The Iowa Podcast
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Saving Iowa Prairie Only Possible By Hand in the Loess Hills?
Audio version: 99.9% of Iowa’s prairies are gone and half of remaining 0.01% are in the Loess Hills. Saving and restoring native prairie land is critical to maintain soil health BUT saving it is remarkably difficult. Technological attempts have failed so Lance Brisbois of Golden Hills Resource Conservation and Development has turned to a tried…
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DMPS Interim Superintendent Matt Smith on Roberts hiring
Audio version: The ICE arrest of Des Moines Public Schools Superintendent Ian Roberts shocked Iowa, leaving community members and citizen journalists with more questions than answers. In this interview, newly installed Interim Superintendent, Matt Smith tries to fill the information vacuum, but concedes much of the process was a mystery even to him. Serving as…
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DC group influenced DMPS Superintendent Hiring?
Audio version: 10/5/25 Update: Our interview with newly installed interim DMPS Superintendent, Matt Smith is available now. Listen Now » Des Moines Public Schools is now international news after its Superintendent was arrested by ICE. Ian Roberts’ criminal history including drug trafficking, illegal firearms*, and grand theft auto has slowly come to light led by…
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Amana Colonies Oktoberfest Celebrates 60 years!
Audio version: This month the Amana Colonies Oktoberfest celebrates its 60-year anniversary and the Amana Colonies Bürgermeister himself, Jon Childers, joins us to explain the special occasion, free sausages, local bands, and of course… Lots of beer! He also explains the backstory, why the Amana communal living experiment failed and why they’re not Amish! The…
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Erin Kiernan of WHO on conflict in autism community.
Audio version: Erin Kiernan, anchor of WHOTV suddenly vanished off the airwaves leaving viewers to wonder what happened. Upon returning, she explained her time away from the camera was spent on her family, specifically her son Michael Francis who has Autism. She discusses the growing conflict within the autism community and why autism is still…
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Congressional candidate Christian Schlaefer: conservatives are targeted
Audio version: Charlie Kirk’s killing sent shockwaves through the entire world but Congressional candidate Christian Schlaefer says the violence isn’t surprising. In an exclusive sit down interview, he explains younger conservatives have seen the increase in hatred and vitriol including himself. Schlaefer takes a strong position against what he considers a United States that has…
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Rural Connections Begin with Investment and Growth
Audio version: When it comes to strengthening Iowa’s small towns and farming communities, the Empower Rural Iowa (ERI) initiative is leading the way. Originally created by Governor Kim Reynolds in 2018, ERI is a partnership with the Iowa Rural Development Council and is currently co-chaired by Lieutenant Governor Chris Cournoyer. The initiative was designed to…
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A message on the murder of Charlie Kirk
A message on the murder of Charlie Kirk from host of The Iowa Podcast, Justin Brady. It’s time you and every Iowan to lead and heal the country.
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HHS: organ procurement started despite signs of life. Is Iowa impacted?
Audio version: HHS released a bombshell report in July finding organ procurement organizations had began the procurement process while patients showed signs of life. But Suzanne Conrad, CEO of the Iowa Donor Network, an OPO that covers Iowa, disagrees with the framing of the story. Conrad explains how the process works in Iowa, what checks…
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Being a Good Neighbor and Supporting Iowa’s Farmers
Audio version: Being a good neighbor takes on many forms, and for Iowa’s farmers it means telling their story and building stronger connections. Brian Waddingham, executive director of the Coalition to Support Iowa’s Farmers, says the group was created by farmers, for farmers, with a mission to help the livestock industry grow both successfully and…