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WATCH: Pastor and state Rep. Lindsay James takes on US Rep. Ashley Hinson (PT 3) – Cornhole Champions #36

By Iowa Production Staff

August 20, 2025

Can Democrats flip one of Iowa’s reddest congressional districts? State Representative Lindsay James thinks so.

On this episode of Cornhole Champions, Zachary Oren Smith sits down with the Dubuque legislator who’s spent seven years fighting for insulin access and affordable healthcare in the Iowa House.

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:*
01:30 – Why Lindsay James is Challenging Ashley Hinson in 2026
03:30 – The Impossible Choices: Rent vs. Life-Saving Medication
05:00 – Republican Leadership Kills Insulin Access Bill
07:00 – Pharmaceutical Lobbyists Run the Iowa Legislature
09:00 – Ashley Hinson’s “Big Beautiful Bill” Moral Failure
10:30 – Iowa’s Cancer Crisis: Worst Rising Rates in America
12:30 – How Faith Drives Progressive Politics (Good Samaritan)
14:00 – Taking on a $5 Million GOP Fundraising Machine

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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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