politicsSaturday, July 4, 2026
The Fourth of July weekend is here, but the news isn't taking a break. A heatwave broils the US while a wildfire explodes in Colorado. The tension between cooling needs and clean energy is sharp, and data centers are caught in the middle. Meanwhile, Labour's internal wars over Brexit and leadership are spilling into the open.
The heatwave is making the data center debate literal: can we keep the lights on and the A/C running without frying the grid?
350.org is calling for a data center moratorium and a ban on utility shutoffs as a heatwave hits 250 million people. It's a direct challenge to the AI boom's energy appetite.
A Bulwark piece argues that both the US and Europe get air conditioning wrong, one makes it hard to install, the other hard to power cleanly. It's a rare look at the policy gap between cooling and climate.
A key House Democrat is pushing a bill to make tech companies pay for the grid costs their data centers create. It's not anti-AI, but it's a warning shot.
Keir Starmer is getting squeezed from both sides as old Brexit wounds reopen and a leadership challenge takes shape.
Wes Streeting says the UK should rejoin the EU, and the culture secretary is calling him out. The Brexit wars are back, and Starmer is caught in the middle.
New data shows the real-world cost of Texas's abortion ban: women nearly bleeding to death during miscarriages.
ProPublica's analysis finds that Texas's abortion ban is causing a spike in severe hemorrhaging during miscarriages, as doctors hesitate to perform D&Cs. The data is stark.
Human Rights Experts Should Engage in Age Assurance Standardswww.techpolicy.press
How Elon Musk Became More Powerful Than Everwww.theatlantic.com
Unstitching Americaphenomenalworld.org
The Quantum-Powered Future Conflicts and Pakistan’s Readinessstratheia.com
‘Georgia Has No Legal Way to Vote After July 1’? Attorney Danielle Bess Raises Alarm Over Election System Funding Gapshinemycrown.comDid Nigel Farage lobby Bank of England on billionaire sugar daddy’s behalf?www.thecanary.co
The article reports that the UK standards watchdog has been asked to investigate whether Nigel Farage lobbied the Bank of England on behalf of cryptocurrency billionaire Christopher Harborne, a long-time backer of Farage and the Reform party. Farage has promoted crypto interests
Trump is gifted a gem-encrusted ring by a Belgian diamond group | AP Newsapnews.com
A Belgian diamond group, the Antwerp World Diamond Center, has presented a lavish gem-encrusted gold ring to U.S. Ambassador Bill White as a gift for President Donald Trump. The ring, valued at $25,000-$35,000, features 321 diamonds, 56 sapphires, 13 emeralds, and six rubies in d
Andy Burnham: dodging scrutiny, or just a different type of communicator?www.theguardian.com
The article examines Andy Burnham's communication style as he prepares to become prime minister, focusing on his decision to take no questions at a major speech. It contrasts his approach with Keir Starmer's traditional methods, exploring whether this represents dodging scrutiny
Andy Burnham vows to ‘change Labour’ in direct challenge to Keir Starmerwww.ukbreakingnews24x7.com
Andy Burnham has publicly declared that a vote for him would be "a vote to change Labour," signaling a direct political challenge to Prime Minister Keir Starmer. His comments come amid mounting pressure on Labour following disappointing local election results, growing internal un
Looks like Victor Marx will win putting Colorado back into late-night punchlines (Opinion)www.denverpost.com
This opinion piece criticizes Victor Marx's lead in the Colorado Republican gubernatorial primary, arguing that his lack of governing experience, outlandish statements, and fantastical biography make him a subject of late-night comedy rather than a serious candidate. The author c
Peter Thiel in Aspen: The pope is ‘working for the Chinese Communists’www.cnn.com
Billionaire tech investor Peter Thiel spoke at the Aspen Ideas Festival, making provocative claims that Pope Leo XIV is inadvertently serving Chinese communist interests by calling for AI regulation. Thiel warned that the Vatican could discourage America in the AI arms race, pred
Block Predatory 100% APR Banks Nationwideactionnetwork.org
This is an advocacy/petition page from Americans for Financial Reform urging the public to pressure the Federal Reserve to block predatory lenders Enova International and OppFi from acquiring national banks (Grasshopper Bank and BNC Bank respectively). The argument is that these
‘How small they are’: Mamdani blows apart MAGA’s vision of America in July 4 addresswww.rawstory.com
New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani delivered a July 4 address commemorating the 250th anniversary of the United States, sharply contrasting his vision with President Donald Trump's. Speaking from City Hall, Mamdani highlighted New York's history as a global refuge for immigrants
Aspen Acres fire challenges firefighters as flames consume 28 square miles in hourswww.denverpost.com
The Aspen Acres wildfire in Pueblo County, Colorado, has rapidly expanded to 73,377 acres (115 square miles) with zero containment, making it the eighth-largest wildfire in Colorado history and the state's largest active blaze. Thousands of residents remain displaced as the fire
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