Good morning, it’s Friday, April 17, 2026. In today’s edition, Spanberger approves data center regulations; GOP frets about midterms; new polls in California, Michigan:
Top Stories
ENERGY: Virginia Gov. Abigail Spanberger (D) has signed legislation regulating data centers. One bill would require assessments of noise levels on homes and schools by new projects that use at least 100 megawatts of power. Another requires utilities to report water use by data centers. A third limits the use of backup generators, requiring those generators to meet higher emissions standards. (Pluribus News)
Virginia is home to nearly 600 data centers, including more than 300 in Northern Virginia alone.
MORE: Indiana Gov. Mike Braun (R) has signed a letter of intent with pharmaceutical manufacturer Eli Lilly to collaborate on a future path to nuclear energy, including small modular reactors and other advanced technologies. The partnership establishes a framework to explore the technical, economic and environmental feasibility of future nuclear projects. (State Affairs)
SOCIAL MEDIA: The Illinois House approved bipartisan legislation to require social media companies to verify user ages when setting up an account. The bill would require social media companies to only show minor users content of creators they follow or those who share it. It also requires default privacy settings for minors that stop addictive feeds, location sharing or transactions with digital currency. (Capitol News Illinois)
PRIVACY: The Iowa House has approved legislation requiring cities and counties to disclose the identity of companies that have been hired to collect license plate numbers. The bill bars automated license plate readers from using facial recognition for drivers or passengers. (Radio Iowa)
PUBLIC HEALTH: The Tennessee Senate gave final approval to legislation making it a misdemeanor to possess kratom, the herbal supplement often sold at gas stations and smoke shops. The measure makes Tennessee the sixth state to ban the product in both natural and synthetic forms. (State Affairs)
IMMIGRATION: The Missouri House has approved legislation requiring people who drive semi trucks, school buses and other large vehicles to pass an English proficiency test. The bill requires those with non-citizen commercial driver’s licenses to carry proof of legal status. (St. Louis Public Radio)
MORE: New York Gov. Kathy Hochul’s (D) budget proposal would prevent ICE officers from making arrests at schools and houses of worship, ban local law enforcement agencies from having 287(g) agreements to cooperate with federal immigration officers, and bar ICE from using local jails for civil enforcement. Police would be permitted to coordinate with ICE to assist with criminal convictions. (City & State)
TAXES: The Missouri Senate voted to adopt a constitutional amendment permanently ending the state income tax. The measure must go back to the House for concurrence, but if passed it would raise sales and use taxes to account for the elimination. Voters would get a final say this November. (St. Louis Public Radio)
In Politics & Business
REPUBLICANS: The Republican State Leadership Committee released their list of priority targets on Thursday. The RSLC said it would prioritize defending narrow control in Arizona, Georgia, New Hampshire and Wisconsin, along with larger majorities in Iowa and Texas. But the group acknowledged headwinds that the president’s party typically faces in midterm elections, warning that Democratic gains could lead to further redistricting efforts after the midterms. (Pluribus News)
“The combination of national headwinds, concentrated Democratic spending, and narrow legislative margins creates a landscape where setbacks are possible if Republicans are not prepared,” the RSLC’s president wrote.
CALIFORNIA: A new Emerson College poll finds conservative commentator Steve Hilton (R) leading the field with 17%, followed by Riverside County Sheriff Chad Bianco (R) and entrepreneur Tom Steyer (D) at 14% each. Former U.S. Rep. Katie Porter (D) and former Health and Human Services Secretary Xavier Becerra (D) are at 10% in the first poll after former U.S. Rep. Eric Swalwell (D) dropped out of the race. (Emerson)
Of note: 29% of Democratic voters and 28% of independents remain undecided. Just 8% of Republicans haven’t picked a candidate.
MICHIGAN: A new Emerson College poll finds Secretary of State Jocelyn Benson (D) leading the Democratic gubernatorial field with 52%, while Genesee County Sheriff Chris Swanson (D) takes 5%. On the GOP side, businessman Perry Johnson (R) and U.S. Rep. John James (R) are statistically tied at 21% and 20%, while former Attorney General Mike Cox (R) sits at 10%. (Emerson)
WISCONSIN: Clark County Judge Lyndsey Burnette has launched a bid for an open seat on the state Supreme Court. Brunette, running as a liberal, is seeking the seat being vacated by conservative Justice Annette Ziegler, whose term ends in 2027. (State Affairs)
Long-time readers know our joke: The three certainties in life are death, taxes, and expensive Wisconsin Supreme Court races.
By The Numbers
42%: The share of American men between the ages of 18-29 who say religion is very important to their lives, compared with 29% of women the same age. Among older age cohorts, women are more likely to say religion is very important than are men. (Gallup)
$1,643: The amount New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani (D) made in music royalties last year, according to new tax filings. Mamdani used to rap under the stage names Young Cardamom and Mr. Cardamom. He’s not the first mayor to earn entertainment royalties: Former Mayor Michael Bloomberg reported royalties from appearances on Law & Order and a Muppets Christmas special. (Associated Press)
A+ headline work from the AP right here: “Pay Z.”
Off The Wall
Bovine Baron, an avid milk-drinker, will appear at Denver’s Observatory Park this Sunday for a chug-off. The event started as an April Fool’s joke, but so many people are into the idea that he decided to take on all comers. The person who drinks the most milk in five minutes will win a trophy. (Westword)
An 11-year old tortoise named Yertle has been found safe after four days on the run (Run? Really?). Neighbors in St. George, Utah, had turned their yards into salads to lure her home. Yertle’s owner said she must have escaped by climbing over some rubble left over from remodeling. (KSL)
Police conducting a welfare check on a 91-year old woman in Westlake, Ohio, found her safe and sound — and playing video games. The woman didn’t answer calls from police or her daughter, she said, because she was focused on beating her high score in a bubble pop game. (UPI)
Quote of the Day
“The growth in this industry is not theoretical anymore. It’s here.”
— North Carolina Rep. Allen Chesser (R), on new legislation allowing state banks and credit unions to offer digital asset transaction services. (State Affairs)