WATCH: Iowa good news on black bears, immigrant farmers, more.

This is one of the last episodes of Cornhole Champions for 2025. We’re taking November and December off, coming back in January with fresh ideas. But before we wrap, it felt right to step back and talk about what this year has been — and what 2026 might bring.

On Cornhole Champions, host Zachary Oren Smith sat down with Chase Seibert and Liz Fleming to talk about the future of the podcast and of the state it was created to serve.

Toss some bags about Iowa’s economic woes… health insurance costs going up… and some reflection on a year of Cornhole Champions.

Cornhole Champions is a weekly politics and policy podcast powered by Iowa Starting Line, hosted by Zachary Oren Smith and produced by Rebecca Steinberg, with music by Avery Mossman and art by Desirée Tapia.

*SHOW RUNDOWN:*
0:00 – Taking a break: last episode of 2025
1:30 – What it’s like building a podcast in Iowa
3:00 – Why the news cycle moves too fast for weekly shows
4:30 – The difference between videos and podcasts as mediums
6:30 – Why human connection matters more than traditional media
7:00 – Creating space that shows what life in Iowa could be
11:00 – Legacy media vs. new platforms: who’s doing the work?
13:00 – Writing stories about Iowans for Iowans
14:30 – What stories should we cover in 2026? Send us your ideas
15:00 – Thank you for a year of Cornhole Champions

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