Caitlin Troutman

The Senate's farm bill has stalled along with billions in conservation money. WCMU’s Emma George-Griffin discusses what that means for farmers. On this Newsbuzz episode, we also take a look at new state rules for the biggest power line buildout in Iowa history, Pell Grants for workforce development, a medical malpractice shake-up at the Iowa Supreme Court and what it actually takes to bring the Iowa State Fair to life.

How does family's private tragedy relate to 70 years of history? On this episode, we talk with journalist and author Paige Towers about her new book 'What They Stole: A Familicide Rooted in Intercountry Adoption.' It investigates the 2008 murder-suicide of the Sueppel family in Iowa City and how that tragedy sheds light on the fraught history of international adoptions in America.

On this episode of the 'Talk of Iowa' Book Club, we talk about 'The Book Thief' with author Markus Zusak and two expert readers. It's a story about a young girl growing up in Nazi Germany who steals books — and it's narrated by death. They reflect on the book's 20th anniversary and discuss how reading it in 2026 feels the same and different than at its release in 2006.

In this archive episode, host Ben Kieffer speaks with two members of the 'Planet Money team' about their new book. Then, the SAVE America Act has been called the most sweeping change to American voting law in decades if it goes into effect. Supporters say it's about election security, while critics say it could disenfranchise eligible voters. Guests explore what the legislation would it actually mean for Iowans at the polls and for the people who run our elections. (This show was originally produced April 7, 2026.)

Losing the ability to drive can mean that an older person can no longer live independently. On this episode, we talk about aging, driving and how to know when it's time to stop. We hear from Justin Mason, associate research scientist at the University of Iowa's Driving Safety Research Institute, and Anne Dickerson, director of the research for Older Adult Driver Initiative (ROADI) at East Carolina University, about what happens to our driving abilities as we age and making plans to stop driving. We also talk with John McCurdy, executive director of the Southwest Iowa Planning Council about alternative forms of transportation and maintaining independence.

Clinton artists Gabi Torres and Chris Shannon have helped put the city of Clinton on the map with their annual Paint it Back event. Starting as an effort to activate a vacant building with artists' murals near the Mississippi River in 2023 has gotten bigger each year, with an art market, live music, kids activities and more. For its fourth year, they’re moving west to downtown with a mission to make this its biggest year ever. We talk with co-founder Gabi Torres, Paint it Back Board President Matt Parbs on the impact its had on the Clinton community, and Colorado-based artist James Foster, aka East, who has taken part in the event since its second year. Then, a new art installation on the pond at Wilson's Orchard in Cumming appears as a quilt, and absorbs excess nitrates from the water. We talk with its creators, Drake University professors Emily Newman and Edward Kelley. They co-founded the Parts Per Million Collective, an art collaboration that addresses climate change through art.

Are America’s divides truly political — or is something else at work? In his book 'Nations Apart: How Clashing Regional Cultures Shattered America,' historian and New York Times bestselling author Colin Woodard argues that today’s polarization can’t be explained by Democrat/Republican or urban/rural divides. Instead, he traces these conflicts back to regional worldviews rooted in the nation’s earliest settlement patterns. (This show was originally produced Nov. 25, 2025.)

On this episode, we meet the Lobe Rangers, three Iowa farmers from who are frustrated with how few of their fellow farmers have implemented conservation practices. We learn about their vision for a more sustainable future for Iowa. Then, 'Talk of Iowa' Summer School continues with agriculture teacher Anna Brooks. She makes the farm to table process a focus of her classes.

Companies are voluntarily phasing out the use of so called 'forever chemicals,' or PFAS, used in food packaging. On this episode, experts discuss what the phase out will look like and what consumers need to know. Host Ben Kieffer is joined by Lydia Jahl from the Green Science Policy Institute in Berkley. Later in the hour, Mark Early, Keith Vorst, and Katie Updegraff of the Polymer and Food Protection Consortium at Iowa State University also join the program. (This episode was originally produced Aug. 5, 2024.)

The vast majority of Americans engage with some kind of social media. Some of it is wonderful, some is terrible and its definitely habit forming. On this episode, we talk about how social media affects the lives and mental health of teenagers and adults. We also discuss realistic ways we can set boundaries with technology, limit our screentime and focus on our physical reality. (This show was originally produced Jan. 20, 2026.)