Transcript of NEW SHOW: America’s Data Center Revolt is JUST BEGINNING – IN YOUR BACKYARD New

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Well, this is so exciting. I'm Ben Meiselis. It's great to be with you all right now. I want to welcome you all to In Your Backyard. This is the latest show from the Midas Touch Network. Let me tell you about what we're going to be doing here with this new show, In Your Backyard. And this comes from your popular demand. Every 2 weeks, we're going to be unpacking how public policy and political failings are playing out in communities around the country. Hence, In Your Backyard, from data centers to forever chemicals to insane utility costs and more. In Your Backyard will be hosted by Luke Radel, one of the Midas Touch Network's new hosts, a rising star here at the network. And he's going to be talking to experts and candidates and elected officials and the real people who are experiencing the very real consequences and fighting back. I mean, you often hear the expression, the kitchen table issues. And I would also add to that the in your backyard, in your community, in front of your door type issues. And it was Senator Bernie Sanders who told me earlier in this horrific Trump regime, he said, Ben, the thing you need to know is that the issues that are most important to the American people are the ones that do not get any attention in the media.

The issues that are getting unnoticed by corporate news, those are the issues that matter most to the American people. A horrible Bernie Sanders impression, but an incredibly critical, I would say existential point that he makes. And it's always played a major role foundationally into what we do here at the Midas Touch Network to talk about the issues that I know are most on your mind, the kitchen table issues, the in-your-backyard issues, the outside-of-your-front-door type of issues that you see, that you experience, that this Trump regime inflicts upon you. So in our inaugural episode, what are you gonna see other than me say inaugural like someone who grew up from Long Island, which I did? Well, Luke Radle will dig into what's driving the massive pushback to data centers that's driving a movement throughout the country as Trump claims that we need more data centers everywhere, a data center in everybody's backyard. Trump and the MAGA Republicans are now campaigning on as Howard Lutnick tries to claim what? They don't even take up any water, no water consumption, which we know is the biggest lie. These people lie so freaking horribly, but communities are rejecting them throughout this country.

Donald Trump says, if you reject data centers, you are backwards, you are poor, and you are not someone that Donald Trump thinks is intelligent. That's what he said. That's what Donald Trump said. So what do people on the ground actually think? Luke Radle will hear from individuals on the front lines of the fight against data centers in Tennessee and in Texas, and he interviews Texas gubernatorial candidate Gina Hinojosa. We've had her on the Midas Touch Network a few times. What a compelling candidate she is. And she's interviewed by Luke about why data centers have become a central issue in her race. The central issue, hint hint, Governor Abbott, the MAGA Republican extremist. He basically said data centers, come on in, let me give you tax breaks. Let me lavish you with gifts. Ravage our state data centers. Texas will become the data center capital. That's what Abbott said. That's what Trump said. That's what all these MAGAs said inside of Texas. And now they're like, oh, we didn't say that. We didn't say that.

That wasn't us.

It was people who looked like us. It wasn't us. Anyway, tell us what you think of our inaugural episode in your backyard. Tell us what issues are playing out in your backyard that you'd like to see covered here on the Midas Touch Network on future episodes. Thanks so much, and here's our first episode of In Your Backyard.

Hey everybody, it's Luke Radel. Welcome to the first ever episode of In Your Backyard, a brand new show here on the Midas Touch Network about the issues affecting you and your community. I'm so glad you're here because we're gonna be talking about an issue we've been hearing a lot about here at MIDUS, and that is data centers. They are increasingly unpopular across the political spectrum and across the country. New polling shows that 3 in 5 Americans say they don't want any data center construction to happen in their backyard. That is up by double digits since just March. It's become such a politically unifying issue that Jason Kelce, recorded this video encouraging folks to send their pee to help power the data centers. AI data centers waste millions of gallons of water. That's why Liquid Death and Garage Beer decided to team up.

We want your pee to cool these data centers.

We've obviously been hearing a lot of the concerns about the use of water, the use of power, and just the general disruption to the community that data centers can cause. With that said, despite major pushback, there's one person who has been very supportive of data centers and continues to be, and that's our president. Just recently, he posted on his Truth Social platform the following, quote, the only reason that communities throughout the USA should not want data centers is if they want to end up being backwards and poor. If they want to be successful and rich with far lower taxes and jobs all over the place, Let data rain. The good news is that there are plenty of other places that want them. If we kill the golden goose, you will only have yourselves to blame. China could not be happier with this anti-data center movement. Actually, they can't believe it is happening. He signed that President DJT. So we thought to start off this brand new series, we're going to explore some of the pressing environmental issues and community issues First, let's head to Memphis, Tennessee, where I spoke to Latricia Adams of Young, Gifted and Green about the work that she's been doing to fight data centers coming into her community.

She gave me a crash course on all the damage that a hyperscale data center can do in her backyard. Let's take a listen. Tell me a little bit about what's happening where you live. Well, I live in a community called Memphis, Tennessee.

Yeah. So Memphis, whoo, there is a lot going on in a myriad of ways. But essentially, we have been dealing with a hyperscale data center now almost like 2 and a half years. It came by surprise, meaning that back in June 2024, we literally all learned about XAI. which now I guess is Space XAI, with Colossus 1 and now Colossus 2. I'll talk about that later in Southaven, Mississippi, across state line. But with this mammoth project was really able to circumvent a lot of traditional processes that you would typically have to go under at the local level. So they They were able to circumvent our land use protocol, which typically with any type of development, especially at that scale, you would have to submit an application, get a recommendation from our land use control board. It would be voted up or down by our city council folks, right? So we were really robbed of democracy and essentially people who were on our ballots that were selected to be the decision makers for our city, they didn't even have the opportunity to do that. And so in the beginning with Colossus One, with these methane gas turbines, they were not permitted.

They were not required to put pollution controls. So that means for 24 hours every single day, these methane gas turbines, dozens of them, were emitting and still currently emitting pollutants such as nitrogen oxide and formaldehyde. Like, formaldehyde, I think about, like, embalming, right? Like, for dead people.

Yes. Not for people living in your neighborhood. I want to back up a little bit for folks because a lot of names and people involved here. But if People recognize the name SpaceX, XAI. That's the company run by Elon Musk, right?

Yes, indeed. Indeed.

So you have the richest man in the world taking over your backyard and building these facilities, which he is calling Colossus. A little on the nose. Talk to folks in case the name doesn't drive it home about just how big these data centers are.

Yeah. So, and now in 2026, fast forward, we were able to get a slim win, if you want to call it that, in Memphis, where we were really adamant in Memphis about this air pollution, the proximity to residential communities. But then after we were able to get XAI to decommission some of the turbines that they had set up in Memphis, they just went right next door across state line in Southaven, Mississippi with even more turbines. Like at least at this point, like they were going up to like 60-some-odd turbines. So like even worse than what they had set up in Memphis. But the issue is we share the air. Sure, you have like an arbitrary state line, but like air goes anywhere it wants to go. And so now you start to see an exacerbation of air pollution on top of the legacy pollution, right, that already existed there now, both in Memphis and in Southaven, Mississippi.

So it seems like pollutants aren't necessarily being respectful of state borders. Obviously, it's just lines on a map. Talk to me. You mentioned the legacy pollution. This is a community that has a history of air quality issues. Talk a little bit more about that. And what are residents telling you about their feelings about how pissed off they are about all the development that's going on near you? Excuse my language.

Yeah, no, no. So essentially in this zip code for this community, which has Boxtown and a community called Westwood. And right kind of next door is a community called Riverside, which is very important. So where XAI is located is in what you would call an industrial corridor. So right beside XAI is the Tennessee Valley Authority, or TVA's power plant. You also have right up the road, still in 38109, you have Valero, which is an oil refinery that so happens to be right beside Dr. Martin Luther King Park. Like, wow, this is not the dream. This is not the dream. And so some of the, you know, like PM2 particulate matter, ozone, like these are already existing pollution issues that exist not even just within 38109, because again, we don't share the air, but there's been a history with attainment, being in compliance for the tri-state area. So where Memphis sits, it touches both Arkansas and it touches Mississippi. And again, what happens on one side of the state line, I mean, the air travels right next door. And so adding on additional pollutants, especially pollutants that are this concentrated, that we haven't experienced before, you know, we haven't even had a chance to really truly assess the depth and breadth of how much damage this may have caused to people who are already sick.

So N3A109 is a cancer cluster. So there's a significant amount of people who also have respiratory issues. So I even think about like my personal family This is before XAI even came into this community. My family is in 3A109. My dad passed away at literally just 65 years old. His mother passed away, my grandmother, my last living grandparent died 6 months after he passed away, also from respiratory type of chronic illnesses. And so this unfortunately is not just a story that is just specific to me. It's not an anomaly. Like if you talk to other people within the community, they've experienced the exact same things, cancer, asthma, even in some instances renal failure, because a lot of these pollutants also impact kidney health. I mean, just the, you know, a litany of all of these different chronic illnesses in a community that's already experiencing economic distress. And we know that the healthcare in the United States is not the best, very expensive. And that's just tough for people that are already struggling as it is.

Well, and obviously, I'm very sorry for your loss and for your family's loss and the loss of so many folks in your community. These are life and death issues for so many people, and it often goes beyond politics, but talking a little bit about the politics, you're from Tennessee, you're from Memphis. So I don't know if there were a lot of folks there who were supporting the president, but statewide there certainly were. Same thing next door in Mississippi. When you're talking to folks, maybe some of them did vote for the president. He's been very supportive of data centers. Are they in line with his position on that, or is that an area where you're able to work across party lines and find some common ground with folks?

Yeah, I'm really glad that you asked that question. We've been calling this phenomenon partnerships with unlikely allies. It's been so interesting, particularly working between Memphis and Southaven. Southaven has a really, I'll say, colorful history, particularly as it relates to Black people. I just have to be candid. And so what we have seen is really working across racial boundaries, working across economic boundaries. We have one common thing: we do not like these data centers, or at least like how they've been rolled out without any type of precautions, without community input, draining our resources. I know specifically Beyond just the air quality issues that were raised a lot in Memphis, in Southaven, the noise is abysmal.

Yeah.

My heart breaks for women who are postpartum that have newborns. Newborns sleep a lot because they're growing. And it literally— imagine multiple jets, jet engines in your backyard. Going 24 hours a day, you know. So it has been, you know, I hate that this was the thing, you know, that brought us together because I don't wish harm on anybody. But it really is eye-opening, I think, for everyone, you know, particularly regardless of political, you know, affiliation. I know specifically with South Haven is interesting because there is some part of the city. And we see this across the country, particularly in rural communities, being fearful for land, land loss, land that has been in folks' families, you know, for generations potentially being at risk. So we're all mad about the same thing and united together on it.

Well, Latrice, I really appreciate your time, and thank you so much for sharing your story with me today. I really appreciate it. Appreciate it.

Thank you.

When it comes to the weather, to the barbecue, and to the politics, there's no place hotter right now than the great state of Texas. Everything is bigger in Texas, including the issue of data centers, where the governor, Greg Abbott, has tried to reverse course on the issue of data centers. We're going to speak to his opponent in that race in a moment, but first I want to show you some of what real people have to say about what's happening in their backyards on this issue. First, I want to talk to you about Tom Weeks, who lives in Granbury. He's a retiree and a lifelong Republican, but now he's a single-issue voter. That issue is data centers. With the people that are directly affected, it is. People just— they're at a point, a lot of them where I'm at, they're just sick and tired of this. We've been listening to this noise for 3 years. And we're not getting a break. It's gone beyond politics. It's a people issue. It really is. And like I said, my party— I've been a Republican my entire voting life, and I've been given the finger by my party. I also talked to Andrew Howard, who lives in South Texas, the Rio Grande Valley, And he's been organizing against data centers in his community, and his job takes him to all different parts of the state where he hears very similar complaints from folks across the aisle.

The long-term jobs is only 50 to 100 people, and they're going to take all your water, 1 million to 5 million. I don't know how much a 2-gigawatt data center does, but 1 million to 5 million gallons a day. It's gonna, it's gonna, it's gonna raise your electricity bill. And it's gonna make a lot of noise. Apparently it's an industrial hum. I never knew about that until 2 weeks ago, and I was like, okay, that makes sense. I never thought of it. I should have thought of it, but that's what I learned from people that were telling me about it. So where does all this political energy go? This outrage about data centers coming into the state of Texas? Well, I caught up with Gina Hinojosa, who is the Democrat running to replace Greg Abbott as governor of Texas. Texas. And I asked her about this issue, which might be the defining fight in this critical battleground race. And if she's governor, what she will do differently than Governor Abbott. Here's my conversation with Gina Hinojosa. Thank you very much for your time. I really appreciate it. We are focusing on data centers for this first episode of In Your Backyard.

I want you to lay out for folks what your position on data centers is and what you would do in regards to data centers if you are elected. The next governor of Texas?

Yes. Well, we have real urgency in Texas. Texas has become the epicenter for data centers, the epicenter in the world. Greg Abbott announced it as such at the end of last year and invited in all these data centers with the most generous tax breaks in the whole country. They pay, for instance, no tax on any electricity they consume. And we know they guzzle Electricity. So, so there's this mad rush right now to get into Texas. So I've called on him to issue a moratorium until the legislature can meet and put real protections in place. He has yet to do it, even though he has the sole power to stop this madness. And let me go over some of these protections that we need to have in place. Some of the worst offenders of these data centers are shipping in foreign labor to build them. Right. If this is about jobs, they should be American union jobs because these global corporations, multinational corporations that own these data centers are— are— have the— these global corporations that own these data centers have the power that workers don't have. So you need to have an organized labor force that pushes back against them.

They are guzzling our electricity and our water. There are no rules in Texas. We need real protections when it comes to water and electricity. They should pay for themselves. The tax breaks that Greg Abbott signed into law need to go away. We need to repeal that law. They are owned by the richest men in the world. It is unconscionable that taxpayers should have to pay for them. I believe when that happens, it slows it way down because it's real easy to be building these data centers when you're not footing the bill for the cost of it. And then finally, when it comes to AI, there are here no guardrails, no laws, no protections for people either. Our governor has begun converting public schools into AI schools in Texas, replacing teachers with computers. Nobody wants that. There should not be AI replacing us. AI should be a tool in the workplace, not a replacement for human labor, especially not when it comes to interacting with our kids, when it comes to medical decisions, when it comes to life, health, or safety. But again, there are just no rules in Texas right now. And so Texans are mad.

We've seen in deep red counties where people who have voted for Trump, voted for Greg Abbott in the past say, no more, we're done. We're breaking ranks and we're voting for you, Gina. So that is the opportunity in this election. But the data centers are the latest physical embodiment of a governor who works for the moneyed special interests and not the people of Texas. So it fits in with this theme of who Greg Abbott is. And we're just hammering that every day on this campaign trail.

Talk to me a little bit about what you would want to see the legislature do when they come back into session. You mentioned some of those restrictions, but do you think for the time being they should just place a moratorium on data center construction in your state?

Greg Abbott has the power to do that, so he should do so. Yes, I've called on him to do that now until some real protections can be put into place, some laws can be put into place. And I just went through those laws, that the kind of laws that we need. But because we are starting from scratch when it comes to any regulation of these data centers, um, there's just a lot. I mean, I mentioned the big big-ticket items. But just to give you more of a sense of how bad it is, many of these data centers are, are in rural communities where there's just no rules, no regulations about development protections for people. And what I heard in these communities is they just want a seat at the table. They want to be able to decide if and how these data centers come into their communities. So empowering people with that voice and that participation in these decisions is also an essential part of the laws that need to pass to protect Texans.

And you're saying essentially, before we move on from this point, that before— if those restrictions are not put in place, then there shouldn't be any more data centers built in your state.

Yes.

There's already so many that have been built and under construction.

That's right. Absolutely. And it's not that I hate data centers. It's that I hate the way they are taking advantage of Texans. It's that I hate the way Greg Abbott is allowing this to happen. And so that is my position.

You mentioned that issue of local control. That feels like it could be something that resonates with even conservative Republican voters in your state. Texas often seems like the kind of place that wants to have that sort of independence and not have government control telling them what to do in their local communities. What have you been hearing from Texans out on the campaign trail about this idea that the state government is coming in and overriding what they want in their individual towns and communities.

They're angry about it. And this data center issue has created the real urgency about it because they're finding that they're blocked from having any say in these decisions. Their elected officials are even blocked from having any say in these decisions because of laws that Greg Abbott has signed into being. So this is tested those restrictions on local communities and their power. This data center issue has tested that, and the results are people are mad.

Talk a little bit— you mentioned the special interests who are involved on this issue. That has played such a major role, particularly with campaign finance. What are some of the names of the folks who have been backing your opponent, the incumbent Governor Greg Abbott, and Frankly, do you think that the money they've given to him and to his campaign has compromised his position and his actions on this issue?

Yes, he has received $20 million, $20 million from data center interests. It's too many to name all of them, but the ones I remember are Harlan Crow and Elon Musk, some names that we know out there, but There's just a lot. And we, we've put out some social media about it so that people understand where this money is coming from.

I was also in Loudoun County, Virginia. Northern Virginia has pitched itself as kind of the data center capital of the world. You mentioned how Governor Abbott is trying to rival the amount of data centers that we've seen in Northern Virginia. What do you say to folks who have that concern that if these data centers aren't built in Texas, then those jobs, that economic development will go elsewhere, will go to another state where there aren't as many restrictions or there are more tax breaks. What do you say to that?

Yeah, look, of course we want good jobs in Texas. And I will acknowledge that there are people who are making good money building data centers. I mean, some of our union allies are talking about how they've They're making 6 figures over again, right? Building these data centers. And at a time in this economy when it's just hard to make ends meet, I get it. But we can't throw our communities under the bus to have good jobs. Like, we have to find a way forward that creates good jobs and that protects Texans and protects our communities. And we just don't have any semblance of that right now in Texas. And so I reject the notion that it's either or. It is— it should be good economic policy should be about good jobs. Yes. But also good protecting people. Right. Good policies for people and communities. And that's my commitment.

The other thing that struck me seeing those data centers in Loudoun County was just, I don't know how ugly they are. They're very big, large industrial buildings. They're loud. take up such a presence in a community. Have you been hearing from people who maybe aren't opposed to the idea of having this type of development in their backyards, but are concerned about the way their community will look? There are so many beautiful places in the state of Texas. Is there a concern that these data centers could ruin that?

Yes, absolutely. I mean, people, people like living in some of these rural areas because of the beauty of the land and because they can see the stars at night. Right. And now I was in a community in the Panhandle of Texas and they said it's always daytime here right now with the lights that come off the data centers. So yeah, that is for sure a concern. And really it is sad for these communities that they've lost something that is really important.

On the issue of water, there are some restrictions in place in Virginia that require those data centers to operate on what they call a closed-loop system. Essentially, if you're using water, you have to put out a similar amount of water back into the community. It sounds like from what you're saying, that type of restriction or requirement doesn't exist in the state of Texas, that they could essentially operate on an open-loop system where they take in all this water and then don't put any back out for the community to use. Is that right?

Yes. So again, there are no rules, there are no laws, there are no regulations. Somebody was killed building one of these data centers. They don't even require licensed electricians to be building these hyperscale. I mean, this is— it is the Wild West in Texas right now. And so when I hear about debates about closing all those things, those are great. Those are great debates to have. We don't have even the ability to— we don't have anything like that in Texas. So I think what it sounds to me like is that our state is so behind when it comes to basic protections for Texans that we are an example of worst-case practices when it comes to data centers. Greg Abbott let that happen. He invited these data centers in with no protections, no rules. And here we find ourselves. at their mercy. And he fails. He refuses to use his power. He is the sole person in the state who has it to call a special session today. I'm a legislator. I would gladly show up to pass laws to protect Texans because right now there are no protections.

The president is going to be in your state for this summer midterm convention, and he's expected to say to Republican voters in your state and across the country, that they should pretend as though he is on the ballot and that his record and his administration so far are on the ballot. His position on data centers has been made pretty clear. He believes that they should be built anywhere and everywhere, and that if they're not built here, they'll be built in other countries because those other countries want them. And that's part of this AI space race, as it were. What's your response to that on kind of the national security front? Do you have a take on that? And then also, Do you believe that the president's position on data centers will be on the ballot in your state in November?

I do believe data centers are on the ballot in November. The president ran on a populist agenda, and that is why people voted for him. He said the system's rigged, right? And that's true. The system is rigged. And Democrats have defended an indefensible system for too long. But he is turning his back on those populist positions and empowering big tech in this country in a way that people are really concerned with. So I would say to the president that you are alienating your base with this position and urge the president to talk to some of these communities to understand what is really going on and, and how they need protections.

Last question for me before I let you go back to the campaign trail to talk to Texans. I really appreciate your time. When was the last time— we've been talking a lot about AI— when was the last time that you used AI and what did you use it for?

I can't remember the last time I used it. I mean, I'm guilty as charged, right? I've used AI. I can't remember. I don't use it all that much, I will tell you, but certainly I can tell when it's been used in many cases. And yeah, look, it is a tool and that's all it is. And we need to use it as such. And also remember that humanity has to come first. Humanity has to come first, always. And I will always, forever, 100% be on Team Humanity.

Representative Hinojosa, thank you so much for joining me on the inaugural episode of In Your Backyard. I really appreciate it.

It's my pleasure. Thank you.

Now, Gina Hinojosa's opponent, the Republican governor of Texas, Greg Abbott, responded through a spokesperson saying in part, quote, Governor Abbott's top priority is to protect Texans' safety and quality of life. He has directed Texas regulators to ensure data centers do not take water needed by communities or power needed by the Texas grid, do not disrupt neighborhoods or rural communities, lower electricity costs for consumers, and pay for their own electricity infrastructure. He goes on to say, quote, simply put, data centers must pay their own way and Texans must come first. That's the response from Governor Abbott's office. We have not yet received response from xAI or Elon Musk. We want to let you know, what issues are you tracking in your communities right now? What issues do you want us cover on future episodes. We'll be back in 2 weeks with another important issue affecting folks across the country. Until then, please subscribe to the Midas Touch Network and continue to like and share all of our videos.