Podcast appearances and mentions of Zach Wahls

Chuck Todd walks through a primary night that was, in his words, a really good night for Democrats — and one that may have just answered whether 2026 is shaping up as a genuine blue wave. The night's biggest single story came out of Iowa, where Zach Lahn pulled off a stunning upset of Randy Feenstra in what Chuck characterizes as a "MAHA vs. MAGA" race — Trump endorsed the establishment Feenstra and lost, which Chuck predicts will drive the president absolutely nuts. Iowa Democrats also got a substantial ticket boost when Josh Turek blew out Zach Wahls in the Senate primary, and combined with the surprisingly strong gubernatorial candidacy of Rob Sand, Iowa is now the cleanest test case in the country for whether the political wind has truly shifted — a right-leaning state where the politics are visibly in flux. Chuck flags that Lahn can probably be painted as too far right in a general, that having "congressman" as your first name has become a real disadvantage in 2026, and that the night was an unambiguous positive for Democrats nationally. He also walks through results elsewhere: New Jersey's seventh district will see Tom Keane (still mysteriously MIA from his own campaign) face Rebecca Bennett; South Dakota's gubernatorial race is headed to its first-ever runoff after four candidates each cleared 20%, and Deb Haaland is on track to become the first Native American woman governor in U.S. history. The conversation then turns to California, where Chuck warns it will be days before we have full primary results but where turnout is already on pace to exceed 2022. He cautions viewers about the inevitable early "red mirage" from the mail-vote curve, predicts Hilton has enough of a lead over Steyer that he likely survives, and argues Xavier Becerra would much rather face Hilton than Steyer in a general — though a potential scandal is looming over Becerra that could reshape the whole race. Chuck argues a Becerra-Hilton race would be a conventional Democrat-versus-Republican contest, that Steyer has spent $500 million across his last two campaigns and still has a low ceiling because he's created a genuine sense of voter exhaustion, and that the single most fascinating race in the state right now is CA-06 and Kevin Kiley. The Los Angeles mayoral picture is clarifying too: Karen Bass and Spencer Pratt appear set to advance, which Todd argues is exactly what Bass wanted — it will be far easier to turn Pratt into a Trump acolyte in a general election than to face the formidable Nithya Raman. He notes that Matt Mahan became known as "big tech's candidate" in ways that genuinely hurt him, and closes with one to watch in Montana, where independent Seth Bodner is quietly hoping the Democratic candidate eventually bows out so he can consolidate the anti-incumbent vote into a real challenge. Then, Orange County Mayor Jerry Demings — the former Orlando police chief turned local executive who is now running for governor of Florida — joins the Chuck Toddcast for a candid conversation about the challenges of being a Democrat in modern Florida and the lessons his unusual career path (accountant, then cop, then mayor) brings to executive leadership. Demings reveals that Governor Ron DeSantis personally threatened to remove him from office over his opposition to ICE operations in Orange County, and uses that experience as the entry point to a broader discussion about what's gone wrong with American law enforcement. He argues you cannot solve police shortages by lowering recruiting standards — exactly what he says ICE did when it ramped up so quickly that screening and training went out the window, with the predictable consequence that ICE has now begun poaching trained officers from state and local departments. Demings makes the case that we have to get criminals off the streets but it has to be done lawfully, that state law enforcement should not be doing immigration work, and that being elected sheriff as a partisan position creates real tensions because the actual responsibilities of the job aren't partisan at all. He pushes back on the idea that he's running to be a "performance politician" and frames his candidacy as wanting to bring competent local-government experience to a state level that he says is suffering from leaders chasing viral moments rather than delivering services. The conversation turns to the structural challenges facing Florida and the deeper question of why Democrats can't win statewide in a state that's growing more diverse by the year. Demings argues Florida's underpaid state legislators simply don't attract quality talent, that many longtime Florida Democrats have left the party out of pure frustration, and that the party's central task is to restore basic public belief in government's capacity to function. He's willing to give DeSantis credit for diversifying and growing Florida's economy, but argues the state needs to find efficiencies rather than continually burdening local governments with expenses it should be covering itself — and points to slashed state mental health funding as a direct driver of the violent crime he sees in his community. Demings is sharp on Florida's climate exposure, arguing the state is building in places it absolutely should not be building, and that hurricane-hardened construction standards need a major overhaul, He flags the NAACP's call for athletes to avoid schools in remapping states as the kind of extreme response that extreme government actions inevitably provoke, and warns that the politics of division are starting to genuinely threaten Florida's tourism economy — meaning the state's longtime economic engine may finally be running into the consequences of the culture wars its leaders have spent the past decade fueling. Finally, Chuck presents his ToddCast Top 5 list of instances that Republicans have rebuked Donald Trump in his second term, and answers listeners’ questions in the “Ask Chuck” segment. Predict the action all the way through the finals. Sign up now for your twenty-five dollar bonus on https://fanduel.com/predicts Link in bio or go to https://getsoul.com & enter code TODDCAST for 30% off your first order. Thank you Wildgrain for sponsoring. Visit http://wildgrain.com/TODDCAST and use the code "TODDCAST" at checkout to receive $30 off your first box PLUS free Croissants for life! Timeline: 00:00 Chuck Todd’s introduction 01:00 Tuesday was a REALLY good night for Democrats nationally 01:30 Tom Keane still MIA, will face Rebecca Bennett in NJ-07 04:00 Iowa results made Democratic ticket substantially stronger 04:30 Josh Turek blew out Zach Wahls in Iowa 05:30 Biggest upset of the night was Zach Lahn beating Randy Feenstra 08:15 Lahn vs. Feenstra was a MAHA vs. MAGA race 08:45 Iowa is a right leaning state, but the state’s politics are in flux 09:45 Having a first name of “congressman” is a major disadvantage 11:30 Rob Sand is a very strong Democratic candidate for governor in Iowa 13:15 It’s possible Lahn can be painted as too far to the right 14:15 Iowa will be the test of whether 2026 is a blue wave election 15:30 Iowa was a huge positive development for team blue 16:45 Trump endorsing Feenstra then losing will drive Trump nuts 19:00 South Dakota governor’s race headed to runoff for first time 20:45 Four candidates in SD gubernatorial race received 20% of vote 23:00 Voters keep rewarding political bomb throwers 24:00 Trump endorsed the least Trump-like candidate, voters chose the Trumpy one 25:00 Deb Haaland on track to be the first Native American woman governor 25:30 It will be days before we know the full results of California primaries 27:30 California turnout will exceed turnout in 2022 28:30 Early on there will be a red mirage in California due to early vote 31:00 Hilton has enough of a lead over Steyer that he likely hangs on 32:15 Becerra would rather run against Hilton than Steyer 32:45 Steyer has created a sense of exhaustion 33:45 A Becerra v Hilton race would be a conventional D vs. R race 34:15 Potential scandal looms over Becerra 35:45 Most fascinating race is CA-06 and Kevin Kiley 38:15 It looks like Karen Bass & Spencer Pratt will move on in LA mayoral 40:30 It will be easier for Bass to turn Pratt into a Trump acolyte than face Raman 41:45 Steyer has a low ceiling, and has spent $500M in last two campaigns 43:30 Matt Mahan became known as “big tech’s candidate” and that hurt him 46:00 Independent Seth Bodner hoping Democratic candidate bows out in Montana 54:30 Jerry Demings joins the Chuck ToddCast 55:30 How did you go from accountant to police to mayor? 56:45 Accounting background helped with managing the city budget 58:00 How has Orlando changed since the time you were a police officer in the 80s? 59:30 Working on police reform both locally and nationally 1:00:45 Should the focus for police be better recruiting or better training? 1:01:30 Lowering recruiting standards can’t be the answer to police shortages 1:02:15 ICE was forced to ramp up so fast they didn’t screen or train recruits properly 1:03:45 We have to get criminals off the street, but it has be done lawfully 1:04:30 What were the unintended consequences of ICE’s questionable recruitment? 1:05:45 ICE began poaching state and local police officers 1:07:45 Should county sheriff be an elected position? 1:09:00 Political considerations do enter the equation when you’re elected 1:10:30 Size of jurisdiction does matter when it comes to appointed vs. elected 1:11:30 Sheriff is elected as a partisan position, but the responsibilities aren’t partisan 1:12:30 Why did you want to run for governor? 1:15:00 Want to take experience at local level government to a larger level 1:15:45 Ron DeSantis threatened to remove him over opposition to ICE 1:18:30 How would you work with the Republican dominated legislature? 1:20:30 Republicans have a large voter registration advantage in Florida 1:21:45 Not interested in being a performance politician 1:23:00 Why have Democrats been unable to elect a governor in Florida? 1:23:30 Florida’s legislators are underpaid, don’t attract quality talent 1:25:15 Many Florida Democrats left the party due to their frustration 1:27:00 Democrats need to restore belief in government 1:28:30 What has Ron DeSantis done right? Diversified & grown the economy 1:30:45 Does Florida need more tax revenue and how do you acquire it? 1:32:30 Government should always look to find inefficiencies & fix them 1:33:30 The state keeps burdening local governments with expenses 1:35:00 State has slashed funding for mental health, leading to violent crime 1:38:00 There is a lot of fraudulent claims made in Florida, state bad at investigating 1:39:00 State law enforcement shouldn’t be doing immigration enforcement 1:39:45 Florida is building in places they shouldn’t be, not factoring climate change 1:40:45 Florida should be hardening their building and infrastructure 1:42:00 Should Florida ban manufactured housing? 1:43:15 Florida needs housing construction standards that make sense 1:44:30 NAACP calling on athletes to not attend schools in remapping states 1:45:30 Extreme actions by the government elicit extreme responses 1:47:30 Tourism in Florida is being threatened by politics 1:49:45 Politics is dividing people by racial lines 1:51:45 Chuck’s thoughts on interview with Jerry Demings 1:53:45 DeSantis trying to ram through property tax cut before November 1:55:45 Trump replacing Tulsi Gabbard with Bill Pulte for DNI 1:56:45 Republicans immediately starting pushing back on Pulte as nominee 1:58:15 No need for NDI. CIA has won the intel agency turf battle 1:59:00 Bill Pulte makes Tulsi Gabbard look qualified for DNI role 2:01:15 ToddCast Top 5 instances Republicans successfully rebuked Trump 2:01:30 #5 The Epstein files 2:03:00 #4 Trump’s threat to take over Greenland 2:04:00 #3 Fed chair Jay Powell 2:05:15 #2 Matt Gaetz nomination for AG 2:07:15 #1 Death of Trump’s anti-weaponization slush fund 2:13:00 Ask Chuck 2:13:15 Thoughts on potential reforms, how realistic are they? 2:20:30 Why do you call Democrats the party that’s held to a higher standard? 2:24:15 Do you see Wes Moore as a top Democratic contender in ‘28? 2:29:15 Is Mike Johnson’s speakership at risk? Would he be the minority leader? 2:31:30 Can Keir Starmer survive as PM? Will Nigel Farage be PM? 2:36:30 Do you think a more virtual governance model rather than in-person would work? See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Chuck Todd walks through a primary night that was, in his words, a really good night for Democrats — and one that may have just answered whether 2026 is shaping up as a genuine blue wave. The night's biggest single story came out of Iowa, where Zach Lahn pulled off a stunning upset of Randy Feenstra in what Chuck characterizes as a "MAHA vs. MAGA" race — Trump endorsed the establishment Feenstra and lost, which Chuck predicts will drive the president absolutely nuts. Iowa Democrats also got a substantial ticket boost when Josh Turek blew out Zach Wahls in the Senate primary, and combined with the surprisingly strong gubernatorial candidacy of Rob Sand, Iowa is now the cleanest test case in the country for whether the political wind has truly shifted — a right-leaning state where the politics are visibly in flux. Chuck flags that Lahn can probably be painted as too far right in a general, that having "congressman" as your first name has become a real disadvantage in 2026, and that the night was an unambiguous positive for Democrats nationally. He also walks through results elsewhere: New Jersey's seventh district will see Tom Keane (still mysteriously MIA from his own campaign) face Rebecca Bennett; South Dakota's gubernatorial race is headed to its first-ever runoff after four candidates each cleared 20%, and Deb Haaland is on track to become the first Native American woman governor in U.S. history. The conversation then turns to California, where Chuck warns it will be days before we have full primary results but where turnout is already on pace to exceed 2022. He cautions viewers about the inevitable early "red mirage" from the mail-vote curve, predicts Hilton has enough of a lead over Steyer that he likely survives, and argues Xavier Becerra would much rather face Hilton than Steyer in a general — though a potential scandal is looming over Becerra that could reshape the whole race. Chuck argues a Becerra-Hilton race would be a conventional Democrat-versus-Republican contest, that Steyer has spent $500 million across his last two campaigns and still has a low ceiling because he's created a genuine sense of voter exhaustion, and that the single most fascinating race in the state right now is CA-06 and Kevin Kiley. The Los Angeles mayoral picture is clarifying too: Karen Bass and Spencer Pratt appear set to advance, which Todd argues is exactly what Bass wanted — it will be far easier to turn Pratt into a Trump acolyte in a general election than to face the formidable Nithya Raman. He notes that Matt Mahan became known as "big tech's candidate" in ways that genuinely hurt him, and closes with one to watch in Montana, where independent Seth Bodner is quietly hoping the Democratic candidate eventually bows out so he can consolidate the anti-incumbent vote into a real challenge. Finally, Chuck presents his ToddCast Top 5 list of instances that Republicans have rebuked Donald Trump in his second term, and answers listeners’ questions in the “Ask Chuck” segment. Predict the action all the way through the finals. Sign up now for your twenty-five dollar bonus on https://fanduel.com/predicts Link in bio or go to https://getsoul.com & enter code TODDCAST for 30% off your first order. Thank you Wildgrain for sponsoring. Visit http://wildgrain.com/TODDCAST and use the code "TODDCAST" at checkout to receive $30 off your first box PLUS free Croissants for life! Timeline: (Timestamps may vary based on advertisements) 00:00 Chuck Todd’s introduction 01:00 Tuesday was a REALLY good night for Democrats nationally 01:30 Tom Keane still MIA, will face Rebecca Bennett in NJ-07 04:00 Iowa results made Democratic ticket substantially stronger 04:30 Josh Turek blew out Zach Wahls in Iowa 05:30 Biggest upset of the night was Zach Lahn beating Randy Feenstra 08:15 Lahn vs. Feenstra was a MAHA vs. MAGA race 08:45 Iowa is a right leaning state, but the state’s politics are in flux 09:45 Having a first name of “congressman” is a major disadvantage 11:30 Rob Sand is a very strong Democratic candidate for governor in Iowa 13:15 It’s possible Lahn can be painted as too far to the right 14:15 Iowa will be the test of whether 2026 is a blue wave election 15:30 Iowa was a huge positive development for team blue 16:45 Trump endorsing Feenstra then losing will drive Trump nuts 19:00 South Dakota governor’s race headed to runoff for first time 20:45 Four candidates in SD gubernatorial race received 20% of vote 23:00 Voters keep rewarding political bomb throwers 24:00 Trump endorsed the least Trump-like candidate, voters chose the Trumpy one 25:00 Deb Haaland on track to be the first Native American woman governor 25:30 It will be days before we know the full results of California primaries 27:30 California turnout will exceed turnout in 2022 28:30 Early on there will be a red mirage in California due to early vote 31:00 Hilton has enough of a lead over Steyer that he likely hangs on 32:15 Becerra would rather run against Hilton than Steyer 32:45 Steyer has created a sense of exhaustion 33:45 A Becerra v Hilton race would be a conventional D vs. R race 34:15 Potential scandal looms over Becerra 35:45 Most fascinating race is CA-06 and Kevin Kiley 38:15 It looks like Karen Bass & Spencer Pratt will move on in LA mayoral 40:30 It will be easier for Bass to turn Pratt into a Trump acolyte than face Raman 41:45 Steyer has a low ceiling, and has spent $500M in last two campaigns 43:30 Matt Mahan became known as “big tech’s candidate” and that hurt him 46:00 Independent Seth Bodner hoping Democratic candidate bows out in Montana 54:15 Trump replacing Tulsi Gabbard with Bill Pulte for DNI 55:15 Republicans immediately starting pushing back on Pulte as nominee 56:45 No need for NDI. CIA has won the intel agency turf battle 57:30 Bill Pulte makes Tulsi Gabbard look qualified for DNI role 59:45 ToddCast Top 5 instances Republicans successfully rebuked Trump 1:00:00 #5 The Epstein files 1:01:30 #4 Trump’s threat to take over Greenland 1:02:30 #3 Fed chair Jay Powell 1:03:45 #2 Matt Gaetz nomination for AG 1:05:45 #1 Death of Trump’s anti-weaponization slush fund 1:11:30 Ask Chuck 1:11:45 Thoughts on potential reforms, how realistic are they? 1:19:00 Why do you call Democrats the party that’s held to a higher standard? 1:22:45 Do you see Wes Moore as a top Democratic contender in ‘28? 1:27:45 Is Mike Johnson’s speakership at risk? Would he be the minority leader? 1:30:00 Can Keir Starmer survive as PM? Will Nigel Farage be PM? 1:35:00 Do you think a more virtual governance model rather than in-person would work?See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

On Iowa Politics is a weekly news and analysis podcast that aims to recreate the kinds of conversations that happen when you get political reporters from across Iowa together after the day's deadlines have been met. Tackling anything from local to state to national, On Iowa Politics is your weekly dose of analysis and insight into the issues affecting Iowa.This week on the podcast, we take a peek inside the latest round of fundraising by Iowa's gubernatorial candidates, one last debate in the Democratic U.S. Senate primary, and the latest on a Western Iowa native's testimony about Jeffrey Epstein.This episode was hosted by the Gazette Des Moines Bureau Chief Erin Murphy. It features Gazette Deputy Bureau Chief Tom Barton, Jared McNett of the Sioux City Journal and Gazette columnist Todd Dorman.This episode was produced by Gazette social video producer Bailey Cichon.Read stories mentioned in this week's episode:(2:09) Ted Waitt said he found Epstein 'off-putting'; wasn't aware of wrongdoing by Maxwell(9:27) Zach Lahn tops Randy Feenstra in latest fundraising for Iowa Republican governor hopefuls(24:35) Zach Wahls, Josh Turek debate electability, policy in lead-up to primary(28:20) Opinion: Chuck Schumer looms over Iowa Democratic Senate primary

The Iowa Primary is coming up on June 2nd. Josiah has been a low information voter this year, so Justin Comer from Rock Hard Caucus is here to tell him who to vote for.Follow Justin on Bluesky @justinkcomer.rockhardcauc.usCheck out Rock Hard Caucus: rockhardcauc.usBecome a Fruitless Patron here: https://www.patreon.com/user?u=11922141Check out Fruitless on YouTubeFind more of Josiah's work: https://linktr.ee/josiahwsuttonFollow Josiah on Twitter @josiahwsuttonMusic & Audio creditsFeel - NoCopyrightMusicBass - NoCopyrightMusicYesterday – bloom."Josh Turek - Underdog," Josh Turek on YouTube, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kCD3vVVAa7U"I'm Running for U.S. Senate," Zach Wahls for Iowa on YouTube, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oLlwK00ol_I"Ashley Hinson for Congress - WATCH IT," Ashley Hinson on YouTube, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fNSd0px_96Q"Sen. Joni Ernst defends Medicaid cuts, says 'well, we all are going to die'," Associated Press on YouTube, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wVxh7-_fkvg"2014, Joni Ernst - Squeal - political ad - closed captioned," Captioning for Everyone on YouTube, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zc8uLuHsNw0"Sarah Trone Garriott 2024," Sarah Trone Garriott on YouTube, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Hon2AI7E8CE"Bohannan: Doing What's Right," Bohannan for Congress on YouTube, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lzZSYtSCJew"President Biden: I'm staying in the race!," C-SPAN on YouTube, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Pk10PQ_h2io"Feenstra Formally Launches Campaign for Governor of Iowa," Feenstra for Governor on YouTube, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TLmqUgPTHuA"Good vs. Evil," Adam Steen for Governor on YouTube, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WAc6-rAYrvY"Zach Lahn - Defend our Land," Zach Lahn for Governor on YouTube, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0-DBn5FBN4o"Stealing is Bad - Rob Sand for Iowa," Rob Sand on YouTube, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bUiHlQRxPDcRob Sand's legalization ad on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/reel/4850102835216495In My Dreams - bloom. ★ Support this podcast on Patreon ★

Governor Reynolds signed the property tax bill into law, and Chris Hagenow and John Hendrickson are here to put a bow on it. The 2% revenue cap takes effect July 1st, with estimates putting the relief at $4 billion over six years. The response from local governments has ranged from genuine concern to full-blown hysteria — pools, libraries, trails, economic development, and public safety all reportedly on the chopping block because government spending is being slowed down, not cut. Chris and John's response: that's the point. The legislature heard from voters, stood up to significant lobbying pressure, and passed a real reform. When local governments have to reprioritize, that's a feature of this bill, not a bug. And compared to what other states managed — Minnesota offered a one-time $173 property tax rebate, Tennessee couldn't pass a cap at all, Kansas had its reform vetoed — what Iowa did is genuinely significant.With the primary three weeks out, the governor's race is the other main story. The carbon pipeline and eminent domain — the defining issue of the early campaign — has largely faded from paid media. Congressman Feenstra is running as a Trump-aligned fighter, heavy on border security, women's sports, and his tax record. Zach Lahn has carved out an "Iowa First" lane — Iowa schools, Iowa jobs, Iowa farmland — and is raising harder questions on agriculture, cancer, and water quality that don't fit the typical Republican primary mold. Adam Steen is putting money behind going after Feenstra directly while appealing to the evangelical conservative base. Brad Sherman leans into his biography and anti-establishment framing. Nobody is breaking away — Chris expects a closer than expected finish. A quick look elsewhere: the Democrat Senate primary for Joni Ernst's seat — Josh Turek with establishment backing versus Zach Wahls aligned more with the progressive wing — mirrors the same national tensions playing out in blue primaries across the country. And from Minnesota: 17 cities in one county have voted to fly the old state flag, rejecting the redesign pushed by the current governor. Sometimes the best local control stories come from next door.0:01:35 - Welcome Back to the Hendrickson Library0:03:37 - Trivia0:05:23 - Governor Signs the Property Tax Bill0:06:48 - Local Government Doom and Gloom — Is Any of It Real?0:10:17 - That's the Point: Why the Complaints Are Actually Good News0:14:22 - The Legislature Stood Up to the Lobby — And That Matters0:18:14 - How Iowa's Reform Compares to What Other States Got0:22:17 - Governor's Race Check-In: What's on TV and Why It Matters0:24:11 - Randy Feenstra0:25:58 - Zach Lahn0:30:40 - Adam Steen0:31:29 - Brad Sherman0:32:22 - Can Anyone Break Away? Reading the Primary0:33:30 - Do Endorsements Matter?0:36:00 - Democrat Senate Primary: Turek vs. Walz0:38:40 - Minnesota's Flag Rebellion: Local Control Cuts Both Ways

Zach Wahls, Democratic candidate for the US Senate and Iowa State Senator, talks about his motivations for running, economic issues, such as price increases, trade, manufacturing, reviving small towns and rural Iowa, as well as how he sees the primary as a microcosm of national party divisions and how the party can win back working class voters, especially in Obama-Trump counties along the Mississippi River.

Iowa environmental groups are suing the EPA over its decision to remove some Iowa waterways from the Impaired Waters List. Democratic U.S. Senate candidates Josh Turek and Zach Wahls had their second debate last night. And some voters aren't convinced Congressman Randy Feenstra is guaranteed to be the Republican candidate for governor.

This week, there's a lot going on in Democratic primaries for Iowa's 2nd District and the U.S. Senate.On Iowa Politics is a weekly news and analysis podcast that aims to recreate the kinds of conversations that happen when you get political reporters from across Iowa together after the day's deadlines have been met. Tackling anything from local to state to national, On Iowa Politics is your weekly dose of analysis and insight into the issues affecting Iowa.This episode was hosted by Gazette Des Moines Bureau Chief Erin Murphy. It features Gazette Deputy Bureau Chief Tom Barton, Sarah Watson of the Quad City Times and Gazette columnists Althea Cole and Todd Dorman. This episode was produced by Bailey Cichon.Read the stories talked about in this episode:(2:00) Tom Harkin endorses Josh Turek in Democratic Senate primaryPete Buttigieg endorses Turek in Iowa Dems' Senate primary(8:25) Zach Wahls campaigns in Bettendorf Iowa primaryWarren tells Iowa Democrats: ‘We need you' in fight for Senate control(20:48) Iowa Democrats target affordability, Trump and corporate influence in U.S. House race

On this Politics Day, political scientists Donna Hoffman of the University of Northern Iowa and Jonathan Hassid of Iowa State University dissect the debate between Democrat Senate hopefuls Josh Turek and Zach Wahls. They also reflect on the end of the 2026 Legislative session, Vice President J.D. Vance's stop in Iowa to campaign for Rep. Zach Nunn and the Iowa Secretary of State's choice to turn over voter data to the Trump administration.

This week, we'll talk about primary election debates in Iowa's open-seat elections for governor and the U.S. Senate, and of course we'll revisit the marathon shutdown of the 2026 legislative session.On Iowa Politics is a weekly news and analysis podcast that aims to recreate the kinds of conversations that happen when you get political reporters from across Iowa together after the day's deadlines have been met. Tackling anything from local to state to national, On Iowa Politics is your weekly dose of analysis and insight into the issues affecting Iowa.This episode was hosted by Jared McNett of the Sioux City Journal. It features Gazette Des Moines Bureau Chief Erin Murphy, Gazette Deputy Bureau Chief Tom Barton, Sarah Watson of the Quad City Times and Gazette columnist Althea Cole. Read the articles mentioned in this episode:(1:53) Dispatches from Des Moines: A bittersweet reflection and farewell(2:00) Marathon, 2-day session finishes Iowa lawmakers' 2026 work(11:50) What's in Iowa's property tax legislation?(16:15) Abortion policy distinctions drawn in Iowa GOP gubernatorial primary debate(25:46) Zach Wahls, Josh Turek clash on immigration, outside spending

In a 6-3 decision, the Supreme Court guts the Voting Rights Act, setting the stage for Republicans to grab more Democratic seats — but will they be able to do it in time for the midterms? Dan and Alex Wagner tackle all the latest with redistricting, Pete Hegseth's testy appearance on the Hill defending the war in Iran, and Trump's new pursuit of some very familiar enemies. Then, Iowa Senate candidate Zach Wahls stops by to talk to Tommy about the primary there and what's at stake for farmers in Trump's America.For a closed-captioned version of this episode, click here. For a transcript of this episode, please email transcripts@crooked.com and include the name of the podcast, episode title, and episode date.

On Iowa Politics is a weekly news and analysis podcast that aims to recreate the kinds of conversations that happen when you get political reporters from across Iowa together after the day's deadlines have been met. Tackling anything from local to state to national, On Iowa Politics is your weekly dose of analysis and insight into the issues affecting Iowa.This week, Iowa's Democratic U.S. Senate primary starts to warm up, a reminder that there is still a Republican U.S. Senate primary, and a national forecaster thinks Iowa's gubernatorial election is Cooking (pause for laughs).This episode was hosted by Gazette Des Moines Bureau Chief Erin Murphy. It features Gazette Deputy Bureau Chief Tom Barton, Jared McNett of the Sioux City Journal, Sarah Watson of the Quad City Times, and Gazette columnists Althea Cole and Todd Dorman.Read the articles mentioned in this episode:2:30 Elections forecaster shifts Iowa's governor race to ‘toss up'https://www.thegazette.com/news/elections/elections-forecaster-shifts-iowa-s-governor-race-to-toss-up/article_13789c84-81a1-4db8-a189-34c38252adee.html15:22 Iowa Democrats Josh Turek, Zach Wahls clash over Schumer, outside moneyhttps://www.thegazette.com/news/elections/turek-wahls-clash-over-schumer-outside-money-in-iowa-senate-race/article_1182a970-55af-4774-995f-6950202ae7a9.htmlThe plot is thickening in Iowa's Democratic Senate primaryhttps://www.thegazette.com/opinion/columnists/the-plot-is-thickening-in-iowa-s-democratic-senate-primary/article_8668d2cc-5d29-4a90-a6ff-15539db44f50.html29:45 GOP U.S. Senate hopeful Jim Carlin joins state candidates to campaign in Scott Countyhttps://qctimes.com/news/local/government-politics/article_533f18ec-376c-4c59-a3e5-c2fc8ea2df18.htmlThis episode was produced by Gazette social video producer Bailey Cichon.

Chuck Todd opens on Tax Day — which the Trump team had planned as a political celebration showcasing bigger refunds, but which has instead become what he dubs the "One Big Beautiful BUST," with any gains from the tax cut completely eaten up by Trump's tariffs and the Iran war. Todd argues the economy isn't in recession but isn't good either, that voters simply won't feel the effects of Trump's tax cut, and that America now faces the genuine prospect of 1970s-style stagflation. H predicts we'll ultimately end up with an Iran deal that looks remarkably similar to the Obama deal Trump once ripped up, and notes that Trump's Jesus meme played terribly even with his own base — forcing him to backpedal with weak excuses — because when things are going well that kind of provocation gets a pass, but Trump is now squarely in the "bad gets worse" stage of his presidency where the coalition hasn't collapsed but the cracks are visibly widening. He pivots to Viktor Orbán's decisive defeat in Hungary after 16 years in power, an election that featured massive voter turnout and was won by opposition leader Péter Magyar — an insider who gave Orbán's own voters a "permission slip" to leave by connecting democratic erosion directly to the bad economy. He argues America used to set the weather for democracy worldwide but hasn't been the leading model in 15 years, points to the mainstream party vote share in the UK falling below 40% as evidence of a broader cultural conservative backlash happening across democracies, and closes with a historically grounded warning: Hungary proves that political breakthroughs come from defectors within the system rather than outsiders challenging it, and history suggests real change rarely comes from merely tweaking the machinery — it comes from someone giving voters permission to abandon a failing project. Then, Zach Wahls — the Iowa state senator, former minority leader, and U.S. Senate candidate who first went viral as a 19-year-old in 2011 for his moving speech defending his two moms before the Iowa legislature — joins the Chuck Toddcast to make the case that Democrats have a real shot at flipping statewide races in Iowa this cycle. Wahls explains how he realized at 13 that the GOP was targeting his own family, how he still considers marriage equality to be genuinely under threat today, and pushes back on the narrative that Iowa has abandoned its famous libertarian streak — noting that the vast majority of Iowans remain pro-choice and supportive of marriage equality even as the state has drifted red. He argues that Obama-Trump voters are plentiful in Iowa and that rural Iowa communities feel forgotten by the establishment — a dynamic Trump spoke to effectively in 2016 when the state was in a regional recession. Wahls points to the party's post-New Deal legacy of fighting for workers' rights, but he also reveals he wouldn't support Chuck Schumer for Senate leadership — a position that's apparently cost him, as Schumer-linked super PACs are now spending millions against him in the primary. The conversation turns to what Wahls sees as the defining issue of his campaign: the obscene influence of dark money in American politics. He reveals that a bipartisan Iowa bill to get money out of state politics was killed by lobbyists and GOP opposition, that he's received small-dollar donations from all 99 Iowa counties while refusing corporate PAC money, and that his anti-corruption message is genuinely resonating with voters who are exhausted by the current system. Wahls says he'll co-sponsor a constitutional amendment to overturn Citizens United, discusses his openness to banning private equity from owning residential homes and responds to being labeled a "Sanders/Warren" candidate. Wahls pledges to lead by example on anti-corruption by serving only two terms if elected, shares concerns about state reliance on gambling revenue as a signal of voter economic anxiety, and closes with a deeply relatable observation every young parent will recognize: with a two-year-old at home, his monthly childcare bill now costs as much as his mortgage. Finally, Chuck provides a spin on the ToddCast Top 5 and instead lists the senate seats he ranks as 6th-10th most likely to flip and answers listeners’ questions in the “Ask Chuck” segment Protect your family with life insurance from Ethos. Get up to $3 million in coverage in as little as 10 minutes at https://ethos.com/chuck. Application times may vary. Rates may vary. Refresh your wardrobe with Quince. Go to https://Quince.com/chuck for free shipping on your order and 365-day returns. Link in bio or go to https://getsoul.com & enter code TODDCAST for 30% off your first order. Timeline: (Timestamps may vary based on advertisements) 00:00 Chuck Todd’s introduction 02:00 It’s Tax Day and Trump’s team planned on it being a boon 03:00 Bigger tax refunds eaten by Trump’s tariffs and Iran war 03:45 Tax day instead will be the One Big Beautiful BUST 04:30 Economy isn’t in recession, but it’s not good 05:15 If Trump didn’t impose tariffs & start war, today would be good for him 06:00 Facing the potential of stagflation for a decade like in the 70s 07:00 Voters won’t feel the effects of Trump’s tax cut 08:15 Economic conditions could go off a cliff if war doesn’t end 09:15 This period of Trump’s presidency will be viewed as when it ended 10:00 It’s clear we’ll get a deal with the Iranians similar to Obama’s deal 11:30 Trump’s jesus meme played terribly, even with his base 12:30 Trump backpedaled and came up with bad excuses for meme 13:45 Everybody has a line that Trump will eventually cross 15:00 If things were going well, the meme wouldn’t get the same backlash 16:15 Trump is in the “bad gets worse” stage of his presidency 18:15 Trump’s coalition hasn’t collapsed, but cracks are getting wider 18:45 Viktor Orban trounced in Hungarian elections after 16 years of rule 20:00 We assumed that America democracy set the weather for democracies 20:45 In the last 15 years, America’s democracy isn’t the leading model 22:00 Cultural conservative backlash happening in many democracies 23:00 Mainstream party vote share in UK has dropped below 40% 24:00 Center-left and center-right UK parties would lose to far left/right 24:45 Hungary’s election was decisive with mass voter turnout 25:30 Magyar was an insider, gave Orban voters permission slip to leave 26:15 Magyar connected democratic erosion to the bad economy 26:45 Vance tried to rescue Orban and that backfired horribly 27:15 How much Hungarian money didn’t American influencers receive? 28:30 America’s political system just vacillates and feels stuck 29:00 Hungary showed the breakthrough comes from defectors, not outsiders 30:15 History suggests that change doesn’t come from tweaking the system 36:00 Zach Wahls joins the Chuck ToddCast 38:00 Democrats have a real chance at flipping statewide Iowa races 40:00 Did you always know you were going to be in politics? 41:45 Realized at 13 years old the GOP was targeting his own family 42:45 Going viral in 2011 for speech defending his two moms 44:00 Gay marriage rights are still under threat today 45:30 Does Iowa’s famous libertarian streak still exist today? 46:45 Vast majority of Iowans are pro-choice and support marriage equality 48:00 There are a lot of Obama/Trump voters in Iowa 49:30 Union leadership in Iowa leans Dem, rank & file lean GOP 51:15 Rural Iowa communities feel forgotten by the establishment 52:00 Iowa was in a regional recession in 2016, Trump spoke to that 53:30 Why run as a Democrat vs. as an independent? 54:30 Since the New Deal, Democrats have fought for workers rights 55:00 Wouldn’t support Chuck Schumer for senate leadership 55:45 Schumer-linked Super PAC spending millions against him 57:00 How do you avoid being painted as focused on identity & not economics? 59:00 The impact of dark money has tainted American & Iowa politics 1:00:30 Bipartisan bill to get money out of politics in Iowa spiked by lobbyists & GOP 1:01:45 The money in politics has gotten obscene quickly in recent years 1:03:00 What would a campaign finance constitutional amendment look like? 1:04:30 Republican aligned PACs set to spend huge money in Iowa in the fall 1:05:15 Received small dollar donations from all 99 counties, no corporate PAC $ 1:06:15 Anti-corruption message is resonating with voters 1:07:30 Can you unilaterally disarm in the face of huge Republican spending? 1:08:30 Will co-sponsor amendment to overturn Citizen’s United 1:09:45 What did you learn from your stint in leadership in the legislature? 1:12:00 There was no clear strategic plan for Democrats to take back majority 1:13:00 There were basic organizational issues for Iowa Dems that needed to be fixed 1:13:45 Needed to rebuild relationships with organized labor 1:16:00 Stint in leadership doesn’t make him have more sympathy for Schumer 1:16:45 Democrats didn’t know what they were asking for during shutdown 1:17:30 If Democrats get the majority…do you work with Trump? 1:18:45 Have a responsibility to work across the aisle if it helps people 1:19:30 Open to banning private equity from owning homes, anti monopoly in meat 1:20:45 Price of fire trucks has tripled due to private equity buying up the manufacturing 1:22:30 Is the description of being the “Sanders/Warren” candidate a fair description? 1:25:00 Part-time legislatures don’t have the institutional knowledge of the lobbyists 1:26:30 Must lead by example on anti-corruption, will only serve two terms if elected 1:27:30 Thoughts on “vice taxes” & gambling to help state generate revenue? 1:30:30 High interest in gambling speaks to fear for economic future in voters 1:32:45 How has having a two year old affected your life & job? 1:33:30 Childcare costs as much as his mortgage with one child 1:37:30 ToddCast Not Top 5 - The next 5 senate seats most likely to flip 1:38:30 Political environment is highly favorable for Democrats 1:40:00 Top 5, NC, ME, OH, AK, NE 1:41:45 #6 Texas 1:42:30 #7 Michigan 1:45:30 #8 Georgia 1:46:00 #9 Iowa 1:47:45 #10 Montana 1:50:15 Ask Chuck 1:50:30 Are Republicans more in danger of fracturing than Democrats? 1:57:00 Was there a backroom deal for resignation of Swalwell & Gonzales? 1:58:30 Rubio’s shoes are the most “Veep” thing in Trump administration 2:02:00 How can CA Dems win over rural GOP voters in the state? 2:07:30 Best national and international news sources to stay informed?See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Zach Wahls — the Iowa state senator, former minority leader, and U.S. Senate candidate who first went viral as a 19-year-old in 2011 for his moving speech defending his two moms before the Iowa legislature — joins the Chuck Toddcast to make the case that Democrats have a real shot at flipping statewide races in Iowa this cycle. Wahls explains how he realized at 13 that the GOP was targeting his own family, how he still considers marriage equality to be genuinely under threat today, and pushes back on the narrative that Iowa has abandoned its famous libertarian streak — noting that the vast majority of Iowans remain pro-choice and supportive of marriage equality even as the state has drifted red. He argues that Obama-Trump voters are plentiful in Iowa and that rural Iowa communities feel forgotten by the establishment — a dynamic Trump spoke to effectively in 2016 when the state was in a regional recession. Wahls points to the party's post-New Deal legacy of fighting for workers' rights, but he also reveals he wouldn't support Chuck Schumer for Senate leadership — a position that's apparently cost him, as Schumer-linked super PACs are now spending millions against him in the primary. The conversation turns to what Wahls sees as the defining issue of his campaign: the obscene influence of dark money in American politics. He reveals that a bipartisan Iowa bill to get money out of state politics was killed by lobbyists and GOP opposition, that he's received small-dollar donations from all 99 Iowa counties while refusing corporate PAC money, and that his anti-corruption message is genuinely resonating with voters who are exhausted by the current system. Wahls says he'll co-sponsor a constitutional amendment to overturn Citizens United, discusses his openness to banning private equity from owning residential homes and responds to being labeled a "Sanders/Warren" candidate. Wahls pledges to lead by example on anti-corruption by serving only two terms if elected, shares concerns about state reliance on gambling revenue as a signal of voter economic anxiety, and closes with a deeply relatable observation every young parent will recognize: with a two-year-old at home, his monthly childcare bill now costs as much as his mortgage. Protect your family with life insurance from Ethos. Get up to $3 million in coverage in as little as 10 minutes at https://ethos.com/chuck. Application times may vary. Rates may vary. Refresh your wardrobe with Quince. Go to https://Quince.com/chuck for free shipping on your order and 365-day returns. Link in bio or go to https://getsoul.com & enter code TODDCAST for 30% off your first order. Timeline: (Timestamps may vary based on advertisements) 00:00 Zach Wahls joins the Chuck ToddCast 02:00 Democrats have a real chance at flipping statewide Iowa races 04:00 Did you always know you were going to be in politics? 05:45 Realized at 13 years old the GOP was targeting his own family 06:45 Going viral in 2011 for speech defending his two moms 08:00 Gay marriage rights are still under threat today 09:30 Does Iowa’s famous libertarian streak still exist today? 10:45 Vast majority of Iowans are pro-choice and support marriage equality 12:00 There are a lot of Obama/Trump voters in Iowa 13:30 Union leadership in Iowa leans Dem, rank & file lean GOP 15:15 Rural Iowa communities feel forgotten by the establishment 16:00 Iowa was in a regional recession in 2016, Trump spoke to that 17:30 Why run as a Democrat vs. as an independent? 18:30 Since the New Deal, Democrats have fought for workers rights 19:00 Wouldn’t support Chuck Schumer for senate leadership 19:45 Schumer-linked Super PAC spending millions against him 21:00 How do you avoid being painted as focused on identity & not economics? 23:00 The impact of dark money has tainted American & Iowa politics 24:30 Bipartisan bill to get money out of politics in Iowa spiked by lobbyists & GOP 25:45 The money in politics has gotten obscene quickly in recent years 27:00 What would a campaign finance constitutional amendment look like? 28:30 Republican aligned PACs set to spend huge money in Iowa in the fall 29:15 Received small dollar donations from all 99 counties, no corporate PAC $ 30:15 Anti-corruption message is resonating with voters 31:30 Can you unilaterally disarm in the face of huge Republican spending? 32:30 Will co-sponsor amendment to overturn Citizen’s United 33:45 What did you learn from your stint in leadership in the legislature? 36:00 There was no clear strategic plan for Democrats to take back majority 37:00 There were basic organizational issues for Iowa Dems that needed to be fixed 37:45 Needed to rebuild relationships with organized labor 40:00 Stint in leadership doesn’t make him have more sympathy for Schumer 40:45 Democrats didn’t know what they were asking for during shutdown 41:30 If Democrats get the majority…do you work with Trump? 42:45 Have a responsibility to work across the aisle if it helps people 43:30 Open to banning private equity from owning homes, anti monopoly in meat 44:45 Price of fire trucks has tripled due to private equity buying up the manufacturing 46:30 Is the description of being the “Sanders/Warren” candidate a fair description? 49:00 Part-time legislatures don’t have the institutional knowledge of the lobbyists 50:30 Must lead by example on anti-corruption, will only serve two terms if elected 51:30 Thoughts on “vice taxes” & gambling to help state generate revenue? 54:30 High interest in gambling speaks to fear for economic future in voters 56:45 How has having a two year old affected your life & job? 57:30 Childcare costs as much as his mortgage with one childSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

On Iowa Politics is a weekly news and analysis podcast that aims to recreate the kinds of conversations that happen when you get political reporters from across Iowa together after the day's deadlines have been met. Tackling anything from local to state to national, On Iowa Politics is your weekly dose of analysis and insight into the issues affecting Iowa.This week, we'll cover 2026 candidates filing their required nomination signatures, legislation limiting the governor's authority, and the Iowa Legislature vs. cancer. This episode was hosted by the Gazette Des Moines Bureau Chief Erin Murphy. It features Lee Des Moines Bureau Chief Maya Marchel Hoff, Gazette Deputy Bureau Chief Tom Barton and Gazette columnists Althea Cole and Todd Dorman.This episode was produced by Gazette Social Video Producer Bailey Cichon.Read the articles mentioned in this episode:Bills to limit Iowa governor's authority seen by Democrats as preemptive strike ahead of 2026 election: https://www.thegazette.com/news/politics/bills-to-limit-iowa-governor-s-authority-seen-by-democrats-as-preemptive-strike-ahead-of/article_5bdabd5d-398e-4d2a-ab4d-18b3ed1f355a.htmlIowa has some of nation's highest cancer rates. Here's what lawmakers are doing to address them: https://qctimes.com/news/state-regional/government-politics/article_48384b88-11b4-4beb-ba38-1eb08995ca43.htmlAshley Hinson, Zach Wahls file for Iowa U.S. Senate primary race: https://www.thegazette.com/news/politics/hinson-and-wahls-enter-the-iowa-2026-senate-primary-race/article_1b64ac18-7ca7-4513-a412-34a1a46913c6.htmlJosh Turek files for Iowa U.S. Senate primary, invokes Tom Harkin: https://www.thegazette.com/news/politics/josh-turek-aims-to-continue-harkins-populist-legacy/article_b35e242d-1883-4bea-9106-90a4ef6f98e2.html

Jason Kander and Zach Wahls break down the growing backlash to America's war with Iran as the administration struggles to explain why the U.S. is in the war, how long it will last, and what victory would even look like. They examine new reporting that the conflict is already becoming one of the most unpopular American wars in decades, the latest confusing statements from the White House, and the alarming warnings from lawmakers after classified briefings about the potential deployment of U.S. ground troops. Kander and Wahls also dive into the intensifying MAGA infighting sparked by the war, as prominent right-wing influencers and media figures turn on Trump over the conflict, exposing deep fractures inside the movement. Plus, if time permits, they cover the latest fallout in the Epstein saga, including a new congressional investigation and fresh questions surrounding the case. This and more on the podcast that helps you, the majority of Americans who believe in progress, convince your conservative friends and family to join us—this is Majority 54! Hims: To get simple, online access to personalized, affordable care for ED, Hair Loss, Weight Loss, and more, visit https://hims.com/majority Qualia: Experience the most trusted magnesium for purity, potency, and performance. Plus it's non-GMO, vegan and gluten-free making it a choice you can feel good about. Go to https://qualialife.com/MAJORITY for 50% off. Shopify: Shopify: Sign up for your one-dollar-per-month trial and start selling today at https://SHOPIFY.com/majority Cook Unity: Go to https://cookunity.com/MAJORITY54 or enter code MAJORITY54 before checkout to get 50% off your first order. Majority 54 on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/majority_54 Majority 54 on Twitter: https://twitter.com/majority54 Jason on Twitter: https://twitter.com/JasonKander Jason on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/jasonkander/ Ravi on Twitter: https://twitter.com/RaviMGupta Ravi on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/ravimgupta Ravi on Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@LostDebate Remember to subscribe to ALL the MeidasTouch Network Podcasts: MeidasTouch: https://www.meidastouch.com/tag/meidastouch-podcast Legal AF: https://www.meidastouch.com/tag/legal-af MissTrial: https://meidasnews.com/tag/miss-trial The PoliticsGirl Podcast: https://www.meidastouch.com/tag/the-politicsgirl-podcast The Influence Continuum: https://www.meidastouch.com/tag/the-influence-continuum-with-dr-steven-hassan The Weekend Show: https://www.meidastouch.com/tag/the-weekend-show The Ken Harbaugh Show: https://meidasnews.com/tag/the-ken-harbaugh-showMajority 54: https://www.meidastouch.com/tag/majority-54 On Democracy with FP Wellman: https://www.meidastouch.com/tag/on-democracy-with-fpwellman Uncovered: https://www.meidastouch.com/tag/maga-uncovered Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Zach Wahls for U.S. Senate It didn't take long after his historic 2011 appearance before the Iowa state legislature to testify about his two-mom family for 19-year-old Zach Wahls to take his place as a senator in that body. Now he's running to represent Iowa in the U.S. Senate (produced by Greg Gordon, archival interview by Steve Pride). A bouquet of January birthdays and ONE early movement legal victory are remembered in the Rainbow Rewind (produced by Brian DeShazor and Sheri Lunn). And in NewsWrap: federal guidance on workplace harassment based on sexual orientation and gender identity is eliminated by the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, U.S. House Democrats claim victory over a raft of anti-transgender riders to major funding bills for the Departments of Health and Human Services, Education and Labor, right-wing Texas federal judge Matthew Kacsmaryk upholds West Texas A&M University's ban on campus drag shows, financial woes force the closure of the organization that produces Tucson, Arizona's annual Pride event, the two heartthrobs of the wildly popular TV series “Heated Rivalry” will carry the flame in the Winter Olympics Torch Relay, and more international LGBTQ news reported this week by Tanya Kane-Parry and Joe Boehnlein (produced by Brian DeShazor). All this on the January, 26 2026 edition of This Way Out! Join our family of listener-donors today at thiswayout.org/donate/.

01/27/26: As President Donald Trump makes his way to Iowa to discuss the economy, Joel Heitkamp is joined by Iowa State Senator and candidate for the U.S. Senate, Zach Wahls. Zach is serving his second term in the Iowa State Senate, is a sixth-generation Iowan, and an Eagle Scout as he runs for the U.S. Senate. In the legislature, he’s fought against powerful special interests exploiting Iowans, led the effort to ban politicians from insider trading, proposed common sense term limits, and worked across party lines to deliver real results for Iowa communities, both big and small. You can learn more about Zach and his campaign at zachwahls.com. (Joel Heitkamp is a talk show host on the Mighty 790 KFGO in Fargo-Moorhead. His award-winning program, “News & Views,” can be heard weekdays from 8 – 11 a.m. Follow Joel on X/Twitter @JoelKFGO.)See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

MeidasTouch host Ben Meiselas reports on the deadly signs on the horizon for Donald Trump in red states like Iowa where he is destroying the MAGA base by screwing their lives after defrauding them by promising to help them and Meiselas interviews Democratic Senate Candidate in Iowa Zach Wahls who is currently an Iowa State Senator and he shares his observation on the ground traveling across the state. Visit https://meidasplus.com for more! Remember to subscribe to ALL the MeidasTouch Network Podcasts: MeidasTouch: https://www.meidastouch.com/tag/meidastouch-podcast Legal AF: https://www.meidastouch.com/tag/legal-af MissTrial: https://meidasnews.com/tag/miss-trial The PoliticsGirl Podcast: https://www.meidastouch.com/tag/the-politicsgirl-podcast The Influence Continuum: https://www.meidastouch.com/tag/the-influence-continuum-with-dr-steven-hassan Mea Culpa with Michael Cohen: https://www.meidastouch.com/tag/mea-culpa-with-michael-cohen The Weekend Show: https://www.meidastouch.com/tag/the-weekend-show Burn the Boats: https://www.meidastouch.com/tag/burn-the-boats Majority 54: https://www.meidastouch.com/tag/majority-54 Political Beatdown: https://www.meidastouch.com/tag/political-beatdown On Democracy with FP Wellman: https://www.meidastouch.com/tag/on-democracy-with-fpwellman Uncovered: https://www.meidastouch.com/tag/maga-uncovered Coalition of the Sane: https://meidasnews.com/tag/coalition-of-the-sane Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Trump is prepared to send troops into Chicago– and there's a much more insidious reason for it than he's letting on. Brian interviews Governor Wes Moore about redrawing his state's maps, Tommy Vietor about Republicans disastrous town halls, attorney Norm Eisen about Trump's latest loss in court, and Zach Wahls about his run for Senate in Iowa.Shop merch: https://briantylercohen.com/shopYouTube: https://www.youtube.com/user/briantylercohenTwitter: https://twitter.com/briantylercohenFacebook: https://www.facebook.com/briantylercohenInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/briantylercohenPatreon: https://www.patreon.com/briantylercohenNewsletter: https://www.briantylercohen.com/sign-upWritten by Brian Tyler CohenProduced by Sam GraberRecorded in Los Angeles, CASee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

August 30, 2025; 9am: The big shakeup could lead to a potentially competitive Senate race in Iowa. Iowa State Senator Zach Wahls is one of the Democratic candidates running to replace Ernst. He joins The Weekend to discuss what this could mean for the 2026 midterm elections.For more, follow us on social media:Bluesky: @theweekendmsnbc.bsky.socialInstagram: @theweekendmsnbcTikTok: @theweekendmsnbcTo listen to this show and other MSNBC podcasts without ads, sign up for MSNBC Premium on Apple Podcasts. 

Simon Conway's interview with Senator Zach Wahls during Thursday's second hour.

MeidasTouch host Ben Meiselas reports on the growing backlash against Trump's policies in Iowa and Meiselas interviews Iowa State Senator Zachary Wahls who announces he will be running for the United States Senate in Iowa against Iowa's MAGA Senator Joni Ernst who has grown deeply unpopular in the state. Remember to subscribe to ALL the MeidasTouch Network Podcasts: MeidasTouch: https://www.meidastouch.com/tag/meidastouch-podcast Legal AF: https://www.meidastouch.com/tag/legal-af MissTrial: https://meidasnews.com/tag/miss-trial The PoliticsGirl Podcast: https://www.meidastouch.com/tag/the-politicsgirl-podcast The Influence Continuum: https://www.meidastouch.com/tag/the-influence-continuum-with-dr-steven-hassan Mea Culpa with Michael Cohen: https://www.meidastouch.com/tag/mea-culpa-with-michael-cohen The Weekend Show: https://www.meidastouch.com/tag/the-weekend-show Burn the Boats: https://www.meidastouch.com/tag/burn-the-boats Majority 54: https://www.meidastouch.com/tag/majority-54 Political Beatdown: https://www.meidastouch.com/tag/political-beatdown On Democracy with FP Wellman: https://www.meidastouch.com/tag/on-democracy-with-fpwellman Uncovered: https://www.meidastouch.com/tag/maga-uncovered Coalition of the Sane: https://meidasnews.com/tag/coalition-of-the-sane Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

This week, The NewDEAL and The Next50 announced a partnership that will build a robust pipeline of center-left talent by combining The Next 50's electoral backing and campaign tools with the network, policy, and skills support that the NewDEAL provides. The goal is to round out a cycle of support for leaders who can win tough elections, deliver results while in office, and be the Democratic messengers who connect effectively with the broad majority of Americans. CEO Debbie Cox Bultan speaks with NewDEAL Leader and Iowa State Senator Zach Wahls – who joins us today as Executive Director of The Next50. They share the back stories of the NewDEAL and The Next50, how they support candidates and elected leaders, and  the new partnership between the organizations. They also discuss why it's so important to have young people serving in elected office, what we can learn from NewDEAL and The Next50 leaders about winning swing districts, and why building community is crucial to developing effective leaders. Tune in to learn more about how the NewDEAL and The Next50 are advancing the next generation of Democratic leaders.   IN THIS EPISODE:  • [01:05] An introduction to Senator Wahls and The New Deal's partnership with The Next 50. • [02:00] The philosophy behind The Next 50 and the work it continues to do today. • [06:04] Three distinct phases of political life: campaigning, governing, and home life. • [08:09] Criteria that guide Senator Wahls in choosing which leaders to endorse. • [12:40] Why taking a pragmatic approach to governance resonates in competitive states. • [15:20] Insight into the shared aim of The New Deal and The Next 50 to improve the visibility of great elected officials. • [18:53] Conversations around the high stakes of government in 2025. • [22:36] Learning from the urgency and speed with which the DOGE administration has acted. • [25:20] How a variety of lived experiences can bring important perspectives to government. • [29:30] Support provided for young leaders by The New Deal and The Next 50.

The latest poll out of Iowa suggests that this Midwest state might be back in play for the Democrats. We talk to Iowa state senator Zach Wahls and ask if voters are getting their swing back. Then: Monocle's Chris Cermak reports from Donald Trump's rally in Pennsylvania and we hear from Georgina Godwin down in South Carolina. Plus: we meet the team at WSP working to revamp the Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport and meet the architecture duo at G+G working hard to preserve Atlanta's historic landmarks.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Zach Wahls on X: "There have been over 400 school shootings in American schools since Columbine. There have been zero sex changes in American schools. All he does is lie, lie, lie." Teen brains 'aged' during Covid lockdowns, new research suggests James Earl Jones, iconic voice of Darth Vader in ‘Star Wars' and Mufasa in ‘The Lion King,' dead at 93 | CNN Baseball Quotes on X: "The one constant through the years has been baseball. America has rolled by like an army of steamrollers. Its been erased like a blackboard, rebuilt and erased again It reminds us of all that once was good, and what could be again. -Field of Dreams https://t.co/luF51RsPox" RNS on X: "OPINION: Two psychology researchers explain the growing concern over a potential “great resignation,” with more than a third of U.S. pastors thinking about quitting. https://t.co/HKTJ5ewpcy"See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Former President Trump's legal team is scrambling to postpone or throw out four of his five pending cases. It comes as new reporting finds Trump revealed nuclear submarine secrets to an Australian businessman at Mar-a-Lago. Meanwhile, the House returns without a Speaker as two Republicans throw their hat in the ring. Plus, the power of young activism and what it means to engage in democracy at a young age. And are influencers losing their influence? Peter Baker, Luke Broadwater, Charles Coleman, Jason Johnson, Mark McKinnon, Eric Willoughby, State Sen. Zach Wahls and Taylor Lorenz join.

See JL Cauvin and I co Headlining City Winery In Pittsburgh PA on Oct 11 Spend Money on Kevin's Honey!  Stand Up is a daily podcast. I book,host,edit, post and promote new episodes with brilliant guests every day. Please subscribe now for as little as 5$ and gain access to a community of over 700 awesome, curious, kind, funny, brilliant, generous souls Zach Wahls was first elected to the Iowa Senate in 2018. He was elected to his second term in 2022, representing Senate District 43, which includes Coralville, North Liberty, Solon, part of western Iowa City, and rural northeast Johnson County. Zach on Twitter  Zach on Tik Tok Zach ran for the Iowa Senate to give all Iowans a voice. Growing up in a non-traditional family, he learned early in life what it felt like to be left out, and he remembers how hard families like his had to fight to get a seat at the table. Prior to his election, Zach worked primarily as an advocate in the LGBTQ civil rights movement following his 2011 testimony before the Iowa House Judiciary Committee in defense of marriage equality and his “two mom” family. In this capacity, he wrote extensively about his family's experience, including a best-selling book, and has spoken to hundreds of audiences, including a prime-time speech at the 2012 Democratic National Convention.  An Eagle Scout, Zach co-founded and led Scouts for Equality, which successfully executed a national campaign to end discrimination against LGBTQ people in the Boy Scouts of America. Outside of the Legislature, Zach serves as the Vice President for Community Investment and Development at GreenState Credit Union, Iowa's largest financial cooperative. He also owns and operates a small business with his sister, selling custom-made playing cards, and he is a co-owner of his family tree farm in northeast Iowa. Zach completed his Masters in Public Affairs from Princeton University's School of Public and International Affairs in 2018 and his Bachelors from the University of Iowa in 2014. He married his wife, Dr. Chloe Angyal, in 2021, and they live with their dog, Zelda, in Coralville.   Pete on Tik Tok Pete on YouTube Pete on Twitter Pete On Instagram Pete Personal FB page Stand Up with Pete FB page All things Jon Carroll  Follow and Support Pete Coe

Stand Up is a daily podcast. I book,host,edit, post and promote new episodes with brilliant guests every day. Please subscribe now for as little as 5$ and gain access to a community of over 740 awesome, curious, kind, funny, brilliant, generous souls Check out StandUpwithPete.com to learn more 10 mins He's been murdered on CSI, interviewed 2 Beatles on separate continents in the same week, and famously once got Mitt Romney's advisor to call Governor Romney an 'etch a sketch' on CNN. Actor, comedian & broadcaster John Fugelsang hosts 'Tell Me Everything" weekdays on SiriusXM Insight #121. He recently performed in 'The Bill of Rights Concert" alongside Lewis Black & Dick Gregory which aired on AXS.   He's also appeared at Montreal's ‘Just for Laughs' Festival, HBO's U.S Comedy Arts Festival in Aspen, hosted America's Funniest Home Videos for ABC and Bill Maher called him ‘one of my favorite comedians'.   Film/TV credits include 'Price Check' opposite Parker Posey, "Becker," "Providence," "Coyote Ugly,"  the religious standup performance film "The Coexist Comedy Tour" (which won Best Documentary at the NYC Vision Fest film festival).  He appears in the upcoming features "The Girl On The Train," "Maggie Black," and he plays two roles in the romantic comedy ‘The Whole Truth' starring Elisabeth Rohm and Eric Roberts.   He's interviewed Paul McCartney, Bruce Springsteen, Pete Townshend, Brian Wilson, Yoko Ono, Willie Nelson, Tony Bennett, Alan Rickman, Joey Ramone, Carlos Santana, James Taylor, Bo Diddley, Stevie Nicks, Robbie Robertson, Ravi Shankar, Beyonce Knowles, Olivia Harrison, Garth Brooks, William Hurt, Helen Hunt, Ashanti, John Fogerty, William Shatner, Sen. Trent Lott, Sen. Tom Daschle, Sen. Bernie Sanders, Ed Asner, Nile Rogers, Michael Moore, JK Simmons, Valerie Plame, Ethan Hawke, Brian Dennehy, Mavis Staples, Joel Grey, David Crosby, Graham Nash, Lily Tomlin,  Dave Matthews, Terrence McNally, Stanley Tucci, Michael Shannon, Noel Gallagher,  Jeff Daniels, Rita Moreno, & Carl Reiner.  His interview with George Harrison included JF persuading George to play several songs on acoustic guitar.  This proved to be George's final televised appearance and was broadcast as "The Last Performance."   His new film "Dream On," a road trip in search of the American Dream, was named "Best Documentary" at the NY Independent Film Festival.   Directed by 2 time Oscar nominee Roger Weisberg, the film examines the current state of the American Dream while retracing the journey Alexis de Tocqueville made while writing 'Democracy in America.'   The film features 200 interviews in 55 cities in 17 states, including Mike Huckabee, Barney Frank & Paul Krugman and premieres on PBS Election Day Eve.   46 mins  Senator Zach Wahls is a sixth-generation Iowan, a longtime resident of the senate district with deep community roots, an Eagle Scout, and an active member of the Unitarian Universalist congregation in Coralville. Wahls is Vice President of Community Investment and Development at GreenState Credit Union, Iowa's largest financial cooperative. His testimony before the Iowa House Judiciary Committee about growing up with lesbian parents was YouTube's most-watched political video of 2011. He has spoken at over 300 events all over Iowa and across America, including a primetime speech at the 2012 Democratic National Convention supporting President Barack Obama's re-election. He is the author of the nationally bestselling memoir My Two Moms: Lessons of Love, Strength and What Makes a Family. Wahls co-founded and served as Executive Director of Scouts for Equality, which successfully led the national campaign to end LGBTQ discrimination in the Boy Scouts of America. Wahls received his bachelor's degree from the University of Iowa's College of Liberal Arts and Sciences and his master's degree from Princeton University's School of Public and International Affairs. Zach lives with his wife Dr. Chloe Angyal, who is a journalist and author, and their dog Zelda, in Coralville. Pete on YouTube Check out all things Jon Carroll Follow and Support Pete Coe Pete on Twitter Pete On Instagram Pete Personal FB page Stand Up with Pete FB page

This Stephen Schmidt from the Gazette Digital News Desk, and I'm here with your update for Wednesday, June 14.It may not be summer, yet, but it's going to feel like it on Wednesday. According to the National Weather service it will be mostly sunny in the Cedar Rapids area on Wednesday with a high near 90 degrees. On Wednesday evening it will be partly cloudy, with a low of around 62 degrees.According to reporting from the Associated Press, Donald Trump became the first former president to face a judge on federal charges as he pleaded not guilty in a Miami courtroom Tuesday to dozens of felony counts that he hoarded classified documents and refused government demands to give them back.Trump approached his arraignment with characteristic bravado, posting social media broadsides against the prosecution from inside his motorcade and insisting as he has through years of legal woes that he has done nothing wrong and was being persecuted for political purposes. But despite his swagger, he still will have to answer to 37 felony counts that accuse him of willfully retaining classified records that prosecutors say could have jeopardized national security if exposed, as well as trying to hide them from investigators who demanded them back.Meanwhile, back in Iowa, drama continued for Iowa Democrats.Mike Gronstal, a Democrat from Council Bluffs and former Iowa Senate majority leader, was asked to resign from his statehouse lobbying job for the Iowa State Building and Construction Trades Council after the organization learned of his involvement in Senate Democrats' recent removal of Sen. Zach Wahls as their leader.The Iowa State Building and Construction Trades Council is a collection of nine regional building trades councils that represents thousands of Iowa construction workers. The organization lobbies state lawmakers on proposed legislation related to the construction industry.The nature of Gronstal's involvement in Senate Democrats' leadership change was not detailed by the council or made public by Senate Democrats. But the two longtime staffers who were fired had worked for Gronstal when he was majority leader.The council asked for Gronstal's resignation the next day.The two staffers who were fired by Wahls — Erik Bakker and Deb Kattenhorn — have been rehired and are once again working for Iowa Senate Democrats, a caucus spokesman confirmed.And one staffer who Wahls had hired, Kaity Patchett, was fired by Jochum. Patchett previously worked in the office of former Central Iowa U.S. Rep. Cindy Axne.A portion of Tower Terrace Road in Cedar Rapids and Hiawatha, which has been closed for a little over a year for the construction of an interchange connecting the road to Interstate 380, is scheduled to open later this month.A ribbon-cutting ceremony for the new interchange — a “diverging diamond” design — is scheduled for June 22, and the Iowa Department of Transportation is hoping to have the roadway open on or shortly after that date.This will be Iowa's third diverging diamond interchange, and the first on the east side of the state. Diverging diamond is an interchange design in which traffic switches to the left side of the roadway while crossing over the interstate, allowing those turning left onto the interstate a clean turn, rather than turning across incoming traffic.

This Stephen Schmidt from the Gazette Digital News Desk, and I'm here with your update for Tuesday, June 13.It's going to be warmer and windier on Tuesday. According to the National Weather Service, it will be partly sunny with a high near 84 degrees in the Cedar Rapids area on Tuesday. On Tuesday night it will be partly cloudy, with a low of around 59 degrees. Wind gusts could get as high as 30 mph during the day before settling down a bit at nightA man shot to death early Sunday in Cedar Rapids had been acquitted in 2018 by a jury of first-degree murder and other charges related to a street fight involving dozens of combatants.Cedar Rapids police said Kenyauta Vesey-Keith, 23, was killed in a shooting in the 1300 block of First Avenue SE. Officers were called at 12:06 a.m. Sunday and found Vesey-Keith suffering from gunshot wounds. He was taken to a hospital, where he died.In 2018, Vesey-Keith was acquitted of first-degree murder and other charges stemming from a 2016 fight that led to the fatal shooting of 21-year-old Brandon Johnson. Vesey-Keith was 16 at the time of the shooting, and 18 at the time of the trial. He was accused of first-degree murder, attempted murder, willful injury causing serious injury and intimidation with a weapon, but was acquitted of all charges.In the trial, prosecutors argued that Vesey-Keith took a gun from a vehicle and fired multiple rounds, hitting Johnson and Gaudlin. Vesey-Keith's lawyers argued he fired the gun in self-defense and presented evidence that he had previous issues with Johnson and others before the street fight.The investigation into the shooting Sunday is ongoing, and no additional information was available. Police said they believed it was a targeted incident.Crews started Monday to demolish the remains of a six-story apartment building in downtown Davenport that partially collapsed more than two weeks ago, killing three people and leaving dozens without a home.Workers were using a large excavator to dismantle the 116-year-old brick, steel and concrete structure in a process officials said would take several weeks. It's a difficult task because the building is in the heart of the city's downtown and is believed to contain asbestos and other potentially hazardous material.Building owner Andrew Wold pleaded guilty Monday to a civil infraction filed by the city, according to online court records. The infraction, which stated that Wold didn't maintain safe conditions at the building, carries a $300 fine plus $95 in court costs. The city has said Wold will be charged for demolition expenses.Separately, building tenants have named Wold and others in lawsuits related to the building collapse. Another lawsuit filed Friday — the fourth related to the collapse so far — said Wold and the city failed to notify tenants after a March 13 inspection to vacate, giving them enough time to collect their belongings, according to the Quad City TimesState Sen. Zach Wahls of Coralville, in a social media post Monday, described and defended the events that led to his ouster last week as Democrats' leader in the Iowa Senate.Wahls was voted out of his position as Iowa Senate minority leader when Senate Democrats called an impromptu meeting and voted to make Sen. Pam Jochum, of Dubuque, their new leader.Wahls' post Monday was his first public comment since the vote.“I am no longer leader because I made the difficult decision to fire two longtime staffers who did not share my vision for change while restructuring our staff. My Senate Democratic colleagues disagreed with my decision,”

The cauc regs (caucus regulars) are busy so I brought in a couple guest host ringers. Alan and Oliver are here for a long discussion of the Davenport building collapse and a shorter look at what the hell is going on with Zach Wahls. Come out to Pokey's Fest tonight and tomorrow: https://prod5.agileticketing.net/websales/pages/info.aspx?evtinfo=306824~e7ec740d-8476-44fa-ae88-f8602a65365d Closing music by Death Kill Overdrive (https://deathkilloverdrive.bandcamp.com) - Iowa bands, please send us your music: https://forms.gle/zNkBXmRdWyBMpsKP7 Call us at (319) 849-8733! Links to all the stuff we talked about are compiled here: https://www.patreon.com/posts/84303405 https://rockhardcauc.us

This Stephen Schmidt from the Gazette Digital News Desk, and I'm here with your update for Thursday, June 8.It will be another sunny, mild day on Thursday. According to the National Weather Service it will be mostly sunny with a high near 81 degrees in the Cedar Rapids area. On Thursday evening it will be mostly clear, with a low of around 53 degrees.With somewhat unusual timing, Iowa Senate Democrats elected a new leader Wednesday night.Republicans and Democrats in the Iowa Legislature typically elect their respective leaders shortly after elections every two years.But on Wednesday night, Senate Democrats met and elected Dubuque Sen. Pam Jochum as their new leader, in the process ousting previous leader Sen. Zach Wahls, of Coralville.Senate Democrats on Wednesday night did not address the reason for the change.The Iowa Capital Dispatch, Iowa Field Report, and Iowa Starting Line reported Wednesday that many Senate Democrats were upset that Wahls, as caucus leader, recently fired two longtime staffers, Erik Bakker and Deb Kattenhorn. Wahls, 31, was first elected to the Iowa Senate in 2018, and in 2020 was elected leader of the minority-party Senate Democrats, who are outnumbered in the chamber by Republican supermajority, 34-16.Swimmers at Noelridge Aquatic Center in northeast Cedar Rapids were taken into safe housing on-site Wednesday after reports of shots being fired nearby.Police received a report of shots fired in the 4000 block of Richmond Road NE at 4:41 p.m. Wednesday, according to a news release. Officers arrived on scene and witnesses described three minor males involved in an altercation that ended in a single gunshot being fired.The release states the individuals fled before officers arrived. No injuries or property damage had been reported as of Wednesday evening.Noelridge Aquatic Center, which is about a block from the location of the shots fired, was “secured by staff,” and swimmers were taken into safe housing on site until police indicated all was clear, the release states. The pool was scheduled to reopen at 6:30 for normal operations.A Cresco man was arrested Wednesday on charges he sexually abused multiple Boy Scouts over a decade while serving as a troop leader in Cresco.James Hughes, 73, is charged with four counts of third-degree sexual abuse and six counts of lascivious conduct with a minor, according to the Iowa Division of Criminal Investigation.The investigation started March 18, 2021, when a Boy Scout filed a report of sexual abuse with the Cresco Police Department. The police department requested the Iowa DCI help with an investigation, which led to the discovery of several other instances of sexual abuse between Hughes and other juvenile Boy Scouts, authorities said.According to criminal complaints, Hughes committed sexual abuse or misconduct against five boys, each between the ages of 13 and 16 at the time. The abuse spanned between 2008 and 2018, the records show.

This is Stephen Schmidt from the Gazette Digital News Desk, and I'm here with your update for Friday, May 5.Friday will start sunny and pleasant, with a chance for some rain as the day goes on. According to the National Weather Service it will start out mostly sunny in the Cedar Rapids area, with temperatures reaching a high of 70 degrees. It will become increasingly cloudy as the day goes on, though, and there will be a chance of showers and thunderstorms, mainly after 3 p.m. The overall average chance of precipitation is listed at 30 percent.Shortly after noon Thursday, Iowa lawmakers concluded their work for the year. Unless a special session is called, they will not return to resume their work at the Iowa Capitol until next January.Republican leaders in the Iowa Legislature frequently used the word “historic” in their descriptions of the 2023 session.House Speaker Pat Grassley, a Republican from New Hartford, said Republicans followed through on the priorities “that we laid out to Iowans,” including property tax relief and “making sure that parents were a part of their children's education,” whether through school choice or school transparency requirements for curriculum and books.Meanwhile, Democrats did not mince words when describing their view of the 2023 session.Sen. Zach Wahls, the leader of the Senate Democrats from Coralville, told reporters the session was “one of the most divisive and cruel ever seen in the history of the Iowa Legislature,” and said state house Republicans “poured gasoline on the flames of the culture war.”Wahls criticized Republicans for the private school financial assistance program, their more strict regulation of books in K-12 schools with sexual content, and legislation that impacts transgender children in Iowa.As these comments suggest, most bills were passed along party lines, with Republicans passing most of their agenda without needing, or receiving, any support from Democrats.They did agree on a few things, such as a property tax reform bill that aims to lower property taxes by restricting how much funding schools and local governments can raise from increased growth to property values over a given time period. Governor Kim Reynolds signed that bill, almost unanimously approved by state lawmakers, on Thursday.Kirkwood Community College named its new president on Thursday.Nearly 10 years after leaving her vice presidential post at Kirkwood Community College for a senior role at ACT, Kristie Fisher has landed the premiere post atop Eastern Iowa's largest community college.Fisher had spent her last four years leading the 2,442-student Iowa Valley Community College District as its chancellor and president.She arrives during challenging times for higher education. All of Iowa's community colleges have lost students in recent years.While seven of the state's community colleges saw slight enrollment upticks in the fall, Kirkwood was among eight that saw a dip — although it remains the state's second largest behind Des Moines Area Community College.“One of the things that I think not just Kirkwood but all community colleges are going to be facing is the fact that there's so much learning loss from the time of the pandemic,” she said to the question of big issues she'll have to tackle as Kirkwood president. “I think we're going to see that for the next decade.”

Simon begins hour two talking to Senator Zach Wahls about the democrats' plan in the Iowa legislature now that they don't have the power to stop anything from being passed. Next, Simon talks about how Biden has stored classified documents from when he was VP.

It was the last day of January in 2011 when a 19 year-old engineering student at the University of Iowa delivered remarks during a public hearing for a state constitutional amendment to ban same-sex marriage that was being considered by the Iowa House Judiciary Committee.Within a few months, Gallup would release their first poll showing majority support for same-sex marriage among Americans at 53 percent, but at the time, the most recent polling stood at 42 percent. Although, for the first time, a 2009 poll commissioned by ABC News and The Washington Post found a plurality of support, there were a number of polls in the following 18 months that found a majority or plurality opposing same-sex marriage.The legalization of same-sex marriage, state-by-state, was abysmal in that moment. Just five states—Massachusetts, Connecticut, Iowa, Vermont, and New Hampshire—and D.C. had legalized, and 30 states had passed amendments banning it in some way, shape, or form; they would be joined by North Carolina the following year, making 31.California was one of those 31 and arguably had the most painful trajectory, initially banning same-sex marriage in 2000 through voter referendum, seeing that overturned in a 4-3 decision by the state supreme court in 2008, and then reinstated by a slim majority of voters less than six months later through the now-infamous Proposition 8. And by the way, this was more than 15 months out from then-Vice-President Joe Biden becoming the first nationally-elected official to endorse same-sex marriage. (If you haven't seen that yet, it's very much worth the watch. Video below)It's hard to overstate how recently the entire country was immersed in heated debate over same-sex marriages and how grim the prospects looked for its realization. For many years, it seemed touch-and-go over whether the country could really put aside its reinforced ignorance over LGBTQ families.It was into that grim environment that this brave 19 year-old waded — not the environment of the past several years, not the easy, breezy rainbow corporate logos that now pop up every June, not the confident LGBTQ characters and storylines increasingly common now in film and television, not the bursts of greater LGBTQ representation at all levels of elected office — but America in early 2011, when the tipping point on marriage equality had yet to fully arrive.Zach Wahls, the heterosexual son of lesbian mothers, who had spent his entire childhood under the cruel microscope of homophobes, who had been bullied in school for many years after talking about his two moms, surprised to learn at an early age that his family was somehow marked different (and to many, invalid) — that 19 year-old was born into a family that loved him unconditionally and a country that grasped for excuses to hate his family and, well, Zach Wahls had something to say.And so, that day, before a packed chamber, Zach Wahls stood tall and suited behind a lecturn, all six feet and five inches of him, left hand in his pocket, and delivered a stunning short speech about his lesbian moms that immediately went viral.You can watch all three minutes below, but here's one of the parts that always gets me:“If I were your son, Mr. Chairman, I believe I'd make you proud. I'm really not so different from any of your children. My family really isn't so different from yours. After all, your family doesn't derive its sense of self-worth from being told by the state: ‘You're married, congratulations.' No, the sense of family comes from the commitment we make to each other.”Whew. Beautifully said, huh?For so many years, social conservatives had run out of breath attempting to convince the country that the children of same-sex couples were at an extreme and harmful disadvantage, and yet, here was this confident and poised 19 year-old Eagle Scout telling them that he was the happy and well-adjusted child of a lesbian marriage.This would have been an incredible speech from even a seasoned, grown adult, but coming from a college sophomore, there was an authenticity—a barely veiled pain and frustration and, yes, great pride—that centered his remarks in a way that transcended the national debate over same-sex marriage. Four years later, the Supreme Court would make marriage equality the law of the land, and by then, Wahls had published a well-received memoir, spoken at the 2012 Democratic National Convention, fought for the successful repeal of anti-LGBTQ exclusionary policies in the Boy Scouts of America, and would go on to graduate with a bachelor's from the University of Iowa and gain acceptance to Princeton's MPA program.On June 5, 2018—the same day—Wahls graduated from Princeton with his MPA and won the Democratic primary in his first bid for the Iowa State Senate, a seat he would win that fall. This was followed by reelection in 2020 and his Democratic colleagues rallying around him for minority leader shortly thereafter, making him one of the country's youngest state-level legislative captains in recent memory.He turned 30 last July, believe it or not.It's been eleven years since that galvanizing speech, and I continue to be impressed by Iowa State Senator Zach Wahls. He doesn't back down from his values, but he also has a knack for building bridges between differing perspectives that otherwise wouldn't have existed.I guess that's my nice way of saying that Sen. Wahls has the patience to honorably persuade some of the more foolish and stubborn among us, an increasingly rare quality in our elected officials.On Wednesday evening (May 11th), I'll be co-hosting a fundraiser here in D.C. for Sen. Wahls, and I encourage folks in town to attend and meet this effective and young leader. For those who can't attend and would like to support his reelection, you can make a standalone donation by clicking that link. By the way, Iowa is one of those states without a cap on how much a candidate can receive from an individual donor, so, by all means, go nuts and contribute as much as you can. As the resurgence of hateful attacks on civil rights in this country continues to grow, from the impending Supreme Court ruling on Roe to the nationwide onslaught against LGBTQ equality, it's more important than ever to have the backs of our political leaders who have long fought in the trenches for our liberation.Zach Wahls has been fighting all his life for people he'll never know, and that's why we need to fight for him.Let's have his back.Hi, I'm Charlotte Clymer, and this is Charlotte's Web Thoughts, my Substack. It's completely free to access and read, but if you feel so moved to support my writing, please consider upgrading to a paid subscription: just $7/month or save money with the $70/annual sub. You can also go way above and beyond by becoming a Founding Member at $210. Get full access to Charlotte's Web Thoughts at charlotteclymer.substack.com/subscribe

Join "What a Week" host James Simmons, Progress Iowa's Deputy Press Secretary, to break down this week's news and to hear from Iowa Senator and Senate Democratic Leader Zach Wahls, who joins us to discuss workers' issues in the state of Iowa. *** Theme Song: "What a Week" Lyrics and music by Lily Noel and James Simmons Produced by Lily Noel --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/progress-iowa/message

How can credit unions grow roots in their communities? In this episode, Tara Wachendorf and Zach Wahls of GreenState Credit Union talk about GreenStates's support of over 900 charities and contributing over $2.2 million to local charities in 2020. Additionally GreenState plants a new tree for every new credit union member with help from their nonprofit partner, Trees Forever. GreenState makes helping their community a priority, and in turn, GreenState has seen more members give. Check out:  Greenstate.org treesforever.secure.force.com Guests: Tara Wachendorf (Public Relations Director), GreenState Credit Union Zach Wahls (Vice President), GreenState Credit Union Learn more about NetGiver at netgiverapp.com

Tonight on the Last Word: The number of children hospitalized with Covid has doubled since July. Also, President Biden vows to evacuate all Americans and Afghan allies. Plus, pressure builds on Congress to pass voting rights bills. Trump allies are still pushing baseless election lies. And the Buttigiegs become the most high profile LGBTQ couple in U.S. politics to welcome a child. Dr. Jason Custer, Dr. Nahid Bhadelia, David Rothkopf, Rep. Colin Allred, TX Rep. Gina Hinojosa, Arizona Secretary of State Katie Hobbs and Iowa State Sen. Zach Wahls join Jonathan Capehart. 

Iowa Senate Democratic Leader Zach Wahls (D-Coralville) joins Matt to discuss the bombshell leaked audio of a right-wing think tank admitting to writing the voter suppression law that Iowa Republicans rammed through the legislator, possibly in violation of Iowa law, as well as Governor Reynolds putting the bully in bully pulpit and more. --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/progress-iowa/message

On this edition of Iowa Press, Senate Minority Leader Zach Wahls (D-Coralville) discusses recent legislative actions at the Iowa statehouse.  Joining this week’s moderator Kay Henderson, news director for Radio Iowa, at the Iowa Press table are Erin Murphy, Des Moines bureau chief for Lee Enterprises, and Katarina Sostaric, state government reporter for Iowa Public Radio. Program support provided by: Associated General Contractors of Iowa, Iowa Bankers Association and FUELIowa.

Zach Wahls graduated from West in 2009. He went on the study engineering at the University of Iowa, after he delivered a now-famous speech to the Iowa legislature about his experience with two mothers, he focused on writing his now best-selling book. Afterward started a camping "Scouts Across America," and received his master's in Public Affairs from Princeton University. He was elected to the Iowa State Senate in 2018 and is now the Democratic leader.

NewDEAL CEO Debbie Cox Bultan talks with Zach Wahls, the new Minority Leader for Iowa's state Senate, about how to unify the nation in the wake of the attack on the Capitol, and his insight on how to effect change. 

This is John McGlothlen with the Gazette digital news desk and I'm here with your update for Monday, November 16th. The weather today will be sunny, with a high near 53. Also breezy, with a southwest wind 5 to 10 mph becoming west 15 to 20 mph in the afternoon. Winds could gust as high as 25 mph. Tonight should be mostly clear, with a low around 27. Iowa Senate Democrats have elected first-term Sen. Zach Wahls of Coralville to be their minority leader in the 2021 session. Wahls said the 18-member Senate caucus will focus on “defeating coronavirus with decisive action supporting essential workers, protecting Iowa families, and assisting small businesses.” Wahls was elected leader, replacing Sen. Janet Petersen of Des Moines, who did not seek re-election. His colleagues elected him during a virtual meeting Sunday afternoon. The Iowa Hawkeyes dominated the line of scrimmage on both sides of the ball as they beat Minnesota 35-0 Friday night, claiming Floyd of Rosedale for the sixth straight season. The Hawkeyes rushed for 235 yards including 142 yards and two touchdowns from Tyler Goodson. Mekhi Sargent added 86 yards rushing and a TD. Zach VanValkenburg tallied three sacks for Iowa and Jack Koerner and Riley Moss both intercepted passes. The number of patients being treated in Iowa hospitals for the COVID-19 respiratory disease continued to trend in the wrong direction Sunday, with record numbers of people admitted, placed in intensive care or put on ventilators to help breathe. According to public health data, the number of virus patients in Iowa hospitals increased from 1,261 to 1,279 in the 24-hour period ending at 11 a.m. Sunday. Those in intensive care inched up from 246 to 247 and those on ventilators rose from 107 to 115. All are record highs since COVID-19 was first confirmed in Iowa in March. The University of Iowa Hospitals and Clinics is activating the first phase of its surge plan that includes adding intensive care unit beds. UnityPoint Health-St. Luke's Hospital and Mercy Medical Center in Cedar Rapids, and Mercy Hospital in Iowa City, all announced plans last week to preserve staff and personal protective gear by curtailing elective procedures that require overnight stays. Public health data showed that 95 of Iowa's 99 counties have positivity rates of 15 percent or greater when averaged over 14 days.

He calls it "finding religion," thanks to his mom. Iowa State Senator and political wunderkind joins the show to talk about how he became a Packers fan, what he thinks of the offseason, the state of sports amid the coronavirus and much more. Plus, why does the NFL not agree Aaron Jones is really good and what it means for the Packers. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

He calls it "finding religion," thanks to his mom. Iowa State Senator and political wunderkind joins the show to talk about how he became a Packers fan, what he thinks of the offseason, the state of sports amid the coronavirus and much more. Plus, why does the NFL not agree Aaron Jones is really good and what it means for the Packers. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

He calls it "finding religion," thanks to his mom. Iowa State Senator and political wunderkind joins the show to talk about how he became a Packers fan, what he thinks of the offseason, the state of sports amid the coronavirus and much more. Plus, why does the NFL not agree Aaron Jones is really good and what it means for the Packers. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In 2011, Zach Wahls became famous nationwide when he spoke to the Iowa State House Judiciary Committee about marriage equality and about the loving family he has had with his mothers. Now, Zach is famous for continuing his advocacy as a member of the Iowa State Senate.  In this episode of the You Should Run Podcast, Zach talks about what led to him becoming a candidate, who encouraged him, and why he ran for office in 2018 for the first time. We talk about who Zach is supporting for President in the Iowa Caucus and why, how he is working across the aisle to bring consensus on issues, how his Unitarian faith has made an impact on his politics, and more about what makes Iowa politics far more interesting than people know. Of course, Zach also talks about another very important topic.... why YOU should run for office. Listen, share, and subscribe today. 

Zach Wahls je americký senátor ze státu Iowa. Stal se jím přesně osm let poté, co v tamním parlamentu jako devatenáctiletý student vystoupil s projevem, který mu navždy změnil život. Řekl v něm, že je synem dvou lesbických matek, a překvapeným poslancům vysvětlil, že jeho rodina má úplně stejné starosti jako každá jiná. Ve druhé části podcastu vysvětlíme, co se dnes změnilo v kauze Čapí hnízdo.

A progressive former viral media sensation wins a state primary in Iowa, while conservatives have their own plan for how to get their ideas out to the mainstream. Meanwhile, will the dissolution of the Consumer Finance Protection Bureau make Scott Pruitt think twice about all the shopping he's been doing? Plus, high notes from the Final Frontier.

The Johnson County Task Force on Aging presents a forum on issues vital to the senior community on the second Monday of each month, at 2pm, at the Coralville Public Library. This month features a candidate forum for the Democratic primary for Iowa Senate District 37. Moderated by Lyle Muller and Bob Welsh, the forum features Eric Dirth, Zach Wahls, Imad Youssif and Janice Weiner. Video provided by CoralVision.

You might remember Zach Wahls as the college student who spoke to congress about his two moms in support of gay marriage. Now he’s  running for Senate in Iowa, and he's got lots to say about going viral, bullying and his 2 moms. 

On this episode, the crew kicks off the school year by visiting with University of Iowa alum and progressive activist Zach Wahls for a smart discussion on the recent terrorist attack in Charlottesville and an emboldened white supremacist movement in America. Next, they get a campus perspective from Lilian Sanchez who serves as Vice President of the UISG. They close the episode with an in-depth conversation with the award-winning professor Dave Gould about a new community-centered approach to education. Check it out!

On the third episode of My Gay Life, Butz talks about what it’s like to raise a child with two moms and what she hopes the future looks like for her child. We also chat with Zach Wahls and learn what he’s been doing since his brush with virility in 2011. You may recognize Zach from this video, when he stood before the Iowa House of Representatives and testified to protect marriage equality. Zach takes us through that fateful day, how it changed his life, and what he’s still doing to fight for the LGBTQ community -- and others. Follow Zach Wahls: www.twitter.com/zachwahls Follow us: www.twitter.com/mygaylifepod Follow Butz: www.twitter.com/cbutzrun Follow Becca: www.twitter.com/rsam______ Email us: hi@mygaylifepodcast.com Get the next episode directly to your email: www.mygaylifepodcast.com/subscribe Original Music by @reefboiicliff Subscribe to our podcast wherever you listen to podcasts!

The National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI) of Johnson County holds a kickoff luncheon for their upcoming April 25th walk fundraiser. This year's Honorary Chair for the Walk is Zach Wahls. Additional information about how you can participate or volunteer for this year's walk event is available here. For information about NAMI Johnson County, please visit their website.

On the eve of the United States Supreme Court hearings on Proposition 8 and the Federal Defense of Marriage Act, we talked with straight ally and marriage equality activist, Zach Wahls.  Zach earned world-wide attention after his passionate testimony before the Iowa Legislature.  Since that time, he's become involved in … Continue reading →

On the eve of the United States Supreme Court hearings on Proposition 8 and the Federal Defense of Marriage Act, we talked with straight ally and marriage equality activist, Zach Wahls.  Zach earned world-wide attention after his passionate testimony before the Iowa Legislature.  Since that time, he's become involved in … Continue reading →