Senate race TV ad, special election takeaways, Iowa legislative preview

Laura Belin and Spencer Dirks began with Iowa political reaction to the U.S. attack in Venezuela and whether this could become a 2026 campaign issue. On the campaign front, they discussed the first TV ad aired in Iowa's U.S. Senate race, a Republican rival's challenge to GOP front-runner Ashley Hinson, and takeaways from the special election in Iowa Senate district 16 (another big Democratic overperformance). Other topics covered: how Iowa will use additional federal funds for rural health, the governor's new Nuclear Energy Task Force, new policies that took effect in Iowa on January 1, a big drop in traffic fatalities, and several topics to watch in the upcoming Iowa legislative session.