Sole Commissioner Noah Bishop extended a yearlong moratorium on new data centers in unincorporated Murray County while staff drafts land‑use rules. The pause runs through July 7, 2027.

JoAnne Huls, Gov. Gretchen Whitmer’s longtime chief of staff, is stepping aside after 7½ years; principal deputy Zack Pohl is expected to take over.

The state budget lets the SBI place AI license‑plate readers on DOT land, expanding a pilot into an option for any agency and setting off privacy alarms. Lawmakers say it’s about public safety; advocates call it mass tracking.

Emails and filings tie tornado donations to a hard‑to‑trace nonprofit linked to Cori Bush, and Missouri’s attorney general says she’s reviewing the records.

Cook County is placing a nonbinding "Millionaire's Tax" question on the Nov. 3, 2026 ballot asking whether Illinois should add a 3% surcharge on incomes over $1M to fund schools and property-tax relief.

Missouri regulators asked a judge to fine Preservation Board member Anthony Robinson, saying he violated a 2024 agreement about practicing architecture without a license.

Public records show GOP runoff hopeful Marty Quinn registered in Arkansas and claimed a Hot Springs condo, raising questions about Oklahoma’s five‑year residency rule.

Friendswood ISD projects a balanced FY 2026–27 budget after raises and stipends trimmed an earlier surplus. The district has penciled in a preliminary $1.027 tax rate and will hold a hearing Aug. 24.

Palm Bay’s council set a tentative 6.6‑mill rate while warning a November amendment could cut about $46M from city property‑tax revenue.

Kaua‘i’s elections office is deploying ballot drop boxes islandwide and mail ballots are due to arrive ahead of the Aug. 8 primary. Drop boxes will be open 24/7 through Election Day at 7 p.m.

Columbus State is proposing a 10-year, 1.9-mill levy to fund tuition-free community college for Franklin County graduates and expanded student supports.

Financial disclosures show the SBA chief held $1M–$5M stakes in xAI and SpaceX that ballooned after SpaceX’s record IPO, producing multi‑million dollar gains. Watchdog scrutiny now follows.

N'kiyla Jasmine Thomas and Jim Priest advance to an Aug. 25 Democratic runoff in Oklahoma in a race framed around identity and electability as a well‑funded Republican waits in November.