Google reveals ‘first-of-its-kind’ $20B renewable energy data center projects
Google has unveiled a $20 billion plan to develop a series of industrial parks across the United States powered by on-site wind and solar energy plants. These facilities will house the tech giant’s data center operations under what the company describes as a “first-of-its-kind” approach.
“Google is focused on evolving digital infrastructure development by co-locating grid-connected carbon-free energy and data center investments into closely-linked infrastructure projects,” Ruth Porat, president and chief investment officer of Google, said in a statement. “This approach is an important complement to efforts to unlock development of new transmission infrastructure and to optimize utilization of the existing grid.”
Google tapped clean energy provider Intersect Power to help build the renewable energy infrastructure for these projects. The first industrial park is on track to be partially operational by 2026 and fully completed by 2027.
“This partnership is an evolution of the way hyperscalers and power providers have previously worked together,” Sheldon Kimber, CEO and founder of Intersect Power, said. “We can and are developing innovative solutions to rapidly expand clean power capacity at scale while reducing the strain on the grid.”
Google aims to reduce pollution by directly powering its data centers with renewables. That associated pollution comes from the large energy demands of such facilities when connected to the traditional power grid.
This strategy also relieves local utilities from the burden of upgrading their infrastructure. They can meet the electrical needs of those data centers. If local utilities had had to upgrade their infrastructure, it could have resulted in higher utility bills for nearby customers.
“This ‘power first’ approach to data center development is an evolved model that can significantly reduce delivery timelines of new power generation and the projects that will use it — and is designed to ease grid burden and improve overall reliability and affordability for all energy customers,” Porat explains.
However, some challenges associated with this plan remain. Intersect Power must still raise millions in funds to construct the necessary renewable energy plants.
These industrial parks are not reliant on energy from the grid. However, they will have to connect to it regardless for use as a backup supply of power. That process can require years of regulatory approval before finalization.
Elon Musk becomes first person to reach $400 billion net worth
Elon Musk, the world’s richest person, just got even richer. He’s now the first person ever to reach a net worth of $400 billion, according to a new estimate from Bloomberg News, which attributes Musk’s skyrocketing wealth to the value of his companies, SpaceX and Tesla.
Tesla shares hit a new all-time high of $415 on Wednesday, Dec. 11, which Bloomberg said pushed Musk’s net worth to around $440 billion.
Earlier this week, the private sale of SpaceX shares increased the firm’s market cap to around $350 billion. This made SpaceX the most valuable private startup in the world, with Musk owning 42% of it.
Meanwhile, the value of his artificial intelligence startup, x.AI, has more than doubled since it raised $50 billion in May. The Wall Street Journal reported that President-elect Donald Trump’s victory helped drive new interest.
Investors expect Musk’s companies to keep benefiting from his relationship with Trump.
Earlier this month, a judge reaffirmed a ruling that rejected a pay package for Musk now valued at more than $100 billion. The package had already been approved by Tesla shareholders.
Amazon, Hyundai team up to start selling cars online
Americans can shop for nearly everything on Amazon, and now, they can add a car to their shopping cart. Amazon partnered with Hyundai to launch Amazon Autos, offering online vehicle sales for residents in 48 U.S. cities.
Customers in several cities can browse and order vehicles, find financing and set up delivery all on Amazon’s website.
Once the payment is processed, customers schedule a pickup time with a local Hyundai dealership.
Amazon Autos will also handle trade-ins and plans to add leasing and expanded financing options.
While some competition exists from other online car sales companies, like Carvana and CarMax, these websites only have used vehicles for sale. Amazon is only selling new cars.
The big draw of online car shopping is avoiding the traditional dealership experience that can often be stressful and involve attempted upselling from the dealer.
According to a recent survey from CarGurus, nearly 70% of shoppers said they want to do more of the car-buying process from home.
Amazon Autos buyer reviews revealed some pros and cons, with a major plus being the transparency and seeing an exact price breakdown.
There’s also a feature on Amazon Autos that can stop any accidental one-click purchasing. A “begin purchase” button makes it obvious that a customer is starting the buying process.
However, some buyers noted that there’s no negotiating power online. There’s also a lack of car selection, with it only being Hyundai vehicles.
Amazon said it plans to add more manufacturers in the coming year.
UnitedHealthcare CEO murder suspect fights extradition to NY, denied bail in PA
New details continue to emerge about the man charged with murder in the killing the UnitedHealthcare CEO. And wildfires burn out of control in southern California as strong winds are forecast to make matters worse. These stories and more highlight your Unbiased Updates for Wednesday, Dec. 11, 2024.
UnitedHealthcare CEO murder suspect fights extradition to NY, denied bail in PA
Luigi Mangione remains in custody in Pennsylvania as he fights extradition to New York one week after authorities say he shot and killed UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson outside a Manhattan hotel.
The murder suspect did not waive his extradition to New York. That means Mangione will remain in custody in Pennsylvania as he has 14 days to challenge the detention.
The Manhattan District Attorney’s Office said it will seek a governor’s warrant to force extradition to New York where Mangione faces multiple charges, including second-degree murder. New York Gov. Kathy Hochul said she will sign a warrant for his extradition to ensure he is “tried and held accountable.”
Watch the @ABC7NY interview where Deputy Commissioner of @NYPDCT Rebecca Weiner and Chief of @NYPDDetectives Joseph Kenny discuss the ongoing investigation regarding the Midtown Manhattan homicide ⬇️ pic.twitter.com/3WH9Y0JkMJ
In court Tuesday, Mangione was denied bail on the felony charges of forgery and carrying a firearm without a license in Pennsylvania.
“He has indicated a plea of not guilty. The only charges that we’ve seen thus far, have been the ones here in Pennsylvania. And we have pled not guilty to those charges,” his attorney Thomas Dickey told reporters.
As the investigation in New York murder continues, NYPD Chief of Detectives Joseph Kenny told Fox News they are looking into whether the suspect suffered a back injury and filed any claims with the insurance industry prior to the shooting. Mangione’s roommate in Hawaii told various broadcasts Mangione’s back surgery caused him great pain and he was extremely angry about it.
Mangione had three pages of writing on him when he was arrested inside a Pennsylvania McDonald’s Monday morning, Dec. 9. The NYPD said the notes were addressed to “the feds” and told authorities he acted alone.
Investigators said Mangione may have been inspired by the Unabomber Ted Kaczynski and they’re working to determine whether Thompson was the target of “a symbolic takedown” against corporate corruption.
In November, Mangione’s mother had filed a missing persons report for him in San Francisco. According to the San Francisco Chronicle, that came after no one had heard from Mangione since July.
In a statement, Mangione’s family said, “Our family is shocked and devastated by Luigi’s arrest. We offer our prayers to the family of Brian Thompson and we ask people to pray for all involved.”
Fallout from South Korea’s short-lived martial law period
The fallout from South Korea’s martial law declaration widens as the imprisoned former defense minister attempted to take his own life.
Former Defense Minister Kim Yong-hyun, who is currently being detained at a facility in Seoul on alleged collusion with President Yoon Suk Yeol in imposing martial law last week, attempted to take his own life late Tuesday night.https://t.co/aHM6HP5TUS
Authorities said former defense minister Kim Yong-hyun has been moved to an isolation room after an attempt on his own life before his formal arrest warrant was issued Tuesday night. Kim was the first public figure to be detained over the martial law declaration on Dec. 3 and is accused of being the one to recommend the move.
Separately Tuesday, South Korean police said they sent officers to search President Yoon Suk Yeol’s office as part of the investigation into the declaration.
Yoon is now banned from leaving the country as police and prosecutors investigate whether he and his supporters in the government as well as the military committed an insurrection when they sent armed troops into the National Assembly last week to try to prevent lawmakers from gathering to cancel the martial law decree. They were ultimately unsuccessful; lawmakers voted unanimously to end martial law just six hours after it was put in place.
Investigators have vowed to arrest, or at least detain, Yoon, who is still the country’s president. He refused to resign after an impeachment attempt on Saturday, Dec. 8, failed when members of his party left parliament and boycotted the vote.
The country’s main opposition party says it’s preparing a new impeachment motion and a vote on that is expected as early as this Saturday, Dec. 14.
Malibu wildfire reaches more than 3,000 acres, 0% contained
Firefighters in Southern California are battling a raging wildfire that has prompted evacuations and damaged homes in the affluent beach community of Malibu, northwest of Los Angeles. The Franklin Fire has spread to more than 3,000 acres and was 0% contained as of CalFire’s update at 9:47 p.m. PT Tuesday.
The fast-moving inferno broke out late Monday night and quickly grew, fueled by strong Santa Ana winds. Some gusts were reported as strong as 90 miles per hour.
Widespread Red Flag conditions across much of Southern California due to Santa Ana Winds will continue to be a threat to residents and property throughout the week.
The Franklin Fire in L.A. County has already consumed over 2200 acres this morning, forcing many evacuations. For… pic.twitter.com/7diQcNdi6B
More than 1,500 firefighters had been assigned to battle the flames and smoke.
Students, teachers and administrators at Pepperdine University were told to shelter in place as the fire kept getting closer and closer. Final exams were canceled.
There have been no reports of deaths or serious injuries, but officials said the fire has destroyed at least seven homes so far. The National Weather Service forecast days of extreme dry windy weather ahead.
Federal judge blocks sale of Infowars to The Onion
Jones was forced to put the platform up for sale to help pay $1.5 billion in damages that he owes to the families of the Sandy Hook Elementary School shooting victims for falsely claiming the massacre in Connecticut was a hoax.
Tuesday night, a federal bankruptcy judge said there was a lack of transparency in the auction process, and it failed to maximize value for the victims’ families, even though they had given their approval for Infowars to be sold to The Onion for an undisclosed amount of money.
NJ lawmaker calls for ‘limited state of emergency’ over drones
Republican state Sen. Jon Bramnick said mysterious drones seen flying over New Jersey in recent weeks should prompt a “limited state of emergency.” Bramnick said in a statement New Jersey should ban all drones until the public receives an explanation regarding these multiple sightings.
His statement came after the mayors of 21 New Jersey towns wrote a letter to Gov. Phil Murphy demanding action.
The FBI so far has only said it is doing all it can to figure out what is going on and the public can continue to call in tips.
This comes a year after GM grounded its fleet of driverless vehicles after an accident in California that led to Cruise being fined $1.5 million.
GM, which owns about 90% of Cruise, said it intends to buy the remainder of the company and will combine GM and Cruise technical teams. GM cited an “increasingly competitive robotaxi market” as one reason it will no longer fund the business.
Cruise founder Kyle Vogt, who left the company in 2023, reacted to the news on X saying, “In case it was unclear before, it is clear now: GM are a bunch of dummies.”
FTC issues Fortnite players refunds after being ‘tricked’ into purchases
Hundreds of thousands of Fortnite players are getting a refund after federal regulators found the game’s developer tricked players into spending money on unwanted purchases. The Federal Trade Commission said it’s starting to send $72 million in payments to Epic Games customers.
It’s just the first round of refunds following a 2022 settlement of $245 million – the FTC’s largest-ever refund amount in a gaming case. Epic Games agreed to the settlement for its “unlawful billing practices.”
Fortnite is free to download and play but charges gamers for other items. They include experiences known as microtransactions, like costumes and dance moves.
While microtransactions are a common feature in video games, Epic Games used a design tactic called “dark patterns” that hid in-game purchases. This led to people, including children, racking up charges.
In some cases, just one accidental press of a button led to players incurring charges.
The complaint described it happening from 2017 to 2022. Players tried to wake the game up from sleep mode or pressed a button to preview a purchasable item.
Epic Games is also accused of locking out customers who disputed unauthorized charges. That caused them to lose access to all the content they purchased.
The average payment amount in the settlement is about $114 per customer through PayPal or check.
The FTC said customers who selected their payment method when they completed their claim form have 30 days to redeem PayPal payments and 90 days to cash checks.
Fortnite customers who think they’re eligible for a refund can submit a claim online until Jan. 10.
Sweden considers social media ban to stop youth gang recruitment
Sweden is grappling with an increase in childhood gang activity with some members as young as 11 years old. The country’s government is now considering a move that could restrict social media use in an effort to combat the issue.
Swedish police have seen gangs “shopping” on social media for teens to commit murders and bombings, turning these platforms into digital marketplaces.
The Scandinavian nation now leads Europe in deadly shootings per capita. Police data revealing 93 kids under 15-years-old have been connected to planning murders in the first seven months of 2024.
Swedish law enforcement noting that’s three times more than 2023.
Authorities have seen the crime surge spill over to Denmark in recent months. Denmark charging a handful of minors with attempted murder and weapons possessions.
Swedish ministers and leaders of other Nordic countries met with representatives from Snapchat, TikTok, Google and Meta. According to, Swedish Justice Minster Gunnar Strommer said the companies vowed to do everything in their power to prevent gangs from recruiting teenagers.
The Dec. 9 meeting in Copenhagen tasked tech companies to do their part in keeping kids away from gang activity and recruitment. Justice Minister Strommer said it’s a serious situation. The Swedish government used other countries as examples to help curb the problem.
In November, Australia passed a ban just weeks ago in a move officials said was to protect young people from the harms of the platform. Right now, kids under the age of 16 are not allowed on social media.
The education minister adding Sweden’s government will do everything in the power and won’t leave no stone unturned to stop kids from spending excessive time on social media.
Parents file lawsuit after AI companion suggested their son kill them
Some people have grown concerned over the influence chatbots have on kids. Two sets of parents in Texas filed a lawsuit against Google’s Character.AI service, claiming the bots abused their children.
The lawsuit states a chatbot hinted to a 17-year-old that he should kill his parents over screen time limits.
“You know sometimes I’m not surprised when I read the news and see stuff like child kills parents after a decade of physical and emotional abuse,” the bot allegedly said. “I just have no hope for your parents.”
According to the lawsuit, the 17-year-old also self-harmed after being encouraged to do so by the bot while convincing him his family didn’t love him.
In the second instance, the parents said their child was 9-years-old when she first used Character.AI. They claimed the program exposed her to hypersexualized content and caused her to develop early sexualized behaviors.
The lawsuit states Character.AI should’ve known its product had the potential to become addicting and worsen anxiety and depression.
Teens using generative AI
Character.AI is one of many “companion chatbots” that can engage in conversations. Experts said it’s becoming increasingly popular with preteen and teenage users.
According to a recent survey by Common Sense Media, 70% of teens said they use some sort of generative AI. However, only 37% of their parents were aware of it.
Chatbot linked to teen suicide lawsuit
The lawsuit filed Monday, Dec. 9, comes after another suit by the same attorneys in October. The previous suit accused Character.AI of contributing to a Florida teen’s suicide.
The suit alleges a chatbot based on a “Game of Thrones” character developed an emotionally, sexually abusive relationship with a 14-year-old boy. The suit states the chatbot later encouraged him to take his own life.
Safety improvement needs
Since then, the company has come out with new safety measures including a pop-up that directs users to a suicide prevention hotline if the topic of self-harm comes up in conversations.
The company said it also has stepped up measures to combat “sensitive and suggestive content” for teens.
Character.AI hasn’t commented directly on the recent lawsuit and said the company doesn’t discuss any pending litigation.
But a Google spokesperson said user safety is a top concern, and added they take a cautious and responsible approach to developing and releasing AI products.
“That kind of obsession takes over the way you’re thinking, especially for people who are not fully formed,” Schmidt said.
U.S. Surgeon General Vivek Murthy has put out warnings of a youth mental health crisis. He pointed to surveys finding that 1 in 3 high school students reported persistent feelings of sadness or hopelessness. It’s a trend federal officials believe is being heightened by teens’ nonstop use of social media.
Teen mental experts said AI chatbots are only making the problem worse as teens tend to develop a lack of awareness about AI limitations and experience emotional isolation.
If you or someone you know may be considering suicide or be in crisis, call or text 988 to reach the 988 suicide and crisis lifeline.
NATO to protect undersea cables with ‘sea drones’ amid global tensions
Suspected sabotage in the Baltic and Mediterranean Seas is pushing new technology forward to protect undersea infrastructure. The unmanned fleet will have a surveillance system to record activity below the water’s surface.
NATO is preparing to launch sea drones this summer to monitor the globe’s cable supply. The U.S. Navy’s 5th Fleet is behind the technology. Task Force 59 has spent months performing experiments to bring aquatic drones to the Middle East and push rivals out of allied waters.
Tensions began in November when two cables were severed in what investigators said was a clear act of sabotage. According to authorities, a Chinese vessel dragged an anchor for more than a hundred miles as they left a Russian port. The vessel cut the line between Sweden and Lithuania, and another line was severed between Germany and Finland the next day.
Officials believe Western countries were the target due to their aid and support of Ukraine throughout the war. They believe Russian intelligence agencies were behind the incident.
NATO’s Intelligence Chief David Cattler said earlier this year that evidence showed Russia was mapping out undersea infrastructure. Currently, Russia uses land-based internet connections rather than undersea cables like many countries.
“You can see that they are signaling that they have the intent and capability to take action in this domain if they choose.”
Statement by NATO Intelligence Chief David Cattler
The owner, a Chinese national, is working with the European authorities, while Russia denies any involvement. A Russian sailor was also reportedly onboard the ship.
OpenAI releases Sora as debate over artist contributions grows
OpenAI has launched its long-awaited video generation model, Sora, making it available to ChatGPT Plus and Pro users in the United States and several other countries. The tool allows users to create high-definition video clips using text prompts, with additional features to animate images and remix existing footage.
During a livestream demonstration, OpenAI showcased Sora’s capabilities, including scene blending and frame extension.
ChatGPT Plus subscribers can create up to 50 videos per month at 720p resolution, while Pro users have access to higher limits, including videos up to 1080p and 20 seconds long. Pro users can also download videos without watermarks.
OpenAI hasn’t provided a timeline for Sora’s release in Europe or the United Kingdom.
OpenAI says safeguards are in place to prevent misuse. All videos include watermarks and metadata to indicate they are AI-generated. Users must agree not to upload content featuring minors, explicit material or copyrighted works.
Violations could lead to account bans, according to the company. Rohan Sahai, OpenAI’s Sora product lead, said the company is working to balance security with creative freedom.
The launch has drawn criticism from artists who participated in early testing. Some claim OpenAI used their unpaid contributions for marketing purposes.
OpenAI defended the testing process, stating that participation was voluntary and intended to improve the tool. The company said it plans to offer grants and other programs to support artists in the future.
Sora’s release reflects OpenAI’s latest efforts to expand AI’s creative applications while addressing ethical concerns over its use.
Mystery drone sightings: 21 New Jersey mayors call for governor to investigate
Dozens of unidentified drones spotted in central and northern New Jersey are raising concerns among state lawmakers. At least 21 mayors are calling on New Jersey Gov. Phil Murphy to launch a state investigation into their origins.
In a letter, the mayors demanded that the investigation’s findings be released to state and local officials and residents.
Murphy responded to the letter on Monday, Dec. 9, telling Fox News his plan to address the mysterious drone sightings.
Murphy said he’s been working with the White House and Homeland Security to get “answers sooner rather than later.” He acknowledged residents’ frustration about the lack of answers.
The governor noted there were 49 drone sightings on Sunday, Dec. 8, and admitted he doesn’t have much in the way of answers. He said that, to his knowledge, the drones are “highly sophisticated” and “the minute you get eyes on them, they go dark.”
Murphy stressed that there is no danger to the public. However, he pleaded for more help from federal agencies to uncover the mystery behind the sightings.
The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) is currently investigating the drone sightings and has asked residents for help by video and reporting any drones they spot.
The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) implemented drone flight restrictions as the probe continues.
Drones are legal in New Jersey and often used by hobbyists. However, the aircraft spotted in most cases across the state by residents are reportedly larger than those drones used for recreation.