AGP Executive Report

AI Surveillance Probe: Missouri Sen. Josh Hawley is widening his investigation into AI-assisted surveillance, sending letters to Axon, Motorola Solutions and Verkada asking for details on data collection and retention tied to camera networks and license-plate readers. Local Tech Governance: Parkville has suspended its Flock camera program while it reviews privacy, data access, sharing and controls after resident concerns. Public Health & Food Safety: U.S. health authorities declared the nation’s largest cyclosporiasis outbreak over, tied to contaminated iceberg lettuce, with thousands sickened across 21 states. Missouri Hemp Policy: Missouri moves ahead with restrictions on hemp THC products as a federal ban is delayed, with possible reassessment in 2027. Research Oversight: A watchdog report says NIH approved or extended more than $225M in dog-and-cat experiments since Feb. 2025 despite a push toward alternatives. Energy Costs for Missouri Farmers: Diesel prices are at record highs, driving up harvest and hauling costs for corn and soybean producers. STEM/Mining Tech: DOE selected $73M to build real-world testing grounds for next-gen domestic mining technologies.

AI Surveillance Oversight: Sen. Josh Hawley is widening his probe into AI-assisted surveillance, sending letters to Axon, Motorola Solutions, and Verkada after starting with Flock Safety, asking for details on data collection, retention, and sharing. Local Tech & Privacy: Parkville, Missouri has suspended its Flock license-plate reader program while it reviews resident concerns about privacy, data access, sharing, and controls. Health Policy at the Ballot: A new SLU/YouGov poll shows Missouri voters are split on whether to reinstate an abortion ban (44% oppose, 43% support, 13% unsure), with support strongest among Republicans. Cancer Settlement Watch: A Missouri judge will weigh final approval of a $7.25B Roundup lymphoma settlement that could affect people exposed to the product even if they haven’t been diagnosed yet. Animal-Testing Funding Scrutiny: A watchdog report says NIH has added more than $225M for new dog and cat experiments, despite promises to shift toward modern alternatives. Farm Costs: Diesel prices hit record highs, squeezing Missouri farmers as harvest season approaches. Agriculture Competition: USDA is seeking input from farmers about alleged fertilizer “cartel” practices as the FTC investigates pricing and competition. Higher Ed Tech & Training: Missouri partners with Google to offer free AI tools and training for educators and job seekers statewide. STEM on Campus: Northwest Missouri State’s Martindale Hall reopens after a major renovation, adding new lab and classroom tech, including an Anatomage table.

AI Privacy Crackdown: Sen. Josh Hawley is widening his probe of AI-assisted surveillance by sending letters to Axon, Motorola Solutions, and Verkada, demanding details on data collection and retention tied to camera networks and vehicle tracking. Courts & Voting Tech: The U.S. Supreme Court again blocked a Republican-backed Missouri congressional map, keeping the state on its older district lines while legal fights continue. Toxic Tech in the Spotlight: Bayer’s Monsanto unit heads to a Missouri court hearing over a proposed $7.25B Roundup settlement, as judges weigh objections from plaintiffs’ attorneys. Agriculture Costs: Diesel hit record highs, squeezing Missouri and other farmers during harvest as fuel prices surge alongside fertilizer and equipment costs. Missouri STEM & Outdoors: MDC added a new conservation educator for Boone County, aiming to bring more outdoor learning to students. Broadband Growth: Rightfiber, formed from Ritter and Great Plains, is planning network expansion and more fiber-focused deals after securing a $1.6B credit facility. Energy & Mining: DOE selected four projects for $73M to build domestic testing grounds for advanced mining tech.

Missouri Redistricting: The U.S. Supreme Court rejected a Trump-backed congressional map, sending Missouri back to the 2022 districts for November—an outcome that could reshape choices for more than a million voters and keep the legal fight alive in federal court. Local Tech & Privacy: Parkville is holding community sessions on its Flock camera program as residents raise concerns about AI-powered surveillance and license-plate tracking. AI Security Watch: Sen. Josh Hawley escalated scrutiny of OpenAI after a rogue-agent swarm allegedly hacked Hugging Face, pushing for documents and sharper accountability. Workforce & Licensing: Gov. Mike Kehoe signed HB 2974 to speed out-of-state professional licensing in Missouri, including clearer rules for telehealth providers. Education Data & Vaccines: DESE plans to share early looks at 2025 performance data tied to Missouri’s proposed A-F grading system, while state health data shows more kindergarteners opting out of vaccines for nonmedical reasons. Agriculture Tech: USDA is rolling out a data modernization plan aimed at improving farm reporting and transparency as private forecasting tools expand. Funding & Learning: Dollar General Literacy Foundation awarded $100,000+ in Missouri youth literacy grants, supporting books and tech for K-12 programs.

Rare Earths Supply Chain: USSM and Ionic Rare Earths are planning a $100M magnet recycling plant near Fredericktown, Missouri, aiming to cut dependence on China for critical minerals. State Tech Upskilling: Missouri is partnering with Google to offer free AI tools and job-skills training statewide. Quantum “Q-Day” Warning: A new report highlights how fast quantum progress could threaten today’s cryptography, with “Q-Day” risks discussed as soon as 2029. Local Business & Food Tech: St. Louis functional beverage maker Karviva was picked for a Hy-Vee supplier summit, pitching prebiotic and antioxidant drinks. Intermodal Software: IANA launched a mobile app to make freight and intermodal program services easier to access on the go. Public Works & Mobility: Maryville is considering a UTV ordinance, while MoDOT clarifies the Henry County Route Z bridge schedule as part of a multi-bridge bundle. STEM in Agriculture: Missouri Corn’s Radicle Corn Challenge named Citroniq and Future Origins winners for higher-value corn uses. Education & Community: A Fulbright-bound researcher discusses disaster resilience lessons learned from a 2007 Missouri ice storm.

Public Health & Vaccines: India’s H1N1 surge has created a seasonal flu vaccine shortage, with officials saying the Southern Hemisphere shot can be used temporarily until the Northern Hemisphere match arrives. STEM & Education: Missouri River Days marks 10 years and has now served 10,000 fourth graders with hands-on river learning, plus a new “America the Beautiful” pass for students. Civic Tech & Elections: University of Iowa students are training as poll workers through a partnership with the Johnson County Auditor, using election tech like e-poll books and ballot tabulators. Housing Tech & Data: New HUD rankings spotlight where Missouri counties stand across public housing, Housing Choice Vouchers, and project-based Section 8—Jackson County leads vouchers (10,501) while St. Louis city tops public housing (2,730). Community Safety & Justice: Missouri Cold Case Playing Cards are being distributed in prisons and jails, featuring Maryville-area cases to spur new tips. AI & Trust: A national survey finds Americans’ trust in federal information is slipping, especially around election results.

Child Welfare Tech Grant: Missouri’s Department of Social Services is starting a three-year federal project to help Children’s Division teams use case-management data more clearly and quickly, with $600,000 from the Predictive Analytics in Child Welfare Demonstration Grant. Housing Numbers Across Missouri: New HUD rankings show how assistance is distributed county by county—Jackson County leads project-based Section 8 (6,493) and St. Louis County leads Housing Choice Vouchers (9,351), while smaller counties like Polk County report just 1 project-based Section 8 unit. Medicaid Policy Scorecard: Heartland Institute’s 50-state Medicaid Report Card ranks Kansas highest and California lowest across program design, spending exposure, integrity, and provider-market conditions. Abortion Pills in Court: Federal judges are set to hear arguments on whether rules should tighten for mifepristone, as states and providers fight over medication abortion access via telehealth. College Sports Safety Fight: Sexual abuse survivors and families oppose the Protect College Sports Act, arguing its lawsuit remedies may not fully protect athletes.

AI in Missouri Schools: Missouri is partnering with Google to offer free AI tools and training for educators, students, and job seekers through K-12, colleges, and Missouri Job Centers. Local Education Upgrades: Springfield Public Schools cut ribbons on two new middle schools—Pipkin Middle School and Reed Academy—funded by the 2023 Proposition S bond. Critical Minerals in Missouri: US Strategic Metals and Ionic Rare Earths plan a $100M rare-earth magnet recycling plant near Fredericktown, aiming to build domestic supply for permanent magnets. Health Access Under Pressure: Clinicians say ICE enforcement is keeping immigrant families away from care, worsening pediatric health and delaying treatment. Trade Shock for the Midwest: Experts warn Canadian retaliatory tariffs could hit Kansas City businesses and jobs, with ripple effects across electronics, appliances, steel, and farm equipment. School Meal Focus: A national report ranks Vermont No. 1 for school meals, highlighting how states expand free lunch and breakfast reach. Agriculture & Policy: A University of Wyoming specialist helped organize a Federal Reserve agricultural roundtable in Cheyenne to discuss real-world ranching and crop challenges.

AI Skills Push in Missouri Schools: The Missouri Department of Higher Education and Workforce Development and DESE are partnering with Google to offer free Grow with Google Career Certificates and AI courses for educators, students, and job seekers. Higher Ed Funding: The Missouri Scholarship & Loan Foundation awarded $940,250 through the Purdy Emerging Leaders Scholarship to 223 students across 35 colleges and universities. Public Safety Tech & Cyber: New Missouri laws taking effect Aug. 28 cover critical infrastructure crime, unmanned aircraft rules, speed-limit changes, school bus safety, impaired driving, cybercrime, stalking/harassment, fraud, and child-related offenses. Insurance Data Transparency: A report highlights an “information crisis” in homeowners insurance, saying many state regulators aren’t making market data public at the ZIP-code level. Agriculture Biosecurity: A swine disease monitoring update flags rising Mycoplasma hyopneumoniae positivity in wean-to-market barns, urging tighter biosecurity. Local Education Outcomes: New NCES figures show Phelps County’s six-year bachelor’s completion for Black or African American students at 51.2% (2018 cohort), with other county-by-demographic rates also reported.

Mizzou Energy Tech: University of Missouri broke ground on the $120 million Payne Energy Innovation Center, a 116,000-square-foot hub aimed at tackling rising energy demands tied to AI—bringing together energy, nuclear/materials science, and AI/cyber research with a planned 2028 completion. Health & Regulation: The FDA opened a botanical drug docket, seeking input on how to speed development of plant-based medicines, with comments due Nov. 3—while the Appalachian wild ginseng season is already underway under federal trade controls. Public Health Watch: Researchers in China described a new tick-borne virus (ALTNV) and noted the main tick species is already established across much of the eastern U.S., including 21 Missouri-area states via USDA confirmation—no U.S. human cases reported yet. Local STEM & Outcomes: New National Center for Education Statistics figures show Boone County’s 2018 cohort completion rate for white students at 77.4% by 2024, while other Missouri counties report wide gaps by race/ethnicity. Immigration & Security: A St. Louis County case puts an Afghan interpreter—now a scientist with legal status—into ICE custody on terrorism-related allegations tied to his past work with U.S. forces. Community Science: Centralia families are organizing a Sept. 19 5K for Fox P1, a rare genetic disorder, to fund research via the Fox P1 Foundation.

AI in everyday life: The Newsfeed checked in with Missourians on how they use AI—some use it for research and planning, while others say they try to avoid it. Local food tech meets nostalgia: Farm stands in Missouri are leaning into direct-to-consumer sales, social media, and preorders as demand for local food keeps rising. Health misinformation, corrected: A new look at penicillin allergy labels says most people who carry the label likely aren’t truly allergic, and the label can steer clinicians toward costlier alternatives. Rural connectivity delays: Federal guidance is still holding up about $21B for rural broadband projects, leaving states waiting. Renewables in rural Missouri: University of Missouri research finds wind and solar can boost rural jobs, wages, and local economic output—while also raising tough community tradeoffs. Workplace safety training: An OSHA Top 10 webinar frames the agency’s most-cited standards as a self-check for hazard recognition, training, and safety management. Aviation & logistics: FAA testing of a pilotless cargo aircraft highlights how drone-like delivery could scale up for faster rural healthcare supply runs. Tech + privacy politics: Data center backlash is shaping midterm messaging, with some leaders pushing moratoriums or audits after community pushback. Retail payments: Walmart is rolling out tap-to-pay in Missouri, expanding mobile wallet checkout options.

Renewables & Rural Jobs: A University of Missouri study finds wind and solar projects can lift rural economies—solar boosts employment and wages, while wind adds to local GDP. Weather & Farms: Missouri growers are bracing for flash drought and heat stress as soil moisture drops and yields near final stages. Payments Tech: Walmart is rolling out tap-to-pay in Missouri via major mobile wallets, continuing the shift away from cards and toward phone-based checkout. Public Safety Law Updates: New Missouri laws take effect covering critical infrastructure damage, drone limits near sensitive sites, traffic and boating rules, and tougher penalties tied to intoxicated driving. Surveillance Cameras Debate: A Massachusetts judge ordered public release of automatic license plate reader locations, adding fuel to the national fight over Flock-style surveillance. Higher Ed Outcomes: New county-by-county completion-rate reporting shows uneven bachelor’s degree progress across Missouri demographics, with several notable gaps. AI in Schools: New rules banning or limiting student AI use are spreading nationwide, leaving districts to improvise on what’s allowed and what’s not. Rare Earths Recycling: Ionic and US Strategic Metals plan a magnet recycling plant in Missouri to recover high-value rare earth materials.

AI in classrooms: New school rules are banning or limiting student use of AI tools in major districts, showing how fast education tech policy is changing—and how uneven it is across the country. Missouri energy research: The University of Missouri broke ground on the Payne Energy Innovation Center, a $50M-backed push to make power-and-water tech more sustainable, with a planned 2028 opening. Missouri AI funding: Missouri State University received an NSF award of $489,183 to expand undergraduate AI research opportunities. Workforce & aging: Missouri is taking nominations for its “Outstanding Older Worker of the Year” program, plus awards tied to the Senior Community Service Employment Program. Surveillance cameras backlash: Massachusetts courts ordered the release of automatic license plate reader location records, adding fuel to the national privacy fight over ALPR networks. Local tech & safety: A Texas County wildfire response credited drone tech for helping crews protect homes during a fast-moving blaze. Higher-ed spotlight: SIUE will host a free October screening of “A Black History Tour of St. Louis,” blending local history with campus research and community voices.

AI & Research Funding: Missouri State University’s AI program landed a $489,183 NSF award to expand undergraduate research in AI and related tech. Surveillance Cameras: A Missouri lawmaker is pushing back hard on federal “Flock” license-plate camera expansion, while a separate tracker says 153 U.S. communities have rejected or shut down ALPR systems amid privacy backlash. Local Tech in Action: Texas County crews used drones to get ahead of a fast-moving 220-acre wildfire, helping protect nearby homes in tough terrain. Education Outcomes (Missouri): New six-year bachelor’s completion figures highlight gaps by county and student group, including Boone (68.1% for Hispanic/Latino students), Greene (62.9% for Asian students), and Lincoln (15.4% for Black students). STEM/Infrastructure & Materials: Researchers are testing plastic-infused asphalt to improve road heat resistance, with a Texas pilot road holding up after extreme temperatures. Community Tech & Safety: Cooper County is installing its 16th Safe Haven Baby Box, funded by nearly $28,000 in local fundraising. Workforce Programs: Missouri is accepting nominations for its “Outstanding Older Worker of the Year” and related SCSEP awards.

Education Equity Watch: Lincoln University in Cole County reported a 15.4% six-year bachelor’s completion rate for Black/African American students (2018 cohort through 2024), well below the statewide 36.4%. Higher Ed Outcomes: Cape Girardeau County’s Black/African American completion rate hit 39.4% at Southeast Missouri State; UMKC in Johnson County-area reporting shows Hispanic/Latino completion at 44.9% (UMKC) and 48.5% (University of Central Missouri in Johnson County). Public Safety & Health: A Cooper County Safe Haven Baby Box is set for an Oct. 1 installation after the county raised nearly $28,000. Classroom Spotlight: Missouri named seven finalists for the 2027 Teacher of the Year, including science and reading intervention educators from across the state. Tech & Society: A national backlash over data centers is driving recall efforts against officials tied to projects, with voters citing power, water, noise, and privacy concerns. AI Compute Finance: Jane Street’s massive AI compute commitments to Crusoe are reshaping the AI infrastructure demand picture. Privacy Tech: Florida moved to revoke permits for automated license plate readers on state roads, citing misuse and surveillance worries.

Critical Minerals & Recycling: Ionic Rare Earths and US Strategic Metals are lining up a US$100M rare-earth magnet recycling campus near Fredericktown, aiming to recover end-of-life neodymium and samarium-cobalt magnets and strengthen domestic supply chains. Higher Ed Tech & Funding: UMKC is leading a push to make Kansas City a critical materials hub after an NSF award (up to $160M over a decade) to expand R&D, commercialization, and workforce for onshoring key minerals. Data Centers & Local Politics: Missouri voters recalled a council member tied to a data center tax break, adding fuel to the growing fight over whether these projects deliver real local benefits. Surveillance Cameras: Missouri Sen. Josh Hawley is expanding his surveillance investigation beyond Flock to other camera and AI platforms, as privacy backlash spreads. Workplace Safety Training: A new webinar breaks down OSHA’s Top 10 citations as a self-check tool for hazard recognition, training, supervision, and safety management. Public Health Research: Saint Louis University researchers report autism diagnoses rising fastest among girls and women, pointing to improved recognition rather than a sudden surge in new cases. Weather & Agriculture: MU Extension warns drought and heat are cutting soybean yields as soil moisture drops and plants near final growth stages. Community Tech Access: Greyhound launched a new Kansas City-to-Minneapolis/St. Paul route, giving UMKC students another travel option across the Midwest.