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

Análisis de Tim Lister, CNN

No es frecuente que Europa hable con una sola voz, o que responda con tanta urgencia.

Pero el anuncio realizado el sábado por el presidente de Estados Unidos, Donald Trump, de sanciones contra varios países europeos que rechazan cualquier pretensión estadounidense sobre Groenlandia, un territorio danés, fue uno de esos momentos.

El domingo se celebrará en Bruselas una reunión de emergencia de embajadores de la Unión Europea (UE) en respuesta a la amenaza de Trump, la cual hizo después de que un estimado cuarto de la población de la capital de Groenlandia, Nuuk, se sumara a las protestas contra una posible anexión.

En todo el continente, entre aliados que normalmente responden con cautela a las declaraciones de la Casa Blanca, la reacción fue inmediata y enfática, y reconoció una amenaza existencial para la alianza transatlántica.

El presidente de Francia, Emmanuel Macron, quien ha intentado cultivar una buena relación personal con Trump, encabezó la respuesta, describiendo la amenaza de aranceles como “inaceptable”.

“Ninguna intimidación o amenaza nos influirá, ni en Ucrania, ni en Groenlandia, ni en ninguna otra parte del mundo cuando nos enfrentemos a tales situaciones”, dijo en X.

“Los europeos responderán de manera unida y coordinada en caso de confirmarse. Aseguraremos que se respete la soberanía europea”.

El primer ministro británico, Keir Starmer, intervino, diciendo en un comunicado que “aplicar aranceles a los aliados por buscar la seguridad colectiva de los aliados de la OTAN está completamente equivocado”.

Incluso la primera ministra de Italia, Giorgia Meloni, quien normalmente ha tenido relaciones positivas con el presidente estadounidense, describió la medida como un “error” en un video difundido durante una visita de Estado a Corea del Sur.

Revelando que ya había tenido una conversación telefónica con Trump y le había expresado su opinión sobre el asunto, Meloni dijo que “no está de acuerdo” con la idea de imponer aranceles contra los países que aportan a la seguridad de Groenlandia.

Trump, en una extensa publicación en redes sociales el sábado, dijo que Estados Unidos necesitaba la posesión de Groenlandia para contrarrestar las amenazas chinas y rusas en el Ártico y desarrollar lo que ha llamado la Cúpula Dorada para proteger a América del Norte de misiles balísticos.

Los expertos dicen que EE.UU. no necesita poseer Groenlandia para que la llamada cúpula sea efectiva, gracias a un acuerdo de 1951 que da a EE.UU. el derecho de construir instalaciones de defensa en la isla.

La Base Espacial Pituffik, que el vicepresidente de EE.UU., J. D. Vance, visitó el pasado marzo, se centra en la alarma de misiles, la vigilancia espacial, y misiones de control y mando satelital.

Políticos europeos señalaron que el unilateralismo de Trump sobre Groenlandia, y su trato a aliados de larga data, jugaba a favor de Moscú y Beijing.

“China y Rusia deben estar de fiesta. Son ellos quienes se benefician de las divisiones entre aliados”, dijo la jefa de política exterior de la UE, Kaja Kallas.

El presidente del Gobierno español, Pedro Sánchez, se pronunció en la misma línea. En una entrevista con el diario español La Vanguardia, dijo que cualquier acción militar de EE.UU. contra la vasta isla ártica de Dinamarca dañaría a la OTAN y alegraría al presidente de Rusia, Vladimir Putin.

Haría de Putin “el hombre más feliz del mundo. ¿Por qué? Porque legitimaría su intento de invasión de Ucrania”, afirmó.

“Si Estados Unidos recurriera a la fuerza, sería la sentencia de muerte para la OTAN. Putin estaría doblemente feliz”, advirtió Sánchez.

“Las medidas anunciadas hoy contra los aliados de la OTAN no ayudarán a garantizar la seguridad en el Ártico”, dijo la presidenta del Parlamento Europeo, Roberta Metsola, en X. “Corren el riesgo de lo contra

By Jennifer Agiesta, Ariel Edwards-Levy, CNN

(CNN) — The Democratic Party has a deeply motivated base and a clear advantage on the generic congressional ballot ahead of this fall’s midterms despite dismal impressions of its current leaders in Congress, according to a new CNN poll conducted by SSRS.

Democratic registered voters are far more motivated right now than Republicans. While the party has a 5-point edge on the generic ballot, among those who say they’re deeply motivated to vote, that advantage expands to a massive 16 points.

Democrats enter this year with a chance to capitalize on public dissatisfaction with President Donald Trump and the Republican-controlled government in Washington. CNN’s poll found a majority of Americans consider the first year of Trump’s second term to be a failure, with just 29% of independents approving of his job performance.

The generic congressional ballot measures which of the two major parties voters would rather support in an upcoming election. While it does not capture how voters may ultimately respond to the candidates whose names appear in their district, the generic ballot can be an early indicator of which party holds the upper hand nationwide.

In 2018, when Democrats won back the US House in Trump’s first term, Democrats had a similar 5-point edge among registered voters at around the same point in the year. In 2022, when Republicans won a narrow majority during former President Joe Biden’s administration, voters were about evenly split between the two parties.

Dissatisfaction with current Democratic leaders

Approval for congressional Democratic leaders stands at just 28%, below the 35% figure for their Republican counterparts. Both figures are little changed from last April.

Among Democrats and Democratic-leaning independents, broad majorities say Democrats in Congress have done too little to oppose Trump and have been ineffective at resisting Republican policies they oppose. They see their party’s caucus as falling particularly short compared with rank-and-file expectations for resisting Republican policies: Seventy-one percent say Democrats in Congress have been ineffective on that score, up 20 points from the 51% who expected a less than effective effort last January when the current Congress convened.

Extremely motivated Democratic-aligned voters are more likely than those who are less motivated to say Democrats in Congress aren’t doing enough to oppose Trump and aren’t effectively opposing Republican policies. They’re also more likely to say they don’t feel represented at all by the government in Washington. That discontent with the party’s efforts could affect how primary challenges to sitting members of Congress play out in the coming months.

As in other recent election cycles, the overall public mood at the start of 2026 remains generally bleak. Most call the economy poor. Among the group that feels that way, which tilts Democratic, “a change in political leadership” is as popular a remedy as bringing down inflation.

Roughly three-quarters of Republicans approve of the GOP’s congressional leaders, while just 48% of Democrats approve of their party’s leaders in Congress. Among independents, the two sets of party leaders are viewed about equally badly, with roughly three-quarters disapproving of each side.

The public is broadly split over whether the country would be better off or worse off if Democrats won control of Congress this November. Republicans largely conso

By Tom Foreman, CNN

(CNN) — On a breezy autumn morning beneath skittering clouds, the demolition crew strikes quicker than almost anyone expected.

Working at the behest of President Donald J. Trump, who has long fashioned himself the builder-in-chief, they take only days to reduce the 123-year-old East Wing of the White House to rubble. No drawn-out debate. No approval by independent preservationists.

The splintering of wood is also the sound of Trump breaking a promise in the eyes of some observers. Musing two months earlier about putting a palatial ballroom on the White House grounds, he had insisted, “It won’t interfere with the current building. It will be near it, but not touching it and pays total respect to the existing building, which I’m a big fan of.”

Now there is only the debris left by a president willing to treat the People’s House like his private property, with critics howling, courts being asked to stop the project and the estimated cost climbing from $200 million to $400 million.

The White House argues that private donors will pay for it all, that the traditional home of the first lady’s office was in terrible shape and that a permanent ballroom is desperately needed if only to retire the tents that sprout like mushrooms during some of the largest presidential soirees. Party planners on both sides of the aisle acknowledge that need.

But political insiders goggle at the proposed size. “This is going to be probably the finest ballroom ever built,” Trump boasts of a project set to be nearly 90,000 square feet and as tall as a four-story building. The size has fluctuated but the initial plan calls for something big enough to dwarf the main White House structure.

“It feels like the whole story of his goddamn term,” author and social commentator Robert Arnold complains in an online video about the East Wing demolition, “break it, sell it, lie about it, blame the press, move on before the dust settles.”

And for anyone who argues that Trump’s heavy-handed, go-it-alone approach is a far cry from the cooperative, transparent White House makeovers by past presidents, Republicans on Capitol Hill are ready with sharp replies. Missouri Sen. Josh Hawley points to the removal of statues of Confederate soldiers. “They didn’t have any concern for history then,” he sneers at the president’s critics. “Now, all of a sudden, the façade of the East Wing is iconic. Give me a break.”

From the moment Trump began his second term, he has wanted to leave his unique stamp on the White House. He paved the Rose Garden to look like a Mar-a-Lago patio and raised massive flagpoles on the North and South lawns, making the odd declaration that they are “the best poles anywhere in the country, or in the world actually.” He installed marble and gold fixtures in the bathroom of the Lincoln Bedroom, and encrusted the Oval Office in shiny hardware, declaring, “There is nothing like gold and there’s nothing like solid gold.”

Other changes were more political — and dovetailed with a perception of retribution in Trump’s second term. In a long line of presidential photos hung along an exterior White House corridor, Trump’s team installed plaques heaping insults on Democrats, including Barack Obama and Joe Biden, whose photo shows not the 46th president but an autopen. The caption calls Biden, who beat Trump in 2020, “the worst Preside