Axios

Data centers have become the face of AI backlash, with celebrities, politicians and protesters pushing to slow their growth.

Why it matters: America's sharply rising public opposition to data centers — which fuel our everyday use of the internet — could pose an existential threat to AI's growth.

Moderna and Merck shares soared on Wednesday after the companies said a personalized mRNA treatment hit its target of preventing skin cancer from recurring or spreading in a late-stage clinical trial.

Why it matters: The results come at a pivotal moment for Moderna and mRNA research, after Trump administration health officials cut federal funding for new vaccines and asserted the technology poses more risks than rewards.

Many Federal Reserve officials believed that the central bank would have to raise interest rates if inflation did not ease, according to the minutes released on Wednesday from the Fed's July 28-29 policy meeting.

Why it matters: Some of the nation's top policymakers worried that interest rates weren't doing enough to restrain the economy and bring down inflation. They warned that waiting too long to raise rates could mean bigger, more painful increases down the line.

Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent will host finance ministers and economic leaders from around the world, plus heavy-hitting U.S. CEOs, for the G20 Finance Ministerial in historic Asheville, N.C., from Aug. 29 to Sept. 1.

Why it matters: In America's 250th anniversary year, Bessent will use the summit in the Blue Ridge Mountains to emphasize the resilience of the American spirit — and push his global counterparts to focus on growth and prosperity, showcasing results of President Trump's agenda.

• The focus on economic growth will be a stark change of tone and topic from climate change, which often dominates global gatherings.

President Trump announced Wednesday he's nominating White House aide Heidi Overton to lead the Food and Drug Administration.

Why it matters: The agency was left in turmoil after the exit of former commissioner Marty Makary earlier this year, threatening the stability of U.S. drug development.

A majority of Americans believe President Trump has profited inappropriately from a cryptocurrency empire while in office and disapprove of his family's global business activity, according to recent polls.

Why it matters: Democrats are leaning into those concerns in their own midterm messaging — and laying the groundwork to audit Trump's historically lucrative presidency should they emerge victorious.

Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro's (D) newly hard line on data centers says plenty about the evolving politics of AI and the tech industry's challenge to build the energy and computing power it needs.

Why it matters: He's in the 2028 presidential mix, leads a critical swing state, and faces November reelection in one of several governor's races where data centers are taking center stage.

Lattes and matchas are going bananas.

The big picture: Already the most-eaten fresh fruit in America, bananas are ripe for the beverage market beyond smoothies.

The U.S. Missile Defense Agency is on the hunt for mobile radars that can track ballistic, cruise and hypersonic missiles from remote outposts where few troops are stationed.

Why it matters: Static sensors and established bases are easy targets.

• Iran in recent months has targeted both, including an RTX-made AN/TPY-2 radar in Jordan.

GE Aerospace and Kratos were together named a secondary propulsion supplier for Lockheed Martin's Joint Air-to-Surface Standoff Missile.

Why it matters: Another option never hurt.

CenCore Group will on Friday unveil the Integrated Warfighter Ecosystem, a coalition of 150 businesses it has networked to win defense and intelligence-community contracts and arm U.S. troops with the best available gear.

Why it matters: "For me, personally, this really is the culmination of several years of work, to get this in place," CenCore chief executive Adam Fife told Axios.

• "When I spent my years downrange, we would get some really cool, engineered shit, but it didn't work."

The Senate GOP campaign arm, in a private memo to top AI companies, warns that toxic views of U.S. data centers are killing the party's chances of holding a vital seat in Ohio.

• In the memo, obtained by Axios, the National Republican Senatorial Committee says Democrats have made data centers a "centerpiece" of their campaign to defeat Sen. Jon Husted (R-Ohio) — and that it's working.
• "If he loses and data centers get the blame, politicians across the country will take notice — and they will not go near the next one," the memo says. "This has become a sleeper issue for the entire election cycle."

Why it matters: Republicans want the AI companies to do whatever it takes to stem the public backlash.

The firestorm over Sen. Jon Ossoff's suggestive remark about President Trump's right-hand woman has raised a bigger question about the type of campaign Democrats will run in 2028.

Why it matters: Trump has made schoolyard taunts and personal insults a staple of presidential politics. One of the big strategic calls for Democrats in 2028 is whether to fight on Trump's terms — or bet that voters are exhausted and ready for something a bit more dignified.

Forget energy. Forget chips. Forget China. The most clear and present danger to AI and any AI-related economic boom is rapidly rising public opposition to U.S. data centers.

Why it matters: Republicans and AI CEOs are in full panic mode watching politicians and the public turn on the physical engines of AI growth. In private, they tell us they can't find a compelling message to shift opinion fast enough.

President Trump said Tuesday night he is pausing for three days 50% tariffs on billions of dollars worth of Canadian goods that were set to take effect early Wednesday.

Why it matters: It follows an intense push in recent days — including talks between Trump and Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney on Tuesday — to avert another escalation in the North American trade war.

Angie Nixon's stunning Florida Senate primary win on Tuesday gave the Democratic Socialists of America its biggest statewide breakthrough yet: For the first time ever, a DSA member won a major-party nomination for statewide office.

Why it matters: The breakthrough —the biggest upset in modern Florida Democratic politics— was also stunning because Republicans have spent years making opposition to socialism central to their political brand in the state.

Rep. Cory Mills (R-Fla.) lost his primary Tuesday night to former TV reporter Ryan Elijah in Florida's 7th District, according to the Associated Press.

Why it matters: Mills' loss comes after months of mounting scrutiny — including an active House Ethics Committee investigation — that cost him support from prominent Florida Republicans.