All Episodes
Displaying 21 - 40 of 99 in total
Iowa ties to MN tragedy, Governor's vetoes and bill signings, Wahls declares for Senate
Laura Belin and Spencer Dirks began with Iowa angles on the horrific political shootings in Minnesota. They discussed Governor Kim Reynolds' unsurprising veto of an em...
Two more candidates for governor and lots of news about Iowa's Senate race
Laura Belin and Spencer Dirks began with the governor's race, where Republican Eddie Andrews and Democrat Julie Stauch launched campaigns and Democratic front-runner R...
Fallout from Ernst's town hall gaffe; more 2026 campaign news
Laura Belin and Spencer Dirks began with the Iowa political event that became a major national news story: Senator Joni Ernst's reminder that "we all are going to die....
2026 campaign news and Iowa angles on the "big, beautiful bill"
Laura Belin and Spencer Dirks review the week in Iowa politics, starting with the latest news from the 2026 campaigns for governor and U.S. Senate, and the Democrat wh...
More trial balloons, legislative session ends, court rules on "don't say gay/trans"
Laura Belin and Spencer Dirks recapped an extremely busy week in Iowa politics, starting with Randy Feenstra's moves toward running for governor, a hint about Brenna B...
So many Iowa candidate announcements
Laura Belin and Spencer Dirks had loads of 2026 campaign news to discuss. Rob Sand (D) launched his campaign for governor, Randy Feenstra (R) took the first step towar...
Dem running in IA-03; Republicans at odds over budget, property rights
Laura Belin and Spencer Dirks began with campaign news: State Senator Sarah Trone Garriott was the first Democrat to announce in Iowa's third Congressional district, t...
Governor's office sues DM Register; new possible candidates for governor, auditor
Laura Belin and Spencer Dirks begin with the legal battle brewing over the Iowa governor's ability to shield documents from public view. On the same day, the governor'...
Bousselot exploring governor's race; new candidates for U.S. Senate and House
Laura Belin and Spencer Dirks started with news from the 2026 campaign trail: GOP State Senator Mike Bousselot is exploring a gubernatorial campaign, Democrat Nathan S...
Fallout from a Kim Reynolds bombshell, Dems target IA-02
Laura Belin and Spencer Dirks cover the biggest Iowa political news stories, starting with fallout from Governor Kim Reynolds' announcement that she won't seek a third...
Tariffs, trial balloons, and the Iowa legislature's second funnel week
Laura Belin and Spencer Dirks discussed Iowa reaction to President Donald Trump's sweeping tariffs and their likely impact on the state's agriculture sector. The U.S. ...
School book ban blocked, Iowa sheriff sued, Wahls vs. Ernst?
Laura Belin and Spencer Dirks discuss the week's top Iowa politics stories, starting with U.S. District Court Judge Stephen Locher blocking enforcement of Iowa's schoo...
Reynolds, Bird cheer Trump policies; Lawmakers take on education and DEI
Laura Belin and Spencer Dirks begin with Iowa angles on Trump administration news: Governor Kim Reynolds cheered the order dismantling the U.S. Department of Education...
Dems weigh Congressional campaigns, Walz in Iowa, news from the statehouse
Laura Belin and Spencer Dirks review the week in Iowa politics, starting with the three Democrats taking a serious look at running for Congress in the third district, ...
Funnel week surprises, bills still moving, a ProPublica exclusive on Joni Ernst
Laura Belin and Spencer Dirks cover an exceptionally busy week in the Iowa legislature ahead of the first "funnel" deadline. They discussed new bills that popped up la...
Digging deep on Iowa's new transgender discrimination law
Laura Belin and Spencer Dirks focused this week on the wide-ranging new Iowa law targeting transgender and nonbinary people. They discussed the key provisions, includi...
All about the trans discrimination bill; Sand & Reynolds spar on auditing voucher funds
Laura Belin and Spencer Dirks discuss the biggest news in Iowa politics, starting with an omnibus transgender discrimination bill that is on a fast track: what's in th...
Sherman declares for governor; Iowa challenges anti-discrimination law
Laura Belin and Spencer Dirks start with 2026 election news: who is newly declared candidate Brad Sherman, and what are his chances in a Republican primary against Gov...
Iowa DOGE, a GOP challenger for Miller-Meeks, and lots of legislative action
Laura Belin and Spencer Dirks discuss the week in Iowa politics, starting with Governor Kim Reynolds creating a new "Iowa DOGE" task force and testifying before the U....
A surprising special election, lots of legislative news, Ernst speaks for Gabbard
Laura Belin and Spencer Dirks cover top stories from the week in Iowa politics, starting with Democrat Mike Zimmer's shocking victory in a state Senate district that j...