without compensation or assistance with their travel issues. Airlines...

A Young Americans for Freedom banner sits in the Iowa Memorial Union during a lecture organized by the University of Iowa Chapter of YAF for Matt Walsh’s “What Is a Woman?” documentary on Wednesday, April 19, 2023. Prior to the lecture, progressive students called for the lecture to be suspended because of Walsh’s transphobic remarks and organized protests.

Opinion | YAF’s stunning ignorance highlights need for DEI

Evan Weidl, Opinions Editor February 7, 2024

I saw a photo on the social media network YikYak on Tuesday that showed a Young Americans for Freedom poster advertising one of the conservative student group’s upcoming speaker events on the University...

Opinion I We need to crack down on kids’ screen times

Opinion I We need to crack down on kids’ screen times

Shelley Mishra, Opinions Columnist February 7, 2024

The current abundant presence of screens in an average household gives us a common scenario: A child is engrossed in a screen, the parent snatches it away, and the child throws tantrums. Even if...

Iowa Gov. Kim Reynolds opens the Faith and Freedom Presidential Town Hall at the Iowa Events Center on Sept. 16, 2023. The event had ten Republican candidates speak for a crowd of over 1,000. Reynolds spoke to the audience about her work on changing laws around abortion and gender-affirming care.

Opinion | The fight for transgender rights is far from over

Natalie Nye, Opinions Columnist February 6, 2024

Iowa Republican lawmakers failed to pass another anti-LGBTQ+ bill, House File 2082, which would make it legal to discriminate against transgender people. The bill would have specifically removed...

Snow falls on the University of Iowa campus in Iowa City on Friday, Jan. 12, 2024. A snowstorm swept across Iowa on Jan. 9, and Iowa City reported 15 inches of snow as of 8 p.m. that day. Several more inches of snow covered Iowa City on Friday.

Opinion | Seasonal depression shouldn’t be dismissed as ‘winter blues’

Shelley Mishra, Opinions Contributor January 31, 2024

When the much-awaited winter break approaches, students usually anticipate catching up on sleep or binge-watching their favorite shows after a semester loaded with assignments, projects, and exams. Sometimes,...

UI graduate instructors John Jespen (Department of History) and Kassie Baron (Department of English), and associate professor Megan Knight (Department of Rhetoric) discuss why they will only teach online classes in the upcoming semester during a press conference over Zoom on Tuesday, August 4, 2020. They say returning to campus is a health risk for students and faculty, as well as members of the community.

Opinion | The ‘pandemic skip’ has left many lost and confused

Kennedy Lein, Opinions Contributor January 30, 2024

I may be about to graduate college, but the drastic effects of the pandemic have left me feeling like I am still 17 years old. The COVID-19 pandemic caused a widespread, uneasy feeling of lost time...

Iowa Gov. Kim Reynolds opens the Faith and Freedom Presidential Town Hall at the Iowa Events Center on Sept. 16, 2023. The event had ten Republican candidates speak for a crowd of over 1,000. Reynolds spoke to the audience about her work on changing laws around abortion and gender-affirming care.

Opinion | Iowa’s hungry kids deserve better

Evan Weidl, Opinions Editor January 25, 2024

For Iowa Gov. Kim Reynolds, “taking candy from a baby” is not so much a figure of speech as it is a legislative goal. Last month, Iowa state officials announced the state would not participate in...