It’s true that personal health and habits drive up our risk of cancer, but they do not tell the full story. To take on Iowa’s cancer crisis, the government will need to take action.
Iowa has the second-highest cancer rate in the nation, and it's getting worse. A million-dollar study confirmed what many suspected: agricultural pollution is poisoning our water and making Iowans sick. However, after scientists completed their research, the $400,000 set aside to tell Iowans about it simply disappeared.
On this episode of Cornhole Champions, Zachary Oren Smith sits down with investigative journalist Carey Gillam, editor-in-chief of The New Lede and author of "The Monsanto Papers" and "Whitewash." She spent 17 years as a senior correspondent with Reuters international news service. Her work has been at the center of how powerful agricultural interests suppress critical public health research while Iowa families pay the price.
From EPA officials grilling pork chops with polluters to the revolving door between Big Ag and government regulators, we explore how corporate money corrupts the science that should protect us all.
Toss some bags at Iowa's cancer crisis cover-up… Trump's EPA reversing water protections… And why farmers are fighting back on their own…
Cornhole Champions is a weekly podcast powered by Iowa Starting Line. It’s produced by me and edited by Rebecca Steinberg. Our music is 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 Shocking Cancer Statistics: Second Worst in America
01:30 - The $400,000 Cover-Up: Public Health Funding Disappears
05:00 - Pattern of Suppression: Multiple Studies Buried by Officials
07:30 - EPA Chief Grills with Polluters at Iowa State Fair
09:00 - Big Ag's Corruption Playbook: Ghost Writing and Revolving Doors
12:30 - Trump EPA Reverses Water Protection for Iowa Rivers
16:30 - Farmers Fight Back: Real Solutions from the IDEA Network
19:00 - Why Voluntary Change Won't Save Iowa's Water
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Sooo... is it Hinson for Iowa or Hinson for Trump?
Escucha Mi Voz held a press conference Friday where Laura Castro, Jorge González's partner, spoke out about her partner's ICE abduction. She said González always complied with ICE while he was going through the legal immigration process, and even wore an ankle monitor provided by the agency.
State and local lawmakers, community advocates, and family spoke out in front of hundreds of Iowans in support of Jorge González, an Iowa City man abducted by immigration officers.
Strong retirement benefits are viewed as a key tool to combat an ongoing teacher shortage in Iowa.
The main program for educators is the Iowa Public Employees’ Retirement System (IPERS)—which is a defined-benefit pension plan that guarantees a lifetime monthly income. These plans are seen as more secure than 401(k) accounts because they eliminate risk for employees.
Gov. Kim Reynolds’ private-sector DOGE Task Force wants to gut IPERS.
✏️: Salina Heller
Earlier this summer, Rob Faux spoke about his experience as a farmer and cancer survivor at the Cancer in Iowa: Black Hawk County listening session. He said personal choice can only lower cancer risks so much, and what Iowans really need is good policy to protect their health.
Subscribe to our newsletter for editions of "The Hot Spot: Investigating Cancer in Iowa" right to your inbox: https://iowastartingline.com/newsletter/?utm_term=isl_cancer_series
What if Governor Reynolds was paid based on her performance?
Final recommendations from Iowa DOGE are due September 26th. Follow @iowastartingline for updates.
Iowa immigrants’ rights group Escucha Mi Voz says that ICE abducted Jorge Eliesar Gonzalez Ochoa of Iowa City, an essential worker who lives with his family at the Catholic Worker House. On September 25, three men who refused to identify themselves as anything but “federal agents” were caught on video detaining Ochoa at an Iowa City grocery store.
This week in the Trump administration’s destruction of public health: Trump told pregnant women to avoid Tylenol, one of the few pain relievers their doctors say is safe.
