POLITICS VIDEO

Dr. Mary Charlton directs the Iowa Cancer Registry, tracking cancer diagnoses across the state for over 50 years and helping researchers understand Iowa’s stubbornly high cancer rates. On this episode of Cornhole Champions, Zachary Oren Smith talks with Charlton about what the data really shows, why simple explanations for complex problems fall short, and the…

Christopher Prosch, the Republican candidate for Sioux City’s upcoming special election, claimed US Capitol Police officers were “escorting” January 6 insurrectionists around the building. Former Capitol officer Harry Dunn says that’s insulting.

It’s been one year since Iowa’s near-total abortion ban took effect, and the numbers tell a devastating story. A 74% drop in abortion services in Iowa means Iowans are traveling hundreds of miles and paying thousands more for healthcare. On this episode of Cornhole Champions, Zachary Oren Smith, Amie Rivers, and Avery Staker break down…

Iowa once led on civil rights, but now it’s leading the rollback. Over half of LGBTQ young people in Iowa have considered leaving the state, and for transgender and nonbinary people, that number jumps to 69%. Iowa became the first state in U.S. history to remove gender identity protections from civil rights law. On this…

The irony is staggering: JBS subsidiary Pilgrim’s Pride donated $5 million to Trump’s inauguration, only to watch his administration immediately revoke visas for 200 of their Ottumwa workers from Haiti, Cuba, Nicaragua, and Venezuela. These legal workers—nearly 10% of the plant’s workforce—are being told to leave the country immediately. On this episode of Cornhole Champions,…

7/29/25 marked one year since Iowa’s extreme and unpopular 6-week abortion ban went into effect. The Iowa Abortion Acces Fund (@iaafund) has since helped over 870 Iowans receive care out of state—but not without great physical, mental, and financial cost.

Democrat Christina Bohannan was asked whether Republicans’ cuts to Medicaid were necessary. The budget bill was a spending bill, she explained. Those cuts didn’t reduce the national debt—they paid for tax cuts for the wealthy.

JT Vonderhaar is taking Iowa history to TikTok as the Iowa Investigator, building a following hungry for untold stories. On this episode of Cornhole Champions, Zachary Oren Smith talks with Vonderhaar about creating work while trying to find an audience and the need for storytelling in places like these. Toss some bags at Joe Biden’s…

Congress made some devastating cuts this week, slashing $1.1 billion from public broadcasting nationwide. Money that had already been promised to member stations near you. On this episode of Cornhole Champions, Zachary Oren Smith, Amie Rivers, and Liz Fleming cover the historic funding cuts that eliminate 25 jobs at Iowa PBS and knocked 10% of…

Iowa’s federal races heat up this month—with second-quarter fundraising reports revealing massive war chests and surprising upsets. On this episode of Cornhole Champions, Zachary Oren Smith, Amie Rivers, and Liz Fleming break down Joni Ernst’s lackluster $720,000 showing, Mariannette Miller-Meeks’ strong $1.3 million haul, and the shocking grassroots surge from newcomer Nathan Sage. Toss some…