Loudoun County

NPR's Scott Newman reports the issue has forged unexpected bipartisan cooperation.

Casey Hatch lives near a data center in Loudoun County, Virginia, one of the many supporting the artificial intelligence boom.

She works in IT and even uses AI in her job.

But she's also become an active member in a grassroots bipartisan group that opposes data centers.

NPR's Scott Newman reports the issue has forged unexpected bipartisan cooperation.

Casey Hatch lives near a data center in Loudoun County, Virginia, one of the many supporting the artificial intelligence boom.

She works in IT and even uses AI in her job.

But she's also become an active member in a grassroots bipartisan group that opposes data centers.

Yeah.

But I was look- I, I think it was Loudoun County in Virginia.

Mm.

Oh.

Did you see the tax revenue they're bringing in?

Mm.

I think it was Loudoun County.

The, the, the tax revenue they're bringing in from their AI centers there.

I go apple picking every year, and I, yeah, love it.

Go to Meadow Ledge in Loudoun.

They have great donut...

You watch the donuts getting made.

That was the farthest thing from their awareness.

but my father being a very intelligent man working in these different defense organizations and also living just 45 minutes outside of D.C. in Loudoun County.

We know that this is a military industrial complex hotspot.

We understand that though I was called a special child, Many children in that area in my school, I can recall the names of children and those experience of kids also in the gay program who've gone on to do brilliant things.

That was the farthest thing from their awareness.

but my father being a very intelligent man working in these different defense organizations and also living just 45 minutes outside of D.C. in Loudoun County.

We know that this is a military industrial complex hotspot.

We understand that though I was called a special child, Many children in that area in my school, I can recall the names of children and those experience of kids also in the gay program who've gone on to do brilliant things.

Here's a fun fact for you.

Loudoun County, Virginia, the place where I grew up, has the largest concentration of data centers anywhere in the world.

So naturally, I'm wondering, are data centers really as awful and evil as many people seem to think that they are? Is AI going to destroy the American economy by taking everyone's jobs? My guest today is writer and political commentator Sam Rouse.

In this episode, we get into all of those data center AI-related questions, as well as the question of whether or not Gen Z should be able to opt out of Social Security.

But rain throughout the day, off and on.

Rain moving easterly, came through Knoxville, moving into Loudoun, Lenore City.

If not there now.

Oh, it's all the way at 8.05.