US news | The Guardian
· collected 2026-08-19 · by Robert Mackey, Lucy Campbell, Victoria Bekiempis, George Chidi and Vivian Ho
Republicans reportedly fear datacenter backlash could cost them Ohio Senate seat
uncertain
backlash → fear → seat
Amid signs that the Ohio Republican senator Jon Husted’s support for the AI datacenters Donald Trump touts at every opportunity could cost him his seat, and imperil the Republican majority in the Senate, the National Republican Senatorial Committee (NRSC) has reportedly warned leading AI companies that they need to arrest the public backlash to the massive warehouses springing up across the state.
uncertain
they → tout → state
Husted trailed his Democratic challenger, former senator Sherrod Brown, by eight percentage points in a recent poll for Fox News, and the Republican campaign arm suggested in a memo obtained by Axios and then the Washington Post that Brown is successfully channeling grassroots outrage over the noisy, energy-sucking centers.
uncertain
Brown → trail → centers
“More than any other thing in this race, data centers are the anchor hanging around Husted’s neck,” the NRSC wrote.
asserted
NRSC → hang → neck
“If he loses and data centers get the blame, politicians across the country will take notice – and they will not go near the next one.
asserted
they → lose → one
“This has become a sleeper issue for the entire election cycle,” the campaign committee added.
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committee → become → cycle
A recent ad from Brown’s campaign blames Husted for encouraging the rapid expansion of datacenters in Ohio.
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ad → blame → Ohio
Charlie Blaettler, political director of theGuardrails Alliance, a Democratic Super PAC formed to combat “AI billionaire Trump donors trying to buy our elections and prevent common sense regulation”, said in a statement that the memo proves that the Republican party “is panicking because they sold out to the AI industry – a while ago – and they know it”.
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they → form → it
Republicans, Blaettler said, “are realizing how wildly unpopular Big AI’s agenda is with the American people.
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agenda → say → people
Now the GOP and AI’s unaccountable billionaires are scrambling to backtrack and find a new way to pull the wool over the eyes of the public so they can get what they want: A Congress that will do their bidding and an AI future that benefits them, not the many.”
asserted
that → scramble → them
“It is time for the Democratic party to make it clear who they stand with”, he added.
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he → make → who
“A handful of Big Tech billionaires or the majority of people in the country who want commonsense regulation for this unprecedented technology.
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who → want → technology
When he was asked by a Maga influencer about the public unease with AI datacenters on Wednesday, Trump argued they generate tax revenue and construction jobs, “and many of them are designed in a very beautiful way”.
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many → ask → way
This concludes our live coverage of the second Trump administration for the day.
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This → conclude → day
Donald Trump nominated Dr Heidi Overton – an abortion opponent who stood next to the president as he made false claims about vaccines – to be commissioner of the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA).
uncertain
he → nominate → Administration
Democrats quickly denounced the nomination and promised to oppose it.
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Democrats → denounce → it
Patty Murray, who sits on the Senate health committee, called Overton “a far-right, anti-abortion extremist who has no business leading the FDA”.
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who → sit → FDA
Senator Bill Cassidy, the Republican chairman of the Senate health committee, said that he has “strong concerns” about Overton’s “active role in last week’s nonsensical vaccine executive order” casting doubt on the safety of the MMR vaccine.
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he → say → vaccine
The US debt reached $40tn for the first time on Wednesday, the US treasury department said, after the government deficit doubled over the last decade.
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deficit → reach → decade
Trump told reporters, as he gave them a tour of his new helipad, that he will meet the North Korean communist leader, KimJong-un, later this year.
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he → tell → leader
Kim Yo-jong, the powerful sister of North Korea’s leader, said she knew “absolutely nothing” about talks with Trump, and that the US remains an enemy of Pyongyang.
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US → say → Pyongyang
Trump said he has delayed implementing tariffs on some Canadian goods because he thought a deal had been reached.
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deal → say → goods
Amid signs that the Ohio Republican senator Jon Husted’s support for the AI datacenters Trump touts at every opportunity could cost him his seat, and imperil the Republican majority in the Senate, the National Republican Senatorial Committee (NRSC) reportedly warned leading AI companies that they need to arrest the public backlash.
Trump posted on Wednesday that he intends to inflict “the MOST CRUSHING ECONOMIC OPERATION EVER TAKEN AGAINST ANY COUNTRY!”
Republican chair of Senate health committee calls Trump's FDA nominee's role in his 'nonsensical' vaccine order 'almost disqualifying'
Senator
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chair → tout → order
Bill Cassidy, the Republican chairman of the Senate health committee, said that he has “strong concerns” about Donald Trump’s nomination of Dr Heidi Overton to be commissioner of the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA).
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he → say → Administration
Writing on social media, Cassidy, a medical doctor who was outraged by Trump’s executive order last week calling the MMR vaccine “lethal”, said that he respects Dr Overton’s “experience as a physician,” he is concerned her “lack of managerial experience does not prepare her well for leading a large organization that is already dealing with staffing and morale issues.”
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that → write → issues
“Additionally, Dr. Overton’s active role in last week’s nonsensical vaccine executive order calls into question her commitment to standing up for sound science and protecting children’s health.
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role → call → health
That alone is almost disqualifying”, Cassidy wrote.
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Cassidy → write → ?
Trump declares economic warfare on Iran 'on an unprecedented scale'
asserted
Trump → declare → scale
Clearly frustrated that his attempts to force Iran into submission through airstrikes have failed, Donald Trump announced on Wednesday that he intends to inflict “the MOST CRUSHING ECONOMIC OPERATION EVER TAKEN AGAINST ANY COUNTRY!”
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he → frustrate → COUNTRY
“This will be Economic Warfare and Isolation on an unprecedented scale”, the president posted on his social media platform, with the possible assistance of his close aide Natalie Harp.
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president → post → aide
“ANY country that allows its financial institutions, businesses, airports, or government entities to provide any type of lifeline to Iran will itself face TREMENDOUS Economic Consequences”, the president’s statement added.
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statement → allow → Consequences
“Oil smuggling, swap lines, cash transfers, exchange houses, ship registries, front companies — It all needs to stop NOW.
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It → need → ?
You know who you are.
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you → know → ?
This will be an ECONOMIC D-DAY, and we need all of our Allies to stand with the United States of America to isolate, and defeat, the Iran threat.
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all → need → threat
“These maniacs are on the ropes”, the president insisted, before again repeating that the aim of his campaign was to force Iran to renounce nuclear weapons, which it did 11 years ago in the nuclear deal struck during the Obama administration that Trump scuttled during his first term.
asserted
Trump → insist → term
Republicans reportedly fear datacenter backlash could cost them Ohio Senate seat
uncertain
backlash → fear → seat
Amid signs that the Ohio Republican senator Jon Husted’s support for the AI datacenters Donald Trump touts at every opportunity could cost him his seat, and imperil the Republican majority in the Senate, the National Republican Senatorial Committee (NRSC) has reportedly warned leading AI companies that they need to arrest the public backlash to the massive warehouses springing up across the state.
uncertain
they → tout → state
Husted trailed his Democratic challenger, former senator Sherrod Brown, by eight percentage points in a recent poll for Fox News, and the Republican campaign arm suggested in a memo obtained by Axios and then the Washington Post that Brown is successfully channeling grassroots outrage over the noisy, energy-sucking centers.
uncertain
Brown → trail → centers
“More than any other thing in this race, data centers are the anchor hanging around Husted’s neck,” the NRSC wrote.
asserted
NRSC → hang → neck
“If he loses and data centers get the blame, politicians across the country will take notice – and they will not go near the next one.”
asserted
they → lose → one
…and 77 more, not listed.
