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New York Governor Kathy Hochul is moving to impose the nation's first statewide moratorium on new large-scale AI data centers, saying she needs safeguards in place before the buildout goes any further. The move puts New York at the center of a growing national debate over the energy, infrastructure, and regulatory costs of the artificial intelligence boom.
That tension is landing squarely in Washington as well, where Senate Banking Committee Chair Tim Scott is set to host Kevin Warsh on Wednesday for his first appearance before the committee as Federal Reserve chairman. Scott has signaled he wants to hear Warsh's views specifically on data centers and artificial intelligence, framing the issue as one with direct implications for monetary policy and capital allocation.
Shifting overseas, Israel's Iron Beam laser defense system is drawing surging global interest, particularly from European nations facing increasing drone incursions along their borders. A senior Israeli defense official says inquiries from Europe have accelerated sharply over the past year, as militaries search for cost-effective alternatives to traditional missile-based air defense. The system's economics are compelling — lasers fire at a fraction of the cost of interceptor missiles.
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