The Energy News Digest

Monday, September 21, 2026

The Energy News Digest for September 21, 2026

The Northwest Public Power Association sponsors The Energy News Digest.

Get the Early-Bird Rate for the NWPPA/APA Alaska Electric Utility Conference

Don’t miss your chance to secure the early-bird rates for the 2026 Alaska Electric Utility Conference and pre-conference classes! The deadline is Oct. 2 for pre-conference classes and Oct. 4 for the AEUC.

Held every two years in Anchorage, the AEUC features educational sessions, keynote speakers, networking opportunities, and a trade show with more than 100 exhibitors. Explore topics ranging from cybersecurity and operations to emerging technologies and utility management. This year’s conference will be Nov. 18-19, with pre-conference classes offered Nov. 16-17.

Hotshots – Today’s Top Five Stories

Bonneville Power Administration Asks to Hike Its Electricity Rates by 6.3% (Oregon Public Broadcasting)

https://www.opb.org/article/2026/09/17/bonneville-power-administration-asks-to-hike-its-electricity-rates-by-63/

Winter Heating Costs Projected to Jump Nearly 9 Percent Over Last Year (Daily Energy Insider)

https://dailyenergyinsider.com/news/53771-winter-heating-costs-projected-to-jump-nearly-9-percent-over-last-year/

California: Vistra’s Moss Landing Grid Battery Is on Fire Yet Again (Canary Media)

https://www.canarymedia.com/articles/batteries/vistra-moss-landing-on-fire-again

Microsoft Exec Called Artificial Intelligence Scraping The ‘Largest Theft of Labor in Human History’ (Ars Technica)

https://arstechnica.com/tech-policy/2026/09/microsoft-exec-called-ai-scraping-the-largest-theft-of-labor-in-human-history/

State of Emergency Declared for All of California Ahead of Strong El Niño Forecast (KTLA-TV, Los Angeles, CA)

https://ktla.com/news/california/state-of-emergency-declared-for-all-of-california-ahead-of-strong-el-nino-forecast/

News Highlights (See Stories Below)

1. Bonneville Power Administration Asks to Hike Its Electricity Rates by 6.3%

2. Court-Ordered Dam Spill for Salmon Leads Bonneville Power to Propose Sweeping Rate Hike

3. Oregon Governor Blames Trump for Proposed $250 Million Bonneville Power Administration Rate Increase

4. Restricted Communications in Effect for the Bonneville Power Administration’s BP-27 Power Rate Case

5. Winter Heating Costs Projected to Jump Nearly 9 Percent Over Last Year

6. WA State: Voter-Approved Natural Gas Initiative Struck Down by State Supreme Court

7. National Hydropower Association Applauds Senate Passage of Hydropower Licensing Bill

8. Colorado: Squirrel Blamed for Knocking Out Power to Entire Town

9. California: Vistra’s Moss Landing Grid Battery Is on Fire Yet Again

10. Mazama Energy Raises $135 Million for Superhot Geothermal at Oregon Volcano

11. Here’s What California Is Learning from Solar Panels Built Over Irrigation Canals

12. Renewable Energy and the Period of Lowest Electricity Demand of the Year

13. Trump Administration Says Developers, Loggers Can Kill Endangered Species

14. Map: Carbon Dioxide Emissions by State

15. Colorado Has a New, Voluntary Program to Conserve Colorado River Water. Farmers Are Wary.

16. River Flows Were Among Driest in Decades In 2025, World Meteorological Organization Says

17. Broadband Deserts Hinder Telehealth Access, Especially in Rural Areas

18. NRECA Calls on NTIA to Fix ‘Misguided’ Approach to Broadband Funding Program

19. Path Taken for Successful Transition to Fiber Detailed by Idaho Falls Fiber General Manager

20. What the FCC’s Revised Broadband Facts Labels Mean for Pricing, Accessibility & Shoppers

21. Microsoft Exec Called Artificial Intelligence Scraping The ‘Largest Theft of Labor in Human History’

22. California: Gov. Newsom Signs Seven Bills Aimed at Regulating Data Centers

23. U.S. House Passes Ratepayer Protection Bill to Limit Data Center Cost Shifts

24. Which County Has the Most Data Centers in Oregon?

25. This Artificial Intelligence Agent Has Written Thousands of Alaska News Articles. We Interviewed It.

26. President Trump Proposes Artificial Intelligence Force, New AI Czar Amid Calls for Oversight

27. California Gov. Newsom Vetoes Bill to Create California PUC Inspector General

28. Judge Rules EPA Illegally Terminated $7 Billion Solar Program Intended to Help Poorer Americans

29. State of Emergency Declared for All of California Ahead of Strong El Niño Forecast

30. Chelan Hills Fire Update: U.S. Marshals Arrest Multiple Suspects in Western WA

31. Diesel — The Fuel the U.S. Economy Runs On — Hits Record High

32. Forest Grove Light & Power Department Director Details Project to Boost Resilience, Work with Data Center Developer

Word of the Day

Foozle \FOO-zul\ Verb – To manage or play awkwardly: bungle.

Watching Abercrombie in aerobics class was like watching a large, ponderous bear attempt ballet…only not as good. Just about every move barked out by the harridan leading the class led to a foozled step by Abercrombie. Many times, he endangered his fellow classmates with flailing arms or a mistaken left step when a right one was ordered.

Energy & Utility Issues

1. Bonneville Power Administration Asks to Hike Its Electricity Rates by 6.3% (Oregon Public Broadcasting)

https://www.opb.org/article/2026/09/17/bonneville-power-administration-asks-to-hike-its-electricity-rates-by-63/

2. Court-Ordered Dam Spill for Salmon Leads Bonneville Power to Propose Sweeping Rate Hike (KGW-TV, Portland, OR)

https://www.kgw.com/article/money/bonneville-power-propose-rate-hike-salmon-protection-lawsuit/283-6ed32e4e-a8dd-4f96-9708-da5d9d2f7f3c

3. Oregon Governor Blames Trump for Proposed $250 Million Bonneville Power Administration Rate Increase (The Chronicle, Centralia, WA)

https://www.chronline.com/stories/oregon-governor-blames-trump-for-proposed-250-million-bonneville-rate-increase,408486

4. Restricted Communications in Effect for the Bonneville Power Administration’s BP-27 Power Rate Case (Bonneville Power Administration)

https://www.bpa.gov/about/newsroom/news-articles/20260917-restricted-communications-in-effect-for-bp-27-power-rate-case

5. Winter Heating Costs Projected to Jump Nearly 9 Percent Over Last Year (Daily Energy Insider)

https://dailyenergyinsider.com/news/53771-winter-heating-costs-projected-to-jump-nearly-9-percent-over-last-year/

6. WA State: Voter-Approved Natural Gas Initiative Struck Down by State Supreme Court (KOMO News, Seattle, WA)

https://komonews.com/newsletter-daily/washington-state-elections-voter-approved-natural-gas-initiative-struck-down-by-state-supreme-court-business-energy-laws

7. National Hydropower Association Applauds Senate Passage of Hydropower Licensing Bill (Daily Energy Insider)

https://dailyenergyinsider.com/news/53804-national-hydropower-association-applauds-senate-passage-of-hydropower-licensing-bill/

8. Colorado: Squirrel Blamed for Knocking Out Power to Entire Town (KMVT-TV, Twin Falls, ID)

https://www.kmvt.com/2026/09/21/squirrel-blamed-knocking-out-power-entire-town/

Renewable Energy & Self Storage

9. California: Vistra’s Moss Landing Grid Battery Is on Fire Yet Again (Canary Media)

https://www.canarymedia.com/articles/batteries/vistra-moss-landing-on-fire-again

10. Mazama Energy Raises $135 Million for Superhot Geothermal at Oregon Volcano (Canary Media)

https://www.canarymedia.com/articles/geothermal/mazama-energy-raises-135m-oregon-geothermal

11. Here’s What California Is Learning from Solar Panels Built Over Irrigation Canals (KQED Radio, San Francisco, CA)

https://www.kqed.org/science/2002033/heres-what-california-is-learning-from-solar-panels-built-over-irrigation-canals

12. Renewable Energy and the Period of Lowest Electricity Demand of the Year (Cliff Mass Weather Blog)

https://cliffmass.blogspot.com/2026/09/renewable-energy-and-period-of-lowest.html

Fish & Wildlife

13. Trump Administration Says Developers, Loggers Can Kill Endangered Species (States Newsroom)

https://www.newsfromthestates.com/article/trump-administration-says-developers-loggers-can-kill-endangered-species

Climate Change Sequestration Vault

14. Map: Carbon Dioxide Emissions by State (Governing)

https://www.governing.com/map-of-the-day/map-co2-emissions-by-state

Water, Water Anywhere?

15. Colorado Has a New, Voluntary Program to Conserve Colorado River Water. Farmers Are Wary. (Utah News Dispatch)

https://utahnewsdispatch.com/2026/09/17/repub/colorado-new-voluntary-program-colorado-river-water-farmers/

16. River Flows Were Among Driest in Decades In 2025, World Meteorological Organization Says (Yahoo! News)

https://www.yahoo.com/news/articles/river-flows-were-among-driest-040156891.html

London Calling –Telecommunications

17. Broadband Deserts Hinder Telehealth Access, Especially in Rural Areas (Tech Target)

https://www.techtarget.com/searchhealthit/news/366650836/Broadband-deserts-hinder-telehealth-access-especially-in-rural-areas

18. NRECA Calls on NTIA to Fix ‘Misguided’ Approach to Broadband Funding Program (National Rural Electric Cooperative Association)

https://www.electric.coop/nreca-calls-on-ntia-to-fix-misguided-approach-to-broadband-funding-program

19. Path Taken for Successful Transition to Fiber Detailed by Idaho Falls Fiber General Manager (American Public Power Association)

https://www.publicpower.org/periodical/article/path-taken-successful-transition-fiber-detailed-idaho-falls-fiber-general-manager

20. What the FCC’s Revised Broadband Facts Labels Mean for Pricing, Accessibility & Shoppers (KOMO News, Seattle, WA)

https://komonews.com/newsletter-daily/federal-communications-commission-weakens-price-transparency-rule-for-broadband-internet-wifi-providers-service-providers-price-for-services

HAL’s Internet Café

21. Microsoft Exec Called Artificial Intelligence Scraping The ‘Largest Theft of Labor in Human History’ (Ars Technica)

https://arstechnica.com/tech-policy/2026/09/microsoft-exec-called-ai-scraping-the-largest-theft-of-labor-in-human-history/

22. California: Gov. Newsom Signs Seven Bills Aimed at Regulating Data Centers (KRCR-TV, Redding, CA)

https://www.kcra.com/article/california-gavin-newsom-data-centers-bills/73823976

The Wizarding World of Technology & Cybersecurity

23. U.S. House Passes Ratepayer Protection Bill to Limit Data Center Cost Shifts (Utility Dive)

https://www.utilitydive.com/news/house-passes-ratepayer-protection-bill-data-centers/830658/

24. Which County Has the Most Data Centers in Oregon? (KGW-TV, Portland, OR)

https://www.kgw.com/article/tech/which-county-has-the-most-data-centers-in-oregon/283-4663ca29-ac81-4e2d-9df3-a8aa54a354cb

Public Relations, Marketing & Media

25. This Artificial Intelligence Agent Has Written Thousands of Alaska News Articles. We Interviewed It. (Anchorage Press, AK)

https://anchoragepress.com/this-ai-agent-has-written-thousands-of-alaska-news-articles-we-interviewed-it/

Politics, Governance, and Management

26. President Trump Proposes Artificial Intelligence Force, New AI Czar Amid Calls for Oversight (KCRA-TV, Sacramento, CA)

https://www.kcra.com/article/trump-proposes-ai-force-czar-amid-oversight-calls/73816758

27. California Gov. Newsom Vetoes Bill to Create California PUC Inspector General (Utility Dive)

https://www.utilitydive.com/news/newsom-vetoes-california-puc-bill/830864/

28. Judge Rules EPA Illegally Terminated $7 Billion Solar Program Intended to Help Poorer Americans (Associated Press)

https://apnews.com/article/climate-solar-for-all-trump-biden-lawsuit-0bae42fcf85906ea48ee0f6f4d6c83a9

Other Things to Know About Today

29. State of Emergency Declared for All of California Ahead of Strong El Niño Forecast (KTLA-TV, Los Angeles, CA)

https://ktla.com/news/california/state-of-emergency-declared-for-all-of-california-ahead-of-strong-el-nino-forecast/

30. Chelan Hills Fire Update: U.S. Marshals Arrest Multiple Suspects in Western WA (KCPQ-TV, Seattle, WA)

https://www.fox13seattle.com/news/chelan-hills-fire-arrest-suspects

31. Diesel — The Fuel the U.S. Economy Runs On — Hits Record High (National Public Radio)

https://www.npr.org/2026/09/21/nx-s1-5975468/diesel-the-fuel-the-u-s-economy-runs-on-hits-record-high

Soapbox Serenade – Vox Populi

32. Forest Grove Light & Power Department Director Details Project to Boost Resilience, Work with Data Center Developer (American Public Power Association)

https://www.buzzsprout.com/1452280/episodes/19833264

Diversions - Alligators in the Sewer

Star Wars Fans Learn to Duel Like a Jedi in Lightsaber Combat Class (KCRA-TV, Sacramento, CA)

https://www.kcra.com/article/star-wars-light-saber-class/73807890

Scientists Heard a Knock at the Door. It Was a Pelican in Need of Help.

https://www.yahoo.com/lifestyle/articles/scientists-heard-knock-door-pelican-100000948.html

Meet Leopardus Tilcayo: How Scientists Identified the First New Cat Species in 100 Years

https://www.msn.com/en-in/news/other/meet-leopardus-tilcayo-how-scientists-identified-the-first-new-cat-species-in-100-years/ar-AA2cufxJ

Painting Purchased for $30 at Estate Sale Expected to Fetch Up to $250,000

https://www.upi.com/Odd_News/2026/09/18/painting-estate-sale-Gertrude-Abercrombie/3931789753677/

Song of the Day

John Williams – The Training of a Jedi Knight (Empire Strikes Back Soundtrack)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R39a6V839uM

Roll the Credits…

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Wednesday, September 16, 2026

The Energy News Digest for September 16, 2026

The Northwest Public Power Association sponsors The Energy News Digest.

Get the Early-Bird Rate for NWPPA’s Fall Lineworker Boot Camp

NWPPA’s Fall Lineworker Boot Camp, taught by Brady Hansen, returns Nov. 2-5 to Rathdrum, Idaho. If you are part of a line crew, please join us for this intensive, hands-on training. This is not a class where you’ll be watching PowerPoints—come prepared to work! Sign up by this Friday, Sept. 18, to save $150 on your registration. Find out more and register here.

Hotshots – Today’s Top Five Stories

Northwest Power & Conservation Council Hears Concerns About Data Centers, Electricity Bills & Salmon (Spokesman-Review, Spokane, WA – Via Yahoo! News)

https://www.yahoo.com/news/science/articles/power-council-hears-concerns-data-035900915.html

Puget Sound Energy’s Residential Electricity Rates Could Go Up 16.75% in 2027 – State Attorney General Challenges Rate Increase Proposal; Public Comment Solicited (Cascadia Daily)

https://www.cascadiadaily.com/2026/sep/14/pses-residential-electricity-rates-could-go-up-16-75-in-2027/

Columbia River Dredging Is Helping Endangered Birds, But It May Also Be Hurting Salmon (KGW-TV, Portland, OR)

https://www.kgw.com/article/tech/science/environment/portland-columbia-river-channel-dredging-habitat-fish-lark-sediment-us-corps/283-5bc6ca94-9962-4303-83c4-59e290a42e3b

OpenAI Boss Says World ‘Right to Be Afraid’ But Should Trust Artificial Intelligence Firms (British Broadcasting Corporation)

https://www.yahoo.com/news/politics/articles/nvidia-boss-says-ai-doesnt-221314529.html

WA State: Newly Released Video Shows Accused in the Act of Sparking Deadly Chelan Hills Fire (KPQ Radio, Wenatchee, WA)

https://kpq.com/video-chelan-hills-fire-deadly/

News Highlights (See Stories Below)

1. Northwest Power & Conservation Council Hears Concerns About Data Centers, Electricity Bills & Salmon

2. Pacific Northwest Power Demand Expected to Surge 50-100% Over Next Two Decades

3. Puget Sound Energy’s Residential Electricity Rates Could Go Up 16.75% in 2027 – State Attorney General Challenges Rate Increase Proposal; Public Comment Solicited

4. Washington Electricity Rates

5. WA State: Centralia Coal Plant Ordered to Stay Open Again Despite Closure Date

6. U.S. Nuclear Regulator’s Overhaul of Rules to Run Well into 2027, Its Chief Says

7. ‘Plug-In’ Solar May Provide Rate Relief for Households That Can’t Get Rooftop Panels

8. Montana: New Community Solar Project Opens in Whitefish

9. Wyoming: Seminoe Pumped-Water Storage Critics Cheer News That the Bureau of Land Management Will Perform Additional Analysis

10. Columbia River Dredging Is Helping Endangered Birds, But It May Also Be Hurting Salmon

11. Washington, Idaho to Tighten Steelhead Bag Limits on the Snake River in Response to Paltry Return

12. More Chum Salmon Entering Yukon River, But Experts Say That’s Not a Clear Sign of Recovery

13. Massachusetts: To Bring Back Historic Herring Populations, Volunteers Get Down & Dirty

14. Wyoming’s Governor Cheers Trump Administration Move to Repeal Power Plant Rules Limiting Planet-Warming Emissions

15. Satellites Show Earth Lost More Than 12 Trillion Tons of Ice from Greenland, Antarctica in 47 Years

16. Colorado: Dam It – 10th Circuit Lets Denver Water Complete Gross Reservoir Expansion

17. The Rio Grande Is Having Its Driest Year on Record

18. Oregon Purging Dead from Telephone & Broadband Lifeline Rolls

19. New Starlink Partnership to Bring Phone Service to Remote U.S. Areas

20. OpenAI Boss Says World ‘Right to Be Afraid’ But Should Trust Artificial Intelligence Firms

21. First of Three Salem Town Halls Held to Gather Community Input on Data Centers

22. Data Center Dominance: There’s One Issue Where Republicans & Democrats Are Unified Before the Midterms, a New Poll Finds

23. California: Orange County E-Bike Buyback Nets Hundreds of Vehicles, Drawing Big Crowds & Some Controversy

24. Federal Reserve Hikes Key Rate for First Time in Three Years, Defying Trump Demands for a Cut

25. WA State: Newly Released Video Shows Accused in the Act of Sparking Deadly Chelan Hills Fire

26. Washington Wildfire Season Easing, But DNR Says State Not Out of Danger Yet

27. PNNL, SEPA Jointly Provide New Interactive Map Showing State-By-State Wildfire Legislation

28. Remote Work Is Here to Stay

29. Guest Essay: As Extinction Nears, Welcome to Idaho’s ‘Salmon-Less River’

Word of the Day

Capacious \kup-PAY-shush\ Adjective - Able to hold or contain a lot: large in capacity.

Capacious: See the “Undetectable Extension Charm” on Hermione Granger’s handbag in the “Deathly Hallows.”

Energy & Utility Issues

1. Northwest Power & Conservation Council Hears Concerns About Data Centers, Electricity Bills & Salmon (Spokesman-Review, Spokane, WA – Via Yahoo! News)

https://www.yahoo.com/news/science/articles/power-council-hears-concerns-data-035900915.html

2. Pacific Northwest Power Demand Expected to Surge 50-100% Over Next Two Decades (KXLY-TV, Spokane, WA)

https://www.kxly.com/news/northwest-power-demand-expected-to-surge-50-100-over-next-two-decades/article_b856a4fc-241d-4aed-886e-9840385b3d6e.html

3. Puget Sound Energy’s Residential Electricity Rates Could Go Up 16.75% in 2027 – State Attorney General Challenges Rate Increase Proposal; Public Comment Solicited (Cascadia Daily)

https://www.cascadiadaily.com/2026/sep/14/pses-residential-electricity-rates-could-go-up-16-75-in-2027/

4. Washington Electricity Rates (Electric Choice)

https://www.electricchoice.com/electricity-prices-by-state/washington/

5. WA State: Centralia Coal Plant Ordered to Stay Open Again Despite Closure Date (KHQ-TV, Spokane, WA)

https://www.khq.com/news/centralia-coal-plant-ordered-to-stay-open-again-despite-closure-date/article_7393ea4d-852b-482a-90a9-9b4457027d0f.html

6. U.S. Nuclear Regulator’s Overhaul of Rules to Run Well into 2027, Its Chief Says (Reuters)

https://www.reuters.com/business/energy/us-nuclear-regulators-overhaul-rules-run-well-into-2027-its-chief-says-2026-09-15/

Renewable Energy & Self Storage

7. ‘Plug-In’ Solar May Provide Rate Relief for Households That Can’t Get Rooftop Panels (KPBS Broadcasting, San Diego, CA)

https://www.kpbs.org/news/quality-of-life/2026/09/16/plug-in-solar-may-provide-rate-relief-for-households-that-cant-get-rooftop-panels

8. Montana: New Community Solar Project Opens in Whitefish (NBC Montana)

https://nbcmontana.com/news/local/new-community-solar-project-opens-in-whitefish

9. Wyoming: Seminoe Pumped-Water Storage Critics Cheer News That the Bureau of Land Management Will Perform Additional Analysis (WyoFile)

https://wyofile.com/seminoe-pumped-water-storage-critics-cheer-news-that-blm-will-perform-additional-analysis/

Fish & Wildlife

10. Columbia River Dredging Is Helping Endangered Birds, But It May Also Be Hurting Salmon (KGW-TV, Portland, OR)

https://www.kgw.com/article/tech/science/environment/portland-columbia-river-channel-dredging-habitat-fish-lark-sediment-us-corps/283-5bc6ca94-9962-4303-83c4-59e290a42e3b

11. Washington, Idaho to Tighten Steelhead Bag Limits on the Snake River in Response to Paltry Return (Spokesman-Review, Spokane, WA – Paywall Advisory)

https://www.spokesman.com/stories/2026/sep/15/washington-to-tighten-steelhead-bag-limits-on-the-/

12. More Chum Salmon Entering Yukon River, But Experts Say That’s Not a Clear Sign of Recovery (Canadian Broadcasting Corporation)

https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/north/more-chum-salmon-entering-yukon-river-but-experts-say-thats-not-a-clear-sign-of-recovery-9.7345281

13. Massachusetts: To Bring Back Historic Herring Populations, Volunteers Get Down & Dirty (Associated Press)

https://apnews.com/article/acushnet-river-cleanup-herring-new-bedford-reservoir-22be145ade5cf39bf00339f2cdee233a

Environmental Afflatus – Clean Up on Aisle Three

14. Wyoming’s Governor Cheers Trump Administration Move to Repeal Power Plant Rules Limiting Planet-Warming Emissions (Wyofile)

https://wyofile.com/wyomings-governor-cheers-trump-administration-move-to-repeal-power-plant-rules-limiting-planet-warming-emissions/

Climate Change Sequestration Vault

15. Satellites Show Earth Lost More Than 12 Trillion Tons of Ice from Greenland, Antarctica in 47 Years (Associated Press)

https://apnews.com/article/climate-change-ice-sheet-antarctica-greenland-melting-4721be25690317bc8f7bd9699b6f41f1

Water, Water Anywhere?

16. Colorado: Dam It – 10th Circuit Lets Denver Water Complete Gross Reservoir Expansion (Courthouse News Service)

https://courthousenews.com/dam-it-10th-circuit-lets-denver-water-complete-gross-reservoir-expansion/

17. The Rio Grande Is Having Its Driest Year on Record (National Public Radio)

https://www.npr.org/2026/09/14/nx-s1-5961292/the-rio-grande-is-having-its-driest-year-on-record

London Calling –Telecommunications

18. Oregon Purging Dead from Telephone & Broadband Lifeline Rolls (Broadband Breakfast)

https://broadbandbreakfast.com/oregon-purging-dead-from-lifeline-rolls/

19. New Starlink Partnership to Bring Phone Service to Remote U.S. Areas (Mashable)

https://mashable.com/tech/starlink-landline-phone-service

HAL’s Internet Café

20. OpenAI Boss Says World ‘Right to Be Afraid’ But Should Trust Artificial Intelligence Firms (British Broadcasting Corporation)

https://www.yahoo.com/news/politics/articles/nvidia-boss-says-ai-doesnt-221314529.html

21. First of Three Salem Town Halls Held to Gather Community Input on Data Centers (KPTV-TV, Portland, OR)

https://www.kptv.com/2026/09/16/first-3-salem-town-halls-held-gather-community-input-data-centers/

The Wizarding World of Technology & Cybersecurity

22. Data Center Dominance: There’s One Issue Where Republicans & Democrats Are Unified Before the Midterms, a New Poll Finds (Associated Press)

https://apnews.com/article/ai-environmental-impact-data-centers-trump-228d625ab7c62cd583bc67d65074f7d4

I Sing the Car Electric

23. California: Orange County E-Bike Buyback Nets Hundreds of Vehicles, Drawing Big Crowds & Some Controversy (Los Angeles Times, CA – via Yahoo! News)

https://www.yahoo.com/news/articles/o-c-e-bike-buyback-110000111.html

Politics, Governance, and Management

24. Federal Reserve Hikes Key Rate for First Time in Three Years, Defying Trump Demands for a Cut (Associated Press)

https://apnews.com/article/federal-reserve-warsh-trump-inflation-bab1bcb07e973bfb2dd0c3e5fbbb73b1

Other Things to Know About Today

25. WA State: Newly Released Video Shows Accused in the Act of Sparking Deadly Chelan Hills Fire (KPQ Radio, Wenatchee, WA)

https://kpq.com/video-chelan-hills-fire-deadly/

26. Washington Wildfire Season Easing, But DNR Says State Not Out of Danger Yet (Columbia Basin Herald, Moses Lake, WA)

https://columbiabasinherald.com/news/2026/sep/16/washington-wildfire-season-easing-but-dnr-says-state-not-out-of-danger-yet/

27. PNNL, SEPA Jointly Provide New Interactive Map Showing State-By-State Wildfire Legislation (Daily Energy Insider)

https://dailyenergyinsider.com/news/53741-pnnl-sepa-jointly-provide-new-interactive-map-showing-state-by-state-wildfire-legislation/

Soapbox Serenade – Vox Populi

28. Remote Work Is Here to Stay (Pots & Pans)

https://potsandpansbyccg.com/2026/09/16/remote-work-here-to-stay/

29. Guest Essay: As Extinction Nears, Welcome to Idaho’s ‘Salmon-Less River’ (Idaho Capital Sun)

https://idahocapitalsun.com/2026/09/16/as-extinction-nears-welcome-to-idahos-salmon-less-river/

Diversions - Alligators in the Sewer

Chihuahuas Are Secretly Part Coyote, Study Finds

https://kpq.com/ixp/1137/p/chihuahua-coyote-ancestry-dna/

‘Rickroll’ & ‘Looksmaxxing’ Are Official: Merriam-Webster Adds 1,400 New Words to Dictionary Website

https://ktla.com/news/nationworld/rickroll-and-looksmaxxing-are-official-merriam-webster-adds-1400-new-words-to-dictionary-website/

Some Birds Survived the Asteroid That Wiped Out Dinosaurs. Fossilized Poop Can Help Explain Why

https://www.kcra.com/article/birds-survived-asteroid-dinosaurs-fossilized-poop/73744953

Strangest Items Pulled from Yellowstone’s Hydrothermal Areas Include Pokémon Cards, Retainers & More

https://ktla.com/news/nationworld/yellowstone-hydrothermal-trash-unusual-items/