Data centers are now a midterm issue, even in Brooklyn
A Newsreel midterm event in Brooklyn highlights growing anti-tech sentiment as nearly $200B in data center projects stall.
Stock photo for illustration only, not from the actual event
- Newsreel's midterm event in Brooklyn was dominated by discussions on AI and data centers.
- A Data Center Watch report shows nearly $200 billion in projects delayed or blocked in H1 2026.
- Residents express deep concerns over environmental risks, local transparency, and economic inequality.
- Experts note data centers have become physical symbols of anger against the tech elite.
On Thursday evening, TechCrunch reporter Dominic-Madori Davis attended a midterm election event hosted by Newsreel, a media outlet founded by former Forbes and Newsweek reporter Jack Brewster. Held in a dimly blue-lit Brooklyn warehouse, the room was already packed with media figures, tech workers, and policy advocates gathering just five days ahead of the election to put their phones away and converse.
The lineup featured notable speakers, including Kenneth Schlenker, co-founder of the focus app Opal, discussing attention states, and Aryan Banjan, creator of Barza campaign software, giving a midterm forecast. Meanwhile, the author moderated a dedicated panel discussion focused entirely on data centers.
As the night progressed, however, nearly every conversation shifted toward artificial intelligence, data centers, and the mounting backlash against growing technocracy. While tech insiders remain intensely optimistic about AI, a widening chasm separates them from the general public, where data centers and AI have transformed into fierce ballot-box issues that could sway midterm races on November 3.
Stock photo for illustration only, not from the actual event
A recent report from Data Center Watch revealed that nearly $200 billion in data center projects were delayed, stalled, or blocked during the first half of 2026 due to political and community opposition. States such as Pennsylvania, Georgia, Texas, New York, and Virginia are weighing stricter guardrails, with Virginia alone planning hundreds of new facilities as the self-proclaimed data center capital of the world.
This growing friction between local communities and tech giants highlights a profound divergence in priorities. While the AI sector demands immense resources to scale its infrastructure, everyday residents view these massive facilities as unwelcome intrusions that threaten local environments and living standards. Transforming data centers into a frontline political issue underscores deep-seated anxieties over economic inequality and community displacement.
A fireside chat featuring New York City Council member Chi Ossé set an urgent tone prior to the panel. Ossé noted he rarely uses AI and emphasized that tech executives should face stricter accountability, suggesting trillionaires like Elon Musk be taxed more heavily and called before Congress if corporate technologies threaten human civilization.
Davis then moderated the data center panel featuring Maia Woluchem, a technology and human rights researcher, and Hilary Flint, an environmental and public health advocate. When asked who in the audience supported AI data centers, the crowd responded with loud boos. Attendees voiced frustration over secret deals struck between big tech companies and local officials, often utilizing zoning loopholes that bypass community input.
“What is a life worth? People still protest because they value their lives a little bit more than a temporary check.”
Hilary Flint
A subsequent panel featuring NewsNation host Batya Ungar-Sargon, political strategist Morris Katz, and Vox’s Astead Herndon was intended to focus on the Democratic Party's future. Yet, the discussion inevitably pivoted back to data centers, union job dynamics, and the broader disillusionment felt across Rust Belt communities watching institutional powers dismantle local stability.
Source: TechCrunch
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