The "Gold Standard" of Iowa political podcasts is live from Studio 130 for another action-packed fun-filled episode. The big issue we examine today is "What did John see last night on the KCCI news?" Should Iowa students be recognized for their achievement, and do merit-based rewards matter? We also learn that construction of the Des Moines Buccaneers' new home is delayed despite being fueled by tens of millions of dollars in public tax incentives. What cautionary tale should be learned?

Because there is simply too much to cover, we tackle it all in our lightning round segment, including Ron DeSantis vs. Nikki Haley, the IRS investigation over Hunter Biden, Trump promising to release the JFK files, and President Biden finally drawing a larger crowd than Donald Trump.