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Iowa News You Can Use

WATCH: The real cost of “no tax on tips” (PT 1) – Cornhole Champions #36

By Iowa Production Staff

August 20, 2025

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 Amie 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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CATEGORIES: POLITICS VIDEO
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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… and everywhere you listen to podcasts

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