Good morning, it’s Monday, March 2, 2026. In today’s edition, AI super PACs get into politics; Alaska, Indiana move to set social media limits for minors; voter ID measure likely headed to California ballot:
Top Stories
ELECTIONS: Artificial intelligence companies have begun funding super PACs targeting state and federal candidates, backing those who support fewer guardrails on the industry and opposing those who have introduced more aggressive measures. Leading the Future, a group backed by the VC firm Andreessen Horowitz and the founder of OpenAI, has plans to operate in California, Illinois, New York and Ohio. Facebook parent Meta has funded a PAC focused on California, while other PACs are running ads in ongoing primary contests in Texas and Illinois. (Pluribus News)
ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE: The Alaska House has unanimously approved legislation banning the use of AI systems to create explicit images of children. The bill also makes it a crime to develop a synthetic sexual image of a real person. Additional provisions create restrictions for children on social media, including parental consent to open an account and a 10:30 p.m. social media curfew for minors. (Alaska Public Media)
SOCIAL MEDIA: The Indiana legislature gave final approval to a measure restricting children’s use of social media. The bill requires parental consent for a minor under 16 to open an account and bans “addictive features” like seamless scrolling and autoplay videos. Lawmakers said they expected a legal challenge to come. (State Affairs)
EDUCATION: Indiana lawmakers approved a bill requiring the Commission for Higher Education to review and potentially discontinue postsecondary degrees that meet the definition of low-earning outcome programs. That would include degrees that lead to jobs that make less than $35,000 per year. (State Affairs)
PUBLIC HEALTH: The Indiana legislature has sent a bill to Gov. Mike Braun’s (R) desk requiring users of the state’s needle exchange programs to show identification. The bill also requires a one-to-one needle exchange, to cut down on discarded needles in communities. (Associated Press)
HEALTH CARE: Illinois lawmakers have revived a proposal to create a Health Care Availability and Access Board to set maximum prices on specific drugs. Companion bills in both chambers have yet to be assigned to committee. (Capitol News Illinois)
Other states call those boards Prescription Drug Affordability Boards.
ENVIRONMENT: The California Air Resources Board has approved the first set of rules requiring corporations to disclose greenhouse gas emissions and climate-related financial risks. The rules apply to companies with more than $1 billion in annual revenue with more than $500 million in climate risk, excluding insurance companies. (Sacramento Bee)
In Politics & Business
ELECTIONS: Primary season formally kicks off tomorrow, when voters head to the polls in Arkansas, North Carolina and Texas. Arkansas Gov. Sarah Huckabee Sanders (R) and Texas Gov. Greg Abbott (R) face no real opposition in their bids for new terms, but we’re keeping an eye on several competitive primaries in all three states. Most notably: North Carolina Senate President Phil Berger (R) faces a spirited primary challenge from Rockingham County Sheriff Sam Page (R).
CALIFORNIA: Supporters of a proposed ballot measure to require voters to show identification at the polls have collected 1.3 million signatures in hopes of qualifying for the November ballot. They need 874,641 of those signatures to be validated. The measure would require those voting by mail to list the last four digits of a unique identification number from a government-issued ID. (Los Angeles Times)
ANTITRUST: California Attorney General Rob Bonta (D) is pulling together a coalition of states to probe the proposed merger between Paramount and Warner Bros. Discovery. In a post on X, Bonta said his state “has a special interest in protecting competition.” (Deadline)
By The Numbers
9%: The jump in Brent crude oil prices on Monday, after the U.S. and Israel conducted strikes against Iran. About 20% of the world’s oil, 15 million barrels a day, are shipped through the Strait of Hormuz. (Associated Press)
1,725: The number of California state employees who made more than $100,000 in overtime in 2025, on top of their regular salaries. More than 1,000 state employees doubled their pay. (Sacramento Bee)
$120 million: The amount FanDuel and DraftKings have made from legal sports wagers in Missouri. Those two companies spent about $40 million combined to finance the ballot measure that legalized sports gambling in Missouri in 2024. (Missouri Independent)
Off The Wall
Callers to an automated service for the Washington State Department of Licensing can push two for Spanish — but they don’t get a Spanish-language menu. Instead, they get an AI voice speaking English with a strong Spanish accent. The department has apologized and is trying to fix the problem. (Associated Press)
James “Bo” Gritz, the Green Beret who reportedly inspired the character John Rambo, has died at 87. Gritz, a longtime Las Vegas-area resident, also managed to talk anti-government extremist Randy Weaver into surrendering to federal agents during the 1992 Ruby Ridge standoff. (KTNV)
Quote of the Day
“I’m a sitting Democratic governor elected and I am going to get primaried in my own party. After doing all the work that we’ve done? That’s disgraceful.”
— Rhode Island Gov. Dan McKee (D), meeting with the North Kingstown Democratic Town Committee. (Providence Journal) Polls show McKee trailing former CVS executive Helena Foulkes (D) in the Democratic primary.