Iowa ranks fifth nationally for melanoma—a rate similar to Arizona—and the reason might surprise you. It's not just about UV radiation. It's about who's spending their days outside and how we protect ourselves.

Dr. Marta Van Beek, a dermatologist at UI Healthcare, breaks down the reality: agricultural workers face 60% higher skin cancer rates, there's no such thing as a "healthy tan," and most of us are applying sunscreen completely wrong. (Spoiler: it's every two hours, not just when you remember.)

Toss some bags with a dermatologist about why Iowa's skin cancer rate is high and what you can do to reduce your chances of being part of the statistic.

Toss some bags at Iowa's surprising skin cancer crisis... why "pale is in vogue"... and the two-hour sunscreen rule that changes everything...

00:00 - Why Iowa ranks 5th nationally for melanoma (higher than Arizona!)

01:58 - Agricultural workers face 60% higher skin cancer rates

03:30 - The two-hour sunscreen rule most people don't follow

06:30 - Rural healthcare barriers: living far from dermatologists

09:00 - "No such thing as a healthy tan" - myth debunked

10:00 - Iowa's tanning bed problem: one of only 6 states with no restrictions

12:00 - Why tanning is actually addictive (endorphins released)

14:30 - "It's never too late" - why 50-year-olds should still protect skin

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Iowa's public schools are hemorrhaging students while 157 districts now depend on budget guarantees to survive. Meanwhile, the state is dismantling 168 years of history by closing Iowa City's Historical Society research center to save money.

On this episode of Cornhole Champions, Zachary Oren Smith, Amie Rivers, and Avery Staker connect three stories that reveal how Iowa systematically undermines the foundations that could keep families here.

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.

RUNDOWN:

07:00 - 157 School Districts on Budget Guarantee: The Enrollment Crisis Explained

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Iowa has the second-highest cancer rate in America, and Dr. Richard Deming has been fighting this crisis for four decades. In this powerful conversation, Iowa's leading oncologist reveals what you can actually do about it.

LISTEN AND SUBSCRIBE TO CORNHOLE CHAMPIONS:

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The "One Big, Beautiful Bill" promises to help working Americans – but when you dig into the details, it's just another political bump-it: looks impressive from far away, falls apart up close. Republicans are celebrating "no tax on tips," but what does it actually do for Iowa service workers making $2.13 an hour?

On this episode of Cornhole Champions, Zachary Oren Smith and Amie Rivers dig into the truth behind the tax policy that expires when Trump leaves office.

Toss some bags at "no" tax on tips... merit pay for teachers... Catelin Drey is running in a Sioux City special election next week... and Iowa Rep. Lindsay James is a candidate taking on US Rep. Ashley Hinson.

SHOW RUNDOWN:

00:30 - Republicans' Viral "Bump It" Tax Ad Gets Exposed

06:00 - GOP Rep's Embarrassing 10% Tip Goes Viral

10:30 - Iowa DOGE Wants to Turn Teachers Into Products

17:30 - "Moms for Iowa" Founder Runs for Deep Red Senate Seat

21:30 - From Uvalde to Campaign Trail: Mom's Political Awakening

33:30 - Can Democrats Flip Ashley Hinson's Safe Seat?

37:30 - Insulin or Rent: The Impossible Choice Driving This Campaign

46:00 - Good Samaritan Politics vs. $5 Million War Chest

LISTEN AND SUBSCRIBE TO CORNHOLE CHAMPIONS:

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Iowa uses more pesticides per capita than any other state—nearly 54 million pounds annually. But according to research engineer Chris Jones, we might be focusing on the wrong chemicals when it comes to cancer risk.

On this episode of Cornhole Champions, Zachary Oren Smith sits down with Jones, author of "The Swine Republic" and president of Driftless Water Defenders, to unpack Iowa's chemical cocktail crisis. We explore why 60% of Iowa's corn goes to ethanol production that exists only because of policy—not environmental benefits. Jones argues it's time to "slaughter the sacred cow" and redirect farm conservation dollars toward systems that don't pollute in the first place.

Toss some bags at Iowa's pesticide problem... why ethanol might be our biggest policy mistake... and what a progressive water quality platform actually looks like.

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.

SHOW RUNDOWN:

01:00 - Iowa uses more pesticides per capita than any other state

02:00 - The dangerous "chemical cocktail" effect explained

03:30 - Neonicotinoids: The overlooked pesticide in our drinking water

07:00 - How weeds fighting back is making everything worse

08:00 - Dicamba drift: Why everyone in Iowa is breathing toxic chemicals

12:00 - The "D-Day invasion" of crop dusters poisoning our air

22:00 - Why ethanol is Iowa's biggest policy mistake

24:30 - Slaughtering the sacred cow: What needs to change now

LISTEN AND SUBSCRIBE TO CORNHOLE CHAMPIONS:

FOLLOW ZACHARY OREN SMITH ON SOCIAL MEDIA:

FOLLOW IOWA STARTING LINE ON SOCIAL MEDIA:

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The Reynolds administration is targeting public retirement—again. Despite promising to "protect and defend" IPERS in 2018, Gov. Kim Reynolds's handpicked DOGE task force now wants to eliminate pensions for new state employees.

On this episode of Cornhole Champions, Zachary Oren Smith, Amie Rivers, and Avery Staker break down how wealthy business executives are targeting the 11th best-funded pension system in America.

Toss some bags at Iowa DOGE's pension grab... Josh Turek's Senate bid... And how cancer research cuts are shutting down labs across Iowa...

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.

SHOW RUNDOWN:

00:00 Cold Open: The Great Donut Debate

04:30 Iowa DOGE Targets Teacher and Police Pensions

06:00 What is IPERS and Why It Matters

10:30 Iowa Has the 11th Best Pension System in America

14:00 Josh Turek Announces Senate Bid Against Joni Ernst

27:00 Why Josh Turek Thinks Democrats Can Win in 2026

30:30 Cancer Research Funding Cuts Shut Down Iowa Labs

35:00 Why Private Funding Can't Replace Public Research

LISTEN AND SUBSCRIBE TO CORNHOLE CHAMPIONS:

FOLLOW ZACHARY OREN SMITH ON SOCIAL MEDIA:

FOLLOW IOWA STARTING LINE ON SOCIAL MEDIA:

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Sometimes the science moves faster than public policy. And it has real impacts on your health.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Iowa is hemorrhaging talent, and the numbers are staggering. With 34% more college graduates leaving than staying, the state lost $17.6 billion in potential income from just the 2023 cohort alone. But that's not the only crisis hitting Iowans hard.

On this episode of Cornhole Champions, Zachary Oren Smith, Amie Rivers Rivers, and Avery Staker dive into Iowa's brain drain crisis and explore why young professionals—especially LGBTQ+ Iowans—are fleeing the state.

Toss some bags about the economic cost of brain drain… how pesticides contribute to Iowa’s cancer problem… and how the Iowa Supreme Court is approaching new “strict scrutiny” language.

Cornhole Champions is a weekly podcast powered by Iowa Starting Line. This podcast is produced by Zachary Oren Smith and edited by Rebecca Steinberg. Our music is by Avery Mossman and our show art is from Desirée Tapia.

Watch the full episode on Iowa Starting Line’s YouTube.

YouTube | Instagram | TikTok | Twitter | Bluesky | Threads | LinkedIn

SHOW RUNDOWN:

00:00 - Classic 1980s Waterloo Tourism Commercial (Viral Opening)

06:30 - Iowa's $17.6 Billion Brain Drain Crisis Begins

08:30 - Why 34% More College Graduates Leave Iowa Than Stay

16:30 - LGBTQ+ Exodus: "Most of My Friends Are Leaving the State"

19:00 - 53 Million Pounds: Iowa's Massive Pesticide Problem

24:00 - Cancer Rates & Agricultural Health Study Findings

32:30 - Iowa Supreme Court's Surprising Gun Law Divisions

36:00 - Domestic Violence & "While Criming" Court Cases

LISTEN AND SUBSCRIBE TO CORNHOLE CHAMPIONS:

YouTube -    • Cornhole Champions - Full Episodes  

Substack - https://cornholechampions.substack.com/

Apple Podcasts - https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast...

Spotify - https://open.spotify.com/show/5rzNpiA...

PocketCasts - https://pca.st/74atty1j

... and everywhere you listen to podcasts

FOLLOW ZACHARY OREN SMITH ON SOCIAL MEDIA:

Twitter - https://x.com/zacharyos

Instagram -   / zacharyosmith  

Bluesky - https://bsky.app/profile/zacharyos.bs...

Threads - https://www.threads.com/@zachosmith

LinkedIn -   / zacharyos  

FOLLOW IOWA STARTING LINE ON SOCIAL MEDIA:

Twitter -   / iastartingline  

Facebook -   / iowastartingline  

TikTok -   / iowastartingline  

Instagram -   / iowastartingline  

YouTube -    / @iowastartingline  \

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

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 challenge of doing long-term science in a world that wants quick answers.

Toss some bags at complicated truths... geographic patterns that don't fit neat theories... the politics of risk factors... why linking cancer to environmental causes takes decades... and the funding crisis threatening Iowa's public health infrastructure.

Cornhole Champions is a weekly podcast powered by Iowa Starting Line. This podcast is produced by Zachary Oren Smith and edited by Rebecca Steinberg. Our music is by Avery Mossman and our show art is from Desirée Tapia.

LISTEN AND SUBSCRIBE TO CORNHOLE CHAMPIONS: YouTube | Substack | Apple Podcasts | Spotify | PocketCasts | ... and everywhere you listen to podcasts.

FOLLOW ZACHARY OREN SMITH ON SOCIAL MEDIA: Twitter | Instagram | Bluesky | Threads | LinkedIn

FOLLOW IOWA STARTING LINE ON SOCIAL MEDIA: Twitter | Facebook | TikTok | Instagram | YouTube

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

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 the real impact of Iowa's restrictive abortion law on families and communities. From $19,000 emergency cases to overnight drives with young kids, we explore how the ban has forced care out of state.

Toss some bags at one-year of Iowa’s near-total abortion ban… Trump revoking visa workers in Ottumwa… And why LGBTQ Iowans are leaving…

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.

LISTEN AND SUBSCRIBE TO CORNHOLE CHAMPIONS: YouTube | Substack | Apple Podcasts | Spotify | PocketCasts | ... and everywhere you listen to podcasts.

FOLLOW ZACHARY OREN SMITH ON SOCIAL MEDIA: Twitter | Instagram | Bluesky | Threads | LinkedIn

FOLLOW IOWA STARTING LINE ON SOCIAL MEDIA: Twitter | Facebook | TikTok | Instagram | YouTube

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices