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Iowa News You Can Use

WATCH: From Instagram activism to running for Iowa Senate (w/ Catelin Drey) (PT 2) – Cornhole Champions #36

By Iowa Production Staff

August 20, 2025

Can Democrats win in deep-red western Iowa? As Republicans dominate rural districts, one mom is betting that grassroots organizing and door-to-door conversations can flip a seat that hasn’t seen Democratic representation in years.

On this episode of Cornhole Champions, Zachary Oren Smith sits down with Catelin Drey, the 37-year-old founder of Moms for Iowa, who’s running in a special election for Iowa Senate District 1 in Sioux City.

Toss some bags at “no” tax on tips… merit pay for teachers… a Sioux City special election next week… and a new candidate taking on US Rep. Ashley Hinson.

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.

*SHOW RUNDOWN:*
00:30 – Democrats Beating Odds in Rural Iowa Districts
01:30 – How “Moms for Iowa” Instagram Account Started a Movement
03:30 – From Phone Calls to Running for Office (The Gulf)
04:30 – Uvalde Shooting Sparks Mom’s Political Awakening
07:00 – “When You Need a Mess Cleaned Up, You Send Mom”
09:00 – School Voucher Fight That Changed Everything
12:00 – Why Losing Rural Schools Destroys Communities
14:30 – Special Election Strategy: Knocking Every Door

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CATEGORIES: POLITICS VIDEO
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WATCH: When science moves faster than policy (w/ David Cwiertny) – Cornhole Champions Interview

WATCH: When science moves faster than policy (w/ David Cwiertny) – Cornhole Champions Interview

Sometimes the science moves faster than public policy. And it has real impacts on your health.

On this episode of Cornhole Champions, Zachary Orne Smith explores this gap with Dr. David Cwiertny, an environmental engineer at the University of Iowa.

Toss some bags at the science-policy gap… why we find chemicals everywhere we look… and what mass balance means for Iowa’s future.

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

*SHOW RUNDOWN:*
0:00 – Welcome: Iowa’s cancer rates and chemical safety evolution
2:30 – Mass Balance Principle: Why chemicals never really disappear
5:00 – Neonicotinoids: The pesticides painted on seeds
8:00 – Atrazine Study Reversal: Same research, opposite conclusions
11:30 – The Science-Policy Gap: 20-year lag between discovery and action
14:00 – Why Simple Answers Don’t Exist for Complex Problems
16:30 – Living in the “Gray Area” of Chemical Safety
18:30 – Alternative Agriculture: Different models, same profitability

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WATCH: 🌽 53 million pounds of pesticides: Iowa’s cancer crisis (PT 2) – Cornhole Champions #34

WATCH: 🌽 53 million pounds of pesticides: Iowa’s cancer crisis (PT 2) – Cornhole Champions #34

53 million pounds. That’s how much pesticide gets sprayed across Iowa every year—more than any other state in the country. With Iowa having the second-highest and fastest-growing cancer rates in America, the science is connecting some uncomfortable dots between what’s in our fields and what’s happening to our neighbors.

On this episode of Cornhole Champions, Zachary Oren Smith breaks down his investigative reporting on Iowa’s massive pesticide problem. From the Agricultural Health Study tracking 89,000 farming families since 1993 to the “gray zone” between cutting-edge science and outdated regulations, we explore why 17 pounds of pesticides are applied for every single Iowan.

This reporting is part of Iowa Starting Line’s investigative series “The Hotspot”—sign up for the newsletter to get these deep dives straight to your inbox. https://iowastartingline.com/cancer-in-iowa/

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.

*SHOW RUNDOWN:*
00:00 – Iowa’s Staggering Pesticide Problem: 53 Million Pounds Annually
01:30 – Iowa’s Cancer Crisis: Second Highest Rates in America
02:30 – 17 Pounds of Pesticides Applied Per Iowa Resident
04:30 – Agricultural Health Study: 89,000 Families Since 1993
06:30 – The “Cancer Gag Act” vs. EPA Approval Controversy
07:30 – The “Gray Zone” Between Science and Policy
10:30 – Company-Funded Studies vs. Independent Research
12:30 – Don Carpenter’s Story: Real People, Real Impact

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WATCH: 🌽 Iowa lost $17.6 BILLION to brain drain (PT 1) – Cornhole Champions #34

WATCH: 🌽 Iowa lost $17.6 BILLION to brain drain (PT 1) – Cornhole Champions #34

Iowa is hemorrhaging talent at an alarming rate, and the economic impact is staggering. A new report reveals that 34% more college graduates leave Iowa than stay, with the 2023 cohort alone representing a devastating $17.6 billion loss in potential income for the state.

On this episode of Cornhole Champions, Zachary Oren Smith, Amie Rivers, and Avery Staker break down Iowa’s massive brain drain crisis. From abortion bans driving away OB-GYNs to immigration crackdowns affecting blue-collar workers, we explore the policy decisions pushing talent out of Iowa.

Toss some bags about the economic cost of brain drain… how pesticides contribute to Iowa’s cancer problem… and how the Iowa Supreme Court is approaching new “strict scrutiny” language.

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.

*SHOW RUNDOWN:*
00:00 – Iconic 1980s Waterloo Tourism Commercial (Cold Open)
06:30 – Iowa’s $17.6 Billion Brain Drain Crisis Begins
08:00 – Why 34% More College Graduates Leave Than Stay
09:00 – Abortion Ban Driving Away OB-GYN Doctors
10:30 – Immigration Crackdowns Affecting Blue-Collar Workers
13:30 – Iowa Losing Population Even to Other Midwest States
16:30 – Generation Z LGBTQ+ Exodus: “Most of My Friends Are Leaving”
17:30 – Why Even Iowa City and Des Moines Aren’t Safe Anymore

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