The Iowa Podcast

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...

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'...

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 Emmenecke...

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...

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...

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...

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 th...

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 Io...

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 "A...

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...

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, ti...

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-wa...

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 mor...

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 pr...

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 expl...

Iowa sports broadcasting icon Ross Peterson joins Justin Brady to discuss his unexpected dismissal from KXNO after 21 years, his journey to rediscovering purpose, and his predictions for the future of sports.  Peterson offers insights into the potential dwindling relevance of bowl games amid collegiate sports changes, and reacts to a fascinating theory on basketball star Caitlin Clark potentially...

Even if you bought your house in the last 10 years, in some cases your value has nearly doubled. It might feel good if you're an owner, but for first-time home buyers it's discouraging. But inflation is also a concern for boomers who doubt their ability to sell at a good price. What does 2025 have in store? Mark Charter of Agency Iowa brings some clarity. Charter explains why interest rates matter...

A new global trend of no-cut sustainable Christmas trees is here, and Iowans are on "cutting" edge. The locally grown trees use special pots that sit in the ground, but when Christmas time arrives, they are transported to your home. When Christmas is over, the tree is returned to the tree farm and the tree is never cut, says Josh Larson of QsTN. Larson says they approached local farm Bentley Ridge...

The town of Winterset Iowa takes Christmas seriously. Known for the bridges of Madison County, they also have a vibrant town square with vendors coordinating for the ultimate Christmas experience. Amara Huffine, CEO of the Winterset Chamber of Commerce describes their Festival of Lights, Tree Lighting, parade, and how all vendors are decorating their store fronts.  Huffine says the chamber office,...

In this episode of The Iowa Podcast, guest host Jim Langin interviews Troy Strawhecker, an entrepreneur and community leader known for his exceptional communication skills and dedication to giving back. Strawhecker shares insights from his career and personal life, offering listeners a glimpse into the principles that guide his success in building genuine, lasting relationships. Raised in a large...

On this episode of the Iowa Podcast, host Jensen Cummings dives into Iowa's vibrant food culture with Marvin Azzopardi, a passionate entrepreneur behind EatFuti, Local Bites Food Hall, and All-City Catering. Together, they explore the dynamic Des Moines Farmers Market— America's second-largest— and discuss how it shapes the local culinary scene. Marvin shares how he connects Iowa farmers, chefs, a...

The Grout Museum district has a special museum devoted to Iowa Veterans, the Sullivan Brothers Iowa Veterans Museum. The Waterloo museum, to date, has captured over 2300 stories from Iowa veterans to date. Oral historian Pat Kinney explains how oral history project works and shares the Iowa veteran stories that stand out.  The Grout Museum was founded in 1956 from the estate of Waterloo philanthro...

What a week! Beggars night made national news thanks to Caitlin Clark, why do we celebrate that? Also have a major Presidential election, will Iowa change colors? Has it always been red? It may seem like a weird time in Iowa, but Iowans have always been just a little... well, weird. State Historical Society Curator, Leo Landis tells us why. Some Iowans still observe beggar's night but although it...

After receiving an Iowa Tourism Award, a unique haunted house in Pocahontas, Iowa is back by popular demand for year two! Parker Aden, executive director of the Pocahontas Chamber of Commerce explains why The PocaHAUNTus Haunted House happens at the local fire house.  The PocaHAUNTus haunted house takes place in the local firehouse's training area, giving the town plenty of space to experiment and...

The carbon pipeline is set to run through Iowa, but many Iowans have safety concerns and believe residents, farmers and landowners are being misled. Steve Kenkel, Chairman of the Shelby County Board of Supervisors says leaks have severely injured folks in the past and disabled vehicles. He also says eminent domain laws may be used to force landowners compliance to the benefit of private companies....