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WATCH: Sen. Joni Ernst posts “apology” after backlash over town hall remarks

By Amie Rivers

June 2, 2025
After receiving national attention for telling constituents concerned about Medicaid cuts “we all are going to die,” Sen. Joni Ernst doubled down on her remarks in an “apology” video posted to Instagram.
  • Amie Rivers

    Amie Rivers is Iowa Starting Line's newsletter editor. She writes the weekly Worker’s Almanac edition of Iowa Starting Line, featuring a roundup of the worker news you need to know. Previously, she was an award-winning journalist at the Waterloo-Cedar Falls Courier; now, she very much enjoys making TikToks and memes and getting pet photos in her inbox.

    Have a story tip? Reach Amie at [email protected]. For local reporting in Iowa that connects the dots, from policy to people, sign up for Amie's newsletter.

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CATEGORIES: POLITICS VIDEO

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POLITICS VIDEO
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WATCH: Iowa’s $400,000 scandal: Research on ag pollution buried (w/ Carey Gillam) – Cornhole Champions #41

WATCH: Iowa’s $400,000 scandal: Research on ag pollution buried (w/ Carey Gillam) – Cornhole Champions #41

Iowa has the second-highest cancer rate in the nation, and it’s getting worse. A million-dollar study confirmed what many suspected: agricultural pollution is poisoning our water and making Iowans sick. However, after scientists completed their research, the $400,000 set aside to tell Iowans about it simply ⁠disappeared⁠.

On this episode of Cornhole Champions, Zachary Oren Smith sits down with investigative journalist Carey Gillam, editor-in-chief of ⁠The New Lede⁠ and author of “The Monsanto Papers” and “Whitewash.” She spent 17 years as a senior correspondent with Reuters international news service. Her work has been at the center of how powerful agricultural interests suppress critical public health research while Iowa families pay the price.

From EPA officials grilling pork chops with polluters to the revolving door between Big Ag and government regulators, we explore how corporate money corrupts the science that should protect us all.

Toss some bags at Iowa’s cancer crisis cover-up… Trump’s EPA reversing water protections… And why farmers are fighting back on their own…

Cornhole Champions is a weekly podcast powered by Iowa Starting Line. It’s produced by me and edited by Rebecca Steinberg. Our music is by Avery Mossman and show art by Desirée Tapia. We are a proud member of the Iowa Writers Collaborative.

SHOW RUNDOWN:
00:00 – Iowa’s Shocking Cancer Statistics: Second Worst in America
01:30 – The $400,000 Cover-Up: Public Health Funding Disappears
05:00 – Pattern of Suppression: Multiple Studies Buried by Officials
07:30 – EPA Chief Grills with Polluters at Iowa State Fair
09:00 – Big Ag’s Corruption Playbook: Ghost Writing and Revolving Doors
12:30 – Trump EPA Reverses Water Protection for Iowa Rivers
16:30 – Farmers Fight Back: Real Solutions from the IDEA Network
19:00 – Why Voluntary Change Won’t Save Iowa’s Water

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