WATCH: JD Vance and the East Palestine research money paradox (PT 2) – Cornhole Champions #30

By Amie Rivers

June 25, 2025

The Trump administration announces a $10 million fund for an East Palestine health study while simultaneously cutting billions from scientific research. The contradiction reveals how selective science funding serves political purposes rather than public health priorities.

On this episode of Cornhole Champions, Zachary Oren Smith, Amie Rivers, and Avery Staker dig into the one-off funding opportunity and the context that surrounds it.

Toss some bags about the “Big Beautiful Bill’s” big, ugly impacts… why a successful vocation program is getting the axe… and why egging’s decline may be our country’s greatest recession indicator.

Cornhole Champions is a weekly podcast powered by Iowa Starting Line with music by Avery Mossman and show art by Desirée Tapia. We are a proud member of the Iowa Writers Collaborative.

*LISTEN AND SUBSCRIBE TO CORNHOLE CHAMPIONS:*
– YouTube – https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PL2LsUFhizO07jdk5Wav4mOT7tArltF8z5&si=FryZd7N7tG5tJ5Ju
– Substack – https://cornholechampions.substack.com/
– Apple Podcasts – https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/cornhole-champions-podcast/id1779497714
– Spotify – https://open.spotify.com/show/5rzNpiA4IwgLmxbyrhETY6?si=6c4a527fa9ad4f64
– PocketCasts – https://pca.st/74atty1j
… and everywhere you listen to podcasts

*FOLLOW ZACHARY OREN SMITH ON SOCIAL MEDIA:*
– Twitter – https://x.com/zacharyos
– Instagram – https://www.instagram.com/zacharyosmith
– Bluesky – https://bsky.app/profile/zacharyos.bsky.social
– Threads – https://www.threads.com/@zachosmith
– LinkedIn – https://www.linkedin.com/in/zacharyos/

*FOLLOW IOWA STARTING LINE ON SOCIAL MEDIA:*
– Twitter – https://twitter.com/iastartingline
– Facebook – https://www.facebook.com/IowaStartingLine
– TikTok – https://www.tiktok.com/@iowastartingline
– Instagram – https://www.instagram.com/iowastartingline
– YouTube – https://www.youtube.com/@UCXN791Qw5opBRLyvTWYl43w

*SHOW RUNDOWN:*
00:00 – East Palestine Health Study – Trump administration announces $10 million study 2.5 years after toxic train derailment
00:30 – East Palestine Disaster Details – February 3rd, 2023 Norfolk Southern derailment with hazardous chemicals
01:00 – Health Impact Comparison – Residents experiencing symptoms similar to 9/11 first responders
01:30 – Research Funding Contradiction – $10 million specific study while cutting NIH by 37% and canceling $750 million in grants
03:30 – Scale of NIH Cuts – 1,400 research grants worth $750 million terminated versus single $10 million study
05:30 – Political Theater vs Genuine Health Priority – Trump administration’s selective approach to public health funding

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.

View all posts

CATEGORIES: POLITICS VIDEO

Support Our Cause

Thank you for taking the time to read our work. Before you go, we hope you'll consider supporting our values-driven journalism, which has always strived to make clear what's really at stake for Iowans and our future.

Since day one, our goal here at Iowa Starting Line has always been to empower people across the state with fact-based news and information. We believe that when people are armed with knowledge about what's happening in their local, state, and federal governments—including who is working on their behalf and who is actively trying to block efforts aimed at improving the daily lives of Iowan families—they will be inspired to become civically engaged.