Good morning, it’s Tuesday, February 24, 2026. In today’s edition, lawmakers seek faster compliance from social media companies; judges rule against Utah GOP in redistricting case; ‘Zoom has ruined snow days’:
Top Stories
SOCIAL MEDIA: Lawmakers in Colorado and New York have advanced new bills seeking to require social media companies to comply with search warrants within 72 hours. The bills, modeled on a 2024 California law, would require platforms with at least a million monthly users to establish streamlined methods for law enforcement to reach someone at the company. (Pluribus News)
REDISTRICTING: A panel of three federal district court judges has upheld an Utah court’s ruling creating a new Democratic-leaning congressional district in the Salt Lake City area. The judges rejected a Republican request for a preliminary injunction against the maps, saying it was too late for judges to intervene in elections. The filing period for candidates opens March 9. (Associated Press)
HEALTH CARE: The Virginia Senate has approved legislation establishing a right to contraception. The bill would require health insurance companies to provide no-cost birth control to patients, eliminating co-pays and reimbursement requirements. The bill heads to the Democratic-controlled House of Delegates. (WRIC)
ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE: The Kentucky House has approved legislation barring the use of AI for direct therapy or independent therapeutic decisions. The bill requires any therapeutic or treatment plans to be reviewed and approved by a licensed professional. (Kentucky Lantern)
ENERGY: The South Dakota Senate has approved the Data Center Bill of Rights for Citizens. The measure requires data center companies ensure a facility’s water usage doesn’t overburden local resources and requires them to pay their own electricity costs. The bill also prevents the state from overriding local government authority in regulating data centers. (South Dakota Searchlight)
MORE: Oregon Gov. Tina Kotek (D) has proposed expanded tax incentives for new data centers. Kotek’s legislation would expand property tax exemptions for up to five years for new industrial activity, potentially saving data center operators nearly half a billion dollars in local property taxes this year. (Oregonian)
PUBLIC HEALTH: The Oregon Senate has approved legislation closing a loophole that left nicotine pouches out of the state definition of tobacco products. The bill would ban the sales of products like Zyn to minors. Studies show the use of nicotine pouches among teens doubled between 2023 and 2024. (Oregon Capital Chronicle)
TECHNOLOGY: The Tennessee House has approved a bill to allow delivery robots to travel on shoulders and bike lanes. The bill would allow delivery devices to travel up to 20 miles per hour, though it would allow local governments to prohibit devices in the interest of public safety. (State Affairs)
In Politics & Business
NEW YORK: Gov. Kathy Hochul (D) won’t participate in a campaign matching fund program this year. Hochul’s campaign reported more than $20 million in the bank. Nassau County Executive Bruce Blakeman (R), the GOP nominee, will participate in the matching fund program, his campaign said. (State of Politics)
MICHIGAN: Businessman Perry Johnson (R) will launch a $10 million television ad campaign in his campaign for governor. Johnson faces U.S. Rep. John James (R), former Attorney General Mike Cox (R) and Senate Minority Leader Aric Nesbitt (R) among others ahead of nominating conventions late next month. (Detroit News)
SOUTH DAKOTA: The Senate State Affairs Committee has advanced a proposed ballot initiative to remove the lieutenant governor’s authority to act as head of the state Senate. The state Supreme Court recently ruled that the lieutenant governor can break ties in the Senate in the midst of a feud between the legislature and the governor’s office. (South Dakota Public Broadcasting)
By The Numbers
37.9 inches: The amount of snow that fell Sunday and Monday on Providence’s T.F. Green International Airport, easily besting the previous record of 28.6 inches recorded during the legendary Blizzard of 1978. The 35 inches that fell Monday bested the previous single-day snow total of 19 inches that fell on Jan. 8, 1996. (Providence Journal)
7.45 million: The number of birds impacted by avian influenza in Pennsylvania, the epicenter of this year’s outbreaks. Pennsylvania flocks account for 83% of egg layer losses this year. (State Affairs)
$575 million: The amount PacifiCorp will pay to resolve the federal government’s claims stemming from damages from six wildfires in California and Oregon in 2020 and 2022. The federal government claimed the company’s electrical lines were to blame for negligence that started four fires covering some 290,000 acres of public land. (Associated Press)
Off The Wall
Chicago residents have voted to name the city’s new snowplows. The runaway winner: “Abolish ICE.” Other new plows will be named “Stephen Colbert,” “Pope Frio XIV,” in honor of Pope Leo, and “Caleb Chilliams,” after Caleb Williams led the Bears to the playoffs for the first time in 15 years. (Associated Press)
A Kentucky thrift store was evacuated Monday when someone left an item resembling an artillery shell in a donation bin. Local police and Cincinnati’s Hazardous Device Team determined the shell was inert and decorative, and the store opened 30 minutes late. (Local 12)
The Greek town of Galaxidi celebrates the beginning of Lent with a “flour war,” in which residents and visitors throw bags of dyed flour on each other. The Associated Press has a great photo gallery of the joyful celebration.
Quote of the Day
“I know this is a public meeting, but I will state for the record that Zoom has ruined snow days.”
— Connecticut House Majority Leader Jason Rojas (D), in a virtual hearing during yesterday’s winter storm. (CT Insider)