Linda Poon 🦝

Mine in today’s New Yorker. Greetings from America’s High-Capacity Server Coolant Reservoirs, formerly the “Great Lakes.” Read my cartoon-filled rant about this at open.substack.com/pub/paulnoth...

You can find the gift link in today's edition of the CityLab Daily newsletter:
www.bloomberg.com/news/newslet...

The World’s Data Center Capital Has Residents Surrounded Northern Virginia housing developments that will soon be walled in by data centers exemplify the tensions over unfettered growth, as calls increase for regulation.

This @linpoonsays.bsky.social story about Data Center Alley shows the costs that Loudoun County residents pay for highly lucrative, desirable local investments in tech:

www.bloomberg.com/news/feature...

I’ve been slightly obsessed w/ Northern Va’s unfettered data center growth & particularly these 2 communities being surrounded. TY to @linpoonsays.bsky.social for sticking w/ it to the end of their rezoning case. This map from our graphics friends nails the vibe www.bloomberg.com/news/feature...

The World’s Data Center Capital Has Residents Surrounded Northern Virginia housing developments that will soon be walled in by data centers exemplify the tensions over unfettered growth, as calls increase for regulation.

Imagine moving into a new home expecting a vibrant community only to learn, 10 yrs later, that your neighborhood will soon be boxed in by massive data centers. That's what some residents face in Northern Virginia, the world's data center capital.

More from me: www.bloomberg.com/news/feature...

FEMA response to deadly Texas floods delayed & deficient with Noem in charge Staffers sound the alarm.

"Despite Trump officially activating FEMA on Sunday, FEMA has just 86 total staff deployed at this point [to Texas], according to figures shared with staff Monday evening...In the past it would normally be in the several hundreds at this point in the disaster recovery process."

My latest:

is everyone just…exhausted

WHOA. Sit with this excerpt. When ICE arrested the 75-year-old who died in their custody, he had a dog with him, Chulo, whose previous owner had already been taken by ICE.

ICE officers left Chulo loosely tied outside the humane society. He then got free and was hit by a car.

What's Really Warming the World? What's Really Warming the World? Climate deniers blame natural factors; NASA data proves otherwise

10 years ago today, we dropped a thing that people still ask me about regularly.

The question "What's Really Warming the World?" still has the same answer.

With Blacki Migliozzi, in conversation with NASA GISS geniuses @climateofgavin.bsky.social and @drkatemarvel.bsky.social
🎁🔗

Trump’s Military Parade Has Washington Bracing for Tanks and Weaponry The Army’s 250th anniversary celebration, which falls on the president’s birthday, has been criticized as an expensive vanity event that projects authoritarianism. But such parades are not without pre...

DC's last military parade was >30 yrs ago. It left: 1.2m lbs of trash, warped roads, 50 damaged sculptures, 100 ppl w/ heat exhaustion, a $12m bill, & a sense they had glorified war. Presidents resolved not to do it again — until now, writes @linpoonsays.bsky.social www.bloomberg.com/news/feature...

Unrestrained Trump Turns to Military in Second-Term Power Play President Donald Trump’s moves to deploy US troops to Los Angeles and hold a splashy parade on the Army’s 250th birthday fulfills his longtime goal of leaning on the military for a show of force and p...

Another bonus: www.bloomberg.com/news/article...

US Deploys Marines to LA as Protests Spread to More Cities The Trump administration escalated its response to anti-deportation protests in Los Angeles with the mobilization of 700 Marines who will join thousands of National Guard troops, moves that are ratche...

Related: www.bloomberg.com/news/article... [Gift link]:

Trump’s Military Parade Has Washington Bracing for Tanks and Weaponry The Army’s 250th anniversary celebration, which falls on the president’s birthday, has been criticized as an expensive vanity event that projects authoritarianism. But such parades are not without pre...

The tanks are here. Trump's military parade is coming to DC — a week after he deploys Nat'l Guard & Marines to quell protests in LA. Beyond concerns over road damage, the event draws comparison to parades in authoritarian regimes.

My latest w/ Skylar Woodhouse: www.bloomberg.com/news/feature...

Trump stopped mentioning the hazard mitigation grant program in major disaster declarations, so I started looking into what was happening. Here's what I found by asking each state asking about the status of their recent hazard mitigation requests. Full story here: www.bloomberg.com/news/article...

🤦🏻‍♀️

Trump Has Cut Science Funding to Its Lowest Level in Decades (Gift Article) The lag in funding extends far beyond D.E.I. initiatives, affecting almost every area of science: chemistry, computing, engineering, materials and more.

“The National Science Foundation, which funds much of the fundamental scientific research at American universities, is awarding new grants at the slowest pace in at least 35 years.”

Great data viz by Aatish Bhatia, Irineo Cabreros, Asmaa Elkeurti and Ethan Singer www.nytimes.com/interactive/...

Trump’s Immigration Crackdown Hinges on Small Towns Hooked on Private Prisons Like a growing number of US communities, Torrance County, New Mexico, is convinced its financial survival depends on locking people up.

NEW: The Trump admin’s mass deportation effort hinges on a growing number of small communities that cut deals with private prison companies

Dove into one town in New Mexico w/ @racheladhe.bsky.social, @pollymosendz.bsky.social and many others for @bloomberg.com

🎁 link: bloom.bg/4j28jqp

Trump’s Immigration Crackdown Hinges on Small Towns Hooked on Private Prisons Like a growing number of US communities, Torrance County, New Mexico, is convinced its financial survival depends on locking people up.

ADDICTED TO ICE: A growing number of communities are convinced their economies depend on ICE contracts that keep private jails open for immigration detention -- no matter what happens inside

w/ @pollymosendz.bsky.social @folaak.bsky.social @elenamejia.bsky.social & many others

bloom.bg/4j28jqp

Opinion | Is that guy with a gun an ICE officer — or just a guy with a gun? Masked federal agents aren’t exactly Trump’s secret police. But they are hiding from accountability.

Having masked men in plainclothes pulling out firearms and detaining people introduces a lot of problems for democracy beyond the obvious ones.
Gift link: wapo.st/438r062

Supreme Court Lets Trump Discharge Transgender Servicemembers The US Supreme Court cleared the way for the Trump administration to start discharging thousands of transgender servicemembers, including people who have served openly for years.

Breaking: The US Supreme Court clears the way for the Trump administration to start discharging thousands of transgender servicemembers

BREAKING: Supreme Court clears Trump to start discharging transgender servicemembers. The three liberal justices dissent.

Zomg @langealexandra.bsky.social won the Pulitzer Prize for criticism! For a series at CityLab! This has been an incredible project and I’m so glad to see it receive high (highest!) recognition

A big, big congratulations to @langealexandra.bsky.social!! How lucky of us here at CityLab to be working alongside such a thoughtful writer! 🤩🤩🤩

Please read this thread and the story I have reported and written for @theguardian.com

FBI Director Kash Patel @FBIDirectorKash Just NOW, the FBI arrested Judge Hannah Dugan out of Milwaukee, Wisconsin on charges of obstruction — after evidence of Judge Dugan obstructing an immigration arrest operation last week. We believe Judge Dugan intentionally misdirected federal agents away from the subject to be arrested in her courthouse, Eduardo Flores Ruiz, allowing the subject — an illegal alien — to evade arrest. Thankfully our agents chased down the perp on foot and he’s been in custody since, but the Judge’s obstruction created increased danger to the public. We will have more to share soon. Excellent work @FBIMilwaukee .

The FBI just arrested a sitting judge.

Kash Patel has deleted this post on X, but arrest is confirmed: www.jsonline.com/story/news/b...

BIG NEWS: D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser is imposing "extraordinary measures" to close the budget gap created by Congress. Those include freezes on spending, hiring, promotions, overtime, and some contracts. She's also planning for possible furloughs and facility closures.

This is fantastic.

Bukele Says Deported Maryland Man Won’t Be Returned to US El Salvadoran President Nayib Bukele said a Maryland man deported to his country by President Donald Trump’s administration would not be returned to the US, even as the Supreme Court has called for Tr...

New: El Salvadoran President Nayib Bukele said a Maryland man deported to his country would not be returned to the US, even as the Supreme Court has called for the Trump administration to facilitate his release

About 90% of Migrants Deported to El Salvador Had No US Criminal Record Trump administration officials have described the men deported to El Salvador prisons last month as “the worst of the worst,” suggesting they were gang members involved in murder, rape and kidnapping.

Of the 238 migrants that Trump officials accused of being “the worst of the worst" when they were deported to El Salvador, about 90% had no US criminal record www.bloomberg.com/news/article...