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Iowa News You Can Use

POLITICS VIDEO
Aug 2025 29

WATCH: I’m applying sunscreen wrong… Iowa is too (w/ Dr. Marta Van Beek) – Cornhole Champions Interview

By | POLITICS VIDEO, POLITICS, Iowa Production Staff

Iowa ranks fifth nationally for melanoma—a rate similar to Arizona—and the reason might surprise you. It's not just about UV radiation. It's about who's spending their days outside and how we protect ourselves.

Dr. Marta Van Beek, a dermatologist at UI Healthcare, breaks down the reality: agricultural workers face 60% higher skin cancer rates, there's no such thing as a "healthy tan," and most of us are applying sunscreen completely wrong. (Spoiler: it's every two hours, not just when you remember.)

Toss some bags with a dermatologist about why Iowa's skin cancer rate is high and what you can do to reduce your chances of being part of the statistic.

Toss some bags at Iowa's surprising skin cancer crisis... why "pale is in vogue"... and the two-hour sunscreen rule that changes everything...

*SHOW RUNDOWN:*
00:00 - Why Iowa ranks 5th nationally for melanoma (higher than Arizona!)
01:58 - Agricultural workers face 60% higher skin cancer rates
03:30 - The two-hour sunscreen rule most people don't follow
06:30 - Rural healthcare barriers: living far from dermatologists
09:00 - "No such thing as a healthy tan" - myth debunked
10:00 - Iowa's tanning bed problem: one of only 6 states with no restrictions
12:00 - Why tanning is actually addictive (endorphins released)
14:30 - "It's never too late" - why 50-year-olds should still protect skin

*LISTEN AND SUBSCRIBE TO CORNHOLE CHAMPIONS:*
- YouTube - https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PL2LsUFhizO07jdk5Wav4mOT7tArltF8z5&si=FryZd7N7tG5tJ5Ju
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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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POLITICS VIDEO - Iowa Starting Line
Aug 2025 27

WATCH: John Deere’s $600M tariff crisis vs. the 1986 Farm Crisis strike (PT 3) – Cornhole Champions #37

By | POLITICS VIDEO, POLITICS, Iowa Production Staff

Thirty-nine years ago, UAW workers began the longest strike in John Deere history—163 days fighting for job security during the 1980s farm crisis. Today, John Deere announced 238 more layoffs across Iowa and Illinois, blaming $600 million in annual tariff costs. From the 1986 lockout to 2025's trade war casualties, Iowa workers keep paying the price for decisions made in distant boardrooms and Washington.

On this segment of Cornhole Champions, Zachary Oren Smith, Amie Rivers, and Avery Staker connect past and present labor struggles.

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:*
00:00:30 - August 23, 1986: The Day 4,300 Workers Walked Off the Job
01:00 - "Emasculate Our Cost of Living": What UAW Workers Really Fought For
01:30 - 1980s Farm Crisis: When Manufacturing Jobs Fell 30% in Quad Cities
02:30 - 2025 Reality: $600 Million in Tariffs, 238 More Layoffs
04:00 - Farmers Feeding Wheat to Cattle: When Harvesting Isn't Worth It
04:30 - How China Switched from Iowa Soybeans to Brazilian Suppliers
06:00 - Waterloo's Five John Deere Plants: Thousands of Jobs at Risk
08:00 - The Through Line: Erosion of Public Life in Iowa Communities

*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

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POLITICS VIDEO - Iowa Starting Line
Aug 2025 27

WATCH: Why the “best educators ever” are getting cut in Waterloo, Iowa

By | POLITICS VIDEO, POLITICS, Iowa Production Staff

Librarians. Custodians. Middle and high school teachers.

When Iowa school administrators have to cut their budgets, they hope they can delay getting some new textbooks, or require fewer professional development classes for staff.

But when there’s nothing else to cut from the general fund anymore, it has to get a little more personal… and difficult.

It’s jobs—it’s PEOPLE—that have to be eliminated. That’s what’s happening in Waterloo Community Schools. Because of what the superintendent calls “a perfect storm,” there are 60 people whose jobs will be cut this coming school year.

✏️: Salina Heller

POLITICS VIDEO - Iowa Starting Line
Aug 2025 22

WATCH: What can you do about cancer (w/ Dr. Richard Deming) – Cornhole Champions Interview

By | POLITICS VIDEO, CANCER IN IOWA, Iowa Production Staff

Iowa has the second-highest cancer rate in America, and Dr. Richard Deming has been fighting this crisis for four decades. In this powerful conversation, Iowa's leading oncologist reveals what you can actually do about it.

On this episode of Cornhole Champions, we explore the mortality wake-up call that cancer brings and the simple---though not easy---steps that could save thousands of lives.

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:*
00:00 Iowa's Cancer Crisis: Why We're Second in America
05:30 The Mortality Wake-Up Call: Cancer Changes Everything
12:00 From Navy Diver to Cancer Fighter: An Unlikely Journey
20:00 Why Screening Saves Lives (But Can Also Harm)
28:00 Iowa's Two Big Problems: Radon and Farm Chemicals
34:00 The 45% Solution: What We Already Know Works
36:30 Why Smoking Is Still Cancer's Biggest Killer
42:00 Healthcare Access: The Hidden Cancer Crisis

*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

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POLITICS VIDEO - Iowa Starting Line
Aug 2025 20

WATCH: Pastor and state Rep. Lindsay James takes on US Rep. Ashley Hinson (PT 3) – Cornhole Champions #36

By | POLITICS VIDEO, POLITICS, Iowa Production Staff

Can Democrats flip one of Iowa's reddest congressional districts? State Representative Lindsay James thinks so.

On this episode of Cornhole Champions, Zachary Oren Smith sits down with the Dubuque legislator who's spent seven years fighting for insulin access and affordable healthcare in the Iowa House.

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:*
01:30 - Why Lindsay James is Challenging Ashley Hinson in 2026
03:30 - The Impossible Choices: Rent vs. Life-Saving Medication
05:00 - Republican Leadership Kills Insulin Access Bill
07:00 - Pharmaceutical Lobbyists Run the Iowa Legislature
09:00 - Ashley Hinson's "Big Beautiful Bill" Moral Failure
10:30 - Iowa's Cancer Crisis: Worst Rising Rates in America
12:30 - How Faith Drives Progressive Politics (Good Samaritan)
14:00 - Taking on a $5 Million GOP Fundraising Machine

*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:*
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*FOLLOW IOWA STARTING LINE ON SOCIAL MEDIA:*
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POLITICS VIDEO - Iowa Starting Line
Aug 2025 20

WATCH: From Instagram activism to running for Iowa Senate (w/ Catelin Drey) (PT 2) – Cornhole Champions #36

By | POLITICS VIDEO, POLITICS, Iowa Production Staff

Can Democrats win in deep-red western Iowa? As Republicans dominate rural districts, one mom is betting that grassroots organizing and door-to-door conversations can flip a seat that hasn't seen Democratic representation in years.

On this episode of Cornhole Champions, Zachary Oren Smith sits down with Caitlyn Drey, the 37-year-old founder of Moms for Iowa, who's running in a special election for Iowa Senate District 1 in Sioux City.

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 - Democrats Beating Odds in Rural Iowa Districts
01:30 - How "Moms for Iowa" Instagram Account Started a Movement
03:30 - From Phone Calls to Running for Office (The Gulf)
04:30 - Uvalde Shooting Sparks Mom's Political Awakening
07:00 - "When You Need a Mess Cleaned Up, You Send Mom"
09:00 - School Voucher Fight That Changed Everything
12:00 - Why Losing Rural Schools Destroys Communities
14:30 - Special Election Strategy: Knocking Every Door

*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:*
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POLITICS VIDEO - Iowa Starting Line
Aug 2025 20

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

By | POLITICS VIDEO, POLITICS, Iowa Production Staff

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 Amy 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

*LISTEN AND SUBSCRIBE TO CORNHOLE CHAMPIONS:*
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- 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

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POLITICS VIDEO - Iowa Starting Line
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