Amazon planning $10B investment in North Carolina for data center and AI campus

HAMLET, N.C. (AP) — Amazon is expanding its cloud computing infrastructure and artificial intelligence activities into a rural North Carolina county. The company said Wednesday it intends to invest $10 billion toward building a campus in Richmond County. This will bring a shot in the arm to a region where textile and apparel jobs dried up a generation ago. Amazon said its investment should create at least 500 jobs and support thousands more through construction and data center supply chain providers. Gov. Josh Stein says the investment is one of the largest in state history.

Napa Valley town that once rode out emergencies with diesel gets a clean-power backup

CALISTOGA, Calif. (AP) — When the threat of wildfires has forced power to be cut in the tourist town of Calistoga, California, on the edge of Napa Valley, it’s meant firing up a bank of noisy, polluting diesel generators. But no longer. Calistoga is about to finish installing a first-of-its-kind system that combines hydrogen fuel cells and batteries for backup power. Experts say the technology has potential beyond simply delivering clean backup power in emergencies. They say it’s a steppingstone to supporting the electric grid any day of the year. As the system was undergoing its final tests recently, some residents of Calistoga said they were excited to have a clean and reliable energy solution that doesn't rely on fossil fuels.

Federal judge blocks Florida from enforcing social media ban for kids while lawsuit continues

TALLAHASSEE, Fla. (AP) — A federal judge has barred state officials from enforcing a Florida law that would ban social media accounts for young children, while a legal challenge against the law plays out. U.S. District Judge Mark Walker issued the order Tuesday, blocking portions of the law from going into effect. The measure was one of the most restrictive bans on kids’ social media use in the country when Gov. Ron DeSantis signed it into law in 2024, banning social media accounts for children under 14 and requiring parental permission for 14- and 15-year-olds. Also Tuesday, a judge in Georgia heard arguments seeking to block a 2024 Georgia law that would require age verification for social media accounts.

Meta becomes the latest big tech company turning to nuclear power for AI needs

WASHINGTON (AP) — Meta has cut a 20-year deal to secure nuclear power to help meet surging demand for artificial intelligence and other computing needs at Facebook’s parent company. The investment with Meta will also expand the output of a Constellation Energy Illinois nuclear plant. The agreement announced Tuesday is just the latest in a string of tech-nuclear partnerships as the use of AI expands. Surging investments in small nuclear reactors comes at a time when large tech companies are facing two major demands: a need to increase their energy supply for AI and data centers, among other needs, while also trying to meet their long-term goals to significantly cut greenhouse gas emissions.

Meta's nuclear deal signals AI's growing energy needs

Meta’s 20-year deal with Constellation Energy follows similar maneuvers from Amazon, Google and Microsoft, but it will take years before nuclear energy can meet the tech industry’s insatiable demand for new sources of electricity. AI already uses vast amounts of energy, much of which comes from burning fossil fuels, which causes climate change. The unexpected popularity of AI products over the past few years has disrupted tech companies’ carefully-laid plans to supply their technology with only climate-friendly energy sources that don’t contribute to climate change.

One Tech Tip: How to use your smartphone to photograph the Northern Lights

LONDON (AP) — People in parts of the U.S. may be able to see Northern lights Monday night — or at least use a smartphone cameras to reveal hints of the aurora not visible to the naked eye. If you plan to head outside after sunset to look for the lights, and photograph them, there are things you can do to make sure you get the best shot. First try to find a quiet, dark area away from light pollution. If you plan to use your phone, dim your screen first and consider third-party apps to help get the shot.

Judge wrestles with far-reaching remedy proposals in US antitrust case against Google

WASHINGTON (AP) — The fate and fortunes of one of the world’s most powerful tech companies is now in the hands of a U.S. judge wrestling with whether to impose far-reaching changes upon Google in the wake of its dominant search engine being declared  an illegal monopoly. U.S. District Judge Amit Mehta heard closing arguments Friday from Justice Department lawyers who argued that a radical shake-up is needed to promote a free and fair market. Their proposed remedies include a ban on Google paying to lock its search engine in as the default on smart devices and an order requiring the company to sell its Chrome browser.

Think your return to the office was rough? Musk faces some big challenges

NEW YORK (AP) — Elon Musk is leaving Washington after a short but turbulent stint in government and getting back to his numerous businesses, each with their own set of issues for the billionaire to address. While how much Musk accomplished in his role as President Donald Trump’s chief cost-cutter is up for debate, it’s clear his association with right-wing politics damaged Tesla’s brand and tanked sales. Musk’s social media platform X, formerly Twitter, needs to rebuild its advertising base. His aerospace company SpaceX appears to be financially promising but has seen some recent setbacks. And it’s unclear if his satellite business Starlink can keep striking deals without Trump nearby.

States are rolling out red carpets for data centers. But some lawmakers are pushing back

HARRISBURG, Pa. (AP) — The explosive growth of the data centers needed to power America’s fast-rising demand for artificial intelligence and cloud computing has spurred states to dangle incentives in hopes of landing an economic bonanza. It's also eliciting pushback in places where an influx of data centers has caused friction with neighboring communities. Activity in state legislatures — and competition for data centers — has been brisk. Many states are offering financial incentives or tax breaks worth tens of millions of dollars. In some cases, those incentives are winning approval only after a fight or efforts to attach riders that require data centers to pay for their own electricity or meet energy efficiency standards.

US supercomputer named after Nobel laureate Jennifer Doudna to power AI and scientific research

BERKELEY, Calif. (AP) — A new supercomputer named after a winner of the Nobel Prize in chemistry will help power artificial intelligence technology and scientific discoveries from a perch in the hills above the University of California, Berkeley, federal officials said Thursday. U.S. Energy Secretary Chris Wright is scheduled to announce the project Thursday alongside executives from computer maker Dell Technologies and chipmaker Nvidia. The new computing system at the Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory will be called Doudna after Berkeley professor and biochemist Jennifer Doudna, who won a Nobel in 2020 for her work on the gene-editing technology CRISPR. It’s due to switch on next year.