Surface runoff

The District of Columbia and Virginia have sued to stop President Trump's planned 250-foot triumphal arch near Arlington National Cemetery, calling it "flagrantly unlawful." The suit, filed by attorneys general Brian Schwalb and Jay Jones, argues it violates D.C.'s Height Act, lacks congressional authorization, and would snarl traffic, pollute the Potomac and hamper emergency response in a region where joint operations are routine. It is the third lawsuit against the project, joining Vietnam War veterans, a historian and Arlington County. Judge Tanya Chutkan has held a hearing but not ruled on a restraining order. A newly submitted 106-page plan details a 12-story structure topped by a winged Lady Liberty statue, with construction possible as soon as next week.

Water quality and Iowa's elevated cancer rates — long politically sensitive topics given the state's reliance on agriculture — have become central issues in this year's midterm campaigns. Iowa has the second-highest rate of newly diagnosed cancers nationally, with prostate, breast and lung cancer cases rising faster than the U.S. average. State-funded University of Iowa research attributes much of the above-normal rates to demographic and behavioral factors, though researchers are now examining environmental contributors, including nitrates from fertilizer and animal waste that run off into rivers and drinking water supplies.

Candidates across the ballot — including U.S. Senate hopefuls Josh Turek and Ashley Hinson, gubernatorial contenders Rob Sand and Zach Lahn, and agriculture secretary rivals Chris Jones and incumbent Mike Naig — are addressing the issue, though they differ sharply on whether conservation practices should be mandatory. Gov. Kim Reynolds recently committed $320 million toward water infrastructure and conservation incentives, following lawn-watering restrictions and a prior failed lawsuit by Des Moines-area utilities against upstream counties over nitrate removal costs.

Former state Rep. Kamia Brown and incumbent Commissioner Mike Crabb are headed to a November runoff for Orange County (Fla.) Commission District 2, under newly redrawn boundaries covering Apopka, Clarcona, Lockhart and Ocoee. The League of Women Voters of Orange County hosted a forum where both candidates agreed on protecting the Wekiva River basin, with Crabb citing septic and sewer infrastructure fixes and Brown calling water quality a public health priority.

The candidates diverged on other issues: Crabb emphasized faster traffic-technology upgrades, while Brown focused on transit education and locating affordable housing near public transportation.

A key flashpoint is Florida's Amendment 3, which would raise the homestead exemption for non-school property taxes to $150,000 in 2027 and $250,000 in 2028 and lower the non-homestead assessment cap, requiring 60% voter approval. County officials estimate potential revenue losses of about $165 million in 2027 and $275 million in 2028. Brown called the measure a "tax shift" rather than relief, favoring more time for state action, while Crabb voiced concern over the scale of cuts but said it's premature to decide specifics, noting heavy MSTU reliance for fire services.

Oklahoma voters head to the polls in runoff elections deciding the Republican nomination for governor and the Democratic nomination for U.S. Senate, alongside two statewide ballot measures. State Attorney General Gentner Drummond and former state Sen. Mike Mazzei, who narrowly split the June 16 primary vote, face off for the GOP gubernatorial nod; the winner will meet Democratic state House Minority Leader Cyndi Munson in November, with Democrats not having won the governorship in 20 years. Mazzei has self-funded heavily and drew President Trump's endorsement, while Drummond has outraised him in contributions—another test of Trump's mixed 2026 primary endorsement record.

On the Democratic side, nurse N'Kiyla Jasmine Thomas and attorney Jim Priest are competing for the Senate nomination after neither cleared 50% in June; Priest holds a large fundraising edge. The winner faces Republican Rep. Kevin Hern, who won his primary outright. Voters also decide State Question 846, adding a voter ID requirement to the constitution, and State Question 844, concerning property tax reimbursements tied to manufacturing incentives.