Laura Belin and Spencer Dirks began with Iowa political reaction to the U.S. attack in Venezuela and whether this could become a 2026 campaign issue. On the campaign front, they discussed the first TV ad aired in Iowa's U.S. Senate race, a Republican rival's challenge to GOP front-runner Ashley Hinson, and takeaways from the special election in Iowa Senate district 16 (another big Democratic overperformance). Other topics covered: how Iowa will use additional federal funds for rural health, the governor's new Nuclear Energy Task Force, new policies that took effect in Iowa on January 1, a big drop in traffic fatalities, and several topics to watch in the upcoming Iowa legislative session.