Christopher Prosch, the Republican candidate for Sioux City's upcoming special election, claimed US Capitol Police officers were "escorting" January 6 insurrectionists around the building. Former Capitol officer Harry Dunn says that's insulting.
It's been one year since Iowa's near-total abortion ban took effect, and the numbers tell a devastating story. A 74% drop in abortion services in Iowa means Iowans are traveling hundreds of miles and paying thousands more for healthcare.
On this episode of Cornhole Champions, Zachary Oren Smith, Amie Rivers, and Avery Staker break down the real impact of Iowa's restrictive abortion law on families and communities. From $19,000 emergency cases to overnight drives with young kids, we explore how the ban has forced care out of state.
Toss some bags at one-year of Iowa’s near-total abortion ban… Trump revoking visa workers in Ottumwa… And why LGBTQ Iowans are leaving…
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.
*LISTEN AND SUBSCRIBE TO CORNHOLE CHAMPIONS:*
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... and everywhere you listen to podcasts
*SHOW RUNDOWN:*
0:00 - Colonial Lanes Commercial & Iowa's Bowling Culture Deep Dive
13:00 - Iowa's Abortion Ban: One Year Anniversary Analysis
14:00 - 74% Drop in Abortion Services Across Iowa
15:30 - Chicago Abortion Fund: 870+ Iowans Seeking Out-of-State Care
17:00 - $19,000 Emergency Case & Families Driving Overnight
18:30 - How Delays in Care Create More Severe Medical Situations
19:30 - Planned Parenthood Demonization Affects All Reproductive Care
20:00 - Iowa's Physician Shortage & 30% Jump in Infant Mortality
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Iowa once led on civil rights, but now it's leading the rollback. Over half of LGBTQ young people in Iowa have considered leaving the state, and for transgender and nonbinary people, that number jumps to 69%. Iowa became the first state in U.S. history to remove gender identity protections from civil rights law.
On this episode of Cornhole Champions, Zachary Oren Smith, Amie Rivers, Avery Staker, and intern Victor Robbins investigate the quiet exodus happening across Iowa. From doctors refusing gender-affirming care to hate crimes, and the reality behind "Iowa Nice," we explore why talented young Iowans are fleeing and what it means for the state's future.
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.
*LISTEN AND SUBSCRIBE TO CORNHOLE CHAMPIONS:*
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- Substack - https://cornholechampions.substack.com/
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... and everywhere you listen to podcasts
*SHOW RUNDOWN:*
0:00 - Victor Robbins Joins: Investigating LGBTQ Exodus from Iowa
0:45 - Personal Story: Growing Up LGBTQ in Iowa
1:19 - "Not Feeling Safe" - The Root of the Problem
1:50 - Cass's Story: Flourishing After Leaving Iowa
2:30 - Growing Up in "Milquetoast" Iowa Settings
3:33 - Hate Crime Attack Outside Iowa City Gay Bar
4:30 - "Iowa Nice" Reality: Polite Outside, Different Behind Doors
5:30 - Iowa Civil Rights Act Strips LGBTQ Protections
6:19 - Doctor Refuses Gender-Affirming Healthcare in Iowa
7:00 - $70,000 Medical Procedures Now Out of Reach
8:00 - Policy Makes LGBTQ Iowans "Danger to Themselves"
8:30 - "I'd Rather Move to Minnesota" - Brain Drain Effect
10:33 - The Sucking Sound: Losing Young Talent & Artists
11:30 - "Am I Stubborn for Staying?" - The Spite Question
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The irony is staggering: JBS subsidiary Pilgrim's Pride donated $5 million to Trump's inauguration, only to watch his administration immediately revoke visas for 200 of their Ottumwa workers from Haiti, Cuba, Nicaragua, and Venezuela. These legal workers—nearly 10% of the plant's workforce—are being told to leave the country immediately.
On this episode of Cornhole Champions, Zachary Oren Smith, Amie Rivers, and Avery Staker talk about Trump's immigration crackdown and how its hitting Ottumwa.
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.
*LISTEN AND SUBSCRIBE TO CORNHOLE CHAMPIONS:*
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... and everywhere you listen to podcasts
*SHOW RUNDOWN:*
0:00 - Trump Revokes 200 JBS Worker Visas in Ottumwa
0:44 - Immigration Is the Only Reason Iowa's Population Is Growing
1:30 - JBS Donated to Trump, Then Lost Workers to His Policies
2:05 - Western Iowa Tech's Student Visa Exploitation Scandal
3:00 - "Culinary Internships" Were Actually Factory Line Work
3:43 - Judge Rules: Western Tech Engaged in "Indentured Servitude"
4:33 - "We Don't Need Them" vs. Reality Check
5:00 - $5 Million Gold Cards: Immigration Only for the Rich
5:30 - Force Americans Into Exploitative Jobs by Design
6:00 - Kicking People Off Medicaid to Fill Factory Positions
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7/29/25 marked one year since Iowa’s extreme and unpopular 6-week abortion ban went into effect. The Iowa Abortion Acces Fund (@iaafund) has since helped over 870 Iowans receive care out of state—but not without great physical, mental, and financial cost.
Democrat Christina Bohannan was asked whether Republicans' cuts to Medicaid were necessary. The budget bill was a spending bill, she explained. Those cuts didn't reduce the national debt—they paid for tax cuts for the wealthy.
JT Vonderhaar (@jttheiowainvestigator on TikTok) has some advice for aspiring content creators: "climb cringe mountain."
Check out the latest Cornhole Champions interview here: https://youtu.be/GshSxf40XvQ?si=vF7J6JGRdjWS4UMH
JT Vonderhaar is taking Iowa history to TikTok as the Iowa Investigator, building a following hungry for untold stories.
On this episode of Cornhole Champions, Zachary Oren Smith talks with Vonderhaar about creating work while trying to find an audience and the need for storytelling in places like these.
Toss some bags at Joe Biden's Song of the Summer... the Forest Gump of the Civil War... Iowa's war with Missouri... and the Iowan who saved a billion lives.
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.
*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
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... and everywhere you listen to podcasts
*SHOW RUNDOWN:*
00:02:19 - How the Iowa Investigator got started on TikTok
00:04:30 - The random comment that changed everything: "Bro is the Iowa investigator"
00:08:30 - "You gotta climb cringe mountain" - Advice for aspiring creators
00:11:19 - The Government Bridge: Iowa's most historically significant bridge
00:15:00 - Robert E. Lee, Jefferson Davis, and Abraham Lincoln all connected to one Iowa bridge
00:18:30 - Norman Borlaug: The Iowa man who saved a billion lives
00:23:13 - The Honey War: America's silliest interstate conflict
00:27:00 - Why more wars should be like Iowa's Honey War
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Congress made some devastating cuts this week, slashing $1.1 billion from public broadcasting nationwide. Money that had already been promised to member stations near you.
On this episode of Cornhole Champions, Zachary Oren Smith, Amie Rivers, and Liz Fleming cover the historic funding cuts that eliminate 25 jobs at Iowa PBS and knocked 10% of Iowa Public Radio’s budget.
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.
*LISTEN AND SUBSCRIBE TO CORNHOLE CHAMPIONS:*
- YouTube - https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PL2LsUFhizO07jdk5Wav4mOT7tArltF8z5&si=FryZd7N7tG5tJ5Ju
- Substack - https://cornholechampions.substack.com/
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... and everywhere you listen to podcasts
*SHOW RUNDOWN:*
0:00 - Zachary's Hot Ones Challenge Disaster & Public Apology to Iowa
4:33 - Congress Passes $1.1 Billion Public Broadcasting Cut
5:30 - Iowa PBS Loses $3.5 Million & 25 Jobs in Historic Cut
8:30 - Iowa Public Radio's $1 Million Loss & Cancelled Positions
9:18 - "It's Just Amy Now" - Northeast Iowa Reporter Position Eliminated
11:02 - Ashley Hinson's Shocking "Left-Wing Propaganda" Statement
11:59 - How Public Radio Manages Iowa's Emergency Alert System
13:00 - Why You Should Support Local Public Media Now
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Iowa faces a devastating cancer crisis, with the fastest growing rate of new cancers in the nation hitting close to home.
On this episode of Cornhole Champions, Zachary Oren Smith, Amie Rivers, and Liz Fleming talk about a new investigation into Iowa's cancer problem, sharing personal stories of loss and exploring potential causes from radon exposure to farming practices. Plus, why Governor Reynolds' $1 million proposal is being called a "mouse fart."
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 me and edited by Rebecca Steinberg. Our music is by Avery Mossman, and our show art is from Desirée Tapia.
*LISTEN AND SUBSCRIBE TO CORNHOLE CHAMPIONS:*
- YouTube - https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PL2LsUFhizO07jdk5Wav4mOT7tArltF8z5&si=FryZd7N7tG5tJ5Ju
- Substack - https://cornholechampions.substack.com/
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- PocketCasts - https://pca.st/74atty1j
... and everywhere you listen to podcasts
*SHOW RUNDOWN:*
0:00 - Launching Major Investigation: Iowa's Cancer Crisis
1:18 - Amy's Heartbreaking Story: Losing Grandfather & Mom to Cancer
1:57 - What is Radon? Iowa's Invisible Killer Explained
2:52 - Liz's Tragic Loss: Best Friend Katie's 395-Day Battle
4:38 - "It's Creeping Into Young People's Lives" - Cancer Stories
6:00 - Why Iowa Has America's Fastest Growing Cancer Rate
8:43 - Reynolds' $1 Million "Solution" Called "Mouse Fart"
9:43 - How University Funding Cuts Are Hurting Cancer Research
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