> ## 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. # Top 5 US news stories - URL: https://www.citizenjournal.us/top-5-us-news-stories-268/ - Published: 2026-09-18T10:23:54.000Z - Updated: 2026-09-18T10:23:54.000Z - Description: September 18 2026 - Author: Greg Loving - Tags: aacj, email, #summary # Four States Open Early In-Person Voting for Midterms # New York Targets Utility Costs as Data Center Bills Stall # GM Delivers Patriot Parts as Lockheed Ramps Up Production # Record Diesel Prices Squeeze Farmers as Harvest Begins # Atlantic Breaks Modern Record for Delayed Hurricane Start --- # Four States Open Early In-Person Voting for Midterms Early in-person voting for the Nov. 3 midterm elections opened Sept. 18 in Idaho, Minnesota, South Dakota and Virginia, the first four states on the calendar. Illinois follows Sept. 24, while Kentucky begins Oct. 29, the latest start date. Voters will decide control of Congress, with every House seat and roughly one-third of the Senate on the ballot. The four states opening early voting Sept. 18 will not report those votes before Election Day. CEIR --- # New York Targets Utility Costs as Data Center Bills Stall New York regulators opened a proceeding Sept. 17 to create an Energy Affordability Index measuring utility costs against a goal of 6% of household income, split evenly between electricity and gas. Utilities must file affordability data by Feb. 1, 2027, and could face an independent spending monitor if they exceed the target, but the framework does not cap individual bills. Separately, the Ratepayer Protection Act, which passed the House Sept. 16, would require state regulators to consider standards making data centers pay for the grid upgrades they need instead of charging other customers. Sen. Martin Heinrich, a New Mexico Democrat, blocked unanimous-consent Senate passage Sept. 17, arguing that considering protections was insufficient. His alternative, the GRID Savings Act, would require large electricity users such as data centers to pay for the facilities needed to connect them to the grid. Republican Sen. Bernie Moreno of Ohio objected to that proposal, leaving both bills without Senate approval. NY Governor's Office / WBNG / FingerLakes1 / CBS6 Albany / CBS News / Husted's Office / Heinrich's Office --- # GM Delivers Patriot Parts as Lockheed Ramps Up Production Lockheed Martin said Sept. 17 that it had received its first shipment of Patriot interceptor components from General Motors' defense unit as the Pentagon seeks faster weapons production. GM Defense delivered the PAC-3 MSE housing components Aug. 28, 22 days after the companies signed an Aug. 6 manufacturing agreement. The wars in Ukraine and the Middle East have increased demand for Patriots, straining supplies shared by the United States and its allies. The Associated Press reported in August, citing unnamed U.S. and NATO officials, that Patriot inventories among American and allied forces in Europe had fallen to critically low levels. NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte has identified production capacity as a bottleneck in meeting demand for the interceptors. Lockheed's seven-year framework agreement with the Pentagon, announced in January, aims to raise annual PAC-3 MSE production capacity from about 600 to 2,000. Reuters / Defense News / AP / NATO / Lockheed Martin --- # Record Diesel Prices Squeeze Farmers as Harvest Begins Diesel reached a record national average of about $6.40 a gallon Sept. 17, up 77 cents since September began, according to AAA figures cited by KCTV5\. Iowa averaged $6.06 Sept. 14, while Nebraska's $6.27 average reported Sept. 15 put the retail-price equivalent of 5,000 gallons at $31,350\. Iowa Agriculture Secretary Mike Naig said fuel costs were a major concern as harvest began, when farmers depend on diesel for equipment and grain hauling. The International Energy Agency says the supply squeeze is most acute in refined fuels such as diesel, whose prices have risen much faster than crude oil. Ukrainian attacks have disrupted Russian refineries, while restrictions on Strait of Hormuz shipping during the Iran war have reduced Gulf states' diesel exports. Combined net diesel and gasoil exports from Russia and the Gulf were 1.6 million barrels a day lower in August than in February, the agency reported. KCTV5 / KTIV / KOLN / KCRG / IEA --- # Atlantic Breaks Modern Record for Delayed Hurricane Start The Atlantic had produced no hurricanes by Sept. 17, extending the longest wait for a season's first hurricane in the satellite era, which began in 1966\. Five named storms, Arthur, Bertha, Cristobal, Dolly and Edouard, had formed, but none reached hurricane strength. Forecasters attribute much of the slowdown to El Niño, which suppresses Atlantic hurricane activity. NOAA's updated outlook projects seven to 13 named storms and two to six hurricanes, with a 75% chance of a below-normal season. The National Hurricane Center was monitoring a disturbance east of Bermuda on Sept. 17 for possible development. The season continues through Nov. 30, and the quiet start does not rule out late-season storms that could threaten U.S. coastlines. Fox Weather / NOAA / CBS News --- # SEPTEMBER 18, 1976: ONE MILLION MOURNERS ATTEND FUNERAL OF MAO ZEDONG More than one million people gathered at Beijing’s Great Hall of the People and in Tiananmen Square for the funeral of Mao Zedong, founder of the People’s Republic of China. During the eight-day mourning period, over a million citizens filed past his flag-draped coffin as the nation observed moments of silence and a televised state ceremony. *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/).* --- Found a mistake? Have a news tip or feedback to share? Contact our newsroom using the button below: [Contact Us](https://www.citizenjournal.us/contact/) --- citizen journal offers three flagship products: a **daily national news summary**, a **daily Kansas news summary**, and **local news and school board summaries from 34 cities across 5 states**. Use the links in the header to navigate to national, kansas, and local coverage. Subscribe to each, some, or all to get an email when new issues are published for FREE! [SUBSCRIBE](https://www.citizenjournal.us/subscribe/) --- ### Brought to you by (click me!) [Want to advertise here? ](https://ads.citizenjournal.us/?ref=citizenjournal.us) --- ## Sources 1. [CEIR](https://electioninnovation.org/research/dates-for-2026-early-in-person-and-mail-voting/?ref=citizenjournal.us) 2. [NY Governor's Office](https://www.governor.ny.gov/news/governor-hochul-announces-psc-takes-action-her-plan-measure-affordability-new-yorks-electric?ref=citizenjournal.us) / [WBNG](https://www.wbng.com/2026/09/17/new-york-state-moves-cap-electric-gas-bills-6-household-income/?ref=citizenjournal.us) / [FingerLakes1](https://www.fingerlakes1.com/2026/09/17/new-york-utility-affordability-index-will-track-household-energy-costs/?ref=citizenjournal.us) / [CBS6 Albany](https://cbs6albany.com/news/power-and-politics/psc-utility-rate-proposals-will-need-to-fulfill-stricter-affordability-metrics-in-nys-rory-christian-new-york-state-public-service-commission?ref=citizenjournal.us) / [CBS News](https://www.cbsnews.com/news/senate-data-center-energy-bill-martin-heinrich/?ref=citizenjournal.us) / [Husted's Office](https://www.husted.senate.gov/media/press-releases/husted-bill-to-protect-americans-from-footing-the-bill-for-new-data-centers-blocked-from-passage/?ref=citizenjournal.us) / [Heinrich's Office](https://www.heinrich.senate.gov/newsroom/press-releases/heinrich-offers-his-grid-savings-act-to-force-ai-data-centers-to-pay-for-grid-upgrades-highlights-how-husted-backed-bill-falls-short?ref=citizenjournal.us) 3. [Reuters via Defense News](https://www.defensenews.com/industry/2026/09/17/lockheed-martin-gets-first-batch-of-patriot-interceptor-parts-from-general-motors/?ref=citizenjournal.us) / [U.S. Army photo via DVIDS](https://www.dvidshub.net/image/791556/meads-launch-3?ref=citizenjournal.us) / [AP](https://apnews.com/article/patriot-missiles-iran-war-russia-ukraine-trump-09c7d8030a2e11fbd8ee3f7176b3f2d4?ref=citizenjournal.us) / [NATO](https://www.nato.int/en/news-and-events/events/transcripts/2026/06/03/joint-press-conference-by-the-nato-secretary-general-mark-rutte-with-the-president-of-ukraine-volodymyr-zelenskyy?ref=citizenjournal.us) / [Lockheed Martin](https://news.lockheedmartin.com/2026-01-06-Lockheed-Martin-and-Department-of-War-Advance-Landmark-Acquisition-Transformation-to-Accelerate-PAC-3-R-MSE-Production?ref=citizenjournal.us) 4. [KCTV5](https://www.kctv5.com/2026/09/17/diesel-prices-surge-harvest-season-begins/?ref=citizenjournal.us) / [KTIV](https://www.ktiv.com/2026/09/17/iowa-agriculture-secretary-says-farm-bill-fuel-costs-top-concerns-harvest-begins/?ref=citizenjournal.us) / [KOLN via KTIV](https://www.ktiv.com/2026/09/15/cant-leave-crops-field-nebraska-farmers-brace-soaring-diesel-costs-harvest/?ref=citizenjournal.us) / [KTIV via KCRG](https://www.kcrg.com/2026/09/14/diesel-prices-strain-siouxland-farmers-gas-costs-also-climb/?ref=citizenjournal.us) / [IEA](https://www.iea.org/reports/oil-market-report-september-2026?ref=citizenjournal.us) 5. [Fox Weather — Sept. 17 Update](https://www.foxweather.com/weather-news/bryan-norcross-exclusive-analysis-tropical-update-september-17-2026?ref=citizenjournal.us) / [Fox Weather — Late First Hurricane](https://www.foxweather.com/weather-news/atlantic-hurricane-season-late-first-hurricane-super-el-nino-2026?ref=citizenjournal.us) / [NOAA](https://www.noaa.gov/news-release/noaa-maintains-prediction-for-below-normal-atlantic-hurricane-season?ref=citizenjournal.us) / [NOAA Climate Prediction Center](https://www.cpc.ncep.noaa.gov/products/outlooks/hurricane.shtml?ref=citizenjournal.us) / [CBS News](https://www.cbsnews.com/news/atlantic-hurricane-season-activity-record-low-el-nino/?ref=citizenjournal.us) --- [ ![Alt text](https://rosebud-ads.s3.us-east-2.amazonaws.com/JOB.png) ](https://gregl72.github.io/job/?ref=citizenjournal.us)