Judging by their campaign platforms, they wouldn’t be out of place in the 5th District, home to Iowa’s arch-conservative representative, Steve King. But here they are, in the 2nd District Republican...

Today marks the one-year anniversary of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act. The act ushered in a new era of research across the nation that will lead us to unprecedented scientific progress. Not...

Snow emergencies in Iowa City provide a chance for UI students to cross their fingers, yearning for a snow day and a class-less day. But this year, the thought of heavy snow is more an umbrage than ever. The...

So, Washington, D.C., the Mid-Atlantic states, and the South get hit by a blizzard or two, and suddenly global climate change is a hoax. Right? Well, that’s what the political right wing seems to think....

In his Feb. 10 column, “Pro-choice missteps,” Justin Sugg not only painted all pro-choice individuals with a broad brush, but he apparently also refused to read any of the criticisms of the Focus on...

YES Urban chickens in Iowa City are not a priority for the City Council, but that doesn’t mean discussion shouldn’t continue. The council spent a good portion of last year debating the merits of...

Across the country there is a pervasive sense of frustration with government, coupled with anxiety and uncertainty about the future. A recent CBS News poll found that 62 percent of Americans think that...

I sensed a bit of frustration during President Obama’s State of the Union address last month when he said, “The longer it [the health-care overhaul] was debated, the more skeptical people became.”...

Late last summer, we were all treated to the media blockbuster regarding Iowa’s film tax-credit program and the soap-opera antics concerning millions of tax dollars going to buy questionable purchases...

Apparently, UI officials are now in the censorship business. At least that’s the contemptuous message they’re sending with the Bijou porn-movie situation. Earlier this week, students in charge of...

Annually, the Super Bowl rakes in more viewers than any other television program. In fact, Super Bowl XLIV had the highest viewership in television history. According to Nielsen Co., 106.5 million people...

YES Ah, illegal immigration. Next to gay marriage and abortion, the issue is guaranteed to incite some of the most visceral, impassioned debates in the political arena. Rep. Ako Abdul-Samad, D-Des Moines,...