No Kings demonstrators will gather in at least 56 locations around Iowa this Saturday.

“The best people bomb because they’re stretching the parameters of what they believe is right for the stage,” Margaret Cho told LV writer and local stand-up Melanie Mackey ahead of Cho's show in Iowa City on Friday. "Don’t be afraid to be bad. That’s good.”

Discrimination aside, Democrats and protesters condemned the bill targeting experts from seven nations deemed "foreign adversaries" as “chasing a problem that doesn’t exist.”

"Orange you tired of him yet?" read a sign at the first No Kings rally in Des Moines last June. Nine months later, millions of Americans are set to give a resounding "yes" at the third round of mass protests.

"Discovery remains important to me, and to our team," said Hancher director Andre Perry. "There’s a lot of stuff we know that’s cool that just doesn’t get on as many stages. We live in a community that supports that, but you still have to tend to it."

Iowa Stage Theatre Company "conjured a production of The Seagull that I absolutely adored," writes Isaac Hamlet, admittedly not a big Chekov fan. "The thing that I most adored is probably the thing others are most likely to find superfluous."

“Every day we’re on the campaign trail, hitting every Pizza Ranch,” Randy Feenstra told reporters when he submitted his paperwork to run for Iowa governor on March 9. “We have meet and greets all over the state, every day — I think we’ve done 80, 85 stops now.” littlevillagemag.com/branstad-end...

Former Gov. Branstad said Feenstra will “stop our kids from being one of our top exports" and beat "extreme liberal" Rob Sand. The CEO of The Family Leader, meanwhile, said Sand will make Feenstra "carry that bag" and accept blame for dividing the country. Trump hasn't weighed in on the race.

You can't stop punk icons like Descendents from crowdsurfing, especially when the crowd is as charged up as Capitol Theatre's was on Saturday.

The Varsity Cinema is showing 'Untitled Home Invasion Romance' tonight, including a Q&A with its local co-writer. Johnson said director/star Jason Biggs was a fun collaborator and "really knew the emotional journey that we wanted the audience to go on."

Scammers are sending authentic-looking emails that appear to be from Iowa City employees trying to collect fees or payments for city services, according to a news release.

The Free Art Studio is exactly what it says on the label. “There is no exclusion of any kind,” co-founder Penelope Wilkins said, “and it’s free, which is maybe the most accessible thing you could possibly do. And now we have a physically accessible location.”

Rob Sand, the Democratic frontrunner and now presumptive nominee for governor, submitted a petition with 24,756 signatures. The three Republican candidates submitted fewer than 10,000 each.

Jason England wasn't a fan of this year's Best Picture winner. In a review for Defector, the Iowa Writers' Workshop grad used two Iowa City anecdotes to drive home his critique.

“For me, I think gravitating to physical media was partially a way of finding my own identity," said Isaac Smith, a recent UI grad and owner of Zig Zog’s. “The emotional process of holding an object that is connected to the music that you’re hearing really makes that connection stronger."

“If you make one student take an extra semester, pay an extra six months of rent, pay an extra semester of tuition, because Taylor Collins wanted them to take a class, that’s a huge mistake,” Democratic Rep. Adam Zabner told his colleagues about HF 2361.

Water quality advocate Chris Jones — who has a 26-point plan to move Iowa farming away from the corn/soybean/CAFO model — is now the sole Democrat in the race for Secretary of Agriculture.

The Cherry Building-based org began as an art gallery and supply shop, steadily growing into a collective of emerging artists with fresh takes on fashion, poetry, creative workshops and more. 237 Collective will celebrate its new 501(c)(3) status on Saturday.

It'll set you back $50 to celebrate Gov. Kim Reynolds' legacy in Cedar Rapids on Thursday. She's unlikely to boast about the bill she quietly signed Tuesday to further erode civil rights protections in Iowa.

“The visceral human-to-human experience so far outweighs anything I’ll read about,” said documentarian Charlie Morris, comparing his conversations with Twin Cities residents to media coverage of the ICE/CBP occupation. "They are under siege.”

The Heartlanders have four games left this season — and, apparently, this year.

Famous for "Ol' Man River," Paul Robeson performed at Hoyt Sherman Place in 1932. His low, resonate voice gave the audience "as deep a religious experience as any two of Billy Sunday’s sermons” and "evoked a moment of awesome silence followed by fervent applause," the Des Moines Register reported.

Muscatine County’s detention of immigrants on behalf of the federal government has been the subject of at least five civil lawsuits and an alleged ethics complaint concerning the former County Attorney.

"Ballet Des Moines once again delivered a dazzling trifecta of dance," writes Meghan Klinkenborg. "Their dedication to showcasing diverse and developing voices is unwavering."

“Our local elected officials deserve the dignity and the responsibility to protect the rights of all their citizens," said Rep. Beth Wessel-Kroeschell, a Democrat from Ames. Last month, the Ames City Council passed an ordinance to protect residents from discrimination based on gender identity.

Actions which cannot be considered abuse under HF 2557 include refusing to consent to a child's gender-affirming care, refusing to use a preferred name or pronouns, or "seeking and consenting to" conversion therapy in an attempt to make the child cisgender.

Dante Powell has been a trucker, Tumblr celebrity, and opener for the likes of Jamelle James and Gary Gulman. Lately, he's the late-night king of The Ingersoll. "It’s hard to express how much I love the Des Moines comedy scene," he said. "The heartbeat is always going."

Mjr. Jeffrey O’Brien of Coralville was killed in the March 1 drone attack on a tactical operations center in Kuwait. Hegseth called the center "fortified," but reports show it lacked overhead protection. Anonymous officials told CBS News it "wasn’t defendable" and "should not have been used."

Kristi Noem is out as secretary of the Department of Homeland Security. Below: An image from the Jan. 27, 2026 protest outside the Horizon Events Center in Clive, Iowa, ahead of a speech by President Trump. (📸Joe Crimmings/Little Village) littlevillagemag.com/trump-meets-...

The Coady family of West Des Moines learned of Declan's death in Kuwait on Sunday night. “I still don’t really think it’s real," his mother told the AP. "Because I just remember all of our conversations about what he was going to do when he came back."

“May God always bless the families that are coming here,” said Deacon Angel Hernandez of St. Patrick's, who was also present at yesterday's gathering in Cedar Rapids. “All they want is just a better journey for their children and for generations to come.”

"Schools should be encouraged to teach, not punish. Kids learn in class, not during suspensions," writes Jenny Schulz. "At a time when the state is forcing public schools to cut teachers, close programs, and gut the very resources students depend on, this legislation does further harm."

Little Village let me interview the ebullient Dante Powell as the cover story for their Spring Arts Issue! I've done comedy shows w/ DP since 2017; when we brought out Sarah Sherman (SNL) for her first show in Iowa, Dante headlined. He’s the best.

ON STANDS THIS WEEK: Little Village's March issue 📍 Find a copy: bit.ly/lvlocations 🌐 Read online: littlevillagemag.com/lv-march-2026 📬 Subscribe for home delivery: littlevillagemag.com/subscribe Cover star: Dante Powell (📸 Sahithi Shankaiahgari)

"This is world-changing for years to come," Sen. Joni Ernst said on Newsmax Saturday morning. Though Congress wasn't consulted about the bombardments, which killed hundreds, Ernst is gung-ho. "We are executing Operation Epic Fury, and ‘epic fury’ it is."

"Whether one personally uses a Community ID or not, this bill raises a fundamental question: should local communities retain the ability to adopt policies that address local needs?" writes Mazahir Salih, an Iowa City Councilor.

More than 100 years before the Geneva Convention codified in international law the rights of civilians and prisoners of war, Abd al-Qadir ibn Muhyi al-Din, the leader of a revolt against French imperial rule in North Africa, observed those rights better than many 21st century "warfighters."

Iowa has an official language, English, thanks to Democratic Gov. Tom Vilsack. But it was all Republicans who passed HF 2102, which reduces the 22 driving exam language options to one. “A driver’s license is not a luxury," opponent Rep. Jeff Cooling said, "it’s a lifeline.”

Scheduled on the perfect date of April 25 (not too hot, not too cold; all you need is a light jacket!), the new Day Party fest from Mission Creek and Brink features all-local bands, poets, dancers, authors and filmmakers, as well as the chefs behind Trumpet Blossom Cafe, Snacky Mini Mart and more.

The Flock contract, approved solely by the police chief in May, drew immediate pushback when the public learned about it two months later. “People showed up. They asked hard questions and rightfully demanded transparency, accountability, and the right to consent," Councilor Hai Hunyh said.

Rep. Steve Holt said the objective of his anti-DEI bill is colorblind, sex-neutral, merit-based admissions across the board — the “ultimate goal of the civil rights movement in this country," as he sees it. HF 2246 passed, 53-38.

“Sports is kind of his tool for opening doors and pushing back against segregated society," writes Dr. Brian Hallstoo, who will discuss his book on Sol Butler at the African American Museum of Iowa Thursday evening.

A federal judge has ruled that the City of Newton violated the rights of resident Noah Peterson by twice having him arrested at city council meetings after he criticized officials and police during the public comment period.

"We have heard from countless community members who are rightfully worried about privacy, consent, and civil liberties," writes Coralville City Councilmember Hai Huynh. "That is why I support bringing the Flock contract back to the table for a new vote to cancel."

The rally began just hours after news broke that former Iowa First Lady Billie Lee Ray had died. Along with Gov. Ray, she helped 10,000 refugees resettle in Iowa after the U.S. withdrawal from Vietnam. “Historically, Iowa has been a place that has welcomed immigrants," Vanessa Marcano-Kelly said.

The Winter Olympics wrap this weekend. If you're going to miss the pageantry, the rivalries and the compelling commentary, roll on over to Jelle's Marble Racing on YouTube, where the events never cease and Iowan Greg Woods calls all the action.

SF 2095 requires special accommodations for anti-vax medical and nursing students at all Iowa colleges and universities, even on clinical rotations that would bring them into contact with medically vulnerable patients.

A section of the Iowa River north of Iowa City has a category 5 (out of 5) impairment: “significantly” more than 10% of samples failed to meet allowable criteria for nitrogen. A segment of the Raccoon River, as it flows through WDM and into the Des Moines River, has been a category 4 since 2016.

Ahead of tonight's Late Shift at the Grindhouse showing of 'Evil Dead' (2013), audiences can catch the premiere of 'Bleeders,' a vampirish short film from the auteur behind local production company Matriarch Films.

“I don’t trust him,” Sage said of Zach Wahls while endorsing Josh Turek for U.S. Senate. “He comes off as not genuine, not authentic. He comes off as fake." Wahls, who leads Dem candidates in fundraising, issued a diplomatic response.