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Trump’s Deportation Ploy Blows Up in His Face Last-ditch efforts to keep ICE out of the headlines appear to have been in vain. The Trump administration’s push to keep ICE out of the headlines before the midterms does not appear to have convinced voters, with half of Americans saying its immigration crackdown is still too aggressive. After the White House faced bipartisan backlash over the killings of two U.S. citizens in Minneapolis at the hands of federal agents earlier this year, President Donald Trump ousted Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem. Her successor, Markwayne Mullin, pledged to make the White House’s mass deportation campaign more discreet, including by making fewer arrests in public. He also threw Noem under the bus by publicly calling her signature billion-dollar warehouse crusade a mistake in humiliating testimony. But with less than three months until the midterm elections, a Politico poll published Wednesday suggests the makeover has failed to shift public opinion. Half of Americans, including nearly a quarter of Trump’s 2024 voters, still say the 80-year-old president’s immigration campaign is too aggressive, according to Politico. That figure is “virtually unchanged” from polling in January and April, when outrage mounted over federal agents killing U.S. citizens Renee Good, 37, and Alex Pretti, 37. Non-MAGA Trump voters are more than twice as likely as self-identified MAGA voters to believe that Trump’s mass deportation campaign has gone too far, with 31 percent describing it as too aggressive compared with 15 percent of MAGA voters, according to the poll conducted from Aug. 8 to Aug. 12. The findings point to a potential vulnerability for Republicans heading into the November midterms on an issue that has traditionally been a source of strength for the party.“Voters really did want border security, but they did not want to see abuelita taken away because she’s been here for 40 years but without documentation,” Arizona-based GOP strategist Barrett Marson told Politico. The poll, conducted by London-based polling firm Public First, found a notable proportion of Americans have noticed the administration’s attempts to change course. But those changes have done little to improve trust. A 56 percent majority of Americans say there has been at least a “small shift” in how ICE is carrying out its immigration crackdown. But 44 percent of those respondents say the changes have made no difference in how much they trust the administration, while 30 percent say they have made them less willing to trust officials on immigration. Whit Ayres, a Washington-based Republican pollster, told Politico that the stubborn public opposition is “not that surprising at all.” Even with a lower-profile approach, the administration is still pushing to ramp up arrest and deportation numbers. “It’s a lot easier just to go into an airport and find somebody who had overstayed a visa, had applied for an extension … and throw them into handcuffs and put them in a detention center. That’s the easy way to get the numbers up, and a great way to thoroughly antagonize public opinion,” he said. Another Republican strategist, who spoke with Politico on the condition of anonymity, said Trump “ran on border security, and he’s following through.” “But the visuals of wins are unfortunately overshadowed by the visuals of chaos,” they said. “There’s no question that the wall-to-wall coverage of the chaos that follows ICE makes voters squeamish.” When contacted for comment, White House spokeswoman Lauren Bis told the Daily Beast that “Americans sent President Trump back to the White House with a clear mandate to deport criminal illegal aliens.” “Every single day the Trump Administration is delivering on his promise to the American people to remove murderers, pedophiles, rapists, and gang members from American communities,” she added. “Americans are grateful to the President for removing these criminals from their neighborhoods and for Making America Safe Again.” ICE raids during Trump’s second term in the White House drew headlines for sparking protests nationwide. The aggressive enforcement campaign has also put pressure on the agents tasked with carrying it out. John Sandweg, a former acting ICE director, told Politico in an interview published last fall that ICE agents were “under tremendous pressure.” “They’ve been under a lot of pressure to ratchet up the number of arrests. They’ve been forced to adopt some of these more aggressive tactics, because the [Trump] administration seems more interested in the quantity of people arrested, more so than the quality,” said Sandweg. Reuters reported in July that at least seven people have been killed in immigration enforcement operations since Trump returned to the White House in January 2025, while 53 people have died in ICE custody since the president’s second term began. https://www.thedailybeast.com/trumps-deportation-ploy-blows-up-in-his-face/?

North Korea shrugs off Trump’s scaled-back drills with South Korea, saying it changes nothing SEOUL, South Korea (AP) — North Korea said Wednesday that a U.S. decision to scale back military exercises with South Korea does not change what it sees as the provocative nature of the drills, dampening hopes for an early resumption of diplomacy between North Korean leader Kim Jong Un and U.S. President Donald Trump. https://apnews.com/article/korea-us-military-drills-313e01e4ee305b4c9b1b8bf12643fb17?

👋 Good morning! Happy Hump Day. Have a night, El Niño: Fernando Tatis Jr. basically single-handedly won Tuesday's game for the Padres, hitting two home runs and robbing Francisco Lindor of a grand slam in a 5-2 victory over the Mets. In today's edition: Historic beatdown in Milwaukee, the NFL’s next frontier, AP preseason All-Americans, Nationals on pace for rare trifecta, and more. Yahoo Sports AM is written by Kendall Baker and Jeff Tracy. Let's sports...   ⚾️ A LITTLE LOPSIDED BREWERS 22, MARINERS 0 Mariners catcher Cal Raleigh looks on during the seventh inning. (John Fisher/Getty Images) The Brewers rolled to a 22-0 victory (!!!) over the Mariners on Tuesday in Milwaukee — the kind of blowout Major League Baseball hadn't seen in well over a century. Historic beatdown: The final score matched the largest shutout win since the start of the 1888 campaign, per MLB stat guru Sarah Langs, and is the largest at home in that span. Aug. 18, 2026: Brewers 22, Mariners 0 (in Milwaukee) Aug. 31, 2004: Indians 22, Yankees 0 (in New York) Sept. 6, 1975: Pirates 22, Cubs 0 (in Chicago) Way back when: The last time there was a larger shutout was on June 28, 1887, when the Philadelphia Quakers (now the Phillies) defeated the Indianapolis Hoosiers, 24-0. Here's that 1887 Quakers squad in all their glory. In the center is Hall of Fame manager Harry Wright, known as the "Father of Professional Baseball." (Mark Rucker/Transcendental Graphics, Getty Images) Playoff picture: The Brewers improved to an MLB-best 78-48 with the win, and remain 4.5 games ahead of the Cubs (74-53) atop the NL Central. The Mariners, meanwhile, fell to 59-67 and are now three back of a very crowded AL wild card race.   🏈 GOING GLOBAL THE NFL'S NEXT FRONTIER (Grant Thomas/Yahoo Sports) One day, the NFL will have international teams. What does that mean for the league's American fans? Jay Busbee, Yahoo Sports: Imagine a Super Bowl Sunday in the not-too-distant future where you settle down to watch the Big Game. Before kickoff, there's a performance of "God Save The King" — this year's contest is in London's Wembley Stadium, after all, it's just polite — and then it's time for the Paris Berets to face the Madrid Matadors. As you get comfortable on the couch, maybe you spend a moment thinking about when the "N" in "NFL" stood for just one nation … and then it's game time. Now, before you freak out at the prospect of escargot and bangers n' mash elbowing chicken wings and pigs in a blanket off your Super Bowl spread, don't worry. The NFL isn't going full international anytime soon. But… like it or not, the NFL will expand its reach overseas in the future. Take it from a guy who knows: "At some point, there will be NFL teams outside the USA," NFL commissioner Roger Goodell told Germany's RTL/ntv in the course of an interview with Markus Kuhn, a German-born former defensive tackle with the Giants. "I have no doubt that this will happen one day." (Julian Finney/Getty Images) How would that work? The logistics of posting NFL teams overseas are daunting but ultimately manageable. Games in Western Europe can kick off in the early afternoon local time to air in the 9am ET slot. For other nations, the NFL could adopt an F1 approach: gear games to the timeframe of the host nation, and the rest of the world, including the United States, can just set their alarms. Which brings us around to you, the loyal American NFL fan. While the league's expansion is wonderful news for newly-created fans in host countries and, of course, the NFL's bottom line, what does it mean for Americans who have followed their teams for generations? Well, there's the jingoistic "football's an American game, dammit" take, but let's be honest: when you're watching a game on TV, it doesn't matter if that game's in Munich or Miami. Yes, you might have to get up a little early to watch your favorite team when they go international, but — sadly — we all understand now that the NFL viewing experience in the 2020s requires a bit of homework, and probably a new subscription or two. The real question going forward will be just how much the NFL alters itself to appeal to the desires and customs of its coveted nations. We're not saying that VAR will become standard practice in NFL games, or that NFL players will start flopping like Premier League soccer players, but we're not not saying that either. And then there's the possibility of an overseas Super Bowl. That's where the logistics really start to bite; keeping the game at its traditional 6pm ET start is virtually impossible in an international destination. (That's late at night in Europe, early in the morning in Australia.)   🏈 FIRST TEAM AP PRESEASON ALL-AMERICANS Ole Miss running back Kewan Lacy. (CFP/Getty Images) The 2026 preseason AP All-America teams were announced on Tuesday. Texas leads the way with four players on the first team, and the SEC has 14 of the 27 first-team selections. First team offense QB: Dante Moore (Oregon) RB: Kewan Lacy (Ole Miss); Ahmad Hardy (Missouri) WR: Jeremiah Smith (Ohio State); Malachi Toney (Miami); Cam Coleman (Texas) TE: Trey'Dez Green (LSU) OT: Carter Smith (Indiana); Trevor Goosby (Texas) OG: Evan Tengesdahl (Cincinnati); Shadre Hurst (Houston) 😄 Kade Pieper (Iowa) All-Purpose: Wayne Knight (UCLA) K: Tate Sandell (Oklahoma) First team defense Edge: Colin Simmons (Texas); Dylan Stewart (South Carolina) DT: A'Mauri Washington (Oregon); David Stone (Oklahoma) LB: Rasheem Biles (Texas); Xavier Atkins (Auburn); Rolijah Hardy (Indiana) CB: Leonard Moore (Notre Dame); Ellis Robinson IV (Georgia) S: KJ Bolden (Georgia); Koi Perich (Oregon) DB: Bray Hubbard (Alabama) P: Evan Crenshaw (Troy) Second team: Offense and defense   ⚾️ EXCLUSIVE CLUB NATS ON PACE FOR RARE TRIFECTA (Rob Tringali/MLB Photos via Getty Images) One of the rarest achievements for any baseball team is to lead the majors in runs, home runs and stolen bases in the same season — a feat accomplished by just four legendary teams over the past century… and perhaps soon a fifth that is unlikely to even make the playoffs. One of these is not like the others: With six weeks left in the regular season, the fourth-place Nationals lead MLB in runs scored (670), home runs (180) and stolen bases (135), as legendary sportswriter Thomas Boswell brought to our attention last week. But compare these Nats — with their middling 60-67 record and meager +13 run differential — to the quartet that came before them. 1931 Yankees: This Babe Ruth- and Lou Gehrig-led squad went 94-59 with an AL-record 1,067 runs scored and a +307 differential, the seventh-best mark since 1920. 1952, 1953 & 1955 Dodgers: These three iterations of the "Boys of Summer" Dodgers — led by the likes of Jackie Robinson, Gil Hodges and Duke Snider — all reached the World Series, and in 1955 brought home the first title in franchise history. Big picture: The story of Washington's season has been its pitching staff's inability to keep up with its fearsome lineup led by superstars James Wood and CJ Abrams. Even a moderate improvement to its woeful bullpen (32 blown saves) and bottom-five rotation (4.67 ERA) would put this team more in line with the famous outfits listed above; instead, the 2026 Nationals seem destined to to elicit a "huh?" anytime this stat is mentioned in the future.   📺 VIEWING GUIDE WATCHLIST: WEDNESDAY, AUG. 19 Olivia Miles drives to the basket the last time the Lynx and Valkyries played, back in June. (Noah Graham/NBAE via Getty Images) 🏀 Lynx at Valkyries The WNBA's top two teams square off tonight (10pm ET, USA) in San Francisco, where Minnesota (29-7) will try to win its fifth straight game and Golden State (25-9) will try to win its seventh straight. Back like she never left: Lynx superstar Napheesa Collier — the MVP runner-up in each of the last two seasons — has shown no signs of rust in her return from offseason surgery on both ankles, averaging 19.1 points, 7.3 rebounds and 3.2 assists in nine games while shooting a career-best 50% from long range. ⚾️ Little League World Series The 79th edition of the LLWS begins today in South Williamsport, Pennsylvania, where 10 U.S. teams and 10 international teams will compete for glory over the next two weeks. As a reminder, the brackets are separate until the very end, when the U.S. and international champions will face off in the LLWS Championship. Today's schedule: Leon, Nicaragua vs. Santiago, Dominican Republic (1pm, ESPN); Phenix City, Alabama vs. Tacoma, Washington (3pm, ESPN); Vancouver, Canada at Seoul, South Korea (5pm, ESPN); Bayonne, New Jersey at Bridgewater, Massachusetts (7pm, ESPN). More to watch: ⚾️ MLB: Yankees at Orioles (6:35pm, Prime) … New York (70-55) holds the first wild card, while Baltimore (61-65) is among the horde of teams fighting for the third. 🎾 Cincinnati Open: Round of 16 (11am, Tennis) … Taylor Fritz, Frances Tiafoe, Coco Gauff, Aryna Sabalenka and more are in action. ⚽️ MLS: Vancouver vs. Houston (10:30pm, Apple) … First vs. second in the West.   ⛳️ LET'S PLAY TRIVIA TIME Scheffler holds up his trophy from last weekend's FedEx St. Jude Championship. (Andy Lyons/Getty Images) Since 1983, which basically signals the start of the modern PGA Tour, only five golfers have won more Tour events than Scottie Scheffler's 21. Question: Can you name them? Hint: Only one played regularly on the PGA Tour this year. Answer at the bottom.   🍿 SPORTS SHORTS WATCH: "MUREWA" Yahoo Media Group and The Nonfiction Hotlist invited filmmakers worldwide to submit documentary shorts for recognition and distribution. Nearly 1,000 filmmakers answered the call — and now, the results are in! Five films were selected in the Sports category, and we'll be sharing one each day this week ahead of our inaugural Film Festival this weekend. Title: Murewa Director: Ché Scott-Heron Newton Runtime: 14 minutes About the film: Murewa follows childhood friends Marlon and Murry as they grow up together in the seaside town of Worthing, with a shared passion for skateboarding and photography, before their lives take dramatically different paths.   Trivia answer: Tiger Woods (82 wins), Phil Mickelson (45), Vijay Singh (34), Rory McIlroy (30), Dustin Johnson (24)

Donalds, Jolly emerge from primaries Donalds took 48% of the vote in a crowded primary that included nine other Republicans, Christine Sexton reports. Jolly easily defeated five opponents in the Democratic primary, earning 61% of the vote. Jolly is a former GOP U.S. House member and Trump dissident who switched to the Democratic Party last year and appeared on the path to his own competitive primary against Orange County Mayor Jerry Demings. But Demings dropped out of the race after being diagnosed with cancer. Related: Despite being outspent 10-to-1, Jolly likes his chances of becoming governor   Nixon advances to face Moody in U.S. Senate race with decisive win over Vindman Her victory concluded a primary that had some wondering whether progressive Democrats’ wins around the nation would carry into Florida. Nixon, carrying endorsements of several of Florida’s progressive Democratic legislators, enjoyed a significantly smaller campaign account compared to competitor Alex Vindman. Nixon is best known for her in-your-face progressivism — for example, staging a sit-in in the governor’s office to protest his congressional gerrymander.   Wasserman Schultz, Moskowitz advance in their congressional primary races In one of the most watched congressional primaries this year, longtime Florida Democratic Rep. Debbie Wasserman Schultz won in a Broward County-based seat held by a Black representative since the early 1990s. Meanwhile, two-term U.S. Rep. Jared Moskowitz crushed his Democratic Socialists of America-backed opponent, Oliver Larkin, 63%-37%. Republican Cory Mills, facing allegations of dating violence and campaign finance law violations, lost his primary in CD 7, in Seminole and Volusia counties. Democratic Florida House Minority Leader Fentrice Driskell held off fellow Democratic Rep. Michele Rayner in state Senate District 16 in the Tampa Bay area, 60%-40%.

Israeli military launches criminal probes into killings of Hind Rajab and Palestinian paramedics JERUSALEM (AP) — Israel’s military on Wednesday announced its first criminal investigations into troop conduct in Gaza, focusing on the killings of 5-year-old Hind Rajab and her family and of 15 Palestinian paramedics. https://apnews.com/article/israel-military-hind-rajab-gaza-parademics-investigations-c0a733a3ac78660b474e5bdb47154f8b?

Why Did Paul Go to Pisidian Antioch? On Paul’s so-called first missionary journey, detailed beginning in Acts 13, he and his companions go from Syrian Antioch to Cyprus (where Barnabas was from), and they end up in the city of Paphos. From there, they sail north to the southern coast of Asia Minor, to the ancient Greek city of Perga. Nothing at all is said about Paul and Barnabas staying and evangelizing there; instead, they head north through rugged mountain territory to a small Roman town called Pisidian Antioch. https://www.biblicalarchaeology.org/daily/ancient-cultures/ancient-rome/why-did-paul-go-to-pisidian-antioch/?

Yes, Ellen White and the General Conference wanted to get this anti-Trinitarian book into the hands of as many people as possible. This is something I've collected material on from the General Conference Archives - I'll dig it out of my creature-christ folder this weekend.

AJ, This has nothing to do with spirituality. Anti-vaxxers who cite spiritual reasons for refusing a shot are like those who conflate Christianity and democracy. One has nothing to do with the other.

How American houses of worship speak out on contentious public issues without forfeiting their tax exemption. The post The Pulpit, the Ballot, and the Law appeared first on ReligiousLiberty.TV. View the full article

Frank Beard, drummer of boogie-rock trio ZZ Top, dies at 77 NEW YORK (AP) — Frank Beard, the drummer for the Texas boogie-rock trio ZZ Top who kept the tempo for the band’s biggest hits like “Sharp Dressed Man,” “Gimme All Your Lovin’” and “Legs,” has died. He was 77. https://apnews.com/article/frank-beard-died-zz-top-obit-72139238d1dbf3d277bdb3b8584eecc9?

Takeaways from Tuesday’s primaries Democratic voters elevated Angie Nixon, a progressive Senate candidate in Florida, while President Donald Trump’s chosen candidate in his adopted home state, Republican Rep. Byron Donalds, won the nomination as he vies to be the state’s first Black governor. Read more. Why this matters: It was a mixed bag for incumbents in Florida, where Republican-led redistricting efforts scrambled congressional maps. Meanwhile, longtime U.S. Rep. Debbie Wasserman Schultz won a diverse, redistricted Florida seat. Voters in Alaska, Wyoming and California were also choosing their nominees. Our free politics newsletter, Ground Game, is soon expanding to five days a week. Sign up to get more politics coverage. RELATED COVERAGE ➤ Full results Sen. Sullivan, former congresswoman Peltola will face off for Alaska US Senate seat in November Sen. Darline Graham in debate: ‘I’m not that informed on national security’ AP Interview: Ralph Norman questions Trump’s endorsement of Darline Graham in South Carolina runoff Fake polling from mysterious company highlights danger of unvetted election surveys Governors’ races are being increasingly buffeted by the toxic politics of data centers Senator presses Hegseth, Caine for commitment to keep US military out of the midterm elections

South Korean and US militaries shorten exercises at Trump’s order South Korea’s military said in a statement the ongoing drills with the U.S. would end Friday, not Aug. 27 as initially planned, while the allies also agreed to downsize some joint field training exercises. Read more. Why this matters: President Donald Trump had ordered his Pentagon chief to downsize joint drills just before they began Monday. Trump cited what he said was a good relationship with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un and South Korea’s refusal to support him over Iran. The move likely reflected Trump’s hopes to reengage with Kim but could undermine U.S.-South Korean defense readiness. RELATED COVERAGE ➤ Trump says US has no talks planned with Iran Trump is threatening to bomb Oman, but why?

Trump says US and Canada reached last-minute deal to delay 50% tariffs The two sides reached agreement less than two hours before the sanctions were to go into effect for about 5% of Canadian exports to the United States. They agreed to a three-day delay while negotiations continued. Read more. Why this matters: The deal avoids, for now, another strain in already tense relations between the historic allies. A White House proclamation said Canada had expressed a commitment to remove measures the Trump administration considers discriminatory against U.S. alcohol, dairy and motor vehicle exports. Canada did not immediately confirm those commitments. Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney said in a statement “substantial progress” had been made but that important work remained. RELATED COVERAGE ➤ Ex-Fauci adviser pleads guilty to plotting to conceal COVID-19 research records during pandemic Trump administration moves ahead to end roadless rule on national forests Whistleblower alleges political pressure, lack of evidence in antisemitism probes targeting schools ICC slams US decision to sanction the court’s president and a senior prosecution lawyer Preservation group urges Supreme Court to suspend Trump’s White House ballroom project Judge rules paint tests on Eisenhower Building can proceed, advancing Trump’s makeover plans for now

Democrats see a path to the Senate through Alaska Democrats believe former Alaska Rep. Mary Peltola could bring them one step closer to controlling the Senate in 2027. On Tuesday, Peltola advanced to November’s general election, where CNN’s Decision Desk projects she will face Republican Sen. Dan Sullivan. Peltola, a former congresswoman, has centered her campaign on protecting Alaska’s fisheries and seafood economy. She had considered running for governor but was urged by national Democrats to enter the Senate race as the party works to gain four seats and retake the chamber. Alaska last elected a Democrat to the Senate in 2008, but the state has long had an independent streak, leaving the door open for a competitive race. + Read more: Key takeaways from Tuesday’s primaries in Florida, Alaska and Wyoming + Video highlights: MAGA has mixed record in Trump’s home state + Democratic socialists see another victory

$40 trillion and counting The US is nearing a record $40 trillion in debt and will likely cross that threshold today. This milestone reflects decades of the federal government spending more than it collects in revenue, creating annual deficits that add to the national debt. That imbalance is nothing new: The US has carried debt since its inception, according to the Treasury Department, with wars, economic downturns and, more recently, the Covid-19 pandemic adding significantly to the total. President Donald Trump has promised to use tariffs, among other measures, to help pay down the figure. But his tariff agenda has been marked by shifting deadlines and tensions with America’s closest trading partners. (Just hours ago, Trump postponed a 50% tariff he had threatened on some Canadian goods that was set to take effect today.) At this rate, though, another major debt fight may not be far off. The US could hit its $41.1 trillion debt ceiling early next year, putting Congress back in the familiar position of debating whether to raise it once again. + Read more: Trump postpones 50% tariff he threatened for some Canadian goods + Plus: Inflation and national debt concerns are rattling bond markets. Here’s how that may affect you

THIS DAY IN HISTORY August 19 1909 First race is held at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway The first race is held at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway, now the home of the world’s most famous motor racing competition, the Indianapolis 500. read more Sponsored Content by REVCONTENT 19th Century 1812 Old Ironsides earns its name 1895 John Wesley Hardin killed in Texas Arts & Entertainment 1964 The Beatles kick off first U.S. tour at San Francisco’s Cow Palace 1993 Kim Basinger and Alec Baldwin marry Cold War 1953 CIA-assisted coup overthrows government of Iran 1960 Captured U.S. spy pilot sentenced in Russia Crime 1991 A Jewish student is killed by a mob in Crown Heights, Brooklyn 2011 “West Memphis Three” released from prison after 18 years Early U.S. 1791 Benjamin Banneker writes to Thomas Jefferson, urging justice for African Americans European History 1934 Adolf Hitler cements his position of supreme power U.S. Presidents 1946 Bill Clinton is born World War I 1919 President Wilson appears before the Senate Foreign Relations Committee

📺 Trump's media legal battles skyrocket Data: Axios research. Chart: Christine Wang/Axios Media-related lawsuits involving President Trump — along with a broader set of Trump-related defamation cases — have surged over the past two years compared with the decade prior, Axios' Sara Fischer and Kerry Flynn write. Trump, his businesses and his administration have been involved in 61 media and defamation lawsuits since 2015, including 16 in 2025 and nine so far in 2026, according to an Axios analysis. Keep reading ...

⚠️ OpenAI blinks first in safety standoff Illustration: Sarah Grillo/Axios OpenAI said yesterday it's pausing some model work over safety concerns, days after rival Anthropic insisted its safety measures were solid enough that it didn't need to slow down, Axios' Madison Mills and Ina Fried write. Why it matters: This is a script flip. Anthropic has traditionally been more publicly cautious and safety-oriented than OpenAI. Keep reading.

🤖 The new existential threat to AI Illustration: Sarah Grillo/Axios. Stock: Getty Images Forget energy. Forget chips. Forget China. The most clear and present danger to AI and any AI-related economic boom is rapidly rising public opposition to U.S. data centers, Jim VandeHei and Mike Allen write in a "Behind the Curtain" column. Why it matters: Republicans and AI CEOs are in full panic mode watching politicians and the public turn on the physical engines of AI growth. In private, they tell us they can't find a compelling message to shift opinion fast enough. Their nightmare — a political and economic daisy chain that cripples the AI revolution — is already taking shape: Voters revolt against data centers over electricity bills, water use, giant warehouse-like developments and fears about AI eliminating jobs. Democrats race to capitalize, competing to impose tougher restrictions or block projects altogether. Republicans — watching candidates get punished in places like Ohio — retreat from an industry they've spent years championing. The pipeline of new data centers slows, constraining the computing power AI companies need to keep improving their models and products. Investors question the staggering spending, borrowing and valuations built on expectations of relentless AI growth. 🔭 Zoom out: The AI boom has become dangerously intertwined with the U.S. economy, meaning this will ricochet far beyond Silicon Valley. Goldman Sachs estimates U.S. AI investment will hit about $600 billion this year, equal to roughly 2% of GDP and 10% of business fixed investment. Big Tech has already locked itself into trillions of dollars in future spending: The Financial Times found six hyperscalers have nearly $1.5 trillion in purchase commitments, much of it tied to AI infrastructure, plus roughly $1.5 trillion in lease obligations. Even the richest companies in history are now turning to debt markets to bankroll the buildout. A handful of those AI-heavy tech giants dominate the stock market's gains, swelling the portfolios of wealthy Americans who account for an outsized share of consumer spending. 🎨 The big picture: The increasingly toxic politics of data centers are surfacing in several of this fall's governors' races. Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro (D), a 2028 hopeful, had welcomed data centers as an economic-development boon, boasting last year that an Amazon plan to build $20 billion in AI infrastructure was the "largest private sector investment in the history of Pennsylvania." Yesterday, Shapiro, whose Republican opponent in November is campaigning on halting data-center development, went from AI cheerleader to critic and signed an executive order imposing stringent new requirements for data-center developers. 👀 The intrigue: In Wisconsin, GOP gubernatorial nominee Tom Tiffany — a close Trump ally — is running ads attacking his Democratic opponent for suggesting the state could become an AI data hub "for the entire globe." It's a striking crack in Trump's pro-AI coalition, as Republicans in swing states scramble to get on the right side of the new populist wave upending the midterms. The other side: OpenAI is aggressively courting state and local officials to try to persuade them of the economic benefits of data centers. Chris Lehane, OpenAI's chief global affairs officer, told us: "As the late, great Tip O'Neill famously said, 'All politics is local.'" "That is especially true of AI data centers, where you have to show up, listen, and directly respond with specifics to the concerns of locals," Lehane added. "You have to answer the mail on issues like electricity and water, while also demonstrating a seriousness of purpose when it comes to ensuring the community gets a good deal. ... That is democracy in action." Meta last week announced its Future Is for Everyone Fund, with $1 billion in spending planned to benefit teachers, law enforcement and fire departments in communities where the company owns or plans data centers. Meta is also aggressively highlighting direct economic benefits for localities, including thousands of jobs and an increased tax base. Data: Pew. Chart: Noah Bressner/Axios 🔢 By the numbers: In Pew Research Center polling published yesterday, 52% of Americans said they're "more concerned than excited" about increased use of AI in daily life — up from 37% in 2021. Even adults under 30 have soured on AI, with 55% now saying they're more concerned than excited — mainly because of fears the technology will take jobs. Excitement has faded across all age groups over the past five years, Pew found. A June Echelon Insights poll found AI data centers are uniquely toxic: Just 27% of voters say they would support building one in their community, dead last among the projects tested — including a nuclear power plant. Zachary Basu and Alex Thompson contributed reporting. Go deeper: "AI optimism fades among young adults," by Axios' Josephine Walker.

Exclusive: GOP's stark AI warning Illustration: Sarah Grillo/Axios The Senate GOP campaign arm, in a private memo to top AI companies, warns that toxic views of U.S. data centers are killing the party's chances of holding a vital seat in Ohio, Axios' Alex Isenstadt scoops. In the memo, obtained by Axios, the National Republican Senatorial Committee says Democrats have made data centers a "centerpiece" of their campaign to defeat Sen. Jon Husted (R-Ohio) — and that it's working. "If he loses and data centers get the blame, politicians across the country will take notice — and they will not go near the next one," the memo says. "This has become a sleeper issue for the entire election cycle." Why it matters: Republicans want AI companies to do whatever it takes to stem the public backlash. 🖼️ The big picture: AI CEOs and top Republicans share in the rising panic. They tell us internal polls show data centers are as popular as spent nuclear waste, and more broadly have become a proxy for feelings about AI. Tech giants are scrambling to pull together media campaigns to try to shift opinion before it hardens locally and nationally. But Democrats aren't dummies. They see the same polls and are moving fast. Even politicians who previously embraced data centers are racing to crack down on them this election year. There are now more than 4,000 data centers online across the U.S., with another 3,000-plus proposed or in progress. They're designed to power the AI transforming the American economy, but have drawn protests from communities nationwide because they require massive amounts of electricity and water, can drive up utility bills, involve enormous warehouse-like structures and provide few jobs. They also have become local proxies for anxiety about AI-driven job loss. Obtained by Axios 🔎 Zoom in: Husted's opponent, former Sen. Sherrod Brown (D), has spent millions of dollars on a summer ad campaign calling Husted "the face of data centers in Ohio." Republicans say the issue is especially potent in heavily blue-collar Ohio because the state has several big data center projects in the works. Nvidia and OpenAI have announced one in the last few days. Meta, Vantage and QTS also have projects there. The NRSC memo says Brown has made data centers his "de facto opponent." A Fox News poll last week showed Brown leading Husted by 8 points. The bottom line: The memo, headlined "Ohio Data Center Risk," argues that a Husted loss would cause long-lasting damage to AI companies' push to build data centers nationwide to power future generations of AI. "If voters' perceptions of data centers are not fixed quickly, the campaign against them will expand far beyond Ohio," the party warns. Read the memo ...

Fraternity Drug Ring A 24-year-old accused of leading a fraternity-affiliated drug ring at Penn State surrendered to authorities yesterday. He is being held in jail without bail after failing to appear for an arraignment Monday. Agostino Abbatiello is one of 14 people, including 13 current or former students, charged in connection with the alleged drug ring. Court documents released this week allege the operation was run out of off-campus fraternity houses from 2023 to 2024, with Delta Upsilon and Sigma Chi brothers and pledges accused of cutting, bagging, and distributing cocaine to the student body. Abbatiello and fellow former student Thomas Robinson, 23, allegedly sourced bulk cocaine from Philadelphia and New York (see how cocaine gets to the US here). Records show Robinson and his father, a Pittsburgh lawyer charged with concealing evidence, posted bail Monday. In 2020, federal prosecutors charged several current and former UNC-Chapel Hill, Duke University, and Appalachian State University students in connection with a drug ring that generated an estimated $1.5M in sales.

Another somewhat preposterous story was perpetuated by Benjamin Wilkinson, author of two books that caused some confusion. One was "The Authorized Version Vindicated." The other was "Truth Triumphant." One of the two claimed that there was a Jesuit teaching at Union College. He was discovered and just disappeared. His identity would not be hard to discover. Simply check school records for a teacher who suddenly disappeared. Cliff Goldstein offered a reward for any proof that a Jesuit was connected to the denomination in an official capacity, such as college teacher. Surely someone at Union college could have used the money. Truth stranger than fiction can be discovered by reading the volumes Gill Ford has published on her husband's career. Tales of inappropriate conduct followed by blackmail in order to secure the sacking of Dr. Ford, threats of lawsuits, highly unethical behavior, cowardice, subterfuge, and so forth abound. Apparently Neal Wilson's conscience pricked him. He sought reconciliation with Dr. Ford in hope of bringing him back into the fold. When that failed, Pastor Wilson went to great lengths to have Dr. Ford disfellowshipped, which the PUC church refused to do. It is also a great narrative of SDA modern history in Australia, denominational politics, cover ups and, unfortunately, spite and infighting among the Adventist academy. Included in these comprehensive volumes are accounts of committees, including the names of participants, that studied various issues, especially D&R. These committees usually conclude that the IJ doctrine is not in the Bible. Some accept it based on the authority of EGW, others simply remain silent. Dr. Ford was dismissed because his views contradicted SDA tradition, not the Bible. A lot of people think Dr. Ford was on trial at Glacier View. It was actually his numerous sympathizers who were too scared to stand and be counted. They were the ones on trial. Only Jack Provonsha publicly stood up at GV, a physician who didn't require a denominational paycheck with benefits, including retirement, eyeglasses and dental. A typical plan might also include accidental death, dismemberment, and long-term disability insurance. Then there is the education benefit for children. A comfy job for those who can get it, as long as you keep your mouth shut regarding inconveniient truth.

Record Drone Strike Ukraine launched roughly 800 drones against Russia yesterday, potentially its second-biggest drone strike since 2025. The attack is the latest example of Ukraine’s monthslong strategy to pressure Moscow into peace negotiations by attacking deep within Russian territory. The strike came days after another large-scale Ukrainian attack killed at least seven people and wounded dozens more. Many recent strikes have targeted Wildberries, Moscow’s main e-commerce site, destroying up to $10B in goods and property (why target "Russia’s Amazon"?). Meanwhile, a Russian missile strike yesterday reportedly killed at least 10 people in Ukraine’s Kharkiv region and wounded 17 others. See updates here. Russia reiterated last week that it would not accept a ceasefire on the current front lines, and has also rejected Turkey’s request for a moratorium on strikes against ships in the Black Sea. See how attacks on shipping routes are affecting global trade. ... and what it's like inside Ukraine's "kill zone."

Attributing survival on September 11 to divine intervention offers comfort to the living, but it distorts the teachings of Jesus on human suffering. The post The False Mercy of the Missed Connection appeared first on ReligiousLiberty.TV. View the full article