July 29, 2026, 7:05 AM EDT
By Elizabeth Robinson, Daniela Suarez and Delia Sara Rangel
The backlash against AI data centers is becoming a key issue in midterm races. The U.S. and Saudi Arabia strike sites in Iraq. And the whey protein craze is creating a cheese surplus
Here’s what to know today
How the backlash to AI data centers is shaping midterm elections
Opposition to data centers is spilling into midterm primary and general election contests, with the fight intensifying quickly. President Donald Trump’s economic speech in Michigan on Monday was interrupted by protesters opposed to the developments, while state and federal candidates are releasing ads highlighting their positions on data centers
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Polling shows Americans broadly oppose data centers being built near their homes, while research suggests groups fighting the developments are gaining momentum
The swelling opposition has even crossed partisan lines
For Democrats, concerns over the environmental impact of data centers, potential job losses and broader skepticism of AI and corporate America have created an opening for progressive messaging. But a divide is emerging within the party between those who want to slow development and those who support allowing growth with conditions
Republicans, too, have shifted their stance, with more now seeking to ensure data centers don’t drive up voters’ power bills. Trump is among them
How data center and AI industry leaders are pushing back
More politics news:
- Kentucky Gov. Andy Beshear has given Mitch McConnell an ultimatum: prove you’re still capable of serving as senator — or resign.
- The Senate approved Jay Clayton to be the next director of national intelligence, though he’ll be taking over a much smaller agency than his predecessors after hundreds of firings.
- Five Democratic candidates for governor in Wisconsin almost entirely refrained from lobbing attacks at each other during a debate despite some concerns about the frontrunner, Francesca Hong, a democratic socialist.
- South Dakota Gov. Larry Rhoden won the Republican primary runoff in his bid for a full term in office.
- The Georgia special election in the race to serve the rest of late Democratic Rep. David Scott’s term advanced to a runoff.
- For subscribers: ICE plans to sign contracts for new detention facilities in Seattle, Philadelphia, Miami and Denver amid the agency’s push to boost immigration arrests.
New attacks shatter brief pause in fighting between U.S. and Iran
Iran launches surprise attack on U.S. Middle East bases
01:05
Iran attacked U.S. forces in the Middle East overnight, prompting Saudi Arabia and the United States to strike a Tehran-backed militia in Iraq and ending several days of relative calm. The exchange has raised fears of a wider escalation in the conflict
Iran had paused its attacks amid renewed efforts to reach a deal with the U.S., but warned earlier this week that it would not allow Washington to dictate the “timing of war and peace” while insisting the Strait of Hormuz remained “closed.”
The renewed hostilities ended a brief period of calm after the U.S. suspended daily strikes on Iran to allow space for diplomatic talks
Iran’s Revolutionary Guards said it targeted a U.S. air base and military command center in Jordan, state-run Nour News reported early Wednesday local time. Iran’s navy also struck three oil tankers it said were “in violation” of its blockade of the Strait of Hormuz, according to state-run news agency IRNA
More on the latest wave of attacks
Fed considers interest rates as inflation persists
The Federal Reserve is widely expected to leave its benchmark interest rate unchanged at about 3.6% when it concludes its Federal Open Market Committee meeting today. The decision will be announced this afternoon
The move comes as inflation continues to fuel an affordability crunch, driven by the Trump administration’s tariffs and higher energy prices linked to the war with Iran. With inflation remaining above the Fed’s 2% target for more than five years, traders expect policymakers to raise rates before the end of the year. But Federal Reserve Chair Kevin Warsh has given little indication of the central bank’s next move
The factors keeping interest rates from budging
An inside look at where the pope goes to recharge
A rare look at the Pope’s Garden in his summer house
02:00
About an hour outside Rome lies 135 acres of gardens dotted with vineyards, olive groves, ancient ruins and even an observatory. Together with the nearby Apostolic Palace of Castel Gandolfo, the estate has served as the popes’ summer retreat for centuries — a tradition Pope Leo XIV is continuing
“This has been in the history of the popes a place where they have chosen over time to be able to come and rest, to get away from all the busyness of Rome and to recharge,” Rev. Manuel “Manny” Dorantes told “NBC Nightly News” anchor Tom Llamas during a tour of the historic Borgo Laudato Si’ gardens. Pope Leo will lead a “Concert for Peace” there today, featuring an international choir joined by Italian opera legend Andrea Bocelli
Take a rare glimpse inside the gardens
Staff Pick: The whey protein obsession has a delicious consequence
“Little Miss Muffet, she sat on her tuffet, eating her curds and whey.” It’s a classic nursery rhyme, but it’s surprisingly timely. You can’t make whey without making cheese
America’s protein obsession is driving demand for whey, prompting dairy processors to produce record amounts of cheese. But Americans aren’t eating much more cheddar — so where does all the extra go? I spoke with dairy experts to find out. The answer lies with our neighbors abroad.—Grace Thomas, business and economy intern
Read All About It
- At least 13 people have been killed after a magnitude-7.1 earthquake struck Japan, as rescuers search for survivors of collapses at a shopping mall and a paper mill.
- Colt Gray, 16, was sentenced to life in prison in the 2024 shooting at Apalachee High School that left two students and two teachers dead.
- For subscribers: A woman survived after a destructive Wisconsin tornado sent her truck flipping through the air. Her husband recounted the story, saying, “thank God she’s alive.”
- A cyclosporiasis outbreak may have peaked in Michigan after Taylor Farms voluntarily recalled its iceberg lettuce, state health officials said.
- For subscribers: Before a Michigan woman and her six kids were killed by her husband in a murder-suicide, she showcased her happy family on TikTok — and wrote about the darker aspects of her marriage on a Reddit account.
NBC Selected: Online Shopping, Simplified
PSA: The Le Creuset Factory to Table Sale is back so now is the best time to save on the brand’s top-rated Dutch ovens, skillets and more. Plus, the Nordstrom Anniversary Sale is still underway with up to 40% off brands like Dyson, Kiehl’s, Adidas and more
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