This is the free edition of Where Things Stand

Americans Voted Down Data Centers in Every Single Ballot Measure Except One

I’ve been chronicling the swelling backlash toward data center construction in communities across America — and how we thought it might translate into some losses for some Republicans in the midterms — in this evening newsletter for months, as regular readers will know.

The righteous outrage that Americans across the political spectrum feel toward Big Tech oligarchs coming in and draining crucial water supplies in their communities, polluting their air and driving up the costs of basic necessities — like electricity — was overwhelmingly apparent at the voting booth. Voters rejected data centers both literally and figuratively in dozens of races across the nation.

Let’s start with the literal backlash.