EPA & Clean Air: EPA has proposed fully approving North Dakota’s regional haze plan, reversing a 2024 partial rejection and setting up a 30-day public comment period—aimed at protecting visibility in national parks and wilderness while keeping baseload power running. Flood Recovery: Rugby homeowners are facing repeat basement flooding after another round of heavy rain, forcing families back into repairs. Defense Industry: The Sentinel missile replacement program is set to bring major changes to F.E. Warren and reduce launch centers, as the Minuteman III system nears end of life. State Economy: North Dakota’s taxable sales rose 3.86% in Q2 2026 to $7.39B, with retail and real estate up while oil, gas and mining fell 8.8%. Agriculture & Weather: Minot-area farmers report heat, wind, and hail impacts on canola and other crops heading into harvest. Policy & Water: Trump administration revises proposed WOTUS rules, seeking input on definitions that affect farmers, ranchers, and energy projects. Kratom Law: Gov. Armstrong signed HB 1628 banning synthetic kratom and restricting natural kratom sales to age 21+ with labeling requirements. Carbon Capture: Project Tundra’s updated structure shifts development/operation to Reliant while Minnkota keeps storage responsibilities, with CO2 utilization options like enhanced oil recovery on the table. Workforce/Research: HHS awarded UND $408,184 for biomedical research and training.