WATCH: More Iowans leave the state for abortion care as demand for help surges
Banning abortion didn't ban the need for abortion. Donate to your local access fund!
Jun
2025
6
IOWA
Jun
2025
5
WATCH: Meet Justin Putzier, a motor sports content creator from Iowa
Justin Putzier, an Iowa content creator, loves racing and motor sports. He's been to race tracks all over the Midwest, and interviews current and former racers on his YouTube show "Full Throttle with JP." And he does it all with cerebral palsy, a disorder that affects body movement and muscle coordination.
"I do have CP," he said. "[But] I want to come across as someone very interesting that might have very interesting questions."
Subscribe to JP's Full Throttle on YouTube here: https://www.youtube.com/@JPFullThrottle18
Jun
2025
5
WATCH: How Joni Ernst’s ‘cruelty’ nudged JD Scholten toward a Senate run
US Sen. Joni Ernst's viral moment last weekend also helped launch her opponent's campaign. State Rep. JD Scholten, a Democrat from Sioux City, is running in 2026.
Jun
2025
4
Watch: FINALLY: The secret report on deadly Davenport building collapse (Part 2) -Cornhole Champions #27
A six-story Davenport apartment building collapsed, killing three people two years ago. And we can finally read an investigation into the fall that the Scott County Attorney tried to keep secret. Inside: cash workers, altered reports, and a runaway landlord.
On this episode of Cornhole Champions, Zachary Oren Smith, Amie Rivers, and Avery Staker examine the explosive report.
Also in this episode, US Sen. Joni Ernst viral gaffe and the Trump Administration's generation-defining cuts to Iowa's scientific research and development.
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
- 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:*
00:30 - Three Deaths, One Amputation - Andrew Wold Shopping for Steel When Building Fell
01:00 - Wold Ran From Police - Special Agent Warrant Service Goes Wrong
03:00 - Amy Rivers Eyewitness Account - "We Knew It From Day One"
06:00 - Cash Workers and Fake Contractors - Wold Lied About Licensed Masons
07:00 - Mid-American Energy Warning - Too Dangerous for Utility Workers
*FOLLOW ZACHARY OREN SMITH ON SOCIAL MEDIA:*
- Twitter - https://x.com/zacharyos
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- Bluesky - https://bsky.app/profile/zacharyos.bsky.social
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Jun
2025
4
WATCH: Sen. Joni Ernst says “We’re all going to die” to Medicaid cut fear (Part 1) – Cornhole Champions #27
This week, US Sen. Joni Ernst and her Senate colleagues will consider major cuts to Medicaid. Over the weekend, she was confronted about the cuts by an angry constituent who said, "People will die."
"Well, we're all going to die," Ernst said.
Since then, she doubled down with a bizarre apology video filmed in a cemetery. The comment made an already hostile town hall explode into boos and shouts as voters confronted her about Trump's massive spending bill.
On this episode of Cornhole Champions, Zachary Oren Smith, Amie Rivers, and Avery Staker break down Ernst's viral moment and her tone-deaf response. We examine how Ernst's false claims about undocumented immigrants mask the reality that 13.7 million Americans will lose healthcare coverage, while the wealthy get $1.1 trillion in tax breaks.
Also on this episode, new information in the deadly Davenport apartment building collapse nd the Trump Administration's generation-defining cuts to Iowa's scientific research and development.
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
- 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:*
03:21 - Joni Ernst "We All Die" Town Hall - Viral Comment Sparks Outrage
05:30 - 13.7 Million Americans to Lose Medicaid - Ernst's False Immigration Claims Exposed
06:53 - Ernst's Cemetery Apology Video - Doubling Down with Jesus and Tooth Fairy
08:02 - "Not an Apology Whatsoever" - Ernst Mocks Constituents Over Healthcare Cuts
09:28 - $1.1 Trillion Tax Breaks vs Healthcare Cuts - Who Really Benefits from Trump's Bill
*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
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*FOLLOW IOWA STARTING LINE ON SOCIAL MEDIA:*
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Jun
2025
4
WATCH: Trump cuts Iowa cancer and defense research funding (Part 3) – Cornhole Champions #27
The Trump Administration has terminated over 1,600 research grants nationwide, cutting more than $1.5 billion in federal funding and leaving Iowa's research universities scrambling to save critical projects.
On this episode of Cornhole Champions, Zachary Oren Smith, Amy Rivers, and Avery Staker talk about how these massive cuts are devastating Iowa's scientific infrastructure.
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
- 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:*
00:30 - Cancer Research Gets the Axe - University of Iowa Professor's Pancreatic Cancer Study Terminated
01:30 - "Diverse" Triggers Grant Termination - How One Word Killed Research Grant
02:30 - Foreign Disinformation Studies Cut - $1.7 Million Grant Protecting Americans Canceled
04:30 - Innovation Infrastructure Under Attack - Why R&D Labs Can't Just "Turn Back On"
06:30 - America's Scientific Brain Drain - Scientists Leaving as US
*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:*
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- YouTube - https://www.youtube.com/@UCXN791Qw5opBRLyvTWYl43w
Jun
2025
4
Davenport building collapse investigation reveals years of ignored warnings and regulatory breakdown
After the Scott County Attorney stonewalled its release, the public can finally read the state’s investigation into the deadly collapse of the Davenport Hotel. Inside: cash workers, altered...
Jun
2025
3
WATCH: Des Moines’ 35-year sidewalk project
Sidewalks! They're more important than you think.
Jun
2025
3
7 Iowa zipline adventures for every thrill level
Iowa’s many ziplines offer experiences ranging from heart-pumping to relaxing. Discover the Iowa zipline best suited for your preferred thrill level.
Jun
2025
2
WATCH: What happened after Ernst said ‘we all are going to die’
You probably heard about Sen. Joni Ernst's insensitive remark during her Parkersburg town hall on Friday. But did you catch her "apology?" Or know the woman who prompted her remark is running for Iowa legislature?
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