GOP lawmakers urge acting AG to investigate alleged foreign influence in campaigns against data centers, claiming China-linked groups are undermining U.S. AI infrastructure.

The EPA has proposed a rule change that would let states decide how much input the public has on air pollution permits. It would be a huge boon for data centers increasingly reliant on fossil fuels. The Trump administration is quietly considering a rule change that could make it easier for polluters to build facilities--including certain gas plants and diesel generators that power data centers--with little to no notice to the public. On Wednesday, the Environmental Protection Agency held a public hearing on a proposed rule change that would hand the power to states to decide how the public participates in the permitting process for certain new sources of air pollution. The proposed rollback comes as data centers face greater pushback across the US, with many communities using the permitting process to try to slow down development.

As artificial intelligence pushes semiconductors and data centers to new physical limits, advances in materials science are becoming essential to sustaining the pace of innovation. The conversation about AI often centers on algorithms, computing power, or huge investments in new semiconductor fabrication plants and hyperscale data centers. But beneath each of these advances is another layer of innovation that makes them possible: advanced materials. Every increase in computing performance increases the physical demands placed on the systems that make and run AI. Delivering these gains depends not only on advances in chip design and system architecture, but on advances in the materials that enable them to perform under extreme conditions. As AI continues to push the physical limits of semiconductors and data center infrastructure, advanced materials are no longer simply supporting innovation in this area; they are defining the limits of what is possible.

"We have no choice but to address the challenges created by these massive facilities," New York governor Kathy Hochul said. The executive order will pause construction for one year. New York governor Kathy Hochul signed an executive order Tuesday enacting a one-year pause on the development of hyperscale data centers, effecting the nation's first statewide data center moratorium. The executive order comes as opposition to data center construction sweeps across the country, putting elected officials under intense pressure to take action. The order specifically pauses state environmental reviews for facilities over 50 megawatts for a year.

Masayoshi Son speaks at an annual SoftBank World event in Tokyo on Tuesday. SoftBank Group founder Masayoshi Son said that in the not-so-distant future, nuclear fusion technology will offer the most realistic solution for powering AI data centers' ballooning needs. Natural gas will provide the bulk of data centers' power needs for the time being, Son said Tuesday. But he predicted that nuclear fusion -- the process by which the sun and other stars generate energy -- has a role to play, predicting the world will need 3 terawatts of data center capacity in 2040. Many technological and financial challenges remain for fusion technology to become a viable energy source, however, according to BloombergNEF. "Fusion will become the main source of a new kind of cheaper, clean and safe energy here on Earth," said Son, 68, at an annual SoftBank World event in Tokyo.

The BoE and City regulator the Financial Conduct Authority will aim to ensure the four main providers of cloud and tech services to banks are resilient and actively reducing the risk of cyber attack. The BoE and City regulator the Financial Conduct Authority will aim to ensure the four main providers of cloud and tech services to banks are resilient and actively reducing the risk of cyber attack. Direct oversight of'critical third parties' such as Oracle and Microsoft given to ensure resilient cyber-defences and help safeguard UK economy The Bank of England has been handed powers to regulate important tech firms including Amazon and Google from next week, amid fears that system failures could threaten financial stability and harm consumers. From Monday, the Bank and fellow City regulator the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) will be in charge of ensuring that four large-scale providers of cloud and tech services to banks are resilient and actively reducing the risk of cyber-attacks and major outages that could disrupt services for millions of people and businesses across the UK. This will mean having "direct" oversight of local arms of Amazon Web Services, Google Cloud, Oracle and Microsoft, all of which have been identified as "critical third parties" by the UK government, according to an announcement on Friday.

Phone cluster computing turns old smartphones into low-carbon data center servers. Google says UC San Diego plans to launch a 2,000 Pixel phone data center in Fall 2026.

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Trump Says He'll Fast-Track Private Gas Plants to Power AI Data Centers "They can't believe it, that they're approved in a period of a matter of weeks." President Trump speaks to reporters at the White House on July 6, 2026. Get your news from a source that's not owned and controlled by oligarchs. In brief remarks to reporters Monday at the White House, President Donald Trump noted that he was shocked to learn how much energy developing artificial intelligence requires and said his administration is now approving plans for energy facilities to power data centers in "a matter of weeks." After first describing his investment accounts for children, Trump responded to a question on cryptocurrency and said Big Tech leaders racing to develop artificial intelligence have told him they need access to double the country's existing energy capacity in order to advance technologies and outpace foreign competitors.

Hiroo Ota (center left), CEO of Kioxia Holdings, and others unveil Kioxia's new 3D flash memory chip at its Kitakami plant in Kitakami, Iwate Prefecture, on Friday. Kioxia Holdings has started shipping samples of its next-generation flash memory chips to artificial-intelligence data center operators, seeking to gain ground in the lucrative business against rivals. The Tokyo-based chipmaker's latest high-density 3D flash memory chips aim to better meet AI data center needs with better efficiency and transmission speeds. The 332-layer 10th-generation chips pack more data into silicon and can store 59% more data compared with its previous flagship 8th-generation chip, the company said Friday. Production will take place at the company's second manufacturing facility at its Kitakami plant in Iwate Prefecture, which began operating in September last year.