🌽 Art Cullen: How big Ag broke Iowa... and what comes next - Cornhole Champions #44

🌽Iowa's economic crash out - Cornhole Champions #46

It's easy to miss what's happening in Iowa when you're scrolling past headlines. GDP down 6.1% in Q1. Soybean markets shipped to Argentina. A $20 billion bailout that somehow bypassed the farmers who needed it most. But this isn't just about tariffs or trade policy. It's about who holds power in Iowa and who gets left behind. On Cornhole Champions, host Zachary Oren Smith sat down with Chase Seibert and Liz Fleming to unpack the New York Times story everyone should be reading: how Trump's economic policies hit Iowa harder than almost anywhere else in the country. Toss some bags about Iowa’s economic woes… health insurance costs going up… and some reflection on a year of Cornhole Champions. It's a conversation about reality, responsibility, and refusing to pretend everything's fine when it clearly isn't. And if you've been following this show, you know we don't do academic jargon — just honest talk about what's happening in Iowa and why it matters. Cornhole Champions is a weekly politics and policy podcast powered by Iowa Starting Line, hosted by Zachary Oren Smith and produced by Rebecca Steinberg, with music by Avery Mossman and art by Desirée Tapia. SHOW RUNDOWN: * 0:00 – Marinette Miller Meeks refuses town halls: "When hell freezes over" * 4:30 – Welcome and what's coming this episode * 6:30 – Trump's economic disaster hits Iowa hardest: the New York Times story * 17:00 – ACA open enrollment and what Iowans need to know now * 25:00 – Why Iowa journalism matters more than ever * 36:00 – Reflecting on a year of Cornhole Champions * 41:00 – How to support the show and send us your questions * 42:00 – Outro and what's next *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 *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:* - Twitter - https://twitter.com/iastartingline - Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/IowaStartingLine - TikTok - https://www.tiktok.com/@iowastartingline - Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/iowastartingline - YouTube - https://www.youtube.com/@UCXN791Qw5opBRLyvTWYl43w Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices [https://megaphone.fm/adchoices]

🌽Jennifer Konfrst on building power in the minority - Cornhole Champions #45

Former Iowa House Minority Leader Jennifer Konfrst of Windsor Heights is challenging Republican Congressman Zach Nunn for Iowa’s 3rd Congressional District. As the first woman to lead Iowa House Democrats, Konfrst has spent seven years fighting for reproductive rights, healthcare access, Medicaid funding, and school voucher accountability while building power in the minority. On this episode of Cornhole Champions, Konfrst explains why voters feel frozen by political uncertainty, how Democrats can win even when outnumbered, and what effective opposition actually looks like in Iowa politics. Cornhole Champions is a weekly politics and policy podcast powered by Iowa Starting Line, hosted by Zachary Oren Smith and produced by Rebecca Steinberg, with music by Avery Mossman and art by Desirée Tapia. *SHOW RUNDOWN:* 0:00 - Intro and Jennifer Konfrst's congressional run 1:15 - Why voters feel unheard by Congressman Zach Nunn 3:00 - The stakes of Iowa's third district race for House control 5:00 - Susan B. Anthony list enters the race on abortion rights 9:30 - Getting things done as the minority party in Iowa legislature 13:45 - What effective opposition looks like in politics 16:30 - How to make politics feel less like a game 18:00 - Hedgie's bookstore and hope in small town Iowa *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 *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:* - Twitter - https://twitter.com/iastartingline - Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/IowaStartingLine - TikTok - https://www.tiktok.com/@iowastartingline - Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/iowastartingline - YouTube - https://www.youtube.com/@UCXN791Qw5opBRLyvTWYl43w Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices [https://megaphone.fm/adchoices]

🌽 Art Cullen: How big Ag broke Iowa... and what comes next - Cornhole Champions #44

It’s easy to romanticize small-town Iowa — cornfields, calm mornings, and hardworking families. But behind the postcard image is a story of consolidation, pollution, and the steady draining of civic power. For my penultimate episode of the 2025, I spoke with Pulitzer Prize–winner Art Cullen has spent decades writing from Storm Lake about the forces reshaping rural life. In his new book Dear Marty, We Crapped In Our Nest: Notes from the Edge of the World, he reflects on how we got here, what we have left, and what it would take to turn things around after a century of extraction. Toss some bags about Iowa’s petrochemical farm economy… the hollowing out of our small towns… And the politics of pollution and power… It’s a hard read. But if you like this show, I think it’s up your alley. A conversation about responsibility, hope, and the cost of pretending everything’s fine. And for my money, it has one of the best essays I’ve read on the history of corn in the US. Super interesting. Cornhole Champions is a weekly politics and policy podcast powered by Iowa Starting Line, hosted by Zachary Oren Smith and produced by Rebecca Steinberg, with music by Avery Mossman and art by Desirée Tapia. *SHOW RUNDOWN:* 00:00 – Iowa’s rural myth vs. the reality of industrial agriculture 04:00 – Who is Marty? The friendship behind Dear Marty, We Crapped in Our Nest 07:00 – The “Corn Gospel”: How petrochemicals and subsidies changed Iowa 10:00 – When Big Ag bought Iowa politics 15:00 – Can Iowa’s populist right break from corporate control? 21:00 – Pipelines, property rights, and the cracks inside the GOP 30:00 – Art Cullen on cancer, rural healthcare, and what it means to stay 36:00 – “Dear Marty” epilogue: despair, democracy, and a flicker of hope *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 *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:* - Twitter - https://twitter.com/iastartingline - Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/IowaStartingLine - TikTok - https://www.tiktok.com/@iowastartingline - Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/iowastartingline - YouTube - https://www.youtube.com/@UCXN791Qw5opBRLyvTWYl43w Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices [https://megaphone.fm/adchoices]

🌽 What could Iowa do to reverse high cancer rates? (w/ State Rep. Austin Baeth) - Cornhole Champions #43

Iowa has the second-highest cancer rate in the nation, and it's getting worse. State Rep. Austin Baeth isn't just a politician. He's a practicing physician who sees cancer patients every day and watches people die from this disease in his palliative care work. His unique perspective as both doctor and lawmaker reveals the harsh reality: Iowa's cancer crisis has identifiable causes and policy solutions, but special interests keep blocking progress. On this episode of Cornhole Champions, I speak with Baeth about why Iowa's cancer rates are skyrocketing when other states are improving. From radon in 70% of Iowa homes to untaxed vaping products, from water contamination to landlord lobbying, we explore the specific regulatory tools that could save lives—and the political roadblocks preventing action. Toss some bags at Iowa's cancer emergency... Why $20,000 for radon testing disappeared in two months... And how special interests are hurting Iowans... Cornhole Champions is a weekly podcast powered by Iowa Starting Line. It’s produced by me and edited by Rebecca Steinberg. Our music is by Avery Mossman and show art by Desirée Tapia. We are a proud member of the Iowa Writers Collaborative. SHOW RUNDOWN: 00:00 Iowa's Cancer Crisis: Second Highest Rate and Rising 03:30 Why Current State Efforts Are Just Getting Started 05:30 The Real Drivers: It's Not Just Smoking and Obesity 08:00 Radon: The Silent Killer in 70% of Iowa Homes 10:00 Why Landlords Block Life-Saving Radon Protections 13:00 New Home Construction: Simple Solutions Blocked by Builders 15:00 Tobacco Taxes: The Evidence-Based Solution Iowa Won't Use 17:00 Making the Political Case When Lives Are at Stake 19:30 How to Contact Lawmakers About Cancer Policy *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 *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:* - Twitter - https://twitter.com/iastartingline - Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/IowaStartingLine - TikTok - https://www.tiktok.com/@iowastartingline - Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/iowastartingline - YouTube - https://www.youtube.com/@UCXN791Qw5opBRLyvTWYl43w Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices [https://megaphone.fm/adchoices]

📻 Different states, different justice (w/ Sarah Hedlund and Diana Mondragon) - Cornhole Champions #42

Sarah Hedlund and Diana Mondragon were groomed and sexually abused by the same high school teacher 20 years ago - but their paths to justice couldn't have been more different. Not because of the facts of their cases, but because of where they lived. On this episode of Cornhole Champions, Zachary Oren Smith sits down with the co-hosts of "Blooming After Grooming" to explore how a predator moved from Iowa to Illinois after Hedlund ended the relationship, and how state laws either support or fail survivors seeking accountability. From Iowa's restrictive statute of limitations to Illinois' more progressive laws that still fell short, their story reveals the shocking gaps in our systems meant to protect children. Discover how Hedlund found Mondragon through a cold LinkedIn message, why the Iowa Board of Educational Examiners became the unlikely hero of their case, and what parents, educators, and students need to know about recognizing and preventing grooming. Toss some bags at survivor accountability... the trauma onion that keeps peeling... and why "why now?" is the wrong question... Cornhole Champions is a weekly podcast powered by Iowa Starting Line. This podcast is produced by me and edited by Rebecca Steinberg. Our music is by Avery Mossman and our show art is from Desirée Tapia. Iowa has the second-highest cancer rate in the nation, and Dr. Andrew Nish has a blunt explanation: "Politics and big money." After 34 years treating cancer patients in Iowa, the medical director of John Stoddard Cancer Center connects our climbing cancer rates to everything from agricultural practices and contaminated water to our drinking culture and lack of green spaces. In this episode of Cornhole Champions, Dr. Nish explains the "exposome" - all the environmental factors we're exposed to over a lifetime that influence cancer risk. From ultra-processed foods disrupting our microbiome to nitrates in our water system, he argues that Iowa's health crisis stems from the same forces shaping our economy. Toss some bags about why politics and big money block solutions to Iowa's cancer crisis and and what one doctor thinks we need to change to save lives. Cornhole Champions is a weekly podcast powered by Iowa Starting Line. It’s produced by me and edited by Rebecca Steinberg. Our music is by Avery Mossman and show art by Desirée Tapia. We are a proud member of the Iowa Writers Collaborative. SHOW RUNDOWN: 02:00 - Welcome to Cornhole Champions: Accountability and Healing 04:00 - How Two Survivors Found Each Other Through LinkedIn 05:30 - The Grooming Started: From Iowa to Illinois 09:00 - Different States, Different Laws, Different Outcomes 11:30 - Iowa's Statute of Limitations vs Illinois' Progressive Laws 12:30 - How Iowa Board of Education Became the Unlikely Hero 16:30 - The Trauma Onion: When Systems Fail to Protect 22:30 - Why Survivors Wait: The Average Age is 52 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 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: - Twitter - https://twitter.com/iastartingline - Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/IowaStartingLine - TikTok - https://www.tiktok.com/@iowastartingline - Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/iowastartingline - YouTube - https://www.youtube.com/@UCXN791Qw5opBRLyvTWYl43w Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices [https://megaphone.fm/adchoices]