Stories of justice and action across America
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Populist opposition to data centers fueling the international AI arms race is scrambling up the 2026 midterms, cutting across liberal and conservative circles.
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Hey there, This is America readers, I'm Phillip M. Bailey, chief political correspondent with USA TODAY.
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Americans from the urban cores to rural outskirts are objecting to these so-called telecommunication hotels, which house the servers and networking equipment used for artificial intelligence and other digital services.
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As USA TODAY's Greta Cross reports , critics worry about the strain on water and electricity resources but also the disruption to communities with noise and pollution. A Gallup survey released earlier this year found 70% of Americans oppose building data centers.
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Democratic and Republican candidates appear to be recalibrating their positions on data centers, too, as states and local governments rush to come up with new rules and regulations.
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Demonstrators participate in a nationwide protest against data centers, in Fredericksburg, Va., July 18, 2026.
Evelyn Hockstein, REUTERS
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For more on data centers, check out USA TODAY's coverage: |
Meta, OpenAI join list of tech giants following Texas data center rules: Texas Gov. Greg Abbott announced that the California-based tech companies would comply with the state's push to shield residents from rising energy costs driven.What it looks like to live next to a sprawling data center: Gallery.
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Data center blowback could cost GOP a key Senate seat, party warns: The National Republican Senatorial Committee issued a memo to AI companies Aug. 18 that paints Ohio as a potential cautionary tale.
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Gary, Indiana residents have been 10 days without power |
The nation's eyes are turning to northwest Indiana where as many as 370,000 residents are without power after Aug. 11 storms rocked the region with wide-ranging power outages.
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USA TODAY Network reporter Aubrey Wright reports the area was hit by what experts call a "derecho" also known as an "inland hurricane."
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At least seven people have died across the state of storm-related causes due to flooding and heavy winds, which peaked at 99 mph in Gary, Indiana, where people are reportedly in survival mode.
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About 40,000 residents in the city -- known as the birthplace of pop icon Michael Jackson -- won't see power restored until at least Aug. 25. That will be two weeks without electricity in one of the largest outages in Hoosier State history.
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Schools remain closed and downed trees are blocking major thoroughfares. People are throwing out spoiled food and lining up for hot meals, according to reports, while searching for laundromats, working Wi-Fi, cleaning wipes and diapers.
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"It's going to be a long recovery," Steve Holifield, president of the La Porte County Board of Commissioners, told the Indianapolis Star.
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"I figure it's gonna take about 5 to 6 weeks before we get everything completely cleaned up and done."
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Democrats narrowed the 2028 convention host race to three cities, drawing backlash from Atlanta after it missed the cut.
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Trump's longtime attorney Michael Cohen testified against his former boss in court, but is now publicly reconciling with him.
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When exhaustion lingers despite getting enough rest, it may point to something more serious.
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Walmart will use $2.9 billion in tariff refunds to lower prices, but other retailers are less clear on their plans.
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Indianapolis passed a moratorium that prohibits developers from asking to build data centers in the city for more than a year.
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