Whack-a-drone
Whack-a-drone

In Pasadena, California, there’s a cute red brick courtyard where one storefront isn’t like the rest. The glass doors open onto a sparse industrial hallway, which leads to a sunlit foyer with a large spiral staircase. Go up, and you’ll see a typical coworking space: open tables, healthy snacks, a collection of meeting rooms with […]

President Trump expands AI data center ‘ratepayer protection pledge’ to include state governors and utility companies — White House claims this will make electricity more affordable

U.S. President Donald Trump expands the ‘ratepayer protection pledge’ to include states, utility companies, and data center developers. He claims that the pledge will help electricity costs go down, even as PJM Interconnect, the largest grid operator in the U.S., increased power costs by 75.5% and slapped Maryland with a $2-billion bill for infrastructure upgrades.

TikTok’s protection of minors should not be opt-in, warns EU
TikTok’s protection of minors should not be opt-in, warns EU

TikTok has attracted the ire of the European Union over its protection of children who use the video sharing platform. The European Commission announced preliminary findings today under the Digital Services Act (DSA) that offer specific issues to address. The Commission suggests that TikTok should adjust the default settings of minors’ “public” accounts so the […]

Trump’s Tariff Revenue Turns Negative Due To Refunds

The Trump administration had to return three quarters of its tariff revenue collected as of February, but still renewed global tariffs of 10-12.5% on yet another legal basis.

FCC Chairman Brendan Carr’s war on the First Amendment
FCC Chairman Brendan Carr’s war on the First Amendment

As the chairman of the Federal Communications Commission, Brendan Carr has authority over the nation’s TV, radio, and internet. But since Donald Trump was elected to his second term, Carr has wielded that power to threaten broadcasters that have exercised their free speech rights to make jokes about the president. He was even able to […]

Lawmakers prepare bill requiring AI ‘kill switch’
Lawmakers prepare bill requiring AI ‘kill switch’

Lawmakers are preparing to introduce an “AI Kill Switch Act” that would require AI companies to shut down or throttle their systems on orders from the Department of Homeland Security, according to a report from Politico. Reps. Ted Lieu (D-CA) and Nathaniel Moran (R-TX) are expected to introduce the legislation on Thursday. The news of […]

Apple’s OpenAI lawsuit is about who gets to define the post-smartphone era
Apple’s OpenAI lawsuit is about who gets to define the post-smartphone era

Today on Decoder, I’m talking with Hayden Field, The Verge’s senior AI reporter, about the major trade secrets lawsuit between Apple and OpenAI and what this tells us about OpenAI’s future. By now I’m sure most Decoder listeners are familiar with Apple’s allegations in this case. The company says a number of ex-Apple employees at […]

The right-wing boomers protesting data centers have a lot in common with the left
The right-wing boomers protesting data centers have a lot in common with the left

On a gray, humid Saturday morning in central Florida, a little under a dozen people gathered outside the Spring Hill Branch Library to protest the construction of a hyperscale data center in their community. There was no immediate threat – the Hernando County commission had unanimously approved a one-year moratorium on such developments in June […]

142 AI data center protests staged in 42 states as public opposition increases — organizers brand ‘unaccountable’ buildouts as an ‘unacceptable infringement on our liberty’
142 AI data center protests staged in 42 states as public opposition increases — organizers brand ‘unaccountable’ buildouts as an ‘unacceptable infringement on our liberty’

Data center projects are facing increasing opposition from surrounding communities, making consent even far scarcer than the chips and power needed to run these facilities. Any developer planning to construct one must now consider the people living around the proposed site and take account for the months or years needed to approve it, if it even gets the green light.

Google hit with $1 billion fine for breaking EU antitrust rules
Google hit with $1 billion fine for breaking EU antitrust rules

The European Union has fined Google’s parent company Alphabet €890 million (about $1 billion) for two separate violations of the bloc’s Digital Markets Act (DMA). One penalty is for giving its own products preferential treatment in search results, while the other is for blocking Android developers from sending users to alternate payment options. A €460 […]