Axios

Debates in political campaigns used to be a given. Today, candidates increasingly view them as optional — or a political liability to be avoided.

Why it matters: In a midterm cycle dominated by unprecedented spending on contrast ads, the candidates themselves are remarkably reluctant to challenge each other face-to-face.

A new analysis of the AI buildout shows its staggering scale: $10.3 trillion in estimated AI infrastructure investment through 2032.

• That amounts to 3.6% of GDP a year, dwarfing the investment booms that built America's railroads, highways, electric grid and telecom networks.

Why it matters: The AI boom has become far too big and too costly for even the largest tech companies to finance alone. This has resulted in trillions of dollars in demand for outside capital — and the potential risks that come along with that, according to new research being presented Friday at the Brookings Papers on Economic Activity.

A federal judge slammed ICE for what he called "inhumane and unconstitutional" conditions at a New York City detention center and issued a permanent injunction imposing sweeping standards on the facility.

Why it matters: The ruling echoes other court decisions tied to President Trump's rapid expansion of immigration arrests and detention.