Iowa Starting Line
Sign Up for the Iowa Starting Line Newsletter
-
❗️ Joni Ernst Defends Medicaid Cuts: ‘We Are All Going to Die’
Share with a friend It’s Friday, May 30, 2025. 🗣️ It’s Friday: Time to hear from ISL readers! 🐶 This is Crosby. “We have a music icons naming convention for our pets— we’ve had Dylan and (Mama) Cass, and Crosby’s feline sister is Cher,” says Crosby’s human Matt U. “The two things he values most…
-
🎧 What’s the Argument for Staying in Iowa?
Share with a friend It’s Wednesday, May 28, 2025. On this episode of Cornhole Champions, the holiday-shortened week has Iowa Starting Line’s Zachary Oren Smith all by his lonesome on hosting duties. So he’s making up for it by interviewing a couple other podcasters at Pints and Diplomacy. This week, they talk about a big…
-
🎧 This Week’s Podcast: Iowa’s Book Ban Halted (Again!)
Share with a friend It’s Wednesday, May 21, 2025. On this episode of Cornhole Champions, Iowa Starting Line’s Zachary Oren Smith, Amie Rivers, and Avery Staker discuss a federal judge’s preliminary injunction against key portions of Iowa’s SF 496, the state’s controversial “Don’t Say Gay” law. We also explore Republican Rep. Megan Jones’s accusations that the Iowa Division of Criminal…
-
🎧 This Week’s Podcast: A Record-Breaking Campaign Launch
Share with a friend It’s Wednesday, May 14, 2025. “Iowans are great. Honestly, people love this state. They’re so proud to live here. They are so proud of our history,” State Auditor Rob Sand told Cornhole Champions host Zachary Oren Smith. “A lot of them are very frustrated with where we are right now, but they’re…
-
🎧 This Week’s Podcast: Why We’re Still Iowa Journos
Share with a friend It’s Wednesday, May 7, 2025. Amie here, and I wanted to quickly plug Cornhole Champions, a Starting Line podcast featuring Zachary Oren Smith, Avery Staker, and me talking about Iowa politics and other relevant news of the week (and cracking each other up, also). This week: Zachary’s out on PTO,…
-
🗣️ In One Word, Describe Trump’s First 100 Days?
Share with a friend It’s Friday, May 2, 2025. 🗣️ It’s Friday: Time for the takes! But first, here’s this week’s Pets and Bloomers: 🐶 This is Geode, “an adventure dog through and through,” according to Kelsea H. That includes “going to take the leaves, branches, yard waste to the local brush spot ……
-
🗣️ What’s With Trump and Canada?
Share with a friend It’s Friday, Apr. 25, 2025. 🗣️ It’s Friday: Time for the takes! But first, here’s this week’s Pets and Bloomers: 🐱 This is Shay, a 2-year-old “who is so handsome, but is our new kitten’s #1 hater,” according to Elliot H. of Cedar Rapids. Fact: Pets hate new competition.…
-
🗣️ ‘Nobody Wants to Live in a State That is Unwelcoming’
Share with a friend It’s Friday, Apr. 18, 2025. 🗣️ It’s Friday: Time for all of your hottest takes! But first, here’s the Pet Photo of the Week: This is Saul Alinsky, “our ‘tripod’ (3-legged) rescue,” says reader Lisa F. Looks like he’s shocked you haven’t read his book yet. Send me your…
-
🗣️ What You Said About Reynolds’ Announcement
Share with a friend It’s Monday, Apr. 14, 2025. 🗣️ Amie here, and we’ve heard from lots of you regarding Gov. Kim Reynolds‘ announcement Friday that she won’t be seeking a third term running Iowa. So we’re running a special edition today of some of your responses! Read that article here, or watch a…
-
BREAKING: Kim Reynolds Won’t Run for Reelection
Share with a friend It’s Friday, Apr. 11, 2025. Amie here, interrupting your Friday with some breaking news: Gov. Kim Reynolds just announced she won’t seek reelection to a third term. She’s been governor of Iowa since 2017, when Gov. Terry Branstad tapped her (as his lieutenant governor) to succeed him after he…
