Reporter's Notebook: Why data center fights cut across party lines

NPR | By Gabriel J. Sánchez,

Adam Raney, Debbie Elliott, Scott Neuman

Published September 26, 2026 at 5:13 PM EDT

NPR's Scott Neuman went to Virginia and Maryland to report on data centers. In this reporter's notebook, he shares why opposition to new ones is bringing together people who rarely agree on politics.

Related Content

CNN is getting new owners with close ties to Trump

David Folkenflik, Debbie Elliott

Two big TV news outlets, CBS and CNN, will now be controlled by Trump allies. Some journalists are worried about pressure on their coverage.
At the Smithsonian, Maya Angelou's typewriter holds a place of honor

Daniel Ofman, Debbie Elliott, Sarah Robbins

A typewriter Maya Angelou used for decades is on display at the Smithsonian's National Museum of American History, near the original Star-Spangled Banner. A curator explains why it belongs there.
National

OpenAI says its models engaged with US government websites in misbehavior disclosure

The Associated Press

The disclosure is the latest in a string of incidents in which the AI platform has been caught going rogue. OpenAI says it is reviewing the findings.
The U.S. has more thalidomide survivors than the government admits

Tana Weingartner

In the 1950s and 1960s, doctors gave the drug thalidomide to pregnant patients without telling them — and without FDA approval. Now those patients' children want recognition.
Roads flood in New Jersey, inundate some homes, as first major signs of nor'easter take shape

The Associated Press

Thousands are without power on the U.S. East Coast, while roads are flooding in some coastal New Jersey communities.

You make NHPR possible.

NHPR is nonprofit and independent. We rely on readers like you to support the local, national, and international coverage on this website. Your support makes this news available to everyone.

Give today. A monthly donation of $5 makes a real difference.