U.S. Briefs: Space defense agency lands in Alabama

Alabama 

On Sept. 2, President Donald Trump announced that Space Command will relocate from Peterson Space Force Base in Colorado Springs to Redstone Arsenal in Huntsville, Ala., a move described as both political and practical. During the announcement, the president suggested Colorado’s mail-in voting practices played a role in the decision. Established in 1982, Space Command works closely with Space Force, both of which are responsible for “protecting and defending the space domain.” Colorado Springs has been home to Space Command headquarters since 2019, but the Secretary of the Air Force recommended relocating to Alabama two years later. Former President Joe Biden canceled the move due to concerns about impairing military readiness. Colorado’s congressional delegation issued a joint statement arguing the move to Alabama may “not result in any additional operational capabilities.” The lawmakers also warned civilian employees may not relocate to Alabama. But once operations begin in Huntsville, Space Command could save more than $400 million. The move is expected to take up to four years to complete. —Bekah McCallum

Oregon

In early September, Portland General Electric and Mitsubishi Power canceled plans for a hydrogen generation facility near Boardman. Developers have begun abandoning hydrogen fuel projects due to the high cost of production and low consumer interest. Last year’s cancellations included a hydrogen factory in Washington. And a Seattle-based maker of hydrogen-powered vehicles declared bankruptcy. Companies like Shell, BP, and Airbus also have scaled back plans for hydrogen fuel development. Project funding comes from the Pacific Northwest Hydrogen Hub, a $1 billion program aimed at reducing dependence on fossil fuels in Washington, Oregon, and Montana. In May, Department of Energy Secretary Chris Wright announced his agency would review “wasteful” grant programs. —Bekah McCallum

Maryland

Gov. Wes Moore signed an executive order on Sept. 3 aimed at accelerating the construction of new housing in the state after similar legislation died in a Senate committee. The state currently needs about 96,000 more units to meet demand, a shortage Moore’s order attributed to “insufficient housing construction” during the last 15 years. The governor, a Democrat, argued the lack of affordable housing options for working families in his state has “created an imminent threat of widespread social and economic disruption” that harms the state’s business climate and companies’ ability to retain workers. Moore’s order urged state agencies to speed up the approval process for housing developments and created a housing ombudsman to oversee the approval of new projects. —Addie Offereins

Brandon Bell / Getty Images

Texas 

College students sued the University of Texas System in early September over a law banning free expression on public university campuses between 10 p.m. and 8 a.m. The Foundation for Individual Rights and Expression (FIRE) filed the complaint on behalf of a collection of student groups that spans the ideological spectrum. The law turns universities into speech-free zones after dark, FIRE said, noting students could be punished for anything from wearing a political shirt to attending a candlelight vigil. The state initially set strong protections for campus speech in 2019. But legislators later amended the law to censor students after sweeping on-campus protests in 2024 over the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. The law also bars student groups from several forms of protected expression during the last two weeks of a semester, including events using amplified sound or hosting guest speakers. Campus ministries, for example, would be barred from having an off-campus pastor host a prayer event during finals week, FIRE noted. The University of Texas System would not immediately comment on the case to WORLD, saying it had not yet reviewed the lawsuit. —Christina Grube

Tennessee

Attorney General Jonathan Skrmetti on Sept. 2 appealed a court ruling that overturned two long-standing state gun laws. The decision, made by a three-judge panel in August, could significantly change when and where Tennesseans can carry guns. One of the overturned laws generally limits carrying a gun in public parks, playgrounds, and civic centers to owners with permits. The other involves the more ambiguous offense of carrying a firearm “with the intent to go armed.” Both are misdemeanors. Petitioners sued in 2023, saying the laws violated the Second Amendment and state constitutional gun rights. The subsequent 44-page ruling in Hughes v. Lee prompted Republican and Democratic lawmakers to join forces to challenge it. They say the judgment appears to allow gun possession by minors and people unfit to carry in public places. Skrmetti has asked the court to pause the ruling while the state appeals. A new Tennessee law, the first in the nation, requires students to learn gun safety beginning in kindergarten, an unprecedented approach to gun injury prevention. —Kim Henderson

Pipes used to carry crude oil sit at the Superior, Wis., terminal of Enbridge Energy. Associated Press / Photo by Jim Mone

Wisconsin

Environmental and climate activists clashed with energy and jobs advocates at a Sept. 3 public hearing in Madison over plans to reroute a decades-old pipeline. Enbridge Energy pumps up to 540,000 barrels of crude oil and liquid natural gas daily through the pipeline that runs from Superior’s port to refineries in Canada. Twelve miles of the pipeline cut through the center of a nearly 200-square-mile reservation belonging to the Bad River Band of the Lake Superior Tribe of Chippewa Indians. The tribe didn’t renew the pipeline’s lease in 2013, but the Canadian-based company continued operating the pipeline anyway. The tribe sued in 2019. Four years later, a federal judge ordered Enbridge to stop piping oil through the reservation by June 2026. Opponents likely hoped the company would shutter the 72-year-old pipeline, but Enbridge proposed rerouting it around the reservation, adding about 40 miles of pipe. Additional public hearings are planned while the litigation continues. —Todd Vician