El Niño & Nebraska Plains: The National Weather Service says El Niño is strengthening, with a better-than-90% chance of a “very strong” event this fall and winter—bringing wetter-than-normal conditions that could ease drought as far north as Wyoming and Nebraska. Corn market shock: A Midwest Crop Tour found “disappointing” corn yields; corn futures jumped above $5 a bushel for the first time since May, with Nebraska among states seeing yield checks below last year. Tyson ripple effects: Tyson Foods plans to close beef plants in Illinois and Utah, cutting about 3,200 jobs, while consolidating processing at other sites including Dakota City, Nebraska—raising concerns for the Quad Cities and surrounding cattle supply chains. Amazon drone delivery expansion: Prime Air is set to expand to nearly 500 U.S. cities/towns by year-end, including Omaha, with new launches planned around major metros. AI data center backlash: Across the country, voters are turning to recalls to fight new AI data centers over power, water, noise and tax impacts—an issue likely to keep heating up in election season. Nebraska education & workforce: UNK launched the Loper Flight Academy with a new, university-run aviation training model, aiming to boost Nebraska’s pipeline of aviation talent. Local business & health: Nebraska Orthopaedic Center reported a data breach tied to a vendor incident, and a new Big Idea Grand Island pitch competition opens Aug. 24 for early-stage entrepreneurs.