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University Student Sues County for Flock Camera Records
FLINT, Mich. — Kettering University student Josh Tewolde has filed a lawsuit against Genesee County after the county refused to release key public records concerning its use of Flock Safety automated license plate reader cameras.
Represented by the Mackinac Center Legal Foundation, Tewolde is asking the Genesee County Circuit Court to require the county to disclose records requested under Michigan’s Freedom of Information Act, including a map of Flock camera locations, audit logs showing who accessed the camera data and when, and records of scans involving Tewolde’s own vehicle.
Flock cameras capture images of every passing vehicle, including license plates and visible details such as make, model and color. The information is stored in a searchable database and can later be used in criminal investigations. Click here to read more.
Data center boom targets Texas’ most productive farmland, fueling power clashes
WASHINGTON — Texas is at the center of a rapidly growing fight over the expansion of data centers, as farmland is converted into industrial server sites and rural communities compete for water and power resources that support the state’s $900 billion agriculture industry.
The debate has cut across party lines, with Republicans divided, Democrats raising concerns and rural communities pushing back over whether Texas and other states should prioritize long-term protection of land, water and electricity infrastructure over continued growth.
Texas Commissioner of Agriculture Sid Miller said the projects often target the “very best, most productive farmland” because it is flat and already has key infrastructure such as water, electricity and roads. Click here to read more.
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Barry County Sheriff Dar Leaf says an employee of Michigan Secretary of State Jocelyn Benson provided evidence that the state’s computer system automatically registers noncitizens to vote when they change their address.
Leaf announced the allegations in a video statement Tuesday and said his office has referred the matter to the U.S. Department of Justice for investigation.
“An employee of the Michigan Secretary of State’s office reported to me that noncitizens are automatically registered to vote when they change their address,” Leaf said in a video posted on X.
Leaf said the confidential informant provided evidence involving the Customer and Automotive Record System, or CARS, which the Secretary of State uses to process driver’s license and state identification transactions. Click here to read more.
Illinois among worst in U.S. for population growth, job growth, wage growth
Illinois ranks among the worst in the country on several economic metrics.
Gov. J.B. Pritzker is up for re-election Nov. 3.
Illinois still is suffering from people moving out. Since 2018, the state’s has lost more than 168,000 residents, or over 1% of its population.
Illinois ranks 48th among the 50 states in both population growth rate and total population growth.
Pritzker’s second term has seen a slight uptick, largely because of international migration. Without that boost, Illinois’ population would have declined in 2025. Even so, Illinois ranks only 39th in population growth rate from 2023 to 2025.
Poor job growth in part explains the large number of Illinoisians who can’t find work. Illinois’ unemployment rate was 5.1% in June, when over 300,000 residents were looking for work. Click here to read more.
North Carolina: Biden-Released Illegal Alien Accused of Killing 51-Year-Old Man in Hit-and-Run
An illegal alien, released into the United States by former President Joe Biden’s administration, is now accused of killing 51-year-old James Bagley III in a fatal hit-and-run crash in Sylva, North Carolina.
This month, illegal alien Mauricio Josue Alberto Sarmiento of Honduras was arrested by the Sylva Police Department and charged with felony hit-and-run resulting in death, no liability insurance, driving with a revoked license, speeding, and failure to reduce speed.
According to police, on August 2, Sarmiento was speeding when he allegedly struck Bagley, a pedestrian, around 3 a.m. before fleeing the scene. Bagley was found unresponsive and pronounced dead at the scene. Click here to read more.
