President Donald Trump said AI's biggest safety warnings are a conspiracy — even as Iowa towns pass moratoriums on the data centers powering it. On this Politics Day episode, we explore the president's clash with his own tech allies over AI safety. Political scientists Jonathan Hassid of Iowa State University and Wayne Moyer of Grinnell College join us with their analysis. We also discuss the latest election polls and Iowa's Senate and Governor races, SCOTUS blocking Trump's mail-in voting rule and more.
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The Supreme Court just finished one of its most consequential terms in years. Drake University law professors Sally Frank and Miguel Schor break down what the 2026 rulings mean for Iowans. They discuss the landmark win for birthright citizenship, the loss of deportation protections for hundreds of thousands of immigrants, new limits on transgender athletes and more. -
The Supreme Court has ruled on birthright citizenship, transgender athletes and the flow of money in politics. Today, analysis from political scientists Sara Mitchell of the University of Iowa and Dave Peterson of Iowa State University. We discuss the power balance in Washington and what these rulings mean for Iowans. We also reflect on House leadership sending lawmakers home early, the new Iowa laws going into effect and more.
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The U.S. Supreme Court has ruled the maker of Roundup can’t be sued for failing to warn people that the weedkiller could cause cancer. The decision follows failed efforts in the Iowa Legislature to limit lawsuits over pesticide-related illness.
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President Donald Trump abruptly cancelled plans to sign a bipartisan housing bill Wednesday morning, surprising Republicans and Democrats alike. Trump wrote in a social media post that he would not sign the legislation until Congress passed the Save America Act. Political scientists Rachel Caufield of Drake University and Peter Hanson of Grinnell College offer analysis of this recent about-face and rising tensions between the president and Senate Republicans. They also discuss takeaways for Iowa from Tuesday's New York primary, the U.S. Senate's vote in favor of a war powers resolution concerning Iran and more.
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After two centuries of expanding democracy, why has America become more unequal — not less? On this episode we listen to highlights from a recent conversation with political scientist Jeffrey Winters of Northwestern University. His new book, The Blind Spot: How Oligarchs Dominate Our Democracy, examines the failure of democracy to address wealth inequality and why this issue is by design. This conversation was recorded on May 7 at the Englert Theatre, presented by the Iowa City Foreign Relations Council.
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The legality of geofence warrants, where law enforcement can access the data of people in a geographic area, is being considered by the U.S. Supreme Court. University of Iowa Technology Law Clinic director Megan Graham walks us through the case. Also, fellow Iowa law professor Bethany Berger talks about the 1884 case being incorrectly cited in the Trump Administration's birthright citizenship case. Then, Cornell College's Megan Goldberg walks us through the 1st Congressional District primary races.
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Analysis from political scientists Sara Mitchell of the University of Iowa and Peter Hanson of Grinnell College on statewide races, the latest fallout from the war with Iran and why some Republican Senators are quietly hoping for a Supreme Court retirement before the midterms.
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In 2023, the U.S. Supreme Court narrowed the definition of the Waters of the United States in the case Sackett v. Environmental Protection Agency. The result of that decision is estimated to have eliminated more than half of the nation's wetland acres eligible for protections by the Clean Water Act. Host Ben Kieffer discusses that decision and how it impacts Iowa with Royal Gardner, author of 'Waters of the United States: POTUS, SCOTUS, WOTUS, and the Politics of a National Resource.' (This episode was originally produced in October 2025.)
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Political scientists talk about the top stories of the week, including the historical No Kings protests, Trump's surprise Iran announcement and threats to leave NATO, birthright citizenship at the Supreme Court and more.
