Artificial Intelligence
Communities opposing large AI data centers have shown success in thwarting projects by updating local rules on noise, cooling water use, and decommissioning costs. In Festus, Missouri, voters also replaced officials who approved a project quickly. In New York, legislators passed a one-year moratorium on permits for data centers using 20 megawatts or more, pending a state environmental study. The bill also requires utilities to set separate rates for data centers and sets renewable energy targets. Minneapolis and Bend, Oregon, have imposed similar pauses. However, advocates emphasize potential economic gains and support for AI research from data center projects.
US Politics
The U.S. Postal Service proposed requiring states to share mail-in and absentee voter data to match ballots with verified lists via barcodes. Only listed voters would receive ballots. The plan follows a March executive order on election integrity. Additionally, DHS General Counsel James Percival directed ICE to pursue the deportation of noncitizens who vote or falsely claim citizenship under the Immigration and Nationality Act. The directive aligns with the same executive order and an August USCIS policy affecting green card holders. The measures have elicited praise for bolstering election integrity alongside criticism regarding potential federal overreach into state processes.
Geopolitics
A poll by the Viterbi Center for Public Opinion and Policy Research at the Israel Democracy Institute found that 61 percent of Israelis oppose Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu running in the next election, while 35 percent support it. Opposition stood at 57 percent among Israeli Jews and 83 percent among Arab citizens. President Trump told ABC News he was unsure whether Netanyahu wants to continue in office. However, Likud stated that Netanyahu will run. Netanyahu faces an ongoing corruption trial, an unresolved Haredi draft issue, and concerns from military leaders about reserve forces. Pew Research data indicate Israel’s favorability has declined in many Western and Latin American countries. Former premiers Naftali Bennett and Yair Lapid have merged parties. Some accounts assert that Netanyahu retains support among a majority of his base.
Health
HHS Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. announced that eight medical accreditors will add nutrition training, and 19 more schools joined a pledge requiring 40 hours of nutrition education. This builds on 54 schools already committed.
In other news, CMS warned over 500 hospitals of potential penalties for violating price transparency rules. Critics maintain that price transparency requirements may yield limited consumer effects due to insurance complexities.
In Michigan, the health department ended use of a modified vaccine information form after questions about its approval, providing parents with a clearer version.
Lastly, the FDA authorized injectable ivermectin for the prevention of screwworm in cattle based on field data showing over 97 percent efficacy.
Energy
On June 4, Antares’s Mark-0 microreactor reached initial criticality at Idaho National Laboratory, the first privately developed advanced non-light-water reactor to do so in the United States in over 40 years. The 100 kWe to 1 MWe design uses TRISO fuel and targets refueling beyond six years. The company advanced from concept to criticality in under 12 months under the Department of Energy’s Reactor Pilot Program. It holds an Air Force contract and a HALEU supply agreement. The firm aims for electricity production in 2027. However, some observers have noted that scaling such units to replace conventional sources would require thousands of deployments.
Environment
A Tulane University-led study published in Science reported that global mangrove loss has reversed. Net decline over four decades stands at about 1 percent, with closed-canopy forests expanding. Authors Dr. Zhen Zhang and Professor Daniel Friess described the trend as a conservation success. Mangroves store up to five times more carbon than terrestrial trees and protect coastlines.
Sources
Poll: Most Israelis Oppose Netanyahu Re-election as Trump Questions His Future
A poll published by an Israeli research center on 9 June has revealed that most Israelis do not want Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to run in the upcoming election.
USPS Proposes Voter List Rules to Verify Mail Ballots
The US Postal Service (USPS) has proposed a new rule requiring states to share voter information related to mail-in and absentee voting.
Antares Microreactor Goes Critical, First Private Advanced Reactor in 40 Years
It is the first advanced reactor to hit that mark in the program and the first privately developed non-light-water reactor to reach criticality in the United States in more than four decades.
How Communities Are Stopping AI Data Centers Before They Start
We outnumber these people, and we can just say no. It’s how we say no that matters.
Source | Submitted by Redneck Engineer
New York Passes First Statewide Data Center Moratorium
The New York state Legislature passed a one-year data center permit moratorium June 4 in the final days of the legislative session.
Mangrove Forests Rebound: More, Denser, and a Rare Conservation Win
Mangroves are now showing a net increase globally, and the rate of degradation is slowing
Communities Fight Data Center Boom With Wins, Losses, and a National Map
Nearly every state has some form of community activism underway, whether through proposed legislation, active opposition, or an existing moratorium.
Kennedy Unveils Historic Nutrition Standards for Medical Training
Poor diets are the primary driver of America’s chronic disease epidemic, and today’s announcement reflects the shifting landscape toward placing nutrition and prevention at the core of patient health.
RFK Jr. and Oz Warn Hospitals: Reveal True Costs or Face Penalties
Post your real prices. Come into compliance immediately or prepare for serious consequences.
DHS Orders Deportation for Noncitizens Who Vote Illegally
DHS told ICE to deport any undocumented immigrant who votes in a U.S. election.
Michigan Eases Vaccine Tracking Opt-Out After FOIA Pressure
What this shows is that state public health agencies do make mistakes.
Ivermectin Emerges as Key Weapon Against Resurgent Screwworm Infestations
Ivermectin has shown remarkable effectiveness against New World screwworms in livestock.
by randommike 
