By Eyad Kourdi and Tim Lister, CNN

(CNN) — In the space of two days, the Syrian military, aided by tribal militia, has driven Kurdish forces from wide swathes of northern Syria that they have held for more than a decade.

Among the towns and cities reported to have fallen is Raqqa, once the notorious capital of the Islamic State’s (ISIS) so-called Caliphate.

Geolocated video showed tribal militia in the heart of the city Sunday, and a military presence in other neighborhoods.

Much of Syria’s oil wealth is also now under the control of the government for the first time in more than a decade.

Here’s what we know about the rapid changes on the ground.

What led to this confrontation?

The sudden push into Kurdish-controlled areas comes after clashes earlier this month in the city of Aleppo and the surrounding countryside, the latest episodes in a tense stand-off between the central government and the SDF.

The SDF is a US-backed group that was not part of the rebel alliance that overthrew Syrian dictator Bashar al-Assad in 2024.

On Friday, the SDF agreed to withdraw from the Aleppo area to the east bank of the Euphrates river, the first territorial concession it has made to the new government.

But beginning on Saturday, the Syrian military pushed into areas not covered by the agreement, and Kurdish forces appear to have retreated in disarray.

The Syrian military’s advance into several regions has deprived the SDF of control over both mineral wealth and rich agricultural land.

What have Syrian forces seized?

The army and allied tribes have taken much of the provinces of Aleppo, Raqqa and Deir Ezzor, which borders Iraq, and Arab militia have also made inroads into Kurdish-held Hasakah province.

In the process, troops have taken control of two hydroelectric dams on the Euphrates, according to the Syrian Energy Ministry. The larger of them provides much of the country’s drinking water and, once renovated, could provide some 900 megawatts of electricity.

The Syrian military has also taken control of oil and gas fields in Deir Ezzor province, including the largest, called al-Omar, as well as al-Tanak and Conoco fields, according to officials.

Why did negotiations fail?

For years, the SDF has controlled many areas largely populated by Arab tribes, many of which have now joined the fight against them. The SDF’s area of control had expanded as it worked with a US-led coalition in the struggle against ISIS, when the terror group controlled much of north-eastern Syria.

When the Assad regime was overthrown, the government of interim President Ahmad al-Sharaa rejected the notion of a federal Syria, demanding that Damascus’ writ run throughout the country.

There were many sessions of negotiations between the government and Mazloum Abdi, the SDF’s leader. And for a while it seemed agreement might be reached on integrating Kurdish fighters into the Syrian security forces and extending the Damascus government’s political control to territory in the north and east of Syria.

In March last year, al-Sharaa and Abdi signed an agreement which the Syrian president said aimed to “ensure the rights of all Syrians in representation and participation in the political process and all state institutions based on competence, regardless of their religious and ethnic backgrounds.”

But the Kurds remained reluctant to give up areas they controlled, and there was no agreement on integrating Kurdish forces into the national army.

Damascus promised the Kurds extensive cultural autonomy such as the use of the Kurdish language in schools. Indeed, on Friday, al-Sharaa signed a decree promising Kurds cultural and language rights and bestowing Syr

By Auzinea Bacon, CNN

(CNN) — Tech giants are in a heated race to build data centers and dominate the AI landscape. But America might not be ready for the energy demand.

The country’s aging electrical grid could struggle to keep up with the surge in energy needs. And US households are largely footing the bill for additional costs.

The Trump administration and a consortium of governors from northeastern states are asking PJM, America’s largest electric grid operator, to ease the nationwide spike in electricity costs. Federal officials want PJM to hold an emergency power auction — which the White House and governors cannot mandate — with tech giants that would pay for the surging costs from their data centers. (PJM said it was not given advance notice of the plan.)

Here’s what you need to know about the data center boom.

Where are data centers built?

Virginia has the biggest data center cluster in the entire world. It currently has 561 data centers in 23 markets, according to Data Center Map, which has tracked data centers since 2007.

Developments are also expanding to remote locations, where energy is more abundant and grids are less strained, according to McKinsey & Company’s August data center report. Data centers are expected to pop up in Denver, Los Angeles and Pennsylvania, among other regions.

Some states are incentivizing these investments. Ohio, for instance, offered partial or full sales tax exemptions for companies making significant investments, McKinsey noted.

Which companies are leading the charge?

America’s tech giants are racing to be at the forefront of the AI boom. Meta said it spent $17 billion in capital expenditures — which typically refers to money spent on data centers and infrastructure — for the quarter ending in June 2025.

Microsoft said it spent $24.2 billion for the quarter that ended last June, while Amazon said it would invest $15 billion in Northern Indiana to build new data center campuses, in addition to an $11 billion investment announced in 2024. And Bank of America in September estimated that companies’ annual spending on data center construction hit $40 billion in June.

Are they making electric bills more expensive?

Residential electricity rates were up 5.2% in October from the same time in 2024, according to the monthly electricity report released by the Energy Information Administration. Electricity costs for areas near data centers increased by as much as 267% compared to five years ago, a Bloomberg News analysis found last year.

The increase is due in part to the data center boom, which is boosting demand and straining resources, noted Ryan Hledik, a principal at the research and consulting firm Brattle Group.

But there are exceptions: Prices could drop if a data center is built in an area that has spare capacity or if it operates outside of peak usage hours, he noted.

America’s aging electrical infrastructur

Por Hanna Park y Sydney Bishop, CNN

El Pentágono ordenó a unos 1.500 soldados en servicio activo que se preparen para un posible despliegue en Minnesota, según funcionarios de defensa citados por The Washington Post y ABC News, mientras autoridades estatales también han movilizado a la Guardia Nacional.

Los soldados recibieron órdenes de “prepararse para desplegar” en caso de que la violencia escale en Minnesota, de acuerdo con The Washington Post. Es habitual que el Pentágono “esté preparado para cualquier decisión que el presidente pueda o no tomar”, dijo la Casa Blanca en un comunicado enviado a CNN.

CNN se comunicó con el Departamento de Defensa de Estados Unidos.

La Guardia Nacional de Minnesota “no está desplegada en las calles de la ciudad en este momento, pero está lista para ayudar a apoyar la seguridad pública”, informó el Departamento de Seguridad Pública de Minnesota en una publicación en redes sociales que incluyó imágenes de miembros de la Guardia reuniendo equipos junto a una fila de camiones en una carretera cubierta de nieve.

La Guardia Nacional está “en posición y lista para responder”, dijo en un comunicado a CNN la mayor del Ejército Andrea Tsuchiya, portavoz de la Guardia Nacional de Minnesota, al señalar que las fuerzas ayudarán a brindar “apoyo de tráfico para proteger la vida, preservar la propiedad y respaldar el derecho de todos los habitantes de Minnesota a reunirse pacíficamente”.

Walz agradeció a las fuerzas del orden locales por mantener la seguridad pública en medio de las protestas en curso contra la amplia operación migratoria del Gobierno de Trump en las Ciudades Gemelas. Instó a todos los que planean alzar la voz este fin de semana a “mantenerse a salvo y en paz”.

Nuevamente el sábado, multitudes abrigadas salieron a las gélidas calles de Minneapolis, lo que derivó en tensos enfrentamientos con agentes federales de inmigración y en una confrontación entre manifestantes anti-ICE y pro-ICE cerca del Ayuntamiento.

Las protestas se intensificaron después de que un agente del Servicio de Inmigración y Control de Aduanas (ICE) matara a tiros a Renee Good, una madre de tres hijos de 37 años, dentro de su automóvil a comienzos de este mes. Su muerte desató protestas en todo el país y alimentó la indignación contra la ofensiva migratoria del presidente Donald Trump, que ha visto a agentes armados y enmascarados emplear tácticas agresivas en campañas dirigidas en ciudades de Estados Unidos. Esa indignación creció la semana pasada cuando otro agente federal disparó en la pierna a un hombre venezolano que, según el Departamento de Seguridad Nacional, se resistía “violentamente” al arresto.

Un funcionario de la oficina de Walz dijo que la movilización anunciada el sábado fue una reconfirmación de la instrucción del gobernador para que la Guardia Nacional del estado se prepare si es necesario apoyar a las fuerzas del orden locales. Walz dio la orden inicial de preparación al día siguiente de la muerte de Good.

Manifestantes corearon consignas y levantaron pancartas en el centro de Minneapolis y frente al edificio federal Bishop Henry Whipple el sábado, pese al frío extremo. Se adoptaron medidas adicionales en el centro de la ciudad, con carreteras bloqueadas y al menos un hotel reforzando su seguridad debido a las protestas.

En el edificio federal Whipple, un gran grupo de agentes federales equipados con material antidisturbios avanzó hacia los manifestantes, que respondieron con abucheos y consignas. Algunos pidieron moderación y llamaron a la multitud a mantenerse unida.

CNN observó a varios manifestantes detenidos por fuerzas federales cerca del edificio. Las manifestaciones parecían en gran medida pacíficas y no estaba claro de inmediato qué motivó las detenciones. CNN solicitó comentarios al Departamento de Seguridad Nacio