Organizers in Monterey Park took inspiration from other US cities to fight against the construction of a giant datacenter When a southern California city council proposed building a giant datacenter the size of four football fields last December, five residents vowed to stop it. Through a frenetic word-of-mouth campaign, the small group raised awareness about the proposed facility in Monterey Park...
Organizers in Monterey Park took inspiration from other US cities to fight against the construction of a giant datacenter When a southern California city council proposed building a giant datacenter the size of four football fields last December, five residents vowed to stop it. Through a frenetic word-of-mouth campaign, the small group raised awareness about the proposed facility in Monterey Park, a small city east of Los Angeles known affectionately as the country’s first suburban Chinatown. No Data Center Monterey Park organizers – working in tandem with the grassroots racial justice group San Gabriel Valley (SGV) Progressive Action – held a teach-in and rally that drew hundreds of participants, knocked on doors, and distributed flyers on busy streets. They emphasized how the computer systems facility would strain the power grid, drive up energy rates and create noise pollution. A petition quickly amassed nearly 5,000 signatures. All the materials were shared in English, Chinese and Spanish – a concerted effort to reach Monterey Park’s diverse populace, which is two-thirds Asian and one-quarter Hispanic. Continue reading...
Trade can be a dirty business. Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor was tolerated as a “special representative for trade and investment” in the noughties despite allegations that he kept convicted gun smugglers for friends, while Peter Mandelson’s ability to schmooze the rich and famous repeatedly overruled concerns about his probity. To close a deal, there are always compromises to be made, and sometimes t...
Trade can be a dirty business. Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor was tolerated as a “special representative for trade and investment” in the noughties despite allegations that he kept convicted gun smugglers for friends, while Peter Mandelson’s ability to schmooze the rich and famous repeatedly overruled concerns about his probity. To close a deal, there are always compromises to be made, and sometimes the terms are unsavoury. Britain is at the forefront of international deal making. It has been a trading nation for as long as it has existed. And even before that. Recent studies have shown the Cornish were trading tin and copper long before even the Romans arrived in the UK. The question is, as trade routes become dominated by new powers, such as China and India, does the UK pursue its interests in the same old ways or attempt to clean up its act. Keir Starmer told us what he thought last year when he appointed Mandelson to be US ambassador, and in so doing, became yet another prime minister to put the art of the deal before more ethical concerns. When Liz Truss appointed Ian Botham as a trade envoy to Australia, the former cricketer’s qualifications for the job were not immediately obvious. Last week, a group of MPs said the prime minister had spurned an opportunity to show he wanted to promote more sophisticated, secure and transparent trading relationships when he refused to appoint a “cross-government minister for economic security”. View image in fullscreen Liam Byrne, the business and trade committee chair and former Treasury minister, said deals were being done that needed more scrutiny, especially when Chinese companies are involved. Photograph: Antonio Olmos/The Observer Liam Byrne, the business and trade committee chair and former Treasury minister, said deals were being done that needed more scrutiny, especially when Chinese companies are involved, to prevent them becoming national security issues later on. Byrne wants the government to be more mindful of the in...
The Seahawks and the Patriots aren’t the only ones gearing up for a fight. AI rivals Anthropic and OpenAI have launched a war of ads trying to court corporate America during one of the biggest entertainment nights of the year. Ahead of the Super Bowl, Anthropic has launched a series of ads going hard at its rival. For the scrawny 23-year-old who wants a six-pack, a ripped older man who is supposed...
The Seahawks and the Patriots aren’t the only ones gearing up for a fight. AI rivals Anthropic and OpenAI have launched a war of ads trying to court corporate America during one of the biggest entertainment nights of the year. Ahead of the Super Bowl, Anthropic has launched a series of ads going hard at its rival. For the scrawny 23-year-old who wants a six-pack, a ripped older man who is supposed to depict a chatbot suggests insoles that “help short kings stand tall” because “confidence isn’t just built in the gym”. And for the man trying to improve communication with his mom: his therapist prescribes “a mature dating site that connects sensitive cubs with roaring cougars” in case he can’t fix that relationship. All four ads end with the same tagline: “Ads are coming to AI. But not to Claude.” There’s no explicit mention of ChatGPT, but the subtext is clear. Even Sam Altman laughed. But he also called the ads “so clearly dishonest” before diving into a lengthy critique on X. “Our most important principle for ads says that we won’t do exactly this; we would obviously never run ads in the way Anthropic depicts them,” Altman wrote. “We are not stupid and we know our users would reject that.” Altman stressed that OpenAI’s decision to include ads, announced last month, makes the product more accessible. “We believe everyone deserves to use AI and are committed to free access,” he wrote. And Altman didn’t shy away from taking some shots of his own. “Anthropic serves an expensive product to rich people. We are glad they do that and we are doing that too, but we also feel strongly that we need to bring AI to billions of people who can’t pay for subscriptions,” he wrote. (Claude has a free subscription version, too.) ChatGPT’s ad policy is not live yet, but OpenAI maintains on its website that ads will be “separate and clearly labeled” and won’t influence the answers users see. The company also states that it will not share conversations with ChatGPT with advertisers, and i...
Christy Swords (Letters, 28 January) notes that millions of homes still use Freeview, but his case for retaining the terrestrial TV network would carry more weight were he not – as his letter makes clear – a consultant for Arqiva, the privately owned monopoly owner of the masts and transmitters that power Freeview. Mr Swords claims that preserving Freeview into the 2040s carries “zero risk” for ho...
Christy Swords (Letters, 28 January) notes that millions of homes still use Freeview, but his case for retaining the terrestrial TV network would carry more weight were he not – as his letter makes clear – a consultant for Arqiva, the privately owned monopoly owner of the masts and transmitters that power Freeview. Mr Swords claims that preserving Freeview into the 2040s carries “zero risk” for households reliant on digital terrestrial television. He is wrong. It would actually result in a two-tier system, leaving a minority of vulnerable homes with an inferior free TV service: fewer channels, fewer programmes and basic functionality. By contrast, TV delivered online can offer a more consumer-friendly and accessible future, giving vulnerable audiences a familiar TV experience totally transformed by features only the internet can deliver, like voice control. TV delivered online is not the same as Freeview – it is better. While access and affordability of broadband needs to be solved, access to reliable broadband will be higher than the coverage of Freeview by 2032. Around 95% of homes already pay for the internet, and most of the remainder already pay for a landline that will soon be converted to an internet-delivered line – at no extra cost to them – ready for TV. We absolutely agree that no one should be left behind in terms of connectivity, usability and affordability, and there will be a minority who need support. And of course, any future transition in TV needs to be seen as part of a much wider plan for the UK to embrace the potential for a fully inclusive digital society, along with the wider societal and economic benefits it can deliver. Extending terrestrial TV into the 2040s does little for viewers, but much for the company providing the infrastructure it relies on. Yes, we should have a proper policy debate about Freeview’s future, but let’s base it on facts, not vested interests. Jonathan Thompson CEO, Everyone TV – the organisation that runs free TV in t...
Get ahead of the market by subscribing to Seeking Alpha's Wall Street Week Ahead, a preview of key events scheduled for the coming week. The newsletter keeps you informed of the biggest stories set to make headlines, including upcoming IPOs, investor days, earnings reports, and conference presentations. Wall Street's major averages left the red zone on Friday, advancing after several days of techn...
Get ahead of the market by subscribing to Seeking Alpha's Wall Street Week Ahead, a preview of key events scheduled for the coming week. The newsletter keeps you informed of the biggest stories set to make headlines, including upcoming IPOs, investor days, earnings reports, and conference presentations. Wall Street's major averages left the red zone on Friday, advancing after several days of technology-led selloffs, while investors digested Amazon's ( AMZN ) earnings beat and outsized AI capital expenditures. Bitcoin ( BTC-USD ), on the other hand, rose to over $68,000 after touching a new low around the $60,000 mark. ETFs reported outflows of about $434M on Thursday, with IBIT losing $175M alone. Amid a busy week of earnings, the coming week will feature a few important economic data releases. Retail Sales data for December is due on Tuesday, and Nonfarm payrolls and unemployment data are scheduled for Wednesday. On Thursday, initial jobless claims data will be released, followed by January's CPI data release on Friday. ON Semiconductor ( ON ), Coca-Cola ( KO ), Ford ( F ), AstraZeneca ( AZN ) and Cisco ( CSCO ) are among the companies reporting their results in the coming week. _______________________________________________________________ Earnings spotlight: Monday: ON Semiconductor and Loews ( L ). See the full earnings calendar . Earnings spotlight: Tuesday: Coca-Cola, AstraZeneca, Gilead ( GILD ), Ford. See the full earnings calendar . Earnings spotlight: Wednesday: Cisco, T-Mobile US ( TMUS ), TotalEnergies SE ( TTE ). See the full earnings calendar . Earnings spotlight: Thursday: Applied Materials ( AMAT ), British American Tobacco ( BTI ). See the full earnings calendar . Volatility watch: AppLovin ( APP ) and Bloom Energy ( BE ) are set up for a volatile week of trading based on options volume. The most overbought stocks per their 14-day relative strength index include TechCreate Group ( TCGL ), Peakstone Realty Trust ( PKST ), and Frontera Energy ( FECCF...
It’s the first weekend of February, which can only mean one thing: The Super Bowl (or “ Benito Bowl ,” if you’re mainly tuning in for the Bad Bunny-led halftime show) is upon us. The game is Sunday, February 8th, at 6:30PM ET on Peacock , NFL Plus , and on live services that include NBC. With that out of the way, I’m here to surface this week’s best deals. There were plenty of good ones, from chea...
It’s the first weekend of February, which can only mean one thing: The Super Bowl (or “ Benito Bowl ,” if you’re mainly tuning in for the Bad Bunny-led halftime show) is upon us. The game is Sunday, February 8th, at 6:30PM ET on Peacock , NFL Plus , and on live services that include NBC. With that out of the way, I’m here to surface this week’s best deals. There were plenty of good ones, from cheap yet extremely handy two-headed USB-C cables and a $20 sci-fi first-person shooter PC game bundle to steep discounts on big OLED TVs that will impress people at your Super Bowl watch party. If you happen to be in the market for a 65-inch OLED 4K TV (can I come over?), the LG C5 is almost half off its original asking price of $2,699. Whether you buy one through Amazon for $1,397 or from Best Buy at $1399.99, there’s a good chance that you can have it installed by kickoff on Sunday. Amazon currently has fast shipping for this TV, and many Best Buy brick-and-mortar locations are likely to have this model in stock. LG’s C-series TVs are some of the most popular OLED models each year. With pixel-level brightness control, they boast excellent black levels and color accuracy, and are an incredible value for movie lovers, gamers, sports fans, and everyone in between. However, if you’re looking for the best of the best when it comes to brightness, Samsung’s pricier S95F beats the C5. And, while LG’s glossy screen looks fantastic, it’ll show more reflections than the S95F’s matte finish. LG C5 OLED TV LG’s midrange C5 TV is an excellent way to get OLED performance without paying top dollar. It has a good amount of brightness, excellent color accuracy out of the box, and great gaming features including 4K @ 144Hz. Where to Buy: $2699.99 $1396.99 at Amazon (65-inch) $2699.99 $1399.99 at Best Buy (65-inch) It’s been a while since we featured a good deal on Anker’s Laptop Power Bank , its 25,000mAh / 90Wh powerhouse that peaks at 100W when charging a single device (or up to 165W with tw...
Is this the quantum computing stock that finally turns promise into profits or is the market getting ahead of itself? D-Wave Quantum (QBTS +20.19%) is making a bold move that could redefine its future and unlock massive upside for investors willing to embrace volatility. This video breaks down the catalyst, the risks, and what needs to happen next. Stock prices used were the market prices of Jan. ...
Is this the quantum computing stock that finally turns promise into profits or is the market getting ahead of itself? D-Wave Quantum (QBTS +20.19%) is making a bold move that could redefine its future and unlock massive upside for investors willing to embrace volatility. This video breaks down the catalyst, the risks, and what needs to happen next. Stock prices used were the market prices of Jan. 27, 2026. The video was published on Feb. 5, 2026.