Sen. Joni Ernst's "people will die" firestorm has shaken up her reelection campaign, prompted a GOP primary challenger and drawn national attention to a race once considered a lock for Republicans.

Why it matters: The incident has turned a sleepy 2026 Senate race into one to watch, offering Democrats a rare opportunity in deep-red Iowa.

Catch up quick: The controversy began when Ernst responded to a participant's concern during a May 30 town hall meeting in Parkersburg that "people will die" because of billions of possible Medicaid cuts in a House bill.

• Ernst replied, in part, that "we all are going to die," which drew groans from the crowd.
• She issued a sarcastic apology the next day from what appeared to be a cemetery, saying she assumed everybody knows "we are all going to perish from this Earth" and that she's glad she did not have to bring up the tooth fairy as well.

Driving the news: Several well-known GOP and Democratic candidates have announced campaigns against her in the days following the town hall, including state Rep. J.D. Scholten (D-Sioux City) on June 2 and, on Friday, former state Sen. Jim Carlin, a hardline conservative Republican who is also from Sioux City.

• Other Democrats like Des Moines School Board president Jackie Norris and state Sen. Zach Wahls of Coralville are also considering a run.
• The nonpartisan election forecaster Cook Political Report shifted the race from "Solid Republican" to "Likely Republican."

The intrigue: The moment exploded on social media, was parodied by critics and has since become a rallying cry for Democrats.

• A "We All Are Going to Die" T-shirt from Raygun became a top seller.
• Some Democratic operatives have dubbed her "Joni Hearse."

What they're saying: The apology video "felt like a very unforced error on top of an unforced error" and played into why Cook believes the race has the potential to become competitive, Jessica Taylor, the site's Senate and governors editor, tells Axios.

• Ernst's "baffling" response elicited national scrutiny and handed Democrats a rare talking point that could resonate in the election, said Karen Kedrowski, director of the Carrie Chapman Catt Center for Women and Politics at Iowa State.

The other side: In a statement to Axios yesterday, Ernst's campaign accused Democrats of fearmongering against efforts to strengthen the integrity of Medicaid and her efforts to protect Iowans' benefits from waste, fraud and abuse.

• In a WHO Radio interview last week, she said she regrets nothing and emphasized her concern for vulnerable populations.

What we're watching: How Ernst will navigate a dual challenge — fending off a primary from her right while trying to contain a controversy that continues to fuel Democratic momentum.

Iowa gives at least $150 million in tax credits per year to support data center development, per a new report from Good Jobs First, a left-leaning nonprofit research group.

Why it matters: Iowa has become a hub for data centers, bringing in big names like Google and Meta, but the tax credits are potential lost revenue that could help boost the state's coffers, per the report.

State of play: The $150 million number is based on state-reported estimates of 2020 sales and property tax exemptions provided to companies that build or operate data centers in Iowa.

• It comes from Iowa's last tax expenditure report, which was published in 2022.
• Iowa releases the report every five years, but with the AI boom and subsequent data center development, that figure is expected to balloon by the next report, Kasia Tarczynska, a senior research analyst at Good Jobs First, tells Axios.

Go deeper

Casey's plans on opening 80 new stores this next fiscal year, continuing the Ankeny-based company's rapid growth.

Flashback: In its fourth quarter report, Casey's shared that it built or acquired 270 stores last fiscal year — the highest number in the company's history.

• The acquisition of Fikes Wholesale last year contributed to the high number.

The big picture: While many gas stations in the U.S. are independently owned, larger companies like Casey's are increasingly growing their presence.

Editor's note: The headline has been corrected.

🥪 DMPS opened free summer meal sites for kids yesterday. (WHO-13)

💰 A new Iowa law caps the state's business development tax incentives to $110 million a year, down from the current $170 million. (DSM Register)

👀 A national nonprofit group is advocating for a law that would require people flagged by law enforcement as potential threats to public safety to participate in a violence prevention program.

• It would be known as Ahmir's Law, in recognition of Ahmir Jolliff, an 11-year-old who died in last year's Perry school shooting. (WOI-TV)

Jason here. Traffic claimed a momma squirrel's life outside my house about two weeks ago, leaving at least three tiny babies orphaned.

• They cried for days until they ultimately fell from a large oak tree in my yard and were barely moving.

Driving the news: Elizabeth Kuntz, the "Squirrel Nanny," rescued them.

Zoom in: Kuntz is a licensed wildlife rehabber who lives in Des Moines and runs her nanny service free of charge when she's not working full-time at a veterinary clinic.

• She calls herself "a rodent kind of gal," also rescuing chipmunks, groundhogs, rabbits and opossums.

State of play: Unfortunately, the babies in my yard were too far gone by the time Kuntz got them and didn't make it.

Yes, but: Hundreds of other animals she has cared for over the last decade have been returned to the wild.

Jason's thought bubble: The world needs more squirrel nannies.

• People can help Kuntz by making donations to @SquirrelNanny on Venmo or through PayPal, or by purchasing items from her Amazon wish list.