Daniel's Digest: Data Center Fight Reaching a Boiling Point

Dear Patriot,

The two big issues I’m focused on now are the West Virginia legislative primaries and the data center fight reaching a crescendo. I’ll have coverage of the primaries every Wed. morning on my show.

As for data centers, we are now reaching a point where the more insolvent the data center companies appear, the more land they seek to purchase and rezone. This, in turn, is creating an even greater bipartisan backlash, for as numerous as their proposals is the degree of opposition. Republicans can ignore this budding revolution at their own peril.

Here are the key stories I’m focused on to start out this week:

Technocracy

-How resistance to data centers is uniting all sides: The NYT has a good write-up about a Trump-leaning area of southwest Michigan where all sorts of people are uniting to fight data centers. This is the new Tea Party, except it’s bipartisan.

-Coinbase cutting 14k jobs: Just like with data centers, this is not what is supposed to happen if the crypto industry is really a bourgeoning enterprise as its lobbyists assert.

-Data centers causing inflation in three ways: At a time of rampant inflation, the public would get behind infrastructure projects that will lower the cost of living, not raise it. As Goldman Sachs recently stated, it raises the cost of living in three direct ways: “We see three key ways in which AI is boosting consumer prices. First, strong demand for AI infrastructure has raised the price of some key electronics inputs, which has increased computer accessories prices and will likely boost smartphone and computer prices in coming months. Second, the addition of new AI features to existing software has likely put some upward pressure on software prices over the last couple of years. Third, higher electricity demand to power data centers is increasing electricity prices in some US regions, and we expect it to continue boosting inflation over the next couple of years.”

-The organic nature of data center backlash: Contrary to the blood libel and projection propagated by Big Tech PR hatchet men, opposition to data centers is the most localized, organic grassroots movement we’ve seen in years. Robert Bryce has been on the road covering these flashpoints and has an excellent summary. “The anger toward Big Tech and opposition to data centers are part of an unprecedented cultural backlash. Local people are looking at these big projects and asking a simple question: “What’s in it for us?” And in many cases, they are finding that the local benefits aren’t enough.”

-Maryland homeowners will pay an extra $1.6 billion to feed data centers: As a Maryland resident, I can tell you that electric bills have already gone up by at least 20% over the past 18 months (so even post inflation bounce from covid). However, we ain’t seen nothin’ yet. A Maryland state agency estimates that households will pay $1.6 billion in higher electric bills over the next decade to subsidize grid costs to feed data centers. Yet, the industry will tell you with a straight face that these things will not cost a dime.

-Utility watchdog issues warning about data center stress on grid: The North American Electric Reliability Corporation — the top grid oversight agency for the US, Canada, and parts of Mexico — issued a Level 3 alert for “essential action,” warning that grid operators lack “sufficient processes, procedures, or methods to address risks associated with computational loads.” Of course, “computational loads” means data centers. It’s not just the sheer size of the load that NERC is warning about. They are saying that the extreme vacillation between high and low power use within seconds makes it hard for grid operators to react. Again, this is already happening, and this is before most of the hyperscale centers are built and operational.

-Poll: Americans support ban on data centers more than 2-1: A new Stockton University poll shows 56% want a data center ban while only 22% oppose it. Just 8% believe data centers will benefit communities.

-Korean Buddhists treat robot like a monk: In Seoul, a group of Korean monks treated a robot like a real monk and even held a coronation ceremony. When I say generative AI is the new COVID, I mean they will create a pretext for the new, ultimate “expert” that you can’t argue with. They are treating AI like literal Ba’al and idolatry so it can make all the decisions, when meanwhile it is nothing but a statistical regression. It’s all part of the grooming and gaslighting of the young generation into thinking it is sentient.

-EU pushing driver surveillance cameras in every car: The EU is proposing that every new and old registered car have internal driver monitoring. What starts there invariably comes to America, especially as we already have so much surveillance technology plus the kill switch mandate. They know Americans won’t willingly give up their cars, so instead they will load them up with “fancy” surveillance features. We need to ban all cloud-based surveillance in cars, in addition to terminating the kill switch. Additionally, we must allow manufacturers to make old-fashioned “dumb” cars so that people can afford the entry-level car that has essentially been abolished.

-Cheyenne local board wants to build 800-man slave labor camp for data centers: The Laramie County Planning Commission is planning an 800-unit man camp that could house up to 5,600 workers expected to come with a flood of data centers in the region. We all know who monopolizes those jobs, and they ain’t our ilk. As one neighbor said, “Man camps in similar locations have led to an increase in property crime, DUIs, drug crimes, and violent crimes.”

-How Hood County, TX crypto mining facility destroyed the lives of its neighbors: This 14-minute documentary by the Fort Worth Star Telegram is a microcosm of what neighbors are facing in terms of quality of life issues plus lack of transparency from local officials bought off by the tech industry.

-Over 90% of Box Elder County oppose unfathomably large data center: Remember that data center in Northwest Utah we discussed last week? You know, the one that will consume three times the volume of Utah’s electricity and have a larger footprint than 9,500 Walmart Supercenters? Well, the Salt Lake Tribune found through a public records request that residents overwhelmingly opposed the decision in emails to county commissioners. “Among those local comments, The Tribune found that 242 — or 68% — opposed the plan. Just seven, or 2%, shared approval. And the remaining 106, or 30%, did not state an opinion but did demonstrate concern, posing questions about water, power and how county residents might benefit.”

Economy

- Median price for new single-family homes fell to $387,400 in April, dropping 6.2% y/y to its lowest level since July 2021. Relatedly, and not surprisingly, sales of new single-family homes in March rose to the fastest pace so far this year, up 7.4% from February. Look, that is still a very high level, but as I’ve been predicting, the market is going to crash. Now we just have to make sure the Federal Reserve doesn’t do anything to pump it back up. Also, Trump should not sign the Warren housing bill that will subsidize another bubble. Just let it drop.

-All jobs created in recent years are from healthcare: Here is a great chart that encapsulates the job market. Since 2023, 1.8 million jobs in healthcare and social assistance have been created, while every other industry lost a net of 127,800 jobs. Remember, this is before we factor in population growth. So the only positive trend in the employment market is job creation off sick care and the chronic illness epidemic in the country.

Trump administration

-Welcome to Qatar Force 1: Aren’t you excited? The Qatari plane donated to Trump is now ready for a paint job! How anyone can defend this is beyond me, but the entire fake right is soulless to its core.

-Trump admin thinking of canning FDA Administrator Makary: The Trump administration is considering axing Marty Makary as FDA head. Is it because of his weak stance on vaccines and pro-life causes, as I warned about from the beginning? Nope! It’s because he’s slow-walking approval of flavored vapes! Classic Trump priorities.

Elections

-Republicans getting crushed in turnout: Last week, elections were held in two red states: Ohio and Indiana. As I mentioned on the show, Republicans had twice the turnout of Democrats just four years ago, and now that edge shrunk to just 3%! Well, the same dynamic played out in Indiana. Hamilton County, as the suburb of Indianapolis, is probably the most pivotal county in the state. It is the largest red county, although because it is so populous, it is not overwhelmingly red. It is the quintessential GOP suburb that is ebbing away. While Trump carried it by 20 in 2026, he only carried it by 6 in 2024. Well, in last week’s primaries, Dem turnout was up 250% compared to 2024, while GOP turnout was down 35%. This doesn’t mean Democrats can flip Indiana (yet), but boy does this portend danger in any semi-competitive area.

-RNC sends 34 staffers to 17 states to court “low propensity” voters: Do you know what you call a party down to its final play of courting low propensity voters? Losers! Rather than running on a consistent and coherent platform of security, continuity of communities, affordability, and quality of life, Republicans have chased suburban voters out of the party. So now they are trying to find low propensity voters. That is a bad trade in any year, certainly in one where you have nothing with which to draw your traditional base out to the polls.

-Trump enthusiasm among Republicans dramatically lower than 2018: The 2018 midterm election was bad for Republicans, but well within the standard performance for a party in control of the federal government. The reason I’ve been saying this year is different is A) the numbers among Independents is worse than in 2018 and B) whereas Democrats are juiced up on anti-Trump energy, we don’t have the pro-Trump energy on the other side. A new ABC News poll lends credence to this point. 73% of Democrats said the upcoming election is more important than past midterms, while just 52% of Republicans said the same. The number was 63% in 2018. Moreover, whereas 76% of Dems said they want to vote to send a message against Trump, only 46% of Republicans said they would vote to send a message of support for him. In 2018, the GOP positive support for Trump was at 71%, almost matching the intensity of the “anti” vote from Democrats. This is because Trump has given them nothing to vote for.

Foreign policy

-Trump caves on Straights of Hormuz after Saudi Arabia denies us base access: Nothing embodies the circuitous cycle of retardation than this story. So Saudi Arabia (more so than Israel) goaded us into attacking Iran. Trump clearly had no coherent strategy or outcome, and then when he chose to escort ships into the Straights, the same Saudis threatened they would deny base access if we didn’t stop. I’ve never seen anything like it. We get into the right war at the wrong time, in the wrong way, at the behest of the wrong country, and then pull back from the only winning strategy at the behest of the wrong country for a base that we shouldn’t even have to begin with and is only there to defend them!

After two years of blood libel that somehow Israel controls our foreign policy, it is evident to anyone with eyes to see that the Gulf states and their money control us much more – to the point that they can yell stop and go in the same war!

Clearly, the Gulf states never use the weaponry when we want them to. They are trying to build up their own defense industry to sell to China. This point is punctuated by the news last week that Saudi Arabia opened a sovereign wealth fund office in Shanghai. “The Shanghai outpost was reportedly created to strengthen the $1 trillion fund’s ability to pursue outbound deals in China.” Outbound deals means selling them the technology we stupidly pass on to them in return for them paying off Jared Kushner who essentially fuels their sovereign wealth fund.

-Netanyahu calls for weaning off foreign aid: For all the talk about how Israel is evil because they get foreign aid, they are now the only recipient country willing to wean off. Netanyahu once again called for weaning off aid during an interview with 60 Minutes. Why is it that the fake right will never call for an end to aid to all the Arab countries, nor do any of their leaders offer to decline such aid?

-What ever happened to the Trump anti-China direction? This is a good re-cap of how, just like in Animal Farm, the administration that was supposed to be the toughest on China has crated an open door policy, as the president heads to Beijing this week…along with the CEOs of the largest companies.

States

-Man on trial in Michigan for sending nasty email to leftist politician: This is a glimpse of what is coming when Democrats take over and demonstrates why we need leaders in red states who will refuse to extradite to blue states for political crimes. In Dec. 2023, Massachusetts resident Marc Aisen was arrested and extradited to Michigan for the “crime” of sending a nasty email to Bloomfield Township, Michigan, Treasurer Michael Schostak. In what is typical of hate mail received by elected officials in both parties – for better or worse – Aisen basically called Schostak a pedophile for his beliefs on transgenderism. There was not a scintilla of violence or threats of violence in his email. He has been sitting in a Michigan jail for 2.5 years pre-trial, and only now is the trial under way. One would think the courts would rule this prosecution unconstitutional, but there are no laws. Now you know why it’s so important to elect real conservatives in red states.

Culture

-Man responsible for Palisades fire was obsessed with Luigi Mangone, fighting the rich: It turns out that Jonathan Rinderknecht, the uber driver that was jailed last October for the great Palisades inferno, se the fire because he hated the wealthy and was inspired by Mangone. We have a very serious problem among young people that will continue to simmer if we don’t reorient our markets and restore free market capitalism over crony capitalism. The assassination culture on the left is real and is growing, and this is even outside of the confines of ANTIFA command and control.

Immigration

-How constant cheap foreign labor prevents agriculture from mechanizing: This is an amazing piece from RJ Hauman on how cheap labor is the kryptonite preventing farming from being mechanized and also exposes the hypocrisy of those pushing data centers for AI on farmland but not using low-latency AI for farming itself in order to promote illegal immigration.

My latest

-Blaze column: ICE Funding is useless if Democrat judges can still hold ICE hostage

In Liberty,

Daniel

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