> ## Content Index > Fetch the complete content index at: https://www.citizenjournal.us/llms.txt > Use this file to discover other available public pages before exploring further. # McPherson daily brief - URL: https://www.citizenjournal.us/mcpherson-daily-brief-130/ - Published: 2026-08-04T12:31:53.000Z - Updated: 2026-08-04T12:31:53.000Z - Description: McPherson, Kansas and US news for busy people - Aug 4, 2026 edition - Author: Greg Loving - Tags: mcj, #brief, #fullemail # McPherson - The McPherson County Planning and Zoning Department reported year-to-date new building valuations reached $54 million, up from $28 million for all of 2025\. [→](https://www.citizenjournal.us/mcpherson-county-commission-summary-23/) - The McPherson County Board of Commissioners approved a final change order for the county building, reducing project costs by $33,537\. [→](https://www.citizenjournal.us/mcpherson-county-commission-summary-23/) - McPherson County Public Works crews have begun late-summer road maintenance, including chip sealing and paving near Inman and Marquette. [→](https://www.citizenjournal.us/mcpherson-county-commission-summary-23/) - The McPherson County Sheriff's Office reported 53 jail inmates and noted ongoing costs from housing animals in an active legal case. [→](https://www.citizenjournal.us/mcpherson-county-commission-summary-23/) - Expect a slight chance of morning showers and thunderstorms before giving way to partly sunny skies and a high near 94°F today. --- # 🌾 Kansas - Kansans vote Tuesday on a constitutional amendment to replace the state's Supreme Court merit-selection system with statewide elections starting in 2028\. [→](https://www.citizenjournal.us/top-5-kansas-news-stories-241/) - The Finney County Commission approved a 10-year property-tax exemption for Empirical Foods' $400 million beef-processing project expected to create 270 jobs. [→](https://www.citizenjournal.us/top-5-kansas-news-stories-241/) - Kansas cropland values rose 2.9% to $3,540 per acre in 2026 as U.S. cropland topped $6,000 per acre for the first time, according to USDA data. [→](https://www.citizenjournal.us/top-5-kansas-news-stories-241/) - The FAA certified Boeing's 737 MAX 7 on Monday after years of delays, with Southwest Airlines holding most of the roughly 289 orders. [→](https://www.citizenjournal.us/top-5-kansas-news-stories-241/) - Kansas cities including Goodland, Garden City and Russell broke Dust Bowl-era and other heat records Sunday amid a statewide heat wave. [→](https://www.citizenjournal.us/top-5-kansas-news-stories-241/) --- # 🇺🇸 US - Michigan, Kansas and Missouri voters head to the polls Tuesday in primaries that will set key November matchups, including a Democratic Senate race in Michigan between Rep. Haley Stevens and Abdul El-Sayed. [→](https://www.citizenjournal.us/top-5-us-news-stories-238/) - The Senate voted 89-4 Monday to advance a bipartisan stopgap spending bill that would fund the government through Dec. 11 and avert a shutdown before the midterms. [→](https://www.citizenjournal.us/top-5-us-news-stories-238/) - ICE took more than 46,000 people into custody in July, a record for the second Trump administration, as the agency expands enforcement at major U.S. airports. [→](https://www.citizenjournal.us/top-5-us-news-stories-238/) - OpenAI said an internal version of its upcoming Astra model produced solutions to 10 math and computer science problems that had remained unsolved for at least a decade. [→](https://www.citizenjournal.us/top-5-us-news-stories-238/) - U.S. stocks hit records Monday as Amazon's market value topped $3 trillion for the first time and oil prices fell more than 6% on eased Iran tensions. [→](https://www.citizenjournal.us/top-5-us-news-stories-238/) --- # Weather ![Weather](https://storage.ghost.io/c/f7/e6/f7e66a8b-8f27-493f-8b7e-664ecefd4c3d/content/images/2026/08/Tab1FileL-1.png) --- --- # AUGUST 4, 1790: ALEXANDER HAMILTON CREATES COAST GUARD TO INTERCEPT SMUGGLERS Alexander Hamilton persuaded the first U.S. Congress to fund a fleet of swift “revenue cutters” to patrol ports from Massachusetts to Georgia, intercept smugglers and enforce tariff laws. In a young nation without an income tax, these vessels became a crucial tool to secure customs revenue and stabilize the federal government’s post–Revolutionary War finances. *This article was written using our proprietary AI system, Cronkite. The final decision to publish this article was made by a human. For more info, read our [AI policy](https://www.citizenjournal.us/ai-policy/).*