Cityview | Central Iowa's Independent Weekly

Censored!

The top stories not brought to you by mainstream news media

Every year since 1976, “Project Censored” has spotlighted the most significant news stories that were largely ignored or misrepresented by the mainstream press. Now the group is expanding its mission — to promote alternative news sources. But it continues to report the biggest national and international stories that the major media ignored.

The term “censored” doesn’t mean that some government agent stood over newsrooms with a rubber stamp and forbid the publication of the news — or even that the information was completely out of the public eye. The stories Project Censored highlights may have run in one or two news outlets — but didn’t receive the type of attention they deserved.

Gov sidesteps a scandal; Rants rants; the rest of us drink

It’s an ill wind that blows no good, Skinny’s sainted mother used to say. Or maybe it was Skinny’s sotted grandmother. And while the new revenue forecast for the state is the ill-est of winds, and a political as well as an economic nightmare for the Governor, it did do him a little good: it quickly overshadowed a messy and finger-pointing report from the Feds, whose finger is pointing at him for messy use of federal funds in his days as Secretary of State. What could have been an embarrassing, weeks-long, page-one story ended up as a one-day, bottom-of-the-page story on a day when Terry Branstad took the headline by filing “exploratory” papers to run against the Governor. Then came the bleak outlook from the Revenue Estimating Conference, and then the 10 percent-across-the-board spending cut. You’d have to be a nursing-home administrator who thinks sexual abuse of old folks is harmless to break into that news lineup.

The fed’s charges against Chet Culver’s office are eerily similar to the state’s allegations against the movie-tax-credit guys in the Department of Economic Development: careless administration, sloppy bookkeeping, misuse of funds, no follow-through. In the latest scandal, you can add no-bid contracts that helped a Culver supporter. In the movie scandal, the Governor — this being an election cycle — quickly fired DED boss Mike Tramantino and two underlings. There’s no one to fire in the latest scandal — unless he fires himself or his longtime colleague Charlie Krogmeier... Read More>>

Williams’ one-man band kicks out the digital jams

For a guy who writes quirky songs about the modern world like summer heat, ear infections and doobies, don’t be surprised if on his next album one-man-jam-band Keller Williams pens something about his latest recording process.

Williams briefly mentions his venture into the digital age on “Day at the Office,” a tune from his new album, “ODD.” The diverse musician, who has made liberal use of technology onstage, embraced digital technology to release “ODD” in August. Prior to that he spent 12 weeks issuing the songs track-by-track on his Web site (www.kellerwilliams.net) through “The Once A Week Freek,” where fans could download new songs in the order Williams wanted them to be heard. After the 12th week, “ODD” became available for digital download in its entirety as well as on CD... Read More>>

The Q taps KC for talent

“We announced our opening on Twitter and the first response we heard was ‘Just what we need, another frigging barbecue,’” related The Q owner Bob Conley.

Barbecue is politically incorrect. In greater Des Moines, more new barbecues opened during the Bush administration than any other restaurant genre and, to many minds, they are associated with red state, red meat mentality. Some Obama era revisionists would like to quarantine them to Texas with the former president. Barbecue is now included in sin tax proposals, and the Environmental Protection Agency has proposed levying ozone endangerment taxes on cattle and burned wood. However, eating remains an act of politics, and barbecue is not going gently in any vegan good night.... Read More>>”

#11 Iowa (6-0) vs.

Wisconsin (5-1)

Saturday, Oct. 17 • 11 a.m.

Madison, Wisc.

It must be a charmed life in Iowa City this year as the up and down, yet always winning, Hawkeyes continue to perplex Black and Gold fans. It was another nationally televised game for the Hawks against Michigan that posted yet another win at Kinnick in exciting fashion. The Wolverines ultimately made more mistakes than slow starter Ricky Stanzi, as Iowa squeaked out another close one in the final minutes to win 30-28. Rich Rod took out his flashy quarterback Tate Forcier in the final quarter and back-up Denard Robinson led them on a scoring drive with his feet.