Data-center pushback and water worries: Communities across the Midwest are increasingly challenging large-scale data center development over heavy water and energy use, with one Illinois county approving a one-year moratorium while it drafts new zoning rules. Nebraska wastewater funding: South Sioux City won a $40 million EPA WIFIA loan to expand its wastewater treatment plant, aiming to cut long-term costs and protect the Missouri River. Severe weather watch: Forecasters flagged renewed tornado and hail risk across parts of the Plains and Upper Midwest, including areas near the Nebraska Panhandle. Tribes vs. drilling: Nine Native American tribes sued to stop exploratory graphite drilling near a sacred Black Hills meadow, arguing federal agencies violated law and that wildlife would be harmed. Wildlife and health alerts: USDA confirmed a New World screwworm case in Texas, prompting quarantine and control efforts; Nebraska officials also issued a health alert tied to Rockford Lake. Policy and agriculture: Congress is weighing changes that could roll back state livestock animal welfare rules, targeting California’s Proposition 12. Water stewardship by tech: Google says it will replenish more water than it uses at U.S. data centers by 2030, as scrutiny grows.