Iowa's strict scrutiny gun law was supposed to be an "insurmountable wall" against any gun regulation. But surprising new court cases show an unexpected divisions among Iowa's seven Republican-appointed Supreme Court justices.

On this episode of Cornhole Champions, Zachary Oren Smith, Amie Rivers, and Avery Staker break down fascinating cases from the Des Moines Register that show how Iowa's 2022 constitutional amendment is playing out in real courtrooms. From a man seeking gun rights restoration after teenage mental health commitment to domestic violence protection orders, we explore when even conservative justices draw the line.

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.

*SHOW RUNDOWN:*
00:00 - Iowa Supreme Court's Surprising Gun Law Divisions
01:30 - Strict Scrutiny Explained: Shifting the Burden of Proof
02:30 - Mental Health Commitment vs. Gun Rights Restoration
04:00 - Domestic Violence Protection Orders and Gun Access
05:30 - The Only Unanimous Ruling: Domestic Violence Abuser Case
06:00 - "While Criming" - The Case That Went Viral
07:00 - Iowa's Hunting Culture and Trap Shooting Teams
09:00 - Racial Bias in Gun Law Enforcement Discussion

*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
- LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/zacharyos/

*FOLLOW IOWA STARTING LINE ON SOCIAL MEDIA:*
- Twitter - https://twitter.com/iastartingline
- Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/IowaStartingLine
- TikTok - https://www.tiktok.com/@iowastartingline
- Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/iowastartingline
- YouTube - https://www.youtube.com/@UCXN791Qw5opBRLyvTWYl43w

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:*
- 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

*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

*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
- LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/zacharyos/

*FOLLOW IOWA STARTING LINE ON SOCIAL MEDIA:*
- Twitter - https://twitter.com/iastartingline
- Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/IowaStartingLine
- TikTok - https://www.tiktok.com/@iowastartingline
- Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/iowastartingline
- YouTube - https://www.youtube.com/@UCXN791Qw5opBRLyvTWYl43w

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:*
- 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

*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

*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
- LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/zacharyos/

*FOLLOW IOWA STARTING LINE ON SOCIAL MEDIA:*
- Twitter - https://twitter.com/iastartingline
- Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/IowaStartingLine
- TikTok - https://www.tiktok.com/@iowastartingline
- Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/iowastartingline
- YouTube - https://www.youtube.com/@UCXN791Qw5opBRLyvTWYl43w

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:*
- 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

*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

*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
- LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/zacharyos/

*FOLLOW IOWA STARTING LINE ON SOCIAL MEDIA:*
- Twitter - https://twitter.com/iastartingline
- Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/IowaStartingLine
- TikTok - https://www.tiktok.com/@iowastartingline
- Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/iowastartingline
- YouTube - https://www.youtube.com/@UCXN791Qw5opBRLyvTWYl43w

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
- Spotify - https://open.spotify.com/show/5rzNpiA4IwgLmxbyrhETY6?si=6c4a527fa9ad4f64
- PocketCasts - https://pca.st/74atty1j
... 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

*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
- LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/zacharyos/

*FOLLOW IOWA STARTING LINE ON SOCIAL MEDIA:*
- Twitter - https://twitter.com/iastartingline
- Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/IowaStartingLine
- TikTok - https://www.tiktok.com/@iowastartingline
- Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/iowastartingline
- YouTube - https://www.youtube.com/@UCXN791Qw5opBRLyvTWYl43w