Iowa Production Staff - Iowa Starting Line

Oct 2025 29

WATCH: Health insurance costs are about to spike as ACA subsidy ends (PT 2) – Cornhole Champions #46

By Iowa Production Staff, Zachary Oren Smith | POLITICS VIDEO, POLITICS, Iowa Production Staff, Zachary Oren Smith

November 1st marks the start of ACA open enrollment — and this year, it's one of the most unaffordable and uncertain periods we've seen. Republicans refuse to come to the table and extend subsidies that have made health care more affordable for 140,000 Iowans.

On Cornhole Champions, host Zachary Oren Smith sat down with Chase Seibert and Liz Fleming to talk about how this is part of a bigger story of taking away resources form normal people.

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:*
0:00 – ACA open enrollment starts November 1st: what you need to know
1:00 – Chase and Liz on being self-employed and relying on the ACA
3:00 – Why the ACA is a Band-Aid solution (but losing it makes things worse)
4:00 – Amber Gustafson's story: paying out of pocket before the ACA
6:00 – Republicans shut down the government over healthcare subsidies
7:30 – Premiums are jumping 114% when subsidies expire
9:00 – The false choice: "illegal alien healthcare" vs feeding kids

*LISTEN AND SUBSCRIBE TO CORNHOLE CHAMPIONS:*
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... and everywhere you listen to podcasts

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Iowa Production Staff - Iowa Starting Line

Oct 2025 29

WATCH: Iowa’s economic crash out (PT 1) – Cornhole Champions #46

By Iowa Production Staff | LOCAL VIDEO, COMMUNITY, Iowa Production Staff

It's easy to miss what's happening in Iowa when you're scrolling past headlines. GDP down 6.1% in Q1. Soybean markets shipped to Argentina. A $20 billion bailout that somehow bypassed the farmers who needed it most. But this isn't just about tariffs or trade policy. It's about who holds power in Iowa and who gets left behind.

On Cornhole Champions, host Zachary Oren Smith sat down with Chase Seibert and Liz Fleming to unpack the New York Times story everyone should be reading: how Trump's economic policies hit Iowa harder than almost anywhere else in the country.

Toss some bags about Iowa’s economic woes… health insurance costs going up… and some reflection on a year of Cornhole Champions.

Cornhole Champions is a weekly politics and policy podcast powered by Iowa Starting Line, hosted by Zachary Oren Smith and produced by Rebecca Steinberg, with music by Avery Mossman and art by Desirée Tapia.

SHOW RUNDOWN:
0:00 – Cold open and Zach's cryptic note about chips
1:30 – Marinette Miller Meeks refuses town halls: "When hell freezes over"
4:30 – Welcome to Cornhole Champions and what's coming today
6:30 – The New York Times story Iowa needs to read: Trump's policies hit hard
9:00 – Why bailouts don't help small farmers and Argentina gets our markets
11:00 – John Deere layoffs, tariffs, and what it means for the Quad Cities
12:00 – Immigration crackdowns devastate Iowa's meat packing industry

*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
- Spotify - https://open.spotify.com/show/5rzNpiA4IwgLmxbyrhETY6?si=6c4a527fa9ad4f64
- PocketCasts - https://pca.st/74atty1j
... and everywhere you listen to podcasts

*FOLLOW ZACHARY OREN SMITH ON SOCIAL MEDIA:*
- Twitter - https://x.com/zacharyos
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- Bluesky - https://bsky.app/profile/zacharyos.bsky.social
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Oct 2025 29

WATCH: Celebrating one year of Cornhole Champions (PT 3) – Cornhole Champions #46

By Iowa Production Staff | LOCAL VIDEO, COMMUNITY, Iowa Production Staff

This is one of the last episodes of Cornhole Champions for 2025. We're taking November and December off, coming back in January with fresh ideas. But before we wrap, it felt right to step back and talk about what this year has been — and what 2026 might bring.

On Cornhole Champions, host Zachary Oren Smith sat down with Chase Seibert and Liz Fleming to talk about the future of the podcast and of the state it was created to serve.

Toss some bags about Iowa’s economic woes… health insurance costs going up… and some reflection on a year of Cornhole Champions.

Cornhole Champions is a weekly politics and policy podcast powered by Iowa Starting Line, hosted by Zachary Oren Smith and produced by Rebecca Steinberg, with music by Avery Mossman and art by Desirée Tapia.

*SHOW RUNDOWN:*
0:00 – Taking a break: last episode of 2025
1:30 – What it's like building a podcast in Iowa
3:00 – Why the news cycle moves too fast for weekly shows
4:30 – The difference between videos and podcasts as mediums
6:30 – Why human connection matters more than traditional media
7:00 – Creating space that shows what life in Iowa could be
11:00 – Legacy media vs. new platforms: who's doing the work?
13:00 – Writing stories about Iowans for Iowans
14:30 – What stories should we cover in 2026? Send us your ideas
15:00 – Thank you for a year of Cornhole Champions

*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
- Spotify - https://open.spotify.com/show/5rzNpiA4IwgLmxbyrhETY6?si=6c4a527fa9ad4f64
- PocketCasts - https://pca.st/74atty1j
... and everywhere you listen to podcasts

*FOLLOW ZACHARY OREN SMITH ON SOCIAL MEDIA:*
- Twitter - https://x.com/zacharyos
- Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/zacharyosmith
- Bluesky - https://bsky.app/profile/zacharyos.bsky.social
- Threads - https://www.threads.com/@zachosmith
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*FOLLOW IOWA STARTING LINE ON SOCIAL MEDIA:*
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- YouTube - https://www.youtube.com/@UCXN791Qw5opBRLyvTWYl43w

Oct 2025 28

WATCH: Iowa’s family farms strained by Trump’s trade policies

By Iowa Production Staff | POLITICS VIDEO, POLITICS, Iowa Production Staff

Bailouts aren't a solution for anyone but the biggest corporate agriculture operations. Farmers keep saying they want markets, not bailouts.

Oct 2025 27

WATCH: Iowa economy gets squeezed by tariffs

By Iowa Production Staff | POLITICS VIDEO, POLITICS, Iowa Production Staff

Iowa's GDP dropped 6.1% in Q1 2025—worse than almost every state. Farmers lost their biggest customer. John Deere laid off hundreds. Meatpacking plants can't find workers.

These are Iowa jobs, Iowa families, Iowa businesses.

We broke down what's actually happening—and why it matters heading into 2026.

Oct 2025 27

WATCH: Trade war costs Iowa farmers $1.5 billion in soybean sales

By Iowa Production Staff | POLITICS VIDEO, POLITICS, Iowa Production Staff

Iowa farmers are feeling the pain. $1.5 billion in soybean sales lost - and the ripple effects are hitting families and communities across the state. Here’s how we got here.

Oct 2025 24

WATCH: Des Moines has a chance to give its public schools $265 million

By Iowa Production Staff | POLITICS VIDEO, POLITICS, Iowa Production Staff

Residents of Des Moines have a chance to give their public schools $265 million to fund free full-day preschool, career training programs, facility updates, and more. The bond is on the ballot on Nov. 4—are you voting?

Oct 2025 24

WATCH: Iowa has a ‘second world economy’ thanks to corporate interests

By Iowa Production Staff | POLITICS VIDEO, POLITICS, Iowa Production Staff

Art Cullen has spent decades writing from Storm Lake about the forces reshaping rural life. On the latest episode of Cornhole Champions, Zach spoke with him about the corporate interests pulling Iowa's strings and how we can regain control.

Watch on our YouTube here: https://youtu.be/RSVyKzRqLhk?si=7HoNATJnKPJkWS_-