Good morning, it’s Wednesday, June 10, 2026. In today’s edition, New York hits the brakes on AI toys; Evette, Wilson advance in South Carolina GOP primary; tight race in Maine to be decided by ranked choice:
Top Stories
ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE: New York lawmakers have approved a 5-year moratorium on AI-powered toys, over concerns about emotional and privacy risks to young children. The California Senate has approved similar legislation. The Smart/AI toy product market is expected to grow from $18.5 billion in 2025 to $55 billion by 2035, according to one industry analyst. (Pluribus News)
MEDIA: The New York legislature has approved a bill requiring news organizations to disclose when AI is used to create content, a first-of-its-kind measure supporters say will maintain and restore trust in an era of AI slop. The bill passed with bipartisan support, over opposition from tech and media companies. Failure to label AI-generated content would carry a $1,000 fine for a first offense and $5,000 for subsequent offenses. (Pluribus News)
ECONOMY: The Rhode Island House will vote today on legislation limiting the number of self-checkout kiosks at grocery stores. The bill, which has already passed the state Senate, would require one manned checkout lane to every three self-checkout lanes. It exempts pharmacies, solely targeting grocery stores. (Providence Journal)
ABORTION: Alabama Attorney General Steve Marshall (R) has issued cease-and-desist letters to six companies that allegedly advertise, facilitate and enable the sale and procurement of abortion-inducing medication. Marshall’s office said failure to comply would carry civil penalties of up to $2,000 per violation under consumer protection statutes. (Yellowhammer News)
IMMIGRATION: Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis (R) has approved $90 million in grants for local law enforcement agencies for items relating to enforcing illegal immigration laws. The grants will help 56 county and city police departments to purchase radios, body cameras, riot gear, ballistic helmets, X-ray machines and other items. (WUSF)
RECREATION: Connecticut Gov. Ned Lamont (D) has signed legislation requiring kayaks, canoes and stand-up paddle boards to have the owner’s contact information on them. The bill allows owners to request a sticker with two phone numbers, on the assumption that if a paddler falls in the water, their cell phone might go with them. (Northeast Explorer)
ALCOHOL: New York Gov. Kathy Hochul (D) has signed legislation allowing bars and restaurants to stay open until 4 a.m. for the World Cup. The bill allows later operations from June 11 to July 20. The state Liquor Authority previously authorized special one-day permits for watch parties. (Albany Times Union)
In Politics & Business
MAINE: Former state CDC director Nirav Shah (D) led first-choice voting in the race for governor with 27%, followed by former House Speaker Hannah Pingree (D) at 23%, former Senate President Troy Jackson (D) at 21% and Secretary of State Shenna Bellows (D) at 21%. Tallying the ranked-choice votes is likely to take a week or so. On the GOP side, former State Department official Bobby Charles (R) led with 38%, followed by businessmen Ben Midgley (R) and Jonathan Bush (R) at 20% each. (Portland Press Herald)
SOUTH CAROLINA: Lt. Gov. Pamela Evette (R) and Attorney General Alan Wilson (R) are headed to a June 23 runoff. Republican primary voters gave Evette 29% of the vote, ahead of 26% for Wilson. U.S. Rep. Ralph Norman (R) finished third with 17%. (The State)
NEVADA: Attorney General Aaron Ford (D) is headed for a showdown with Gov. Joseph Lombardo (R), after carrying 64% of the Democratic primary vote. Lombardo won 91% of the GOP primary vote. (Nevada Independent)
CALIFORNIA: Billionaire hedge fund manager Tom Steyer (D) has conceded defeat in the gubernatorial primary as vote counts show conservative commentator Steve Hilton (R) advancing to the general election. Steyer and Gov. Gavin Newsom endorsed former HHS Secretary Xavier Becerra (D) on Tuesday. (Sacramento Bee)
TEXAS: A new Texas Pulse Poll shows Gov. Greg Abbott (R) leading state Rep. Gina Hinojosa (D) by a 49% to 44% margin. Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick (R) leads state Rep. Vikki Goodwin (D) 48% to 45%. In the race for attorney general, state Sen. Mayes Middleton (R) leads state Sen. Nathan Johnson (D) 45% to 40%. (Sienna)
PEOPLE: Iowa Sen. Julian Garrett (R) has died at 85, after a battle with prostate cancer. Garrett served Indianola in the legislature for 16 years. (Des Moines Register)
By The Numbers
6: The number of North Dakota Republican lawmakers who lost their primary election contests on Tuesday. Gov. Kelly Armstrong (R) donated to or endorsed several of the winning challengers. (North Dakota Monitor)
47%: The decline in Michigan’s overdose death rates between 2021 and 2025. Fewer than 1,800 Michiganders died of overdoses in 2025, down from a peak of 3,096 in 2021. (MLive)
Off The Wall
The Ohio Bureau of Motor Vehicles is giving a second look to some of the 925 vanity license plates it rejected over the last year. Among the rejected plates were some that referenced religion or sexual orientation, including “GAY” and “MUSLIM.” The BMV approved a license plate reading “GOD.” (Cleveland Plain Dealer)
A 13-year old in Provo, Utah, has broken the world record for running the fastest mile in her age group. Angelina Alder ran a 4:38 mile at the Brooks PR Invitational in Renton, Wash. She previously set a record for the fastest 1,600 meters ever run by a middle school girl at the Olympic Oval in Kearns. (KSL)
Evan Pfeufer may have called it. The 23-year old New Yorker wrote in his high school yearbook in 2020 that the New York Knicks would win the NBA championship in six games in 2026. The Knicks lead the San Antonio Spurs two games to one in the best-of-seven series. (Associated Press)
Quote of the Day
“One pretty solid political science finding is that one-sided information flows move opinion much more than two-sided arguments. Right now data centers are heavily one-sided.”
— Marquette Law School polling director Charles Franklin, on polls that show a sharp backlash to data center construction. Franklin called the shift in polls over the last year “the fastest development” in public opinion he’s ever seen. (State Affairs)