Maine’s new license plate deadline has passed. What drivers should know
Maine’s July 31, 2026 deadline for issuing new plates has passed, but public BMV materials do not provide a final tally confirming every required Chickadee replacement.
State News
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Louisiana congressional candidates face Aug. 5-7 qualifying deadline after map fight
Louisiana U.S. House candidates must qualify by 4:30 p.m. Friday for races moved to a Nov. 3 open primary after earlier congressional elections were canceled.
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Why August 3 matters in Kentucky’s debate over a possible McConnell Senate vacancy
Mitch McConnell remains in rehabilitation and says he intends to return. No vacancy has been documented, but Kentucky law would require a special election if one were formally created.
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Kansas lawmakers begin interim work with KanCare, claims and rule reviews ahead of 2027 session
A preliminary Kansas legislative schedule lists August meetings on KanCare oversight, claims against the state and administrative rules, with residents urged to verify agendas and times before participating.
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Indiana evaluates June storm damage while federal disaster aid remains unavailable
Indiana and FEMA are evaluating damage from June storms and flooding, but no federal disaster declaration or FEMA assistance has been approved for the events. Here is what the assessments mean and what residents should do now.
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Illinois Medicaid changes for many noncitizens are approaching. Notices will arrive in August
Illinois will send personalized Medicaid notices in August before coverage ends Sept. 30 for some noncitizens under new federal eligibility rules.
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Idaho wildfire closures make same-day travel checks essential
A BLM closure near Brownlee Reservoir is scheduled through Aug. 17. Idaho travelers should check roads, fire restrictions, land closures and local emergency notices before leaving.
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Georgia school phone restrictions begin shaping the 2026-27 academic year
Georgia’s K-8 bell-to-bell device restriction is active for the 2026-27 school year. District rules vary, while a statewide high-school mandate begins no later than July 1, 2027.
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Florida court orders DHS to restore SAVE voter-verification access as appeal continues
A Northern District of Florida judge ordered DHS to restore SAVE bulk-upload and Social Security-number search features, but conflicting federal rulings leave the system’s legal and technical status unsettled.
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Delaware’s new housing law is changing Sussex County subdivision hearings
Senate Bill 23 moves qualifying by-right residential applications into administrative review. Sussex County paused major-subdivision hearings while officials work out the process.
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Colorado’s new gun restrictions take effect. What changes for firearm buyers and owners
Colorado’s restrictions on specified semiautomatic firearms took effect August 1, 2026. Here are the covered firearms, required sheriff and training steps, fees, deadlines and pending lawsuit.
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California lawmakers return for final month of 2026 session
California lawmakers return August 3 with fiscal, floor and passage deadlines compressed into the final weeks of the 2025-26 legislative session.
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Arkansas cyclosporiasis cases reach 123 as lettuce investigation continues
Arkansas reported 123 confirmed cyclosporiasis cases by July 30, including 75 in Benton County. Recalled iceberg lettuce was distributed in Arkansas, but officials have not linked every state case to the product.
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Virginia’s new hemp THC limit takes effect Aug. 15
Virginia will cap hemp products at 2 milligrams of total THC per package on Aug. 15, ending an exception that allowed higher THC levels when products contained enough CBD.
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Vermont primary voters face Aug. 11 deadline as final voting and filing dates near
Vermont’s statewide primary is Tuesday, Aug. 11, 2026. Here are the remaining candidate-filing, early-ballot and Election Day deadlines, plus how the state’s open-primary ballot system works.
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New Utah study links Great Salt Lake dust to food and human exposure pathways
A peer-reviewed Utah study found potential digestion and crop pathways for Great Salt Lake dust, but no proof of unsafe food or documented illness.
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Corpus Christi’s Projected Water Emergency Moves to 2028, but the Supply Problem Remains
Floodwater has pushed Corpus Christi’s projected Level 1 water emergency to September 2028, but low western reservoirs and uncertain inflows leave conservation and supply projects urgent.
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Tennessee’s primary-election AI ads test the limits of the state’s new deepfake law
AI-generated attack ads are appearing before Tennessee’s Aug. 6 congressional primary, but the state’s new disclosure law is enforced through complaints or civil action rather than automatic state review.
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Federal judge keeps USCIS asylum-processing policies vacated in Rhode Island case
A federal judge denied the government’s July 15 stay request, leaving four USCIS processing policies vacated while an appeal proceeds. The ruling does not automatically approve individual cases or guarantee immediate decisions.
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Pennsylvania school districts have five days to seek a share of $100 million facilities grant program
Pennsylvania public school districts and area career and technical schools have until August 7 to apply for facility grants of up to $5 million per eligible project.
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Oregon is weighing a $421 million Medicaid gap. Here are the possible changes
Oregon has not cut OHP benefits, but officials are weighing options that could affect dental care, therapy, behavioral-health treatment, prescriptions and provider payments.
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Oklahoma named a potential host for federal nuclear campus, but no project is awarded
Oklahoma is one of five states continuing to explore a federal nuclear campus that could include reactors, fuel-cycle work and radioactive-waste activities. No site, award or construction commitment exists.