State Rep. Lindsay James has joined the race to take on US Rep. Ashley Hinson. She says Hinson's support for Trump's tax bill which will leave some Iowans uninsured led her to run.
Catch the full interview this Wednesday morning on our podcast Cornhole Champions. Subscribe here: https://cornholechampions.substack.com/
Polluting rivers? Call Attorney General Brenna Bird.
Iowa uses more pesticides per capita than any other state—nearly 54 million pounds annually. But according to research engineer Chris Jones, we might be focusing on the wrong chemicals when it comes to cancer risk.
On this episode of Cornhole Champions, Zachary Oren Smith sits down with Jones, author of "The Swine Republic" and president of Driftless Water Defenders, to unpack Iowa's chemical cocktail crisis. We explore why 60% of Iowa's corn goes to ethanol production that exists only because of policy—not environmental benefits. Jones argues it's time to "slaughter the sacred cow" and redirect farm conservation dollars toward systems that don't pollute in the first place.
Toss some bags at Iowa's pesticide problem... why ethanol might be our biggest policy mistake... and what a progressive water quality platform actually looks like.
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 - Iowa uses more pesticides per capita than any other state
02:00 - The dangerous "chemical cocktail" effect explained
03:30 - Neonicotinoids: The overlooked pesticide in our drinking water
07:00 - How weeds fighting back is making everything worse
08:00 - Dicamba drift: Why everyone in Iowa is breathing toxic chemicals
12:00 - The "D-Day invasion" of crop dusters poisoning our air
22:00 - Why ethanol is Iowa's biggest policy mistake
24:30 - Slaughtering the sacred cow: What needs to change now
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Iowa's DOGE task force just released 45 recommendations for the state government. Unsurprisingly, they want to cut more social services.
Iowa's two-time Paralympic gold medalist Josh Turek is taking on Senator Joni Ernst. The Council Bluffs Democrat has won twice in Trump territory and thinks he knows how to beat Republicans statewide.
On this episode of Cornhole Champions, Zachary Oren Smith sits down with State Rep. Josh Turek to discuss his Senate bid, his personal healthcare struggles that drove him to politics, and why he's optimistic about Democrats' chances in 2026.
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 Meet Josh Turek: From Paralympic Gold to Iowa Politics
02:00 How Turek Wins in Districts Trump Carries by Double Digits
04:30 Why Healthcare Drives Everything Turek Does in Politics
05:30 Iowa's Medicaid Crisis: 22,000 on Seven-Year Wait Lists
07:00 Why Turek Is Leaving the Iowa Legislature for Senate
09:30 What Sets Turek Apart in the Crowded Democratic Primary
11:30 Why Turek Is Optimistic About Democrats in 2026
13:00 Post-Interview Analysis: Turek's Unique Healthcare Perspective
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Iowa Republicans are coming for the public employee retirement system—again. Despite promising to "protect and defend" IPERS in 2018, Gov. Kim Reynolds's handpicked DOGE task force now wants to eliminate pensions for new state employees.
On this episode of Cornhole Champions, Zachary Oren Smith, Amie Rivers, and Avery Staker break down how wealthy business executives are targeting the 11th best-funded pension system in America.
Toss some bags at Iowa DOGE's pension grab... Josh Turek's Senate bid... And how cancer research cuts are shutting down labs across Iowa...
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 Cold Open: The Great Donut Debate Gets Heated
04:30 Iowa DOGE Targets Teacher and Police Pensions
06:00 What is IPERS and Why One in Ten Iowans Depend on It
08:30 Average IPERS Payout: Only $15,000 Per Year
10:30 Iowa Has the 11th Best Pension System in America
11:00 Even Iowa Republicans Oppose This Proposal
12:00 Why Public Workers Earn Less Than Private Sector
13:30 How This Could Gut Iowa's Public Workforce
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Federal Medicaid cuts are expected to strip health care from 86,000 Iowans over the next ten years, but one rural hospital administrator warns the impacts could be felt in four to five months.
Sometimes the science moves faster than public policy. And it has real impacts on your health.
On this episode of Cornhole Champions, Zachary Orne Smith explores this gap with Dr. David Cwiertny, an environmental engineer at the University of Iowa.
Toss some bags at the science-policy gap… why we find chemicals everywhere we look… and what mass balance means for Iowa's future.
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:*
0:00 - Welcome: Iowa's cancer rates and chemical safety evolution
2:30 - Mass Balance Principle: Why chemicals never really disappear
5:00 - Neonicotinoids: The pesticides painted on seeds
8:00 - Atrazine Study Reversal: Same research, opposite conclusions
11:30 - The Science-Policy Gap: 20-year lag between discovery and action
14:00 - Why Simple Answers Don't Exist for Complex Problems
16:30 - Living in the "Gray Area" of Chemical Safety
18:30 - Alternative Agriculture: Different models, same profitability
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Iowa is hemorrhaging talent at an alarming rate, and the economic impact is staggering. A new report reveals that 34% more college graduates leave Iowa than stay, with the 2023 cohort alone representing a devastating $17.6 billion loss in potential income for the state.
On this episode of Cornhole Champions, Zachary Oren Smith, Amie Rivers, and Avery Staker break down Iowa's massive brain drain crisis. From abortion bans driving away OB-GYNs to immigration crackdowns affecting blue-collar workers, we explore the policy decisions pushing talent out of Iowa.
Toss some bags about the economic cost of brain drain… how pesticides contribute to Iowa’s cancer problem… and how the Iowa Supreme Court is approaching new “strict scrutiny” language.
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 - Iconic 1980s Waterloo Tourism Commercial (Cold Open)
06:30 - Iowa's $17.6 Billion Brain Drain Crisis Begins
08:00 - Why 34% More College Graduates Leave Than Stay
09:00 - Abortion Ban Driving Away OB-GYN Doctors
10:30 - Immigration Crackdowns Affecting Blue-Collar Workers
13:30 - Iowa Losing Population Even to Other Midwest States
16:30 - Generation Z LGBTQ+ Exodus: "Most of My Friends Are Leaving"
17:30 - Why Even Iowa City and Des Moines Aren't Safe Anymore
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New recession indicator just dropped: defecting Republicans.
