If the government shutdown continues through Nov. 1, millions of Americans will lose SNAP benefits and access to affordable health care.
November 1st marks the start of ACA open enrollment — and this year, it's one of the most unaffordable and uncertain periods we've seen. Republicans refuse to come to the table and extend subsidies that have made health care more affordable for 140,000 Iowans.
On Cornhole Champions, host Zachary Oren Smith sat down with Chase Seibert and Liz Fleming to talk about how this is part of a bigger story of taking away resources form normal people.
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:*
0:00 – ACA open enrollment starts November 1st: what you need to know
1:00 – Chase and Liz on being self-employed and relying on the ACA
3:00 – Why the ACA is a Band-Aid solution (but losing it makes things worse)
4:00 – Amber Gustafson's story: paying out of pocket before the ACA
6:00 – Republicans shut down the government over healthcare subsidies
7:30 – Premiums are jumping 114% when subsidies expire
9:00 – The false choice: "illegal alien healthcare" vs feeding kids
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Bailouts aren't a solution for anyone but the biggest corporate agriculture operations. Farmers keep saying they want markets, not bailouts.
Iowa's GDP dropped 6.1% in Q1 2025—worse than almost every state. Farmers lost their biggest customer. John Deere laid off hundreds. Meatpacking plants can't find workers.
These are Iowa jobs, Iowa families, Iowa businesses.
We broke down what's actually happening—and why it matters heading into 2026.
Iowa farmers are feeling the pain. $1.5 billion in soybean sales lost - and the ripple effects are hitting families and communities across the state. Here’s how we got here.
Residents of Des Moines have a chance to give their public schools $265 million to fund free full-day preschool, career training programs, facility updates, and more. The bond is on the ballot on Nov. 4—are you voting?
Art Cullen has spent decades writing from Storm Lake about the forces reshaping rural life. On the latest episode of Cornhole Champions, Zach spoke with him about the corporate interests pulling Iowa's strings and how we can regain control.
Watch on our YouTube here: https://youtu.be/RSVyKzRqLhk?si=7HoNATJnKPJkWS_-
Healthcare is expensive even with subsidies. A coming change could make it unaffordable for many.
A recent report found that Iowa's economy is approaching a recession.
My neighbor Tamara is tired of politics; she tells me this all the time. She says she doesn’t watch the news except for the weather, and would rather read a good book instead. I get it, I tell...
