Fall—it’s the most colorful time of the year. Plan the perfect Iowa leaf-peeping adventure with our guide to the best places and times to see fall foliage.
Iowa has the second-highest cancer rate in America, and Dr. Richard Deming has been fighting this crisis for four decades. In this powerful conversation, Iowa's leading oncologist reveals what you can actually do about it.
On this episode of Cornhole Champions, we explore the mortality wake-up call that cancer brings and the simple---though not easy---steps that could save thousands of lives.
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:*
00:00 Iowa's Cancer Crisis: Why We're Second in America
05:30 The Mortality Wake-Up Call: Cancer Changes Everything
12:00 From Navy Diver to Cancer Fighter: An Unlikely Journey
20:00 Why Screening Saves Lives (But Can Also Harm)
28:00 Iowa's Two Big Problems: Radon and Farm Chemicals
34:00 The 45% Solution: What We Already Know Works
36:30 Why Smoking Is Still Cancer's Biggest Killer
42:00 Healthcare Access: The Hidden Cancer Crisis
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Muscatine construction worker and victim of crime jailed: Jesús Hernández was shot when two people tried stealing his car. After a hospital stay, he went to pick up his car—and immigration enforcement officials detained him for being undocumented. Congress created...
(This story first appeared in the Iowa Worker's Almanac, and is a subscriber exclusive.) You probably already know Iowa has a problem getting qualified health care workers: We're 44th in the nation for physicians to patients, or 30% worse than the national average;...
Amid political chatter about vaccines and the government entities that oversee them, it’s understandable to wonder where all this leaves the 2025-26 flu vaccine. In short: Yes, the flu shot is still a thing. And four doctors we spoke to said they recommend you get your flu shot this year.
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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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 Caitlyn 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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The "one big, beautiful bill" promises to help working Americans – but does it deliver? While Republicans celebrate no tax on tips with flashy Instagram ads, the reality for service workers is far more complicated.
On this episode of Cornhole Champions, Zachary Oren Smith and Amy Rivers break down the actual impact of the no tax on tips policy.
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 - Republicans' "Bump It" Style Tax Ad
02:30 - No Tax on Tips: The $25,000 Limit Nobody Mentions
04:30 - Why Service Workers Still Pay Payroll Taxes
06:00 - GOP Rep's Embarrassing 10% Tip Goes Viral
08:00 - What Actually Helps Service Workers (Hint: Not Tax Gimmicks)
10:30 - Iowa DOGE Wants Performance Pay for Teachers
12:00 - Why Merit Pay Punishes Students Who Need Help Most
15:00 - The Business Model That's Killing Public Education
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Cancer in Iowa isn’t just about treatment—it’s about surviving the system, asking why it happened, and living with the aftermath. Five Iowans share their stories.
The Environmental Protection Agency has overturned a 2024 ruling that sought to protect some of Iowa's largest waterways that provide drinking water for half a million people.
