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Iowa News You Can Use

zachary oren smith
Jun 2025 11

WATCH: Zach Wahls, JD Scholten, Nathan Sage and the race against Joni Ernst (PT 1) – Cornhole Champions #28

By | POLITICS VIDEO, POLITICS, Amie Rivers

Tthree Democrats have officially entered the race to challenge Joni Ernst's Senate seat in 2026, setting up what could be Iowa's most consequential election in years.

On this episode of Cornhole Champions, Zachary Oren Smith, Amy Rivers, and Avery Staker break down the growing field of Senate candidates - from Zach Wahls' viral 2011 gay marriage testimony to JD Scholten's anti-monopoly crusade and Nathan Sage's f-bomb-filled populist campaign. We also explore Ernst's vulnerabilities, from her "we're all going to die" healthcare gaffe to her flip-flop on the Hegseth nomination after MAGA pressure.

Also, the dangers of corporate Pride. Perry's second chance. And a one-on-one with Wahls.

*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:
00:00 - Relay Iowa Recap - Zach's 339-Mile Van Driving "Heroics" Across the State
02:35 - 2026 Senate Race Preview - Why This Six-Year Term Matters for Iowa
03:35 - Senate Power Structure - 100 Senators vs 435 House Members and Iowa's Outsized Voice
04:00 - Farm Bill Influence - Grassley and Ernst's Agriculture Committee Roles
06:30 - Joni Ernst's Background - From Montgomery County Auditor to "Make Them Squeal"
07:06 - The Hog Castration Ad - Avery's Foundational Political Moment at Age 13
08:30 - Ernst's Voting Record - COVID Relief Opposition and Voting Restrictions
09:25 - "We're All Going to Die" - Ernst's Callous Healthcare Response
09:30 - The Hegseth Flip-Flop - Ernst Caves to MAGA Pressure on Defense Secretary
12:00 - Term Limits Hypocrisy - Ernst's 2014 Promise vs 2026 Campaign Reality
13:30 - Jim Carlin's Primary Challenge - The "America First" Conservative vs "DC Joni"
16:30 - Zach Wahls Enters the Race - From 2011 Viral Speech to Senate Campaign
17:00 - Wahls' Gay Marriage Testimony - Defending Two Moms in Iowa Legislature
21:00 - JD Scholten's Anti-Monopoly Message - Baseball Player Turned Economic Populist
24:30 - Nathan Sage's F-Bomb Campaign - Marine Veteran's Working Class Appeal
26:30 - Sage's Profanity Strategy - Every Press Release Needs an F-Bomb
29:00 - Trans Rights Debate - Avery's Concerns About Economic vs Social Issue Priorities
30:00 - The Civil Rights Reality Check - Housing Protections vs Sports Distractions

*Follow Zachary Oren Smith on social media:*
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zachary oren smith - Iowa Starting Line
Jun 2025 11

WATCH: Trump anti-DEI push supercharges Iowa Pride (PT 3) – Cornhole Champions #28

By | LOCAL VIDEO, COMMUNITY, Iowa Production Staff

Corporate America is pulling back from Pride Month as Iowa LGBTQ+ organizations feel the financial squeeze from Trump's anti-DEI push. Des Moines Capital City Pride lost nearly $70,000 when Nationwide and Mid-American Energy walked away, while Iowa City Pride saw $15,000 in support disappear. But record individual donations and packed attendance prove the queer community's resilience runs deeper than corporate sponsorship dollars.

On this episode of Cornhole Champions, Zachary Oren Smith, Amy Rivers, and Avery Staker discuss how Iowa's Pride organizations are adapting to lost corporate funding while doubling down on grassroots community support.

Also in this episode, an overview of Iowa's 2026 Senate race. Perry's second chance. And a one-on-one with US Senate candidate Zach Wahls.

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:*
00:00 - Corporate Pride Pullback - Iowa Organizations Lose $85,000+ in Sponsorships
00:47 - The Pendulum Swing - Corporate America's Profit-Driven Pride Strategy
01:10 - "Gay is Cool" - How Pride Became a Marketing Opportunity
01:30 - Queer Resilience - Community Survives Beyond Corporate Support
02:06 - Individual Donations Surge - Capital City Pride Sees Record Grassroots Funding
02:51 - Attendance Up Despite Funding Down - Community Shows Up Regardless
03:00 - Pride's Radical Roots - Remembering Stonewall Was a Riot
03:30 - Des Moines People's Pride - Community-Organized Alternative at Waterworks Park
04:13 - June 14th Event Preview - Queer Elder Panel and Local Artists
04:49 - Finding Real Allies - When Fair Weather Friends Reveal True Support
05:23 - Iowa Pride Events Statewide - Supporting Community Over Corporations

*Follow Zachary Oren Smith on social media:*
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zachary oren smith - Iowa Starting Line
Jun 2025 4

Watch: FINALLY: The secret report on deadly Davenport building collapse (Part 2) -Cornhole Champions #27

By | POLITICS VIDEO, POLITICS, Amie Rivers

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:*
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zachary oren smith - Iowa Starting Line
Jun 2025 4

WATCH: Sen. Joni Ernst says “We’re all going to die” to Medicaid cut fear (Part 1) – Cornhole Champions #27

By | POLITICS VIDEO, POLITICS, Amie Rivers

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:*
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zachary oren smith - Iowa Starting Line
Jun 2025 4

WATCH: Trump cuts Iowa cancer and defense research funding (Part 3) – Cornhole Champions #27

By | POLITICS VIDEO, POLITICS, Iowa Production Staff

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:*
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zachary oren smith - Iowa Starting Line