I hate politically correct orthodoxy, that reflexive tendency to corral thought and language into neat little “good” and “bad” boxes. To me, it’s a kind of social disorder, a self-imposed censorship...

The UI is going through tough times. The economic recession has wreaked havoc on the university’s finances. It has cut deeply into the state’s budget, and that, in turn, has sliced through the UI’s....

Of all the poisonous, ugly, and intellectually vapid controversies ginned up in my lifetime, the current breakout of St. Vitus’ Dance over the “racist” opposition to Barack Obama may be the most...

In our first 100 days, the Obama administration has presented a comprehensive education agenda — from the cradle through college — that protects children and jobs in the short term and invests in...

College costs are going up, but students may soon have some help in making it more affordable. The U.S. House is expected to vote today on a bill that could greatly increase financial aid for students....

The NFL season has begun, and I know who I am rooting for. Michael Vick. Once the highest-paid and perhaps most dynamic player in professional football, Vick has paid one of the highest prices in the...

Plagued by delayed voting and accusations of cheating and name-calling, controversy abounded during last spring’s UI Student Government election. This academic year, UISG faces an equally challenging...

A great man and a great Iowan passed away over the weekend: scientist and humanitarian Norman Borlaug. It’s tough to use just one name to define Borlaug, especially considering he despised that “father”...

Democrat Curt Hanson won by a margin of just 107 votes in a special election earlier this month in Iowa’s House District 90. The race was interesting because off-year elections allow you to take the...

The IMU’s ground floor doesn’t contain any mud, mold, or moisture from the flood. It also doesn’t contain anything that made it the popular hangout it once was. The devastating 2008 flood washed...

“You lie,” huh? With those two words, an obscure (to use the polite word) Republican congressman from the state famous for firing on Fort Sumter and starting the Civil War leaped into the national...

For many years, a handful of American political leaders have been trying to gain passage of comprehensive health care for all Americans. As far back as President Truman, they have urged Congress to act...