Newsweek is reporting that the rapid expansion of data centers by tech companies is becoming a significant political issue, potentially influencing midterm elections. It said local communities are pushing back against these developments due to concerns about increased electricity bills, water usage, land consumption, and tax incentives. The publication noted this issue has evolved from a niche infrastructure concern into a mainstream political topic in the U.S., even being credited with ending the career of a powerful Utah Republican.
The magazine also said President Donald Trump's decision to have his motorcade drive across the drained and newly sealed Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool during a May inspection is drawing renewed scrutiny. This comes after the landmark recently showed signs of peeling and deterioration. While experts and fact-checkers have not confirmed a direct link between the motorcade's weight and the damage, Newsweek reported that the timing has raised questions about whether the surface was compromised. A White House spokeswoman dismissed the speculation as "dumb and unfounded."
Separately, Newsweek highlighted a punishing heat wave that gripped parts of Europe this week, leading to more than 200 deaths. It said cities like Paris experienced school closures, public alcohol bans, and disrupted public transportation. The publication's editors argued that decades of planning contributed to this problem, noting that the World Health Organization reported over 200,000 heat-related deaths in Europe over the past four years, nearly all deemed preventable.
Newsweek senior editor Josh Hammer also offered a perspective on international soccer fans attending the World Cup, stating they are admiring aspects of America that many at home may have stopped appreciating. He cited tourists, including a German fan, expressing amazement at everyday American features like large stores, restaurants, and home sizes.
Finally, Newsweek reported on the permanent closure of the "Alligator Alcatraz" immigration detention center in Florida. It said the facility, intended to house "some of the most vicious people on the planet" according to Trump, was found by the Miami Herald and Tampa Bay Times to have housed hundreds without U.S. criminal charges or convictions. The publication noted that Florida incurred an estimated cost of $1.2 billion to construct and operate the facility.