Samantha McIntosh

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

New York native Caroline Rose, who's released four studio albums since 2014, visited the Englert Theatre in April, where she entertained the audience with a performance intersecting emotional and comical moods.

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.

Two best friends have been working to make Clinton a destination and create connection in their community through art — from colorful murals to giant wooden trolls.

The sense of belonging and connection in rural towns has wavered as people travel further for jobs, schools, hospitals and more.

Richard Tyler doesn’t know why he decided to purchase the Secrest Octagonal Barn in 1992; he just knew it was something he wanted to do.

We revisit an interview with author Joanna Dee Das about her book, 'Faith, Family and Flag: Branson Entertainment and the Idea of America' and what Branson’s entertainment culture reveals about faith, patriotism and American identity. Then, a conversation with Conor Knighton, Emmy Award-winning correspondent from 'CBS Sunday Morning.' He's also the bestselling author of 'Leave Only Footprints: My Acadia to Zion Journey Through Every National Park.' (Part of this episode was originally produced Jan. 30, 2026.)

As early voting begins this week for the November midterm election, we continue our candidate interviews with State Rep. Lindsay James, Democratic candidate for Iowa’s 2nd Congressional District. James is facing Republican candidate Joe Mitchell for the open House seat. But first, what would a world without cows look like? We talk with journalists and filmmakers Michelle Michael and Brandon Whitworth. They spent five years and traveled to more than 40 locations for their documentary, 'World Without Cows.' The film explores the complex relationship between food and sustainability through the perspectives of farmers, scientists and environmental experts.

When Russia invaded Ukraine in 2022, millions of Ukrainians were displaced, searching for a safe place to live and work. Augustana College professor Angela Boelens saw this need and opened her home in DeWitt to Ukrainians, with more families hoping to follow. With an outpouring support from the DeWitt community, Boelens founded the nonprofit organization IA NICE — Iowa Newcomer Integration Community and Exchange — which has helped relocate over 70 Ukrainians to Iowa. However, changes from the Trump Administration have impacted their ability to work, including a pending end to their Temporary Protected Status. On this episode, we talk with Boelens about what IA NICE is doing to help, and hear from two of the Ukrainians they are assisting. Then, a four-movement work commissioned to mark the University of Northern Iowa's 150th anniversary premiered on Oct. 8. We talk with professor emerita Rebecca Burkhardt who composed the work and her collaborator Rachel Morgan, poet and associate professor at UNI.