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Iowa News You Can Use

WATCH: See the money powering competitive races in Iowa (PT 2) – Cornhole Champions #32

By Iowa Production Staff

July 23, 2025

Iowa’s federal races heat up this month—with second-quarter fundraising reports revealing massive war chests and surprising upsets.

On this episode of Cornhole Champions, Zachary Oren Smith, Amie Rivers, and Liz Fleming break down Joni Ernst’s lackluster $720,000 showing, Mariannette Miller-Meeks’ strong $1.3 million haul, and the shocking grassroots surge from newcomer Nathan Sage.

Toss some bags at Congress’ cuts to public media… the money powering Iowa’s federal elections… And why we’re talking about cancer.

Cornhole Champions is a weekly podcast powered by Iowa Starting Line. This podcast is produced by Zachary Oren Smith and edited by Rebecca Steinberg. Our music is by Avery Mossman, and our show art is from Desirée Tapia.

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*SHOW RUNDOWN:*
0:00 – Q2 Fundraising Reports Drop: Who’s Winning the Money Game?
1:35 – Joni Ernst’s Disappointing $720K Showing vs 2019 Numbers
3:00 – Nathan Sage’s SHOCKING $709K Grassroots Fundraising Surge
5:00 – Zach Wahls Raises $657K in Just 2.5 Weeks
7:00 – Republican Challenger Spends $78K of His Own Money on Campaign
8:00 – Miller-Meeks’ Record $1.3 Million Haul vs Bohannon’s $773K
14:30 – Zach Nunn Gets Trump’s Orders: Stay in Your District
17:19 – Liz Declares Herself Zach Nunn’s “Biggest Enemy

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CATEGORIES: POLITICS VIDEO
POLITICS VIDEO
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WATCH: Are these the last medical students in Iowa who aren’t rich?

WATCH: Are these the last medical students in Iowa who aren’t rich?

Doctors make a lot of money, right? They can—in some specialties. Still, one Iowa medical student says people don’t understand the costs that get them there.

“People picture that once you graduate medical school, you go out and get a Ferrari, and you zip over to the hospital, you make a million dollars for one surgery, and then you go home after four hours, and that is not at all how it is.”

Jordan Appel came from central Wisconsin and is a fourth year medical student at Des Moines University.

He’s been taking out about $75,000-85,000 in federal loans each year to pay for medical school tuition and living expenses. He’ll have to pay those loans back one day, but he couldn’t afford his education without them.

Students who start medical school next year won’t have the same options.
A provision in President Trump’s “big beautiful bill” ends one grad school loan program, and caps federal student loans at $200,000 total for medical school and law school.

Right now, the average cost of attending medical school is between $250,000 and $363,000 in the US.

OB-GYNs in Iowa say the changes will especially deter future medical students from going into high-need specialities like obstetrics.

✏️: Salina Heller

WATCH: Politics and big money make Iowa sicker (w/ Dr. Andrew Nish) – Cornhole Champions Interview

WATCH: Politics and big money make Iowa sicker (w/ Dr. Andrew Nish) – Cornhole Champions Interview

Iowa has the second-highest cancer rate in the nation, and Dr. Andrew Nish has a blunt explanation: “Politics and big money.” After 34 years treating cancer patients in Iowa, the medical director of John Stoddard Cancer Center connects our climbing cancer rates to everything from agricultural practices and contaminated water to our drinking culture and lack of green spaces.

In this episode of Cornhole Champions, Dr. Nish explains the “exposome” – all the environmental factors we’re exposed to over a lifetime that influence cancer risk. From ultra-processed foods disrupting our microbiome to nitrates in our water system, he argues that Iowa’s health crisis stems from the same forces shaping our economy.

Toss some bags about why politics and big money block solutions to Iowa’s cancer crisis and and what one doctor thinks we need to change to save lives.

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:
02:00 – Doctor blames “politics and big money” for blocking cancer prevention
06:00 – Iowa’s shocking cancer statistics: 2nd highest in nation, only getting worse
18:30 – Iowa’s binge drinking problem affects highest earners most
22:30 – Why sitting is literally deadly and increases cancer risk
29:30 – Sleep study: 2 fewer hours drops immune cells by 40%
33:30 – Nitrates in Iowa water: “It’s not pretty” says cancer expert
40:00 – Why Iowa has world’s largest nitrate removal facility
43:00 – Shocking comparison: Iowa’s hog waste equals 83 million people

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:
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