MAGA Finally Gets What It Deserves; The New York Times, November 5, 2026

 David French, The New York Times; MAGA Finally Gets What It Deserves

"For now, we can sum up everything that happened in the midterms in three words, words that the MAGA movement has scorned for 10 years: Character is destiny."

The Election Day Revolt That Threatens America’s AI Boom; Wall Street Journal, November 4, 2026

  

Will Parker

, 

Anissa Gardizy

 and 

Amrith Ramkumar, Wall Street Journal; The Election Day Revolt That Threatens America’s AI Boom

Data Center-Related Ballot Measures

Rows shaded in gray are for ballot measures that were more favorable toward development. The unshaded rows are for measures that were more prohibitive or restrictive of data centers.

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Table with 6 columns and 41 rows of data. Currently displaying rows 1 to 8. (column headers with buttons are sortable)

Alhambra	Calif.	✔	Prohibit data centers in the city	82% 82%	18% 18%
Ashville	Ohio	✘	Uphold a term summary to guide negotiations between the Village of Ashville and EdgeConneX regarding two data center	18% 18%	82% 82%
Bloomington	Ill.	✔	Advise the city to impose a moratorium on building large-scale data centers	78% 78%	22% 22%
Boulder City	Nev.	✘	Allow data centers within the Eldorado Valley Transfer Area	29% 29%	71% 71%
Chouteau (Madison County)	Ill.	✘	Advise officials to permit the construction and operation of new data centers in the township	17% 17%	83% 83%
Conneaut	Ohio	✔	Prohibit the construction of data centers with an aggregate monthly electrical demand or peak load greater than 25 megawatts	65% 65%	35% 35%
Defiance	Ohio	✔	Prohibit the construction of data centers with an aggregate demand or peak load greater than 25 megawatts	65% 65%	35% 35%
Downe (Cumberland County)	N.J.	✘	Advise support for data centers in Downe Township	13% 13%	87% 87%

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Note: Tap or click column headers to sort. Table shows measures that were voted on Nov. 3. Data are as of Wednesday afternoon. WSJ classified the measures as either more favorable or more restrictive.

As budgets tighten, people are breaking out their library cards; NPR, November 5, 2026

Joe Hernandez, NPR ; As budgets tighten, people are breaking out their library cards

"It is something of a truism in the library world that, when economic conditions worsen, people use libraries more. Patrons and librarians across the U.S. tell NPR they're seeing that pan out now...

Data shared with NPR by several of the largest public library systems in the U.S. show recent upticks in cardholder membership, circulation and event attendance. Librarians say part of that can be attributed to the rising cost of living — and the growing recognition that libraries' resources extend far beyond physical books...

There is historical precedent for the idea that economic slumps are a boon to libraries.

An analysis by the American Library Association found that circulation increased at 18 large public library systems during a brief U.S. recession in 2001. Another study of 541 libraries found that library use was higher during the Great Recession than in previous years. (However, a 1986 article that tried to draw a similar correlation found no data to support that theory.)"

OpenAI pledges to pay for data center power after election highlights AI concerns; CNBC, November 5, 2026

Ashley Capoot, CNBC ; OpenAI pledges to pay for data center power after election highlights AI concerns

"OpenAI reaffirmed its promise to pay the full cost of powering data centers as part of a series of commitments the company published Thursday, two days after voters at the polls roundly rejected the rapid expansion of AI.

The artificial intelligence company said in its commitments that for data centers it owns and operates, it will solicit community input, publish construction plans and stay away from use of non-disclosure agreements with public officials. Additionally, in a policy blueprint, OpenAI encouraged policymakers to enact similar commitments as laws. 

“What we’re doing with this blueprint is really laying out the best lessons that we have learned and committing to applying them as they go forward,” OpenAI Chief Global Affairs Officer Chris Lehane told reporters during a Wednesday briefing. “This will help ensure that there is a very high floor in terms of how people move forward.”

On Tuesday, Americans issued a stinging rebuke of data centers at the polls. Out of 41 local ballot measures across 10 states, voters backed restrictions or rejected pro-development measures for all but one, according to an analysis by Ballotpedia and additional results gathered by CNBC on Wednesday.

Opposition to AI data centers mounted swiftly over the summer across both sides of the political aisle. Consumers grappling with inflation, rising grocery prices and stubbornly high prices at the pump grew worried that the facilities could exacerbate environmental harms, raise utility bills and contribute to job loss. For many, they became a physical manifestation of the widespread antipathy and anxiety around AI."

Saline County votes to keep their library fully funded; Arkansas Times, November 4, 2026

Byron Tate , Arkansas Times; Saline County votes to keep their library fully funded

"A proposal to cut funding to the Saline County library by a third was narrowly defeated on Tuesday.

The complete but unofficial vote was 20,889 in favor of cutting the library’s funding and 21,729 against.

The Saline County Quorum Court voted in May to place a measure on the November ballot, giving voters the opportunity to cut the library’s tax base of 1.7 mills to 1.1 mills, which would have amounted to a loss of $1.7 million."

‘The Pitt’s Battle With Michael Crichton Estate Heading To Trial As Warner Bros Rebuffed By Appeals Court; Deadline, November 4, 2026

 Dominic Patten, Deadline; ‘The Pitt’s Battle With Michael Crichton Estate Heading To Trial As Warner Bros Rebuffed By Appeals Court

"Two months after hearing arguments from Pitt producers and the Michael Crichton Estate over whether the HBO Max series is derivative of ER, a panel of appeals court judges has affirmed a lower court ruling on the case. All of which means The Pitt and the now Skydance-owned Warner Bros is heading to a jury trial in L.A. Superior Court."

A nationwide backlash against data centers erupts at the polls; The Washington Post, November 4, 2026

Miriam Waldvogel

, 

Shira Ovide

 and 

Evan Halper

, The Washington Post ; A nationwide backlash against data centers erupts at the polls

In at least 38 jurisdictions voters rejected or restricted data centers, delivering a major setback to the AI industry.

"Voters in at least 38 jurisdictions across the country passed bans or restrictions on data centers Tuesday, reflecting the widespread public revulsion to the facilities and adding to the growing pushback on the ambitions of the artificial intelligence industry."

Elon Musk’s record election bet backfired. The backlash may reach beyond one billionaire; CNBC, November 4, 2026

Luke Fountain, CNBC; Elon Musk’s record election bet backfired. The backlash may reach beyond one billionaire

"Democrats’ sweeping midterms victory marked a major rejection of Elon Muskand the artificial-intelligence industry, as a broad backlash against U.S. President Donald Trump and his tech allies put their political influence — and the debt-fueled data center buildout — under sharper scrutiny.

Musk, who spent a record of at least $474 million on the midterms, funneled $224 million, or nearly half, into Texas alone, according to a CNBC analysis of campaign finance records, only to see his favored candidates, Republican Senate nominee Ken Paxton and Gov. Greg Abbott, trounced in a Democratic wave.

The defeats rattled markets overnight, sending SpaceX and Tesla shares lower, both of which have long flourished under Abbott’s business-friendly. Meanwhile, broader tech stocks came under pressure as Democrats secured control of Congress. 

Across the country, voters pushed back against billionaire influence and the growing power of technology companies, electing critics of the AI industry and approving restrictions on data centers fueling its expansion.

“We must get big money out of our politics, so no billionaire or trillionaire can buy our elections,” Democratic Senator-elect James Talarico said in his victory speech, without naming Musk. “We must unrig this economic system that only benefits the top 1%.”"

The American People Have Repudiated Trump; The New York Times, November 3, 2026

The Editorial Board , The New York Times; The American People Have Repudiated Trump

"President Trump has spent the past two years trying to subvert American democracy. On Tuesday, voters stood up to him."

America Punishes Trump’s Party: 8 Takeaways From a Democratic Landslide; The New York Times, November 4, 2026

Shane Goldmacher and Patricia Mazzei, The New York Times; America Punishes Trump’s Party: 8 Takeaways From a Democratic Landslide

"Governor’s races made history.

Democrats reclaimed a majority of the nation’s governor’s offices for the first time in two decades. They won at least five competitive races, in Georgia, Iowa, Ohio, Texas and Wisconsin.

Voters also elected three new Black governors: a Republican, Byron Donalds, in Florida, and two Democrats, Keisha Lance Bottoms in Georgia and David Crowley in Wisconsin. Before Tuesday, only three Black governors had ever been elected in the country’s history.

Ms. Bottoms is the first female Black governor ever to be elected.

Ms. Hinojosa was the first Latina elected to lead Texas. Another Democrat, Xavier Becerra, was the first Latino elected governor of California. Deb Haaland, a Democrat, will be the nation’s first female Native American governor after winning in New Mexico.

There were other historic firsts, too.

Michigan elected the nation’s first Muslim senator, Dr. Abdul El-Sayed, a Democrat. New Hampshire elected a Democrat, Representative Chris Pappas, who will become the first openly gay man to serve in the Senate.

Peggy Flanagan, a Democrat from Minnesota, became the first Native American woman to win election to the Senate. A second Indigenous woman, the Democrat Mary Peltola, could join her if she is elected in Alaska.

Musk’s millions didn’t make a difference.

Mr. Musk, the world’s richest man, spent nearly half a billion dollars on the midterms. His party lost anyway."

Google Will Turn Off Search for Schools That Reject A.I.; The New York Times, November 3, 2026

Dana Goldstein and Natasha Singer, The New York Times ; Google Will Turn Off Search for Schools That Reject A.I.

Google is making it easier to restrict its A.I. tools for students. But schools that block A.I. entirely will lose student access to Google’s search engine.

"Google announced Tuesday that early next year it would turn off artificial intelligence tools in its popular software for K-12 students, unless school administrators explicitly choose to make such tools available.

Executives at the tech giant said they wanted to be responsive to educators and parents who have asked for more control in how children interact with A.I.

But there is a catch: Schools that choose to restrict A.I. entirely will also lose access to Google search.

A.I. features are now a standard part of Google’s commercially available search engine. “Search and A.I. are deeply integrated,” said Chris Phillips, vice president for education at Google. If a school has banned A.I., he added, students “will not have access to search, and they’ll see a message from their school that indicates it’s not available.”"

Setback for Google as EU court adviser warns AI chatbot may breach copyright rules; Reuters, November 3, 2026

 Inti Landauro and Foo Yun Chee, Reuters; Setback for Google as EU court adviser warns AI chatbot may breach copyright rules

"Google faced a setback on Tuesday when an adviser to Europe's highest court said its Gemini chatbot's use of publishers' articles to respond to queries from internet users may breach copyright rules.

The case underscores growing tensions between publishers and big online platforms over the platforms' AI chatbots' use ​of press stories without what publishers say is proper compensation. The tensions have prompted complaints to EU and national antitrust ​regulators."

Ken Burns: We Face Our Nation’s Fourth Great Crisis; The New York Times, November 3, 2026

Ken Burns, The New York Times; Ken Burns: We Face Our Nation’s Fourth Great Crisis

"There have been three great crises in American history: the Civil War, perhaps the defining event in our history after the Revolution itself, the Great Depression and World War II. These events tested our republic and our resolve in fundamental ways, but the center always held — elections took place, there was a peaceful transfer of power and the judiciary was still independent. Our core democratic institutions remained fundamentally strong, respected by the public and our leaders alike. The guardrails of our democracy held and were even strengthened as we emerged from each.

As we go to the polls today in this most consequential of midterm elections, we face our country’s fourth great crisis. Because of misinformation, which the current administration encourages, age-old fears and conspiracies have created a sense of us versus them that is fundamentally at odds with a healthy democratic society. Elections are in doubt, the highest court seems compromised, history has been distorted, books have been banned, and dictators have been coddled while our closest allies have been ridiculed and dismissed. People are rightly concerned whether our institutions are at a breaking point...

I’m optimistic that the American people recognize that our democratic institutions and sense of decency can bring us together.

We have come back from crises before. We were more divided than we are today during the Revolution, the Civil War, Reconstruction and Vietnam. For 250 years, our country has prevailed in fits and starts, forging achievements, however imperfect, related to race and equality in American life.

But given our divisions, as we vote we must each ask ourselves: What kind of leadership will see us through the current crisis? Why do we continue to support leaders who are invested in deepening our divides, who tap into conspiracy theories to frighten the public, deny facts and, to quote Alexander Hamilton, “throw things into confusion,” so that they “may ‘ride the storm and direct the whirlwind’”?"

Who is hacking Europe’s supermarket fridges and freezers, and why?; The Guardian, November 2, 2026

Robert Booth and Miatta Mbriwa , The Guardian; Who is hacking Europe’s supermarket fridges and freezers, and why?

"Supermarket fridges and freezers in seven European countries have malfunctioned, their thermostats remotely cranked up in some cases to 50C (122F).

The EU has condemned what it said was “a deliberate attempt to disrupt our food supply chain and undermine consumers’ confidence in it”."