Communities in Texas, New Mexico and Arizona are protesting new AI data centers over concerns about water consumption, energy use and pollution. Data centers use water for cooling systems that manage heat generated by processors, which can reach internal temperatures near 176 degrees Fahrenheit. While estimates suggest data centers consumed about 66 billion liters of water in 2023—under 1 percent of total U.S. water use—that figure could grow sharply as AI infrastructure expands.
arstechnica.com
· 2026-08-27
Researchers from Texas A&M, Purdue University and NASA's Johnson Space Center have developed a traffic management system for spacecraft sharing the near-rectilinear halo orbit around the moon. The system is meant to coordinate multiple vehicles—including Orion capsules, cargo ships and lunar landers—that will operate simultaneously as NASA builds out its planned moon base.
cnet.com
· 2026-08-26
WIRED's 2026 review of Green Chef highlights dishes like lemon-oregano shrimp with schug and feta, and a spiced steelhead with gremolata and couscous, praising their complex, layered flavors despite quick prep times. The reviewer notes strong protein sourcing, including U.S.-fished shrimp, wild-caught salmon, and Norwegian steelhead, all clearly labeled by origin.
wired.com
· 2026-08-26
At the grand opening of Buc-ee's first Arkansas location in Benton, CEO Arch 'Beaver' Aplin III told a crowd that included Governor Sarah Huckabee Sanders that he prefers building stores in 'conservative, business-friendly' states with strong workforces. He suggested that expansion works best when supported by state leadership from the top down, implying the chain may avoid areas where it feels unappreciated.
fastcompany.com
· 2026-08-25
A new analysis of seven states housing roughly half of America's data centers finds that generating the electricity these facilities consume uses far more water than cooling their servers does. Across Virginia, Texas, California, Illinois, Georgia, Ohio and Arizona, data center power demand draws about 3.4 trillion gallons of freshwater a year—about 12 times the combined annual water use of Los Angeles, Phoenix and Washington, D.C. Most of that electricity comes from water-dependent power plants, and two-thirds of them sit in regions already facing significant water stress or drought.
ceres.org
· 2026-08-25
Texas Governor Greg Abbott told ABC that AI companies have caused their own backlash by building data centers without coordinating with state or local governments. This marks a sharp reversal from just months ago, when Abbott championed Texas as the 'epicenter of AI development' and celebrated a $40 billion Google investment tied to tax breaks. Abbott recently imposed a moratorium on new data center projects, citing strain on the state's power grid.
futurism.com
· 2026-08-24
A study led by Dr. Ian Hughes at Texas A&M University found that employees who compulsively browse distressing news during work hours tend to dwell on what they've read, and that lingering rumination reduces their engagement with work. The findings, drawn from two studies of workers in the US and UK, show the effect is strongest among people high in neuroticism, a trait tied to anxiety and worry.
stories.tamu.edu
· 2026-08-23
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