How Data Centers Broke American Politics
What the Unabomber, Steve Bannon’s tech guy, and Bernie Sanders taught me about the great data center backlash of 2026.
The World Is Too Hot. El Niño Is Partly to Blame
Heat waves are simultaneously hitting Europe, North America, and Asia, driven in part by the hot waters in the tropical Pacific—and climate change.
How to Bring a Geothermal Well Back from the Dead
Startup Zanskar has created one of the most productive geothermal wells in the US at a power plant that had been in decline for years.
The Trump Administration Wants to Change Public Engagement Rules for Polluters
The EPA has proposed a rule change that would let states decide how much input the public has on air pollution permits. It would be a huge boon for data centers increasingly reliant on fossil fuels.
Abdul El-Sayed Is an Epidemiologist Running for Senate. His State Is a Public Health Disaster
Michigan has been at the epicenter of the wildfire smoke and explosive diarrhea outbreaks. The progressive Democrat talks to WIRED about how he would tackle the forces behind them if he’s elected.
The Northeast Is Being Blanketed in Canadian Wildfire Smoke
Roughly 100 wildfires are raging out of control in Ontario, sending smoke streaming more than 1,000 miles to the south and east.
New York Governor Signs First Statewide Data Center Moratorium
“We have no choice but to address the challenges created by these massive facilities,” New York governor Kathy Hochul said. The executive order will pause construction for one year.
Microsoft Reports a Massive 25 Percent Jump in Emissions
Data centers are driving up the company’s use of electricity—and carbon pollution.
Dimming the Sun Would Help Lower the Risks of El Niño
As worries about a growing super El Niño mount, new findings suggest a radical solution to mitigating its impacts.
3 Nuclear Startups Hit a Big Milestone. Why It Matters—and Why It Doesn’t
The companies’ Fourth of July plans include celebrating new reactor designs coming online. But there’s still a long way to go before they deliver energy at a meaningful scale.