The Iowa Attorney General is dropping her lawsuit against the Winneshiek County Sheriff over a social media post. Bird says the county is in “full compliance,” though she never got the apology...
Correction: The Iowa Senate confirms the governor's appointments to agency heads. It does not confirm judge picks. This article has been correct to reflect that. A special election in Sioux...
Central Iowa has high nitrate levels in the Des Moines and Raccoon rivers. Its water services are struggling to convince residents that their water is still fine to drink.
On this episode of Cornhole Champions, Zachary Oren Smith, Amy Rivers, and Avery Staker break down the Central Iowa Water Works debacle and the growing trust crisis between officials and concerned residents.
Toss some bags about Iowa rolling back civil rights protections for trans Iowans… Trump heads to the Iowa fairgrounds… and a conversation with Democrat Christina Bohannan.
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.
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*SHOW RUNDOWN:*
00:00 - Central Iowa Water Crisis - Nitrate Levels Above EPA Safety Limits
01:00 - Home Test Strip Controversy - Residents Testing Their Own Water Safety
02:30 - Big Ag Regulation Reluctance - Political Element of Water Safety
03:00 - Voluntary Compliance Failures - Why Self-Regulation Isn't Working
05:00 - Mounting System Distrust - Root Problem vs. Individual Blame
06:30 - Industrial Ag Efficiency vs. Environmental Impact
07:30 - Unprofitable Crop Prices - Go Bigger Strategy to Minimize Losses
08:00 - Ethanol Aviation Fuel Dreams - Agriculture's "Second Coming" Promises
09:30 - Responsible Pivot Planning - Emergency Prevention vs. Reactive Crisis
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President Donald Trump returns to Iowa this week for a July 4th America 250 celebration at the state fairgrounds - but this isn't the "Great American State Fair" he promised during his 2023 campaign.
On this episode of Cornhole Champions, Zachary Oren Smith, Amy Rivers, and Avery Staker break down Trump's Iowa return and what it means for 2026 politics.
Toss some bags about Iowa rolling back civil rights protections for trans Iowans… officials debunk water safety rumors amid the ongoing nitrate crisis... and a conversation with Christina Bohannan.
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.
*LISTEN AND SUBSCRIBE TO CORNHOLE CHAMPIONS:*
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*SHOW RUNDOWN:*
00:00 - Trump Returns to Iowa - July 3rd State Fairgrounds Rally for America 250
02:00 - Broken Campaign Promises - The "Great American State Fair" That Never Was
02:30 - 50-State Tour Abandoned - Mexico Wall-Level Promise Keeping
06:00 - 2026 Stage Sharing Speculation - Who Gets Trump's Blessing?
07:00 - Regina George GOP Politics - Mean Girls Fascism Edition
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Iowa makes devastating history this week---becoming the first state ever to strip away existing civil rights protections from transgender residents.
On this episode of Cornhole Champions, Zachary Oren Smith, Amy Rivers, and Avery Staker cover Iowa's historic civil rights rollback that removes gender identity protections from employment, housing, public accommodation, and education.
Toss some bags about Trump's stop at the Iowa fairgrounds… officials debunk water safety rumors amid the ongoing nitrate crisis and a conversation with Democrat Christina Bohannan.
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.
*LISTEN AND SUBSCRIBE TO CORNHOLE CHAMPIONS:*
- YouTube - https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PL2LsUFhizO07jdk5Wav4mOT7tArltF8z5&si=FryZd7N7tG5tJ5Ju
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... and everywhere you listen to podcasts
*SHOW RUNDOWN:*
00:30 - Zach's "Par Excellence" Pun Disaster - Tech Out of There Falls Flat
02:49 - Iowa's Historic Civil Rights Rollback - First State to Strip Existing Trans Protections
04:00 - The Energy of Hope - Trans Community and Allies Unite at State Capitol
06:30 - Beyond Civil Rights - Birth Certificate Changes and "Gender Theory" Language
08:00 - Project 2025 Playbook - Scapegoating as Fascism Facilitation
10:00 - Hope for the Future - Protests Matter, Continued Advocacy Essential
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Christina Bohannon is making her third bid to unseat US Rep. Mariannette Miller-Meeks in Iowa's 1st Congressional District, coming off a razor-thin 799-vote loss in 2024. In one of 2026's most closely watched races, Bohannon believes her working-class roots and independent voice can finally break through.
On this episode of Cornhole Champions, Zachary Oren Smith sits down with Christina Bohannon to discuss why 2026 will be different after outperforming other Democrats nationwide and winning 33,000 Trump voters in 2024.
Toss some bags about Iowa rolling back civil rights protections for trans Iowans… Trump heads to the Iowa fairgrounds… And officials debunk water safety rumors amid the ongoing nitrate crisis.
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.
*LISTEN AND SUBSCRIBE TO CORNHOLE CHAMPIONS:*
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*SHOW RUNDOWN:*
01:00 - The 799-Vote Heartbreaker - 0.2% Loss Despite Trump District Win
02:30 - Miller-Meeks Enthusiasm Gap - Why Republicans Cross Over
04:00 - Miller-Meeks Voting Record - $4,400 Tariff Costs and Medicaid Cuts
05:30 - Bucking Party Establishment - Defeating 20-Year Incumbent by 34 Points
08:00 - "Pragmatic and Compassionate" - Miller-Meeks Medicaid Cut Justification
10:00 - Talk is Cheap Analysis - Miller-Meeks Pattern of Empty Gestures
12:30 - Why 2026 is Different - Building Momentum Over Multiple Cycles
13:30 - County-by-County Campaign - Keokuk to Scott County Tour
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What happens when a 940-page law tries to reshape America? Let's see how it would play out in the Hawkeye State. Iowa’s Republican Congressional delegation is primed to provide a stamp of...
Despite its success, Ottumwa Job Corps is among the 99 programs the Trump Administration is shutting down. The closure eliminates over 100 jobs in small town Iowa, displacing the 240 at-risk...
Federal Medicaid cuts threaten Iowa's already struggling rural hospitals. Nearly half operate at a loss, and proposed $4 billion in funding reductions for Iowa could force more closures in communities that can't afford to lose their healthcare lifelines.
On this episode of Cornhole Champions, Zachary Oren Smith, Amie Rivers and Avery Staker dig into why rural health providers are taking these so seriously.
Toss some bags about a "research victory” leaving US research in the hole... why a successful vocation program is getting the axe... and why egging's decline may be our country's greatest recession indicator.
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.
*LISTEN AND SUBSCRIBE TO CORNHOLE CHAMPIONS:*
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*SHOW RUNDOWN:*
00:00 - Cold Open - Egging Houses and Economic Anxiety - Discussion about childhood pranks becoming too expensive in current economy
04:00 - Show Introduction - Zachary Oren Smith with Amy Rivers and Avery Staker
05:00 - Rural Hospital Crisis - Federal Medicaid cuts threatening small-town hospitals, focusing on "Big Beautiful Bill" reconciliation package
06:00 - Medicaid Cut Details - Work requirements, cost-sharing increases, and federal matching rate reductions for expansion states like Iowa
07:30 - Washington County Hospital CEO Letter - Warning about rural hospital survival crisis and community impact
08:30 - Cost Shifting vs Cost Savings - How Medicaid cuts shift expenses to emergency rooms and social services
09:30 - Personal Impact Story - Tony and Lori Luckin family facing loss of Medicaid waiver for ventilator-dependent care in Sergeant Bluff
12:30 - Iowa's Waiver System Problems - Lack of appeal process compared to neighboring states like Nebraska and Missouri
13:30 - Hospital Funding Mechanics - How hospital taxes create federal match funds that get redistributed back
14:30 - Medicaid Recipients Are Rural - Why these cuts disproportionately harm rural communities and hospitals
The Trump administration announces a $10 million fund for an East Palestine health study while simultaneously cutting billions from scientific research. The contradiction reveals how selective science funding serves political purposes rather than public health priorities.
On this episode of Cornhole Champions, Zachary Oren Smith, Amie Rivers, and Avery Staker dig into the one-off funding opportunity and the context that surrounds it.
Toss some bags about the “Big Beautiful Bill’s” big, ugly impacts… why a successful vocation program is getting the axe... and why egging's decline may be our country's greatest recession indicator.
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.
*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
*FOLLOW ZACHARY OREN SMITH ON SOCIAL MEDIA:*
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*SHOW RUNDOWN:*
00:00 - East Palestine Health Study - Trump administration announces $10 million study 2.5 years after toxic train derailment
00:30 - East Palestine Disaster Details - February 3rd, 2023 Norfolk Southern derailment with hazardous chemicals
01:00 - Health Impact Comparison - Residents experiencing symptoms similar to 9/11 first responders
01:30 - Research Funding Contradiction - $10 million specific study while cutting NIH by 37% and canceling $750 million in grants
03:30 - Scale of NIH Cuts - 1,400 research grants worth $750 million terminated versus single $10 million study
05:30 - Political Theater vs Genuine Health Priority - Trump administration's selective approach to public health funding
