How can policymakers help reduce Iowa’s cancer rates?
To help reduce Iowa's cancer rates, the government will need to take action. We’ve got some ideas on where to start.
Sep
2025
24
Zachary Oren Smith
Zachary Oren Smith is your friendly neighborhood reporter. He leads Starting Line’s political coverage where he investigates corruption, housing affordability and the future of work. For nearly a decade, he’s written award-winning stories for Iowa Public Radio, The Des Moines Register and Iowa City Press-Citizen. Send your tips on hard news and good food to [email protected].
Sep
2025
23
Why Rob Sand is singing ‘America, the Beautiful’ at rallies
Democratic gubernatorial candidate Rob Sand has been starting his campaign stops across Iowa with an unusual ritual: leading crowds in singing "America the Beautiful." Sand, the current state auditor, has held town halls in venues ranging from churches to...
Sep
2025
22
Democrats take stand on healthcare as government shutdown looms
Democrats are threatening to shut down the government unless Republicans restore health insurance subsidies that would otherwise cause Iowa ACA enrollees to pay an extra $1,080 per year for coverage. With just days left before the federal government could shut...
Sep
2025
19
Nunn v. Konfrst: Poll shows dead heat in Iowa’s 3rd Congressional District
Update: Following publication, Iowa Staring Line received screenshots of Public Policy Polling's survey. The firm surveyed respondents on the favorability of both Democrats Jennifer Konfrst and Sarah Trone Garriott, how they would fare in a primary with one...
Sep
2025
11
What you can do to reduce your cancer risk: The big six for Iowans
It is possible to reduce your risk of cancer. Iowa health experts share more.
Aug
2025
27
WATCH: Fewer students in Iowa schools, fewer dollars for Iowa students (PT 1) – Cornhole Champions #37
157 Iowa school districts now depend on budget guarantees as public school enrollment drops 0.63% while nearly 28,000 kids use taxpayer-funded vouchers for private schools. That's 43 more districts on life support than before the pandemic, revealing how voucher programs and brain drain are systematically hollowing out Iowa's public education system.
On this segment of Cornhole Champions, Zachary Oren Smith, Amie Rivers, and Avery Staker break down the enrollment crisis hitting Iowa communities.
Toss some bags at declining school enrollment... the coming loss of a historical archive in Iowa City... And how the 1986 Deere strike connects to today's tariff layoffs...
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:*
01:00 - Tim Conroy's Epic D&D Realtor Ad: Supporting Local Media Done Right
05:30 - Welcome to Cornhole Champions: Iowa's Education Crisis Begins
07:00 - The Shocking Numbers: 157 Districts on Budget Guarantee
08:30 - What Budget Guarantees Really Mean for Iowa Communities
09:30 - The Voucher Paradox: Funding Both Public AND Private Schools
10:30 - Why School Closures Devastate Entire Towns
11:30 - Moving 6th Grade Back: Desperate Strategy or Band-Aid Solution?
12:30 - Des Moines' Radical 10-Year Education Overhaul Plan
*LISTEN AND SUBSCRIBE TO CORNHOLE CHAMPIONS:*
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- Apple Podcasts - https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/cornhole-champions-podcast/id1779497714
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... and everywhere you listen to podcasts
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Aug
2025
27
Under the Iowa sun: The work that drives the state’s high skin cancer rates
Iowa has the fifth-highest rate of skin cancer in the country, with numbers similar to states with far more UV radiation levels. This week on The Hot Spot, we look into the forces impacting our cancer rate.
Aug
2025
27
Drey wins Sioux City special election, breaks GOP supermajority
Catelin Drey, a first-time Democratic candidate, decisively won a special election in Sioux City that will have a significant impact on the Iowa Senate and the process of appointing state department heads. Sioux City like much of western Iowa has been electing...
Aug
2025
27
Democrat Dave Dawson launches bid for Iowa’s 4th Congressional District
Former Iowa state legislator Dave Dawson, a Democrat, is going after the US House seat in Iowa’s most conservative district. Dave Dawson, a 51-year-old prosecutor from Lawton, announced today he will run for Iowa's 4th Congressional District, jumping into a race...
Aug
2025
20
Facing cancer in Iowa: Patients share their stories
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.
