Data center backlash spills into Missouri primaries

By Jason Hancock | Editor-in-Chief

Good morning,

Data centers used to be the kind of issue that lived mostly in planning meetings, tax abatement hearings and utility filings.

Not anymore.

As Amazon and Google projects move ahead in Montgomery County, the backlash is spilling into Missouri’s Republican primaries. Candidates are talking about secrecy, water use, power costs and whether local officials are locking in deals before residents get a meaningful say.

Steph Quinn reports on how the fight over data centers has moved from rural county meetings onto the campaign trail, and why some lawmakers say January may be too late.

by Steph Quinn

As Amazon and Google projects advance in Montgomery County, Republican candidates are turning local frustration over data centers into a statewide campaign issue. What remains unresolved is who gets a say before deals are locked in.

by Jason Hancock

Auditors found former Gov. Mike Parson’s office spent $375,000 on state aircraft without records showing why. For a third of the flights, they could identify no public business purpose.

by Sam Gauntt

A dangerous heat wave is settling over much of the Midwest and East Coast as Fourth of July events peak, raising the risk for people outdoors, without air conditioning or already medically vulnerable.

A quick programming note: We won’t have a newsletter Saturday because of the Fourth of July holiday. We’ll be back Sunday morning with The Weekender.

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