Samantha McIntosh

Actor Will Ferrell and writer Harper Steele have been collaborators and friends for 30 years.

From Muddy Waters to The Lumineers, a venue located in the basement of Iowa State University's Memorial Union has seen 50 years of music, theatre, comedy and more.

A recent poll from The AP-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research found that 62% of adults say democracy in the U.S. could be at risk in the 2024 presidential election.

Every spring, nearly a million sandhill cranes pass through an 80-mile stretch of the Platte River in Nebraska on their northward migration.

Monica Nassif founded the company Mrs. Meyer's Clean Day, using her mother, Thelma Meyer, as the spokeswoman.

“Mary Oliver: Saved by the Beauty of the World” was screened earlier this month in Iowa City and will air on PBS as part of "American Masters" on Aug. 25.

Myrna Johnson steered IPR through the pandemic, the transition to an independent nonprofit and through the loss of federal funding from the Corporation for Public Broadcasting.

Head Start is a free, federally-funded program that provides comprehensive early childhood education, health, nutrition and parent-involvement services to low-income children and families. A new proposal from the Trump administration would do away with many of the federal regulations that guide the program. On this episode, we talk with stakeholders across the state about what the proposed changes may mean for Iowa families. We talk with Chris Juett, executive director of the Iowa Head Start Association, and Drake University Head Start Director Lisa Proctor. We also hear from Mimi Solis, Head Start teacher and former Head Start parent. Later in the episode, the Library Bill of Rights was adopted by the American Library Association in 1939. We listen back to a conversation with former Des Moines Public Library Director Sue Woody about the purpose of the Library Bill of Rights, and the threats it faces today. (Part of this episode was originally produced March 1, 2023.)

Kids are back to school, but for Iowa's public schools, things have gotten more challenging. Public school funding hasn't kept pace with inflation, and many districts are losing students and the funds that come with them. On this episode, we check in with school districts around the state — Des Moines, Creston, Cedar Rapids and Sumner-Fredericksburg. We discuss how these school districts have been navigating the strained budget and their plans moving forward.

In 1883, the Secrests commissioned a builder to construct a new barn on their property. The structure is three stories tall with a gothic roof and eight sides. The Iowa Barn Foundation's All-State Barn Tour is Sept. 19-20 and there are a record 108 barns participating. On this episode, we talk with Deann Haden about the Iowa Barn Foundation and highlights for this year's tour. Then, we travel to Cedar County to tour the Secrest 1883 Octagonal Barn with owner Rich Tyler. Later in the hour, we talk with Rachelle Long, founder and executive director of Taste of the Junction, a multicultural festival that celebrates the people and culture of Valley Junction. It takes place Sept. 3-5, and features presentations, live jazz and a street festival.