Middle East War Turns AI Data Center Security Into Its Own Boom Here’s how the Iran war—and Iran’s drone attacks on Amazon data centers—is impacting how capital-intensive AI data center projects are thinking about security.

The AI data center boom put American-funded, America-based data centers on Middle East soil. Here’s how the war—and Iran’s drone attacks on Amazon data centers—is impacting how these capital-intensive projects are thinking about security.

My latest for @forbes.com:

www.forbes.com/sites/phoebe...

New Cheap Trick album shows they're far from 'All Washed Up' Despite their tongue-in-cheek title 'All Washed Up,' Cheap Trick's new album proves the classic rock legends remain vibrant, with three original members in their 70s still recording and touring.

Bun E. should be playing with them but still remarkable these guys continue to tour and put out new musoc +50 years on www.latimes.com/entertainmen...

Musk scorned “shady” loopholes, yet offshore tax tricks likely saved Tesla hundreds of millions When Tesla released its annual report for U.S. regulators in January, the Texas-based automaker, led by the world’s richest man, reported a federal tax bill of zero dollars for 2025.

@reuters.com reports that Tesla likely shifted $18 billion in profits offshore, saving at least $400 million in U.S. taxes
www.reuters.com/legal/transa...

Reranking The World’s Billionaires By Wealth – And Altruism Forbes recalculated the wealth of the richest billionaires to add back in what they gave to charity. Here’s who moves up the ranks.

Elon Musk is the world's wealthiest person, but he's a pipsqueak when it comes to philanthropy:
"Only an estimated $500 million, or 0.06% of Musk’s vast fortune, has ever been disbursed to those in need."
www.forbes.com/sites/mattdu...

Warming Oceans, A Hot Year And ‘Elite’ Beliefs This week’s Current Climate newsletter also looks at whether urbanists should embrace robotaxis and how the Middle East war may impact the renewable energy transition

Warming Oceans, A Hot Year And ‘Elite’ Beliefs

Warming Oceans, A Hot Year And ‘Elite’ Beliefs This week’s Current Climate newsletter also looks at whether urbanists should embrace robotaxis and how the Middle East war may impact the renewable energy transition

In the latest Current Climate newsletter:
🌊 Warming oceans, a hot year and ‘elite’ beliefs
🤖 Should urbanists should embrace robotaxis?
☀️ How the Iran war may impact the renewable energy transition #climate #robotaxis www.forbes.com/sites/curren...

Yes

Forget Palantir. Meet ‘Poulantir”. It seems to be a running joke among Mistral’s 700-strong staff that the company’s future leans on challenging Palantir.

Judge blocks above-ground construction of Trump's White House ballroom, administration appeals The White House's East Wing was demolished to build a 90,000-square-foot ballroom sought by President Donald Trump. That project is being challenged in court.

Judge blocks above ground construction of Trump's White House ballroom... (for now) www.cnbc.com/2026/04/16/w...

ICE agent charged with two felonies for pointing his gun at motorists during Operation Metro Surge Hennepin County Attorney Mary Moriarty said a nationwide warrant has been issued in the first criminal charges against an ICE agent for on-duty actions during the surge.

A nationwide warrant has been issued in the first criminal charges against an ICE agent for on-duty actions during the enforcement surge in Minnesota.

A guy no one pays attention to won't be backing a politician no one likes

If California requires manufacturers to make electric truck prices public, Tesla will be most affected. Its Semi qualifies for a $120,000 state incentive, but what's the MSRP? 🤷‍♂️ ($290k if you believe fan sites, but no official price shared by the company)

A gas that causes climate change is bubbling out of reservoirs How much planet-warming methane is coming from water reservoirs? Environmental groups want California to track emissions.

Who knew? Methane is bubbling up out of reservoirs in California 😮 www.latimes.com/environment/...

Though the pontiff didn’t mention Trump by name, he condemned leaders who “manipulate religion and the very name of God for their own military, economic, and political gain, dragging that which is sacred into darkness and filth.” trib.al/KszR4Kf

Who is Jamie Ding? 'Jeopardy!' champ amazes his Grosse Pointe family Jamie Ding's Grosse Pointe Shores parents knew he was smart, but didn't expect he would become one of the best contestants in "Jeopardy!' history.

Jamie Ding's Grosse Pointe Shores parents knew he was smart, but didn't expect he would become one of the best contestants in "Jeopardy!' history.

Forbes 2026 AI 50 List | Top Artificial Intelligence Companies The Forbes 2026 AI 50 List spotlights the most promising artificial intelligence businesses. See the leaders driving the future of AI.

Excited to reveal the 2026 Forbes AI 50 List, which spotlights the most promising privately-held AI companies in the world.
forbes.com/lists/ai50/

Anthropic Mythos And Embracing The AI ‘Bugmageddon’ Anthropic’s Mythos model has divided the cybersecurity community. While some fear a catastrophic wave of AI-powered attacks, others point out it’ll drastically improve defenses.

www.forbes.com/sites/the-wi...

In a First for the U.S., Renewables Generate More Power Than Natural Gas In March, for the first time, renewables supplied more power to the U.S. than natural gas, a milestone in the transition to clean power. However, rising power demand is complicating the shift away from fossil fuels by extending the lives of many aging coal power plants.

In a first last month, renewables supplied more power to the U.S. than natural gas, a milestone in the shift to clean energy.

The state’s legislation could provide a blueprint for others considering moratoriums, amid growing pushback across the country to the rapid rollout of infrastructure underpinning the build-out of AI. ft.trib.al/bb7koE6

Canadian Travel Boycott Of U.S. Continues—14 Straight Months Of Declines—Amid Trump Slump Now 14 months in, Canada’s rejection of the U.S. is the most successful tourism boycott in memory.

Canadians are driving the second Trump Slump, with a boycott that has delivered massive sustained economic losses for the US.

www.forbes.com/sites/suzann...

people still use twitter?

perhaps affordable health care, like every other developed nation has, would be a better option? 🤷

Combining lax tax collection with the worst budget deficit and federal debt in U.S. history is sub-optimal 🫣

Trump Hates Offshore Wind. Republicans Don’t This week’s Current Climate newsletter also looks at a Google spinout using AI to create better batteries and MIT’s Kate Brown on the environmental impact of grassy lawns

In this week's Current Climate newsletter:
🌬️Trump hates offshore wind. Republicans in coastal states don’t
🔋A Google spinout using AI to create better batteries
🌿MIT’s Kate Brown on the environmental impact of grassy lawns #offshorewind #urbanfarming www.forbes.com/sites/curren...

The Saudis are pouring $24 billion into the Ellisons' Warner Bros. megamerger — just the latest move in a Hollywood takeover that's really about courting Trump, buying Washington influence and giving a restless young population bread and circuses instead of human rights.
Read more: bit.ly/3Qz8jWm

Hungary Has Ousted an Autocrat Viktor Orbán had support from Moscow and Washington, but not from his own people.

Viktor Orbán has been ousted—and efforts by Washington and Moscow to prop the autocratic leader up give his defeat implications that extend far beyond Hungary, @isaacstanleybecker.bsky.social reports from Budapest.

Hungary’s Orban, a Beacon to the Right Wing, Concedes Election Defeat

there’s always some good news 😄 www.nytimes.com/2026/04/12/w...

‘Enough Of War,’ Pope Leo XIV Says In Latest Condemnation Of U.S.-Iran Conflict The first American leader of the Catholic Church has fiercely criticized the war in Iran, deepening tensions between the United States and the Vatican.

The first American leader of the Catholic Church has fiercely criticized the war in Iran, deepening tensions between the United States and the Vatican.

to be fair, Joe Kernen is an absolute dipshit

States are struggling to meet their clean energy goals. Blame data centers Nevada's largest utility says it will need three times the electricity required to power Las Vegas just to handle proposed data centers -- and it probably can't do that without fossil fuels.

Nevada's largest utility says it will need three times the electricity required to power Las Vegas just to handle proposed data centers — and it probably can't do that without fossil fuels.
https://to.pbs.org/4c0Eh6n