The Iowa Podcast
You probably heard about it from a friend getting your morning coffee at Brewhemia or Daisy Chain. Or perhaps you saw your favorite Iowan post about it? Maybe you searched the net for something that interested you. So, what is The Iowa Podcast? It's Real Iowans, talking about real events and stuff within the state worth paying attention to. It seems like even objective news today is pushing some kind of agenda. You won't find that garbage here! We certainly won't shy away from real issues, and we certainly won't stay away from difficult questions, but on The Iowa Podcast we will never take our guests out of context or edit their comments in any way (unless we both agree of course—sometimes people say dumb stuff or cough in the microphone!)
Episodes
How do Iowa storm chasers get incredible footage? Do they go 120mph in sports cars around the state? Actually no, they just book a hotel room near the area they suspect of tornadic activity. Todd Rector with The Iowa Storm Chasing Network says they have advance notice. But there’s a breakdown in how that information is communicated to you.
Getting the word out and Iowans can be a challenge, the communicati...
If you ask some, the anti-Trump and Elon Musk protests are saving Democracy. If you ask others, the're burning Tesla stores and vandalizing property. Saturday protest organizer, Michaelyn Mankel describes their objectives, and tells us if anyone is getting paid to protest.
Mankel says their objectives are around concerns with President Trump, Elon Musk, DOGE, and Congressman Zach Nunn are around them cutting social security, medic...
Kevin Foley has led the Des Moines International Airport for over a decade and is retiring in April, handing off operations to Brian Mulcahy. In this special episode, Mulcahy introduces himself to Iowans and Foley takes a walk down memory lane, including getting through the emotional period of the COVID-related global shutdown. This interview took place at the DSM Airport on video, between terminals A and C.
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What’s new for the Iowa Cubs 2025 Season? General Manager and President, Sam Bernabe joins us. For starters the Iowa Cubs have seven of MLB Pipeline’s Top 100 playing right here for the Iowa Cubs.
It’s a great way to build momentum on what was already an incredibly talented year in 2024. We also find out why only ONE person operates the T-Shirt cannon and has never missed a game.
It’s a shaky time for Iowa basketball. Iowa Hawkeye men axe Fran McCaffery after a bad year. Iowa Hawkeye women have lost momentum in the post Clark era, and Iowa State men and women basketball have an average tournament showing. As Drake’s head coach Brian McCollum heads to Iowa however, are they the real winner? Ross Peterson of The Rush suggests this apparent loss may be a huge advantage.
The Drake Bul...
Building a Tiny Home in Iowa or an ADU (Accessory Dwelling Unit) sounds straightforward, but Iowa law makes it anything but simple—a new bill may rectify that. Depending on which city you live in, the laws and regulations may be entirely different. According to Mike Stuart, founder of Tiny Homes of Iowa, this complexity is driving costs up for home buyers entering a new stage of life, but it might not be who you think....
Is Christianity on the decline in Iowa? The data may not paint the entire picture, explains Pastor Rob Pearson, Youth and Connections Pastor of Living Waters Fellowship. In 2007, 78% of people identified as a Christian, today the number is 63%. But the definition of “Christian” is also changing.
Pearson explains that many Iowans he speaks to, despite claiming to be a Christian, tell him they aren’t actuall...
Move over Dos Equis guy, Bruce Gerleman may very well be the most interesting man in Iowa. As the founder of Jethro’s, he reacts to the original Jethro’s location burning to the ground, a property he sold years ago. He also discusses his background in Iowa, how he paid for a building by selling the inventory inside it, why he coached Superman and Aquaman, and the origin story of the Adam Emmenecker challenge.
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For those not in the know, just being recognized by The James Beard foundation is a big achievement, and Andy Schumacher of Cobble Hill in Cedar Rapids has the bragging rights. The celebrity chef, who was beaten by Guy Fieri on a reality show, discusses fine dining in Iowa.
The chef and owner graduated from The University of Iowa and decided to move to Brooklyn, NY to pursue cooking. After sharing the stag...
A new bill, SSB1051, could shield pesticide manufacturers from civil litigation from Iowans. Senator Tony Bisignano explains his opposition to the bill, saying if it’s discovered an organization exposed Iowans to carcinogens, they should face lawsuits like anyone else. But with political lines changing, is this a Republican or Democrat issue?
Bayer who own Monsanto, makers of RoundUp, are pushing the legis...
Where did WHO TV anchor Elias Johnson go? The lifelong newsman has been a fixture in Des Moines news. Before filling the evening news position vacated by Dan Winters September of 2022, Johnson was on WOI, Channel 5. But in August of 2024 just short of two years at Channel 13 he left to lead communications at Fareway. But why?
"It was a personal life issue of missing my family and not being able to do my nu...
Why is Captain Roys hosting a massive party in the middle of February? We ask owner Wade Thompson about Shiver On The River and who will win the tug-of-war between the Des Moines Police Department and The Des Moines Fire Department. We also talk about East and North side development.
Birdland Marina, Highland Park, and Des Moines North and East Side have been somewhat stagnant for years, but in the last fe...
What Des Moines Airport updates for 2025 should Iowans plan for? Kevin Foley, executive director of the Des Moines International Airport (DSM) shares parking updates, expanded rental car operations, more parking, how art will be structurally designed into the airport itself, and how they’re planning for robo-taxis and driverless drop offs!
Des Moines International Airport (DSM) has been serving Iowa since ...
Why did a Chinese AI app called Deep Seek crush our markets? Was any of it real? What is Stargate? Is Iowa an attractive location for data centers because of cheap land and energy? Will the AI race impact Iowans and do we really want more server farms here? AI consultant and early employee of Roboflow, Mohamed Traore explains.
There's a new story on AI every day, but most folks' experience with "AI" from t...
Governor Reynolds announced a new flat tax rate for Iowans, hitting her target 1 year early. While it sounds great to save money on taxes, does this change anything for Iowans? Alec Epkes of Protego Advisors explains there are “levers” you can pull in January to impact your tax burden that can’t be pulled in December.
Epkes explains the President's proposed extension of The Tax Cuts and Jobs Act (TCJA), e...
Does President Trump’s executive order end birthright citizenship in the USA? Some assume the order is invalidated by the 14th amendment, however it’s not cut and dry. Even children born in the USA by parents here legally, granted citizenship. Lori Chesser, an immigration attorney and President of Dentons law breaks down the legal side in non-partisan detail.
President Trump’s executive order, titled “Pro...
Perhaps one of the most provocative campaign videos we’ve ever seen in Iowa has been circulating online and the message is clear, “You suck, Joni.” Former Libertarian, Joshua Smith has joined the Republican Party to primary Ernst. As a former Californian, he introduces himself to Iowans and lays out his plan.
Smith says the party has completely transformed under Trump and intends to be the anti-war, anti-s...
This week, Iowa's Attorney General cautioned Iowans on a new "grandparent" scam hitting Iowans. Scammers target elderly Iowans by posing as their grand child using social media content or other information. Then they ask for money. Cybersecurity professional Brandon Potter of ProCircular, explains the scam and unpacks scams to watch in 2025.
With AI and voice cloning, scams are going to become more sophist...
In this special New Years day episode of The Iowa Podcast, Justin Brady shares how The Iowa Podcast is doing, why it's beating local media in many metrics, and asks to share the show if you haven't already. Brady also discusses why media trust and ratings are dropping, and how they can turn the ship around.
He also rebuke's people who would dare celebrate the UHC murdered, and explains why the problems with healthcare costs aren't...
The official numbers from the The Iowa Alcoholic Beverages Division have been released for 2024 and we ask the owner of Foundry Distillery to guess them all. Scott Bush, who was also the founder of Templeton Rye takes a stab at the top 5 national and top 5 local Iowa brands and is shockingly accurate.
We discuss the bizarre law that drives up your booze prices, why new liquor competition has exploded in I...
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