By Greg LaRose | Editor-in-Chief
It’s definitely nice to head into the Labor Day weekend without having to worry about disaster recovery, but the uncertain status of FEMA is still cause for concern in vulnerable areas.
Sisters watch as a skid-steer loader pulls a tree in Highmore, South Dakota, on June 29, 2026, after a severe storm that morning. (Meghan O’Brien/SD Searchlight)
By Alex Brown
State leaders are breathing a sigh of relief that the Trump administration’s threats to eliminate the Federal Emergency Management Agency have subsided. But experts say there’s still confusion about President Donald Trump’s decisions to approve or deny disaster declarations, leaving states with uncertainty about whether they can expect federal recovery funds.
Nuria Martinez-Keel/Oklahoma Voice
By Robbie Sequeira
Three states this year have enacted laws that require or allow schools to use mobile, wearable, wireless or silent panic alarms to quickly summon emergency responders. They bring the number of states with such laws to 13, with 10 of them acting since 2023. Another dozen states have legislation pending.
A data center in northeast Oregon sits along the Columbia River Gorge. (Jordan Gale/Oregon Capital Chronicle)
By Madyson Fitzgerald
Data center developments continue to spread throughout the country as the demand for digital processing power grows. But in addition to concerned residents, some federal, state and local officials are worried about how data centers could drive up utility bills, strain water resources and hurt the environment. And now, tribal communities are grappling with the fact that more developers are eyeing their land for future data center projects.
By Wes Muller
An oil and gas industry manufacturer plans to invest $25.5 million to expand its Carencro facility and focus new production lines on the aerospace and defense sectors. State officials announced it will add 120,000 square feet to its existing facility along with more than 100 jobs.
By Amanda Watford
For people leaving prison, parole is a period of transition that can involve finding housing and work, reconnecting with family and accessing health care while also meeting the conditions of supervision. How well those pieces come together can shape whether someone successfully settles back into the community — a key part, some argue, of reducing future involvement with the criminal justice system and promoting public safety.
D.C. DIGEST
Supreme Court urged again to permit Trump mail voting restrictions | States Newsroom
NEWS FROM THE STATES
Voters can decide limits on lawmakers rewriting ballot measures | Missouri Independent
Federal official deny disaster aid request for winter storm damage | New Jersey Monitor
Data center nondisclosure bill dies in Senate vote | North Dakota Monitor
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