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Today, we will look at the politics of data centers in the United States, a series of new polls, and this day through history.
Let’s get to it.
United States
-The average U.S. gas price stood at $4.10 yesterday, amid the ongoing conflict in the Middle East, according to AAA.
Addressing oil prices yesterday at the White House, Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said, “We got a spike in oil prices today that I don’t really understand.”
-President Donald Trump’s approval rating stands at 40%, according to a new Emerson College poll.
In the same survey, Secretary of State Marco Rubio outperforms Vice President JD Vance in hypothetical 2028 matchups against several prospective Democratic presidential candidates.
-Three Trump-endorsed candidates lost their primary elections on Tuesday, bringing the total to 10 in this election cycle.
-The construction of new data centers is facing opposition in 45 states, according to Data Center Watch.
This week, Pennsylvania Governor Josh Shapiro signed an executive order that he called “the strictest standards in the nation for AI data centers.”
Shapiro’s Republican opponent, Stacy Garrity, released an attack ad yesterday that alleges Shapiro shifted his position on data centers.
View it here:
In a Shapiro ad, a narrator calls Garrity the “#1 fan of data centers.”
Meanwhile, in Texas, Governor Greg Abbott said a directive he issued has “halted up to 1,800 data center projects.”
In an interview earlier this month, Trump called Abbott’s policy a “mistake” and said that data centers are “tremendously important” to the country’s growth and economic competition against China.
According to a new survey, Americans’ support for data centers has shifted rapidly since last year.
Read a new PolitiFact breakdown on the facilities here.
-CNN political commentator Scott Jennings is reportedly jockeying to succeed Karoline Leavitt as White House press secretary.
-Fox News has shifted the Texas Senate race to “toss up.”
-Massachusetts Senator Ed Markey and former Congressman Seth Moulton faced off in their final debate last night ahead of next month’s Democratic primary.
View it here:
-Republican Michigan Senate candidate Mike Rogers held a campaign event yesterday in Detroit with Democratic voters supporting him over his Democratic opponent, Abdul El-Sayed.
Democratic State Representative Karen Whitsett attended the event.
-The Democratic National Committee announced Boston, Denver, and Philadelphia as the finalists for its presidential nominating convention in 2028.
-Teen summer employment remained below historic highs this year, according to a Pew analysis of Bureau of Labor Statistics data.
-On this day in 1858, Republican candidate Abraham Lincoln and Democrat Stephen Douglas faced off in the first of seven debates during their historic battle for the U.S. Senate in Illinois.
In 1959, Hawaii was admitted to the Union as the 50th state.
Other Links:
GOP trails Democrats by 8 points on congressional ballot in new poll - The Hill
Missouri court allows new Trump-backed U.S. House districts to be used in November election - PBS
Democrats flip Pennsylvania state House seat in Trump district - The Hill
Aisha Wahab Wins California Special Election to Replace Eric Swalwell - The New York Times
FBI seizes Swalwell’s devices, executes search warrants in sexual misconduct probe - CBS
Maryland Gov. Wes Moore has spent 1 in 5 days of his term in other states - The Baltimore Banner
Natalie Harp’s Intimate Letters to Trump Revealed in Full - Daily Beast
Ahead of Grand Prix race, Melania Trump makes first public appearance in weeks - The Washington Post
Melania Trump’s behind-the-scenes foster youth work comes into focus - CNN
Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy’s ‘Road Trip’ Highlights America, and Some of Its Sponsors - The New York Times
Bass and Raman face off in heated debate over homelessness, public safety and business policies - Los Angeles Times
New Drone Unit to Be Phased Out as Hegseth’s Army Pick Makes His Mark - The Wall Street Journal
Bitcoin, ether surge as Trump urges Congress to pass crypto Clarity Act - CNBC
Bond Market Stress Returns and Oil Rises in Edgy Day for Markets - The New York Times
Inside the Collapse of a MAGA Marketplace Backed by Trump Jr. - The Wall Street Journal
Jill Biden Says ‘Of Course I’m Scared’ of Losing Husband Joe - People
Nancy Kissinger, Wife of Former Secretary of State, Dies at 92 - The New York Times
Lindsay Clancy murder trial closing arguments expected early next week as testimony winds down - CBS
Moderna and Merck say melanoma vaccine succeeded in large trial - CNN
Africa
-The AFC/M23 rebel alliance ordered movement restrictions in the areas in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo which it controls to combat the spread of Ebola.
Earlier this week, the current outbreak was declared the deadliest in the country’s history, with the death toll from the disease surpassing 2,378 people out of more than 5,000 recorded cases.
The current outbreak is the country’s 17th since 1976.
Yesterday, the World Health Organization (WHO) said that 70,000 doses of the Ervebo vaccine, which has shown to be effective against the disease during previous outbreaks, would be sent to Congo in an effort to rein in the disease.
-Cameroonian President Paul Biya returned to his country after a two-and-a-half-month absence.
At 93 years old, Biya is the world’s oldest serving head of state. His office has called his time abroad a “short private stay.”
-Egypt’s central bank held its benchmark interest rate unchanged at 20% yesterday.
-On this day in 1961, Jomo Kenyatta, the leader of Kenya’s independence movement, was released by British colonial authorities following nine years of imprisonment.
Other Links:
Thousands of migrants in Ceuta wait in limbo while Spain figures out what to do with them - AP
US carries out its first deportations under pact for Liberia to accept 1,200 non-Liberians - AP
Somalia faces another hunger crisis and the UN food agency head says it has far less funds to help - AP
DFC funds rare earth projects in Africa - Semafor
Nigeria’s federal government moves to decriminalise attempted suicide - Africa News
Americas and the Caribbean
-Guatemalan President Bernardo Arévalo said in an interview this week that his country has received roughly 2,300 deported Mexican nationals from the United States so far in 2026.
He added that the deportees were then rerouted to Mexico after being processed.
The Trump administration has sought to deport Mexican migrants to both Guatemala and Honduras in an effort to deter unauthorized migration to the United States.
-The United States unveiled a new wave of sanctions on Cuba yesterday, blacklisting three officials tied to a state-run organization and nine state enterprises.
Announcing the measures, Secretary Rubio said, “Today's designations make clear that the Trump Administration will not tolerate the Cuban regime's efforts to fund its repression or continue its decades-long campaign of subversive anti-American activities.”
The move is the latest in Washington’s intensifying pressure campaign on the Communist-run island nation.
Since January, the Trump administration has imposed a near-total oil blockade on the country in a bid to extract economic and political concessions from the government.
The blockade has caused routine electric grid failures on the island.
Responding to the new sanctions yesterday, Cuban Foreign Minister Bruno Rodríguez accused Washington of pursuing measures with the “deliberate aim of harming” the Cuban economy.
-The Panama Canal Authority announced yesterday that it would cap daily transits early next month amid a longer-than-usual El Niño season that could reduce water levels.
The waterway currently handles roughly 5% of all global sea trade and 40% of U.S. container traffic.
-On this day in 1966, Canadian Prime Minister Lester Pearson hosted President Johnson on Campobello Island in New Brunswick.
Other Links:
Venezuelans and Cubans among deportees to Liberia under Trump deal, official says - Reuters
Mexico refuses to support US-led push to address Nicaragua’s election ban - Mexico News Daily
Brazil launches AI supercomputer push, splits projects between Chinese, US firms - Reuters
The US and others turn to Brazil for rare earths, raising environmental concerns - AP
Argentina’s Economy Expanded Faster Than Expected in June - Bloomberg
Catastrophe declared in northern Chile after heavy rain - CNN
Asia/Indo-Pacific
-North Korea launched roughly 10 short-range ballistic missiles toward the waters off its east coast yesterday just hours after President Trump said that he could soon meet with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un.
-Bangladesh held its first contested presidential election in 35 years yesterday.
Under the country’s constitution, the president is selected through an indirect election by lawmakers from the 349-member National Parliament.
In the vote, ruling Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) candidate Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir is standing against former army officer Oli Ahmad, who leads an 11-party coalition.
The vote was triggered last month by the resignation of President Mohammed Shahabuddin, who was the unopposed nominee of now-ousted Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina in 2023.
Hasina was forced from office a year later amid widespread demonstrations calling for her resignation. She had ruled the Southeast Asian nation for 14 years after a previous stint in the 1990s.
-China and Switzerland concluded negotiations to update a free trade agreement this week.
The pact will grant Switzerland tariff-free access to the Chinese market.
-Hui Ka Yan, the founder of Chinese property giant Evergrande, was sentenced to life in prison this week, five years after the collapse of his company roiled China’s economy.
Hui, once one of Asia’s richest men, has had all of his properties seized by the Chinese government.
-On this day in 2004, former and future Bangladeshi Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina survived a grenade attack in Dhaka.
-The world’s first-ever Robot Olympics commenced in Beijing, China, this month, with humanoid robots from 16 countries competing in the games.
-On this day in 2004, Hasina survived a grenade attack in Dhaka.
Throughout her public career, she survived at least 19 attempts on her life.
Other Links:
China urges South Korea not to take sides and blames U.S. policy for Korea tensions - NBC
Pakistani former prime minister taken to private hospital for medical treatment - AP
U.S. designates American citizen Min Zin, held by China, as wrongfully detained - CBS
China Says Trump’s Economic Warfare Won’t Solve Iran Crisis - Bloomberg
What to know about the trial of former Tiananmen vigil organizers before a verdict - AP
Europe
-Yevhenii Khmara took office as Ukraine’s defense minister this week.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy fired Khmara’s predecessor, Mykhailo Fedorov, last month as part of a wider cabinet reshuffling and disagreements over war strategy.
The move caused rare street demonstrations in Kyiv, with protestors calling for his reinstatement.
Since then, Fedorov, who remains popular and is viewed as a political rival to Zelenskyy, has called for a presidential election to be held.
Under Ukrainian law and the country’s constitution, national elections cannot be held during an emergency, which Zelenskyy declared following Russia’s full-scale invasion in February 2022.
-Russia launched a barrage of missiles and drones at Kyiv, Ukraine’s capital, yesterday, killing at least 14 people.
After the attack, Kyiv Mayor Vitali Klitschko said that Moscow “purposefully” hit critical infrastructure in the attacks.
-On this day in 1974, President Gerald Ford paid respects to U.S. Ambassador to Cyprus Rodger Davies at Andrews Air Force Base in Maryland as his body was returned to the United States after he was killed by gunmen in Cyprus.
In 1991, Latvia declared independence from the Soviet Union.
Other Links:
Missile Barrage Shows Russia’s Doubt That Ukraine Can Defend Itself - The New York Times
U.S. Army moves to end drone battalion set up to absorb lessons from Ukraine war - CBS
Romanian jet blasts drone near offshore gas platform, president blames Moscow - Politico
Croatia orders detention of Ukrainian man wanted in Germany for Nord Stream blasts in 2022 - AP
Deadly overnight storms batter Germany as Balkan countries fight wildfires - AP
Middle East
-President Trump warned of “tremendous economic consequences” for any country that seeks to provide “any type of lifeline to Iran.”
Speaking yesterday, Secretary Bessent said that U.S. sanctions on Tehran would “crush” its economy and “collapse” its regime.
The threat comes as Washington seeks to end its nearly six-month-long war against Tehran.
Last week, Trump’s son-in-law and lead Middle East negotiator, Jared Kushner, traveled to the region in a bid to finalize a deal. However, Trump said shortly after his visit that there were no talks underway.
Since the U.S. and Israel first launched their joint operation against Iran on March 28, nearly 3,500 people have been killed throughout the Persian Gulf.
Meanwhile, eighteen U.S. service members have been killed, and more than 600 others have been wounded, according to updated Pentagon tracking data.
-A wave of suspected Iranian cyberattacks on water systems has targeted several U.S. states.
-On this day in 2006, President George W. Bush said in a press conference in Washington that he would work with the United Nations Security Council to ensure that Iran complied with international sanctions to limit its nuclear enrichment, saying the effort would require “effective diplomacy.”
Other Links:
Iran executes man over charges related to January protests, state media says - Reuters
What to Know About Iran’s Economic Ties With Gulf Countries - The New York Times
UK, France, Germany, Italy and Canada condemn Israel’s West Bank settlement project - BBC
US envoy Huckabee tells Israeli settlers not to take Palestinian Americans’ land - Reuters
Gaza mediators say latest Israeli strikes undermine efforts to end conflict at critical stage - Reuters
Israel and Turkey step up warnings over Syria after airbase bombing - Reuters
Lebanon extradites ex-Assad general to Syria for trial over alleged crimes - AP
That’s all for today. See you next week.
Once again muscles are being flexed and countries are being told what to do.
On the rare-earth minerals front, it seems that the U.S. is increasing its production of these minerals but that she is falling further behind China in a relative sense. I wonder if the massive increase in mining anticipates the bottomless data-pits built for artificial intelligence.
I wonder if these data centers should be consolidated and owned by the states and regulated as public utilities. Competition precludes their being considered a natural monopoly (i.e., most efficient as one producer owing to the massive scale involved).
Nevertheless, the demands for energy and precious minerals argue for a consolidation to avoid excess capacity from diverting energy and minerals away from other socially important uses. It comes down to priorities.
The opposition one sees implies that Americans are worried about the energy prices they will have to meet and personal energy security. This idea of a government-sponsored monopoly is less than ideal, to be sure. I propose it here as a point of departure for public discussions.
In any case, my good man, Mr Redman, have a restful week-end with your better half, s.v.p.