Flock cameras become election issue in races like Nevada gubernatorial battle

GOP Gov. Joe Lombardo and Democrat Attorney General Aaron Ford both support regulation of such cameras.

By Liam Hibbert | The Center Square contributor

Published: September 12, 2026 10:12pm

Gubernatorial candidates in Nevada have stressed the need to regulate artificial intelligence-powered automated license plate readers.

Their comments came late this week after a Nevada legislative committee voted unanimously at a recent meeting to draft a bill with legal guidelines for ALPRs, which include Flock cameras. There's a national debate over the technology’s security value versus privacy concerns.

Nevada Gov. Joe Lombardo, a Republican, and Attorney General Aaron Ford, a Democrat running against Lombardo in the Nov. 3 gubernatorial election, have both expressed support for the regulation of ALPRs, although to varying degrees.

“There are no standards in place right now, so what this would do is establish those standards for our agencies to follow,” said Brad Wilkinson, counsel for the Joint Interim Standing Committee on the Judiciary, at an Aug. 25 meeting.

That meeting is when the committee unanimously passed an order to draft a legal framework around the use of ALPRs in Nevada. The technology, which automatically takes pictures of all license plates that pass the cameras’ view, can be used to track suspects in crime investigation.

The move to regulate ALPRs comes ahead of Nevada’s legislative session, which will start in February 2027.

Committee members acknowledged the variety of opinions on the technology’s use across the state, but agreed some form of regulation should exist for ALPRs. Currently there is no legislation specifically related to ALPRs in Nevada, according to Wilkinson.

“It seemed appropriate to at least have a vehicle to hash out those details, and if we’re able to come to some kind of conclusion about how we should be regulating the use of these cameras, then we can do that with this particular bill,” state Sen. Melanie Scheible, D-Clark County, said at the meeting. Clark County is Nevada's most populous county and is home to Las Vegas.

Plans for Nevada’s ALPR bill come as a national discussion on the topic has exploded in recent months. One major ALPR company, Flock Safety, has previously reported that its products are being used by law enforcement agencies across thousands of counties and nearly every U.S. state. More recently, over 100 cities have reportedly deactivated cameras or canceled contracts with the company after public backlash, including calls to vandalize the cameras, according to anti-ALPR advocacy group DeFlock.

Flock Safety and supporters of the technology have highlighted its use in flagging suspects in time-sensitive criminal cases. The company has frequently published stories of successful uses of its ALPRs for solving crimes on its website.

https://justthenews.com/nation/states/center-square/flock-cameras-discussed-gubernatorial-race-continues

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“Flock’s technology is an important public safety tool for law enforcement agencies across America, helping officers solve serious crimes and find missing people,” Flock Safety spokesperson Ashley Muranakatoolsie told The Center Square in an email. “We support thoughtful, bipartisan legislation that puts strong privacy, transparency, and accountability guardrails in place while preserving law enforcement’s ability to use technology responsibly to keep people safe.”

But opponents have pointed to a string of abuses of ALPRs by police across the country, with many public cases of officers using the cameras to track or stalk former personal relationships.

Back in Nevada, this year’s candidates for governor have weighed in on the issue.

Lombardo’s office said he supported the use of ALPR and other AI-powered camera technology by Nevada law enforcement, but said they needed regulations.

“These tools can strengthen public safety, but they must be accompanied by strong safeguards to protect the privacy and constitutional rights of citizens,” Lombardo’s spokesperson Drew Galang told The Center Square in an email.

Ford said he did not support the state’s current use of the technology.

“Flock cameras raise serious concerns about Nevadans’ right to privacy,” the attorney general said in an email to The Center Square. “Nevada needs stringent rules to protect against the abuse of Flock cameras, and as Governor I will work with lawmakers to pass into law these essential guardrails. Until Nevadans have these protections, I do not support the use of Flock cameras.”

https://justthenews.com/nation/states/center-square/flock-cameras-discussed-gubernatorial-race-continues

Congress mum on federal deficit hitting $2 trillion milestone, again

The federal government has collected $4.8 trillion and spent $6.8 trillion in 2026.

By Thérèse Boudreaux | The Center Square

Published: September 12, 2026 10:11pm

Eleven months into fiscal year 2026, the U.S. government has added $2 trillion to the national debt, borrowing $168 billion during August alone, the Congressional Budget Office estimates.

The federal government has collected $4.8 trillion and spent $6.8 trillion, generating a deficit already higher than last year’s with still a month of borrowing to go.

“Such extraordinarily high deficits are just one piece of our fiscal situation that is falling apart,” Maya MacGuineas, president of the Committee for a Responsible Federal Budget, said.

“The gross national debt recently hit the sobering milestone of $40 trillion; we’re now spending more on yearly interest costs than on our national defense; debt held by the public exceeds the size of our entire economy; and trust funds for programs that tens of millions of Americans rely on face insolvency in less than a decade.”

As of Thursday afternoon, however, even the so-called Republican “deficit hawks” in Congress haven’t responded to the news, following a pattern of lawmakers largely disregarding soaring deficit spending.

Congress sidestepped the automatic spending cuts to Medicare and other programs that are triggered by unpaid-for federal borrowing by wiping $3.4 trillion from the Pay-As-You-Go (PAYGO) scorecard last November.

In March, the House tanked a balanced budget resolution. The resolution would have capped federal spending each year at the average annual revenue of the previous three years, with exceptions for emergencies.

U.S. lawmakers have introduced balanced budget proposals hundreds of times over the past 50 years and over 100 times since 1999 alone. Only twice in American history has any balanced budget proposal passed either chamber of Congress; the Senate in 1982 and the House in 1995.

“It is clear that we have delayed the hard choices for far too long,” MacGuineas said. “If lawmakers want to fix our laundry list of issues, they should come together and agree to a plan to target reducing deficits to 3% of GDP – half their current level – and get to work on shoring up our trust funds. If not, we risk leaving future generations with damage that can’t be undone.”

The newest CBO report shows that spending on Social Security rose 5% over the past 11 months, while spending on Medicare and Medicaid increased by 8% for both. Interest payments on the debt rose by a 12%, while spending by the Department of Veterans Affairs rose 14%.

https://justthenews.com/nation/states/center-square/congress-mum-federal-deficit-hitting-2-trillion-milestone

Federal appeals court rules there’s no constitutional right to clean water

Judges rule 14th Amendment does not establish a constitutional right to be free from exposure to contaminated municipal water.

By Misty Castile | The Center Square

Published: September 12, 2026 10:08pm

The full 5th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals has overturned an earlier ruling by a three-judge panel and rejected constitutional claims from Jackson residents who say city officials exposed them to contaminated drinking water and misled them about its safety.

The en banc court ruled Friday that the residents cannot pursue their claims under the U.S. Constitution, saying the 14th Amendment does not establish a constitutional right to be free from exposure to contaminated municipal water or a right to receive accurate information from public officials about contaminants in the water.

The lawsuit was filed by four Jackson residents who say the city's water system exposed them to lead and other contaminants. They also say officials knew the water was unsafe but told residents it was safe to drink.

The court's ruling does not determine whether those allegations were true. The case was dismissed at the pleading stage, meaning the court accepted the plaintiffs' well-pleaded factual allegations as true for purposes of determining whether they had stated a constitutional claim.

The majority acknowledged the seriousness of the allegations, noting that Jackson's water system in recent years produced water containing lead, E. coli and other bacteria, allegedly violated the federal Safe Drinking Water Act and EPA regulations, left residents without water for weeks and resulted in numerous boil-water notices.

"Government officials are expected to be honest with their constituents, especially when the constituents' safety is at risk," the majority wrote.

But the court said that expectation does not create a constitutional right to accurate information from government officials about contaminants in municipal drinking water.

The majority also said the Constitution does not establish a right to be free from exposure to contaminated municipal water.

"These deprivations, while grievous, do not infringe upon any deeply rooted constitutional right," the court wrote.

The court said residents instead may pursue other remedies, including tort claims, political remedies and state or federal regulatory enforcement.

The ruling reverses a November 2025 decision by a three-judge 5th Circuit panel, which had found the residents plausibly said a violation of their 14th Amendment right to bodily integrity and allowed that portion of the lawsuit to proceed.

Judge James Graves dissented from the en banc decision. He said the residents should have been allowed to proceed with their claims and said the allegations could implicate the constitutional right to bodily integrity.

https://justthenews.com/nation/states/center-square/no-constitutional-right-clean-water-jackson-says-us-5th-circuit

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The case comes against the backdrop of years of problems with Jackson's water system. The U.S. Department of Justice and Environmental Protection Agency sued the city in 2022, saying there were violations of the Safe Drinking Water Act. Federal oversight and efforts to stabilize the system remain ongoing.

A separate legal battle over Jackson's water infrastructure also remains active.

The NAACP and two Jackson residents sued Mississippi officials in August 2025, saying the state discriminated against the majority-Black city in the distribution of American Rescue Plan Act funds intended for infrastructure improvements.

The lawsuit centers on more than $35 million awarded to Jackson through the state's Municipality and County Water Infrastructure grant program. The plaintiffs say state officials imposed additional requirements on Jackson that were not imposed on other communities and withheld funds that could have been used to address the city's water problems.

The case survived an initial attempt by the state to have it dismissed. In May, U.S. District Judge Henry Wingate ruled the plaintiffs had standing to bring the lawsuit and said the case would proceed, although the state was allowed to continue arguing other grounds for dismissal.

As of the May hearing, the plaintiffs said Jackson had received about $4 million of the more than $35 million awarded through the program, leaving roughly $32 million at issue. The state argued the plaintiffs' alleged injuries resulted from Jackson's longstanding infrastructure problems rather than the state's handling of the ARPA funds.

The NAACP's lawsuit presents a different legal question from the case rejected by the Fifth Circuit. The 5th Circuit case sought to establish constitutional protections concerning contaminated water and government information about water safety. The NAACP case says racial discrimination in the state's allocation and administration of federal water-infrastructure funding.

The 5th Circuit's ruling therefore closes one avenue of constitutional litigation for the Jackson residents, while the separate NAACP case over water funding continues in federal court.

https://justthenews.com/nation/states/center-square/no-constitutional-right-clean-water-jackson-says-us-5th-circuit

Wisconsin GOP governor candidate swims to safety after plane lands in lake

“As the plane began to submerge, we exited the aircraft and swam to a shallow area, where we waited until emergency responders reached us by boat,” Rep. Tiffany says

By Nicholas Ballasy

Published: September 13, 2026 7:35am

Rep. Tom Tiffany, the Republican candidate for governor of Wisconsin, swam to safety after the four-seat Bonanza plane he was traveling in made an emergency landing in a lake, according to a statement released early Sunday.

“While returning home from the La Crosse County Lincoln Day Dinner, the plane I was traveling in lost power as we approached the Wausau Downtown Airport. The pilot made an emergency water landing in Lake Wausau," Tiffany said in the statement.

“After landing, we called 911. As the plane began to submerge, we exited the aircraft and swam to a shallow area, where we waited until emergency responders reached us by boat," he added.

Tiffany expressed his "deepest gratitude to the pilot, the Wausau Fire Department, and all of the first responders who came to our aid so quickly."

"They got us safely off the water and transported us to Aspirus Wausau Hospital, where we received excellent care. Thankfully, both the pilot and I sustained only minor injuries," he said.

"God was watching over us tonight, and I am incredibly grateful to be here in the hospital with my wife, Chris, by my side. An experience like this reminds you just how precious life is," he added.

https://justthenews.com/politics-policy/elections/wisconsin-gop-governor-candidate-swims-safety-after-plane-lands-lake

Nuclear energy continues comeback as Energy Department directs loan to restart third shuttered plant

With no reactors under construction, the restarts offer the most immediate options to grow nuclear power in the U.S. Opposition to the restarts, and nuclear power in general continues, but it’s lost the clout it once had to block and delay projects.

By Kevin Killough

Published: September 12, 2026 10:00pm

The Trump administration has announced it is loaning NextEra Energy as much as $1.9 billion to support the restart of a nuclear power plant in Iowa.

The project is one of three projects underway to restart nuclear power plants that have been shut down. Besides support for two of those restarts, the Trump administration in its announcement last week said it has provided support for the development of new nuclear power plants and advanced reactor technology.

While opponents of nuclear energy had the clout to block or delay nuclear power development and construction of plants, President Donald Trump’s expansion of nuclear energy hasn’t been met with much pushback, and it’s generally enjoyed bipartisan support, suggesting that a decades-long opposition to nuclear energy may be fading into history.

Shift in opinions

The shift in public opinion toward increasing support for nuclear energy began during the Biden administration, according to multiple polls.

Nuclear energy as a share of total U.S. electricity generation grew from 2.4% in 1971 to 20.1% in 1992, and it’s hovered around that figure ever since. Only three commercial reactors have gone into service in the last 30 years, the latest being two new units at the Alvin W. Vogtle Electric Generating Plant in Georgia, which came online in 2023 and 2024.

The 1979 partial nuclear meltdown at Three Mile Island, in Pennsylvania, and the 1986 Chernobyl disaster near Pripyat, Ukraine, eroded public confidence in nuclear energy’s safety.

In 2011, the Fukushima disaster released large amounts of radioactive materia into the atmosphere and the Pacific Ocean. Though it caused no deaths, like the Three Mile Island incident, the accident helped buoy opponents’ arguments that nuclear energy is unsafe.

However, nuclear has seen public opinion growing more favorable in the several years as concerns about climate change make carbon-free electricity attractive, and the intermittency of wind and solar continue to drive up electricity prices and lower grid resilience.

A Gallup poll from April found that the percentage of Americans who think more emphasis should be placed on producing domestic energy from natural gas, wind and solar declined, while the percentage who feel the same about nuclear energy increased.

The 2026 National Nuclear Energy Public Opinion Survey released in May found that 77% of respondents favor nuclear energy, a record high. That was up from 49% in 1983. A 2025 Pew Research Center poll also found growing support for nuclear power.

Reviving older plants

The nuclear industry received a big boost from Trump, who has signed four executive orders supporting development of advanced nuclear reactors, reforming nuclear reactor testing, reinvigorating domestic fuel production and reforming the Nuclear Regulatory Commission.

This is all in addition to supporting the restart of three reactors. The projects are likely to come online and add capacity to the grid before any more new reactors come online. There are currently no new reactors under construction, and the timelines can last decades.

The latest restart, the Duane Arnold Energy Center, in Iowa, was a 615-megawatt boiling-water reactor that ran for 45 years. It was shut down in 2020 after sustaining damage in a storm.

https://justthenews.com/politics-policy/energy/doe-announces-loan-support-third-restart-nuclear-plant-us-nuclear-makes

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The plant also lost its power purchase agreements, which provided a predictable revenue stream. At the same time, it faced competition from cheap natural gas generation. Combined with the needed repairs from the storm, it was decided it didn’t make economic sense to keep the plant running.

The electricity demands of data centers have changed those economic calculations.

In October, Google partnered with NextEra on the restart to provide power for data centers. Now, the Department of Energy’s $1.9 billion loan provides the last piece needed to restart the plant, which is expected to be complete no later than the first quarter of 2029.

The Duane Arnold restart joins two other efforts to revive shuttered nuclear plants. The 805-megawatt Palisades Nuclear Plant in Covert Township, Michigan, was shut down in May 2022. As with the Duane Arnold plant, Palisades’ power purchase agreement had expired, and it was facing competition from renewables and natural gas.

In late 2023, Holtec Nuclear Corporation began the process of obtaining licensing approvals to revive Palisades. And in September 2024, the Biden administration’s Department of Energy finalized a $1.52 billion loan guarantee to support the effort. Last month, Holtec began loading nuclear fuel into the reactor vessel.

The plant has further testing, inspections and Nuclear Regulatory Commission approvals to get through. But if successful, it will be the first time in U.S. history a shuttered nuclear power plant has been restarted. Holtec hasn’t announced a firm date when the project will be complete.

The Trump administration is also supporting the restart of the Crane Clean Energy Center, which was formerly known as Three Mile Island Unit 1, in Londonderry Township, Pennsylvania. Microsoft signed a 20-year power purchase agreement, aimed at supplying the electricity needed for the company’s data centers. The Department of Energy provided a $1 billion loan for the restart in November 2025. It’s expected to come online next year.

Opposition remains

While public opinion has shifted in favor of nuclear energy, the revival of the shuttered nuclear power plants has its opponents. Though nuclear power provides reliable electricity without carbon dioxide emissions, climate advocacy and environmental organizations are among the opponents of the projects.

The Sierra Club launched a campaign to try to stop the Duane Arnold restart, arguing that it comes with safety risks, the reactor is outdated, and the wind and solar are cheaper. The group also opposed the Palisades and Three Mile Island restarts.

The Sierra Club isn’t alone in opposing the projects. Michigan environmental groups filed a lawsuit in state court to stop the project. After the suit was dismissed in state courts, the groups appealed at the federal level.

While nuclear energy is riding a wave of growing support that’s overcoming the opposition, accidents and mishaps grab headlines and can easily reverse the trends. The restarts provide the most immediate opportunities for growth, while bringing new reactors online exists on time scales lasting decades.

If the industry can maintain a solid safety record over that time, the portion of U.S. electricity produced by nuclear reactors may finally push past 20%.

https://justthenews.com/politics-policy/energy/doe-announces-loan-support-third-restart-nuclear-plant-us-nuclear-makes

Blogger sentenced to death in Iran after criticizing supreme leader

She was charged with corruption after allegedly engaging in “media and propaganda activities against national security” and working “on behalf of hostile governments," according to reports

By Nicholas Ballasy

Published: September 13, 2026 9:12am

Updated: September 13, 2026 9:14am

Soda Ebrahimi Shamsabadi, a 33-year-old Iranian blogger, has been sentenced to death after insulting the supreme leader.

The New York Post reported on Saturday that she has been held since March in solidarity confinement.

Shamsabadi allegedly photographed an area where a missile hit and sent the photo to a Persian-language media outlet outside of Iran, the Iran International outlet reported.

She was charged with corruption after allegedly engaging in “media and propaganda activities against national security” and working “on behalf of hostile governments," the outlet reported, citing Iranian outlets.

https://justthenews.com/world/middle-east/blogger-sentenced-death-iran-after-criticizing-supreme-leader

>>25032667

Much gratitude Baker!

o7

Russian drone strike occurs near former UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson's train in Ukraine: report

Johnson was making his way toward the Polish border when the attack hit the rail route.

By Nicholas Ballasy

Published: September 13, 2026 11:51am

Updated: September 13, 2026 11:52am

Former British Prime Minister Boris Johnson was traveling through Ukraine in a train when a Russian drone struck the railway line behind his train, according to a report by The Telegraph.

Johnson was making his way toward the Polish border when the attack hit the rail route.

The former prime minister has remained one of Ukraine’s most outspoken supporters since Russia launched its full-scale invasion.

His latest visit comes as he continues to argue that Western countries need to maintain pressure on Moscow and provide Ukraine with the military support needed to defend itself.

https://justthenews.com/world/europe/russian-drone-strike-occurs-near-former-uk-prime-minister-boris-johnsons-train-report

>>25033350

David is in the house.

>>25033393

✅ Faith in God, Country & Patriots.

Love ya, Brother and Sister Anons 🙏

o7

The White House / @WhiteHouse 09/13/2026 12:51:11

Truth Social: 117264762224394671

FOOTBALL IS BACK 🏈

https://truthsocial.com/@WhiteHouse/posts/117264762224394671

>>25033430

>>25033441

>>25033452

Happened 90 days ago. Quantum Guard posted it as fresh. Who's behind this account?

QUANTUM GUARD ™️

@QuantumGuard17

12:13 PM · Sep 13, 2026

https://x.com/QuantumGuard17/status/2099184714410029106?s=20