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Today’s newsletter is 1,069 words — a 4-minute read.

Data centers are all over the headlines, but one D.C. photographer is trying to show how they actually affect the people living near them.

Why it matters: The data center boom is reshaping our region so quickly that some of the places Stephen Voss photographed just a few years ago already look different.

Case in point: When Voss began photographing Tippett's Hill Cemetery, a historically Black burial site in Sterling, for the "Dark Fiber" series he launched in 2023, data centers surrounded the property on two sides.

• Today, he says, it's surrounded on three.

State of play: "Dark Fiber" documents how data center development has transformed Northern Virginia communities, and Voss says interest has taken off in the past nine months as debate has intensified.

• When he started pitching the series to outlets a few years ago, there was radio silence. Now his photos have appeared in outlets like the Washington Post and Mother Jones.

The big picture: The Northern Virginia data center wars have hit a boiling point as communities increasingly push back.

• Loudoun County voted to pause new data center applications, and an Amazon data center slated for the county was just scrapped.

What they're saying: Voss got the idea for his photo series when he was driving back from a shoot in Ashburn and found himself marveling at the scale of all the data centers.

• "I just got really fascinated by this idea of the digital infrastructure of our lives is [in] these buildings," he tells Axios. "The cloud is actually these big cement buildings in Ashburn."

He quickly realized that data centers are "incredibly boring buildings" to photograph, pointing to their drab, windowless exteriors.

• But everything started clicking when he began shooting them in context with the communities around them.

Yes, but: Voss isn't explicitly anti-data center — he recognizes that they're necessary for AI expansion and that they've brought massive tax revenue to places like Loudoun County, helping fund new schools, parks and rec centers.

• "But I don't ever hear that [argument] from the people who are living right next to them," he says of the tax benefits.

What we're watching: Voss says he's noticed Northern Virginia data center development slow recently as local jurisdictions take steps to rein in growth.

• But he says he still has plenty of material elsewhere in the country.

Meanwhile, he's working on a book, which will likely launch next year.

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The Sphere — a 6,000-seat, orb-shaped immersive entertainment venue — got final approval yesterday to be built at National Harbor.

Why it matters: It's a mini version of the Las Vegas Sphere, but Prince George's County is betting the $1.4 billion project will be a big draw for the waterfront.

The big picture: Those pushing the deal include Maryland Gov. Wes Moore, who wants new investments in the D.C. suburbs — given DOGE cuts, the Commanders' planned departure and the closure of Six Flags. (Fairfax County was briefly in the running, as Axios previously reported.)

• When it opens in early 2030, the Sphere is estimated to generate $63 million annually in taxes for Prince George's, per a county-commissioned study.
• Council members approved issuing $215 million in bonds to fund the project and pay down other National Harbor debt, to be repaid with anticipated future tax revenues.
• The Moore administration is also contributing $13.5 million in taxpayer funds.

Zoom in: The Sphere will neighbor MGM National Harbor and host immersive concerts and shows with vibrating seats, 4D effects and a massive LED display.

• The Vegas Sphere has events like a 4D screening of "The Wizard of Oz" and an Eagles concert with tech enhancements like colorful visuals on a wraparound screen.

Friction point: Labor unions pushed for a project labor agreement setting favorable terms for construction workers, similar to those sought for RFK Stadium and the proposed Audi Field expansion.

• Instead, the council approved a labor peace agreement to allow unions to organize future Sphere workers, WTOP reports.

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✏️ Council member Robert White, who's the Democratic nominee for D.C. delegate, faces a last-minute dilemma: An obscure law could bar him from taking the congressional seat while holding another paid public office. White could push for changes or resign from the D.C. Council before Election Day. (City Cast)

Federal officials have charged a man accused of vandalizing the Iwo Jima memorial by Quantico, while immigration authorities alleged he entered the country illegally and requested his detention for possible deportation. A representative for the man declined to comment. (WaPo)

⚾️ A new, 12-foot-tall red statue at Mamie "Peanut" Johnson Plaza at the intersection of Florida Avenue, New York Avenue and First Street NE pays tribute to Johnson being the first woman pitcher in the Negro Leagues.

• This is much nicer than what used to sit at the intersection formerly known as Dave Thomas Circle: A Wendy's. (DC News Now)

Forget podcasts. An Arlington startup wants you to dial in for your next thriller.

Why it matters: DialTale, a new audio drama network, is reviving old-school telephone storytelling with a modern twist.

How it works: Listeners call a phone number for a three- to four-minute episode.

• Hung up on a cliffhanger? The system remembers your place for next time.
• Each series gets its own phone number, with an area code tied to its setting — making us curious about the new "202" series, Dispersed.
• Early episodes are free; later installments require purchased credits.

Dial up the drama: The network debuted Sept. 22 with Misfortune, a 20-part horror mystery about high schoolers in upstate New York whose dinner outing takes a deadly turn.

• The series logged more than 1,400 calls by early October, ARLNow reported.

Why a phone call? Founder Amadi Grey, 34, was inspired by old-school 900 numbers and short-form drama apps like ReelShort.

• "The phone is a direct gateway to the audience," he told ARLNow.

🤵‍♂️ Cuneyt is reading about who's in the running to be the next James Bond.

🥐 Mimi is really, really excited for this Halloween croissant costume she got for her 9-month-old.

🥔 Anna wishes Soto could rock this potato costume (sadly, not round enough).

Today's newsletter was edited by Alexa Mencia Orozco.