🚀 Howdy, Monday. On this day in 1973, Elton John played at the Iowa State Fair, per Notes on Iowa.

🌧️ Weather: Slight chance of rain showers then mostly sunny, with a high of 81 and a low of 666.

🎂 Happy birthday to our Axios Des Moines member Tom Laughead!

Today's newsletter is 1,052 words — a 4-minute read.

Cancer is emerging as a defining issue in Iowa's race for governor, as Republican Zach Lahn and Democrat Rob Sand offer different approaches to addressing the state's unusually high rates of the disease.

Why it matters: Iowa's high cancer rate is forcing the governor's race into concrete debates over health coverage, prevention and what's driving rates.

Driving the news: Lahn will sit down with cancer survivors and advocates tomorrow for an American Cancer Society Cancer Action Network (ACS CAN) "Cancer Coffee Chat" at the Urbandale Public Library.

• Lahn has made cancer and water quality prominent campaign issues, arguing that nitrate pollution contributes to Iowa's cancer burden and supporting incentives for cleaner farming practices.
• He also calls for increased exercise in schools and reducing processed foods and food dyes.

The other side: Sand joined ACS CAN's cancer roundtable three weeks ago and completed its questionnaire, backing Medicaid expansion and lower screening costs.

• He also supports additional pediatric cancer research, radon testing, and higher tobacco taxes, but stops short of endorsing ACS CAN's full $1.50-per-pack tax increase.

Context: Both candidates say the issue is personal. Lahn discussed his father's non-Hodgkin's lymphoma in March, noting his lifetime of working in farm fields.

Between the lines: Medicaid presents one of the clearest policy contrasts.

• Sand favors unwinding Medicaid privatization, in which for-profit companies administer the system rather than the state government — a model critics say leads to unfair denials.
• Lahn favors private insurers continuing to administer Medicaid but with tighter oversight.

Zoom in: The candidates have also taken notably different approaches to vaccines more broadly, though they have not yet answered the same question.

• Sand wants to protect access to the HPV vaccine.
• Lahn, who hasn't yet answered ACS CAN's questionnaire, previously called for a ban on mRNA vaccines, including those used for COVID-19.

What we're watching: How tomorrow's event could sharpen the candidates' contrasts on cancer.

• The venue has limited space and is reserved for cancer survivors, ACS CAN volunteers, and media who have secured spots.

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Q: "I KNOW that Axios DSM is legit local media reporting, because Jason and Linh have their names on it, and have a long history of journalism in Des Moines."

• "But what about others who describe themselves as local media? What got me thinking about this was an email I was surprised to get Sunday (I don’t recall signing up for it) from Daily Des Moines. Who is Daily Des Moines? Are they REALLY hyper-local?" — Phil Kreznor

A: Welcome to a new game we call: "Is it AI?"

State of play: Daily Des Moines is one of several AI-generated news sites and newsletters promising hyper-local content. And it's easy to see no one is curating or editing the content.

• For example: This article promises candidate information for Des Moines City Council and Polk County Supervisors, but names none, and pictures former Louisiana Gov. Bobby Jindal for some reason.
• To give credit, Daily Des Moines does not claim to be human-made, unlike some other sites, and it shares where it has scraped info from the internet.

What they're saying: "When I grew up, you had three stations, a newspaper, maybe cable news as well. And now, you just have to have a whole new level of discernment, and it's just hard," Amy McCoy, a journalism professor at Drake, tells Axios.

How it works: AI-generated "news sites" can generate passive income through ads and page views, even if the content isn't good, she says.

• Bots scrape the internet, including genuine news articles, to create regularly updated sites.
• They can surface trivial information, like minor arrests from police blotters, McCoy says.

Reality check: AI can help journalists sift data and conduct research.

• But there's no replacement for human, editorial judgment. That also requires people being willing to pay for it, she says.

The big picture: We need of more media literacy, but reaching adults can be difficult. But the hope is that more tech savvy students and young adults can help teach their family members.

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Jason here: The PB & J Corndog is what happens when your childhood lunchbox crashes into the Iowa State Fair — surprisingly good, wildly rich and sweet-salty in all the right ways.

What it is: A corndog with peanut butter baked into the batter, topped with jelly and peanut butter. I tried the strawberry version.

My thought bubble: The PB&J is a nice add without overpowering the corndog.

• The sweet icing dip takes it even further into dessert territory. A little goes a long way.

If you go: Find it at the Sampler Corndog Stand, on the north side of Grand Avenue in front of the Grandstand, for $10.

🧈 Butter ranking: One stick = meh. Five = don't miss it.

• Aesthetics: 🧈🧈
• Creativity: 🧈🧈🧈
• Overall taste: 🧈🧈🧈

🚫 Waukee will not renew its contract with Flock, amidst national criticism over the license plate readers. (Des Moines Register)

💼 U.S. Sen. Chuck Grassley criticized the Treasury Department's move to scale back shell-company reporting rules, arguing it weakens transparency. (Axios)

🎸 Country star Lainey Wilson set an Iowa State Fair attendance record last night drawing 17,360 fans. The previous record was set by Chris Stapleton in 2021. (KCCI)

🏛️ Scott Ourth, a former legislator accused of sexual harassment in his current role as Polk County's general services director, will retire next month. (Des Moines Register)

I don't do summer vacations. I don't do anything. I go to work and I come home and tend to these.

Winning the Iowa State Fair giant pumpkin contest is serious business, including tending to it at all times through heavy rains and high heat.

Driving the news: "Pumpkin Pete" and his daughter, Alba Casper of Peosta, won the contest for the second year in a row, hauling in a 1,300+ lb. behemoth.

😆 Linh's thought bubble: My mistake was going on RAGBRAI and leaving my punks with Jason!

The other side: Jason says Linh's lil’ pumpkin had big problems LONG before he arrived with shears in hand.

🤓 Worthy of your time: This Talk of Iowa episode featuring Iowa State Fair competitors.

This newsletter was edited by Tyler Buchanan and Larry Graham.