Tech giants are expected to join President Trump at the White House next week to sign a pledge that they will build or buy their own electricity supplies for data centers.
Why it matters: It's the Trump administration's latest response to election-year voter angst over data centers' AI-driven electricity demands and their potential effects on rates.
White House envoy Steve Witkoff told a private gathering on Tuesday that the Trump administration is demanding that Iran agree any future nuclear deal will remain in effect indefinitely, according to a U.S. official and two other sources with knowledge of his remarks.
Why it matters: President Trump and other critics of the 2015 Iran nuclear deal negotiated by the Obama administration seized on the "sunset provisions" as one of its main flaws.
Data: Climate Central; Note: Winter temperature threshold based on the coldest 90-day window; Map: Jacque Schrag/Axios
This winter has been brutally cold, snowy and icy for millions of Americans — yet winters are getting shorter across most U.S. cities amid climate change.
That's per a new analysis based on temperatures rather than calendar dates from Climate Central, a climate research group.
Waymo is accelerating its rollout of robotaxis in the U.S., adding four new cities in Texas and Florida this week as self-driving technology begins to penetrate mainstream America.
Why it matters: Armed with $16 billion in fresh capital from parent Alphabet and others, Waymo is quickly extending its lead over other players like Tesla and Amazon-owned Zoox, which are still mostly in testing mode.
Amid the current AI obsession, local opposition is the one thing that has the potential to slow the AI boom — and arguably already has.
By the numbers: According to the most recent report from Data Center Watch, 20 projects representing some $96 billion in investments were blocked or delayed in the second quarter of 2025 alone amid local opposition.
Data: Sightline Climate; Note: Includes 529 large data center projects announced since 2024 that have disclosed capacity; Chart: Kavya Beheraj/Axios
As many as half of the world's data center projects slated to come online this year could face delays, according to a report issued Tuesday.
Why it matters: It's a sign of mounting collisions in the AI race — from power constraints and grid equipment shortages to rising community opposition.
