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Congressional Black Caucus pushes for AI regulation at annual conference

At this year's Congressional Black Caucus Annual Legislative Conference in Washington, discussions shifted from the usual festive tone to serious debate over artificial intelligence and data center risks. Rep. Troy Carter said nearly all 62 CBC members would back legislation establishing guardrails, transparency requirements, and safety guidelines for AI, arguing that competing with China should not override protecting communities from potential harms.

MAGA base breaks with Trump over data center buildout ahead of midterms

Conservative activists like Molly McCann Sanders of the Eagle Forum are publicly rejecting Trump's pro-data-center stance, citing pollution and land-use fears. Polling from the New York Times shows over 60% of Americans, including nearly half of Republicans, oppose new data center construction, and GOP strategists have warned in internal memos that supporting AI infrastructure could hurt candidates in the midterms.

Inside America's AI Data Centers: A Look at the Human Labor Behind the Boom

Data center technicians spend their shifts walking miles of server rows, sniffing for burning smells, and checking equipment for damage—including from birds—as they keep facilities powering the AI build-out running smoothly. The work combines physical inspection routines with constant vigilance for small warning signs that could signal bigger equipment failures.

Trump proposes renaming 'Artificial Intelligence' and calls AI safety concerns a Democratic hoax

President Trump posted on Truth Social suggesting AI be rebranded with a term like 'Superior,' 'Extreme,' or 'Supreme Intelligence,' running a poll for followers to choose. He also claimed that growing public concern over AI and data centers is a manufactured Democratic hoax akin to past controversies like Russia investigations and impeachment efforts, vowing not to let opposition to AI succeed.

Vandals Smash Windows, Spray Anti-AI Graffiti at Montreal's MILA Institute

A group of roughly 10 people vandalized the Montreal offices of Quebec's AI research institute MILA and a nearby AI company this week, smashing windows and spray-painting slogans including "burn the data centers." Montreal police confirmed the coordinated attack and briefly detained a 25-year-old woman found near the scene before releasing her without charges.

iOS 27 refines Apple's Focus mode with new customization options

Apple's iOS 27 update brings changes to Focus mode, the feature that lets iPhone users control which notifications they receive during specific activities like work or sleep. Users can still activate modes via Control Center or customize settings under the Focus menu in Settings, but the update introduces refinements to how these modes function.

GlobalFoundries expands SiGe chip output for Marvell's optical networking push

GlobalFoundries and Marvell Technology have extended their manufacturing partnership, with GlobalFoundries boosting silicon germanium (SiGe) production capacity at its Burlington, Vermont facility. The multi-year deal targets components used in pluggable optical transceivers, near-packaged optics, and co-packaged optics, technologies that data centers need to move data faster than copper wiring allows.

House passes Ratepayer Protection Act forcing large AI data centers to fund grid upgrades

The U.S. House approved H.R. 9340, the Ratepayer Protection Act, which amends the 1978 Public Utility Regulatory Policies Act to require state regulators and non-regulated utilities to consider adopting a federal standard within two years. Under the bill, data centers drawing 100 megawatts or more would have to cover the full incremental cost of generation, transmission, or distribution upgrades built to serve them, even if they later cancel their power contracts.

ICE Stopped Tracking Miscarriages in Detention After Recording 18 Cases

A Guardian investigation found ICE documented 18 miscarriages among detained women in the first nine months of Trump's second term, but stopped keeping records after October 2025, leaving an unknown number of subsequent losses uncounted. One detainee, an asylum seeker named Anabell, described being denied prenatal care and a doctor's visit for weeks despite bleeding, before finally being taken to an emergency room shackled to a bed, where she learned she had lost her pregnancy.

Virginia Gov. Spanberger signs order restricting data center NDAs, creates AI task force

Virginia Governor Abigail Spanberger issued Executive Order 22, barring executive branch officials from signing NDAs on data center projects, mandating faster noise regulations, and reviewing backup power operations. The order also launches an AI task force to study risks like job losses and privacy harms, alongside a new state framework aimed at ending automatic zoning approvals and rolling back subsidies for data center developers.

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