Why People Are Freaking Out About Rhett & Link, Tana Mongeau, P Diddy, Hurricane Milton Aftermath
PDS Published 10/10/2024
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Hurricane Milton makes landfall script
First, a word from our weatherman on the ground in Florida: CNN’s Anderson Cooper.
[Clip, 00:17 - 00:25] Caption: “And the water now is really starting to pour over. If you look at the- woah! Okay, that wasn’t good.”
Thank you Anderson.
So Hurricane Milton made landfall south of Tampa Bay last night as a category 3 storm with wind speeds as high as 120 miles per hour. [B roll, 00:55]
Though as it moved inland, it degraded to a category 1, still retaining hurricane-level strength. [Same B roll]
And as Thursday unfolded, the high winds, storm surge and flooding rain continued, but conditions were expected to improve as Milton wandered away from Florida into the Atlantic. [Image]
With Governor Ron DeSantis delivering the good news this morning … [Lead B roll into clip]
[Clip, 00:43 - 01:01] Caption: “What we can say is the storm was significant, but thankfully this was not the worst case scenario. The storm did weaken before landfall, and the storm surge, as initially reported, has not been as significant overall as what was observed for Hurricane Helene.”
Right, while 10 to 15 feet of storm surge was projected before landfall, Milton turned out to be a pussy ass bitch, comparatively speaking. [B roll, 00:00 - 00:11]
With the worst of it swamping Sarasota, which got around eight to 10 feet of water, though most other areas got less. [Same B roll]
But with that said, the storm did cause some spectacular damage. [Same B roll]
With winds tearing the roof off the Tropicana Field stadium in St. Petersburg, where the Tampa Bay Rays play. [B roll]
As well as a tower crane collapsing into a building in the same city. [B roll, 00:37]
And then in Leesburg, nearly two million gallons of raw sewage spilled from a flooded wastewater treatment plant. [Quote, find “raw sewage”]
And across the entire state, Milton knocked out power for 3.3 million people as of this morning, or about a third of Floridians. [B roll, 00:11]
But now that the storm’s veering off into the ocean, rescuers are already pulling survivors from damaged buildings and vehicles. [Image]
With Biden saying he pre-deployed thousands of federal personnel to affected areas.
And while the death toll is expected to climb as bodies are recovered, we know for sure that at least nine people have died so far. [Quote, find “nine”]
Though for at least four of them, they were killed not by the storm, but the tornados. [B roll, 00:26 - 00:44]
Dozens of which were reported around the state, absolutely tearing up power lines, cars and mobile homes. [Same B roll]
But if this storm wasn’t as bad as forecasters expected, the political fallout is so much worse.
With meteorologists describing how they’ve been bombarded with death threats as they try to debunk all the conspiracy theories.
And One venting to The Washington Post:
“This is by far the worst misinformation [for a] weather event I’ve ever seen in my career.” [Quote]
“I’ve been messaging friends who I went to college with, who I’ve worked with previously in this industry, and we’re all just baffled by the amount of buffoonery happening on social media, which is a front that we didn’t have to deal with before.” [Quote same link]
Or another expert telling Rolling Stone, “People are just so far gone, it’s honestly making me lose all faith in humanity.” [Quote]
Explaining that over the last week, he’s gotten hundreds of messages from people accusing him of modifying the weather and creating hurricanes from space lasers. [Quote same link, find “space lasers”]
But as environmentalist Bill McKibben points out, although more politicians like Ron DeSantis aren’t spreading conspiracy theories directly related to Milton, they still promote the anti-science bullshit that laid the foundation for them.
With the Florida governor, for example, banning the phrase “climate change” from state statutes back in May. [Quote same link, find “statute”]
Or saying, “I’m not a global warming person,” whatever that means. [Same quote]
And then there are politicians doing both kinds of lies, like Marjorie Taylor Greene and Donald Trump.
Both of whom were called out explicitly by President Biden yesterday as he condemned false claims that property’s being confiscated, that people aren’t getting aid, or that aid’s being diverted to migrants. [Lead B roll into clip]
But even with all that, there are just as many people putting aside politics and just trying to help.
With country musicians including Keith Urban, Luke Combs and Eric Church planning a benefit concert for October 26 to help Helene’s victims. [Quote, find “Eric”]
You also have country singer Morgan Wallen helping collect supplies at a food drive and donating half a million to the American Red Cross for hurricane relief. [Quote same link, find “Morgan”]
As well as Dolly Parton donating one million dollars of her personal funds to a Tennessee nonprofit, and adding another million through her businesses. [Quote same link, find “Dolly”]
And finally, Taylor Swift giving five million dollars to the nonprofit group Feeding America to help victims of both storms. [Quote same link, find “Feeding America”]
But even if that amount sounds like a lot, it’s a drop in the bucket compared not only to her billion-dollar-plus fortune, but also to the many billions of dollars in damage these storms likely caused.
So while philanthropy’s nice, what’s really gonna make the difference for many people is insurance.
And on that, Florida officials issued an emergency rule yesterday evening to protect homeowners against “unfair and deceptive acts” and “post-storm fraud” by insurance carriers. [Headline]
This after a Washington Post investigation last year found that in the wake of Hurricane Ian, insurers inaccurately reduced people’s initial damage estimates by between 45 and 97%. [Image and quote, find “97”]
So this time around, Florida’s making insurance adjusters provide a written loss estimate to the policyholder themselves, something many carriers have historically refused to do. [Quote, find “historically”]
And that estimate must include each line item, each version and variation of the report, as well as all the adjuster’s modifications. [Same quote]
With the adjuster prohibited from making any changes to the initial estimate unless they provide “a detailed explanation as to why each change was made,” who made it and why it was necessary. [Quote same link]
So we’ll see if these policy changes make a difference, but either way state officials say they anticipate “significant, long lasting, and potentially devastating effects on the Florida property insurance market.” [Quote same link]
Adding that the losses will be “largely borne by Florida homeowners and small business owners.” [Same quote]
Links:
https://www.nytimes.com/live/2024/10/10/weather/hurricane-milton-florida-live-news
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Diddy Accuses Feds of Leaking Cassie Assault Video To Prevent Fair Trial
Diddy claims the feds are getting in the way of his right to a fair trial.
Specifically accusing them of leaking evidence, including the video of him assaulting his ex-girlfriend Cassie at a hotel in Los Angeles.
Right, you probably remember that video, it went incredibly viral after CNN published it in May,
It showed him kicking and dragging Cassie, this even though he had previously denied claims he had assaulted her.
And now, Diddy’s lawyers said in a court filing that they might seek to have the video excluded from his sex trafficking and racketeering trial.[]
Claiming it, and other evidence, went public via unlawful leaks that need to be investigated.
And further claiming that investigators in the Department of Homeland Security:
“engaged in a seven-month campaign ... strategically leaking confidential grand jury material and information, including the 2016 Intercontinental videotape, in order to prejudice the public and potential jurors against Mr. Combs.”
And you had the New York Times noting that his lawyers did not cited direct evidence that DHS officials leaked the tapes, but they did claim that:[]
“The videotape was leaked to CNN for one reason alone: to mortally wound the reputation and the prospect of Sean Combs successfully defending himself against these allegations.”
The outlet also adding that it has never actually been clear how the video made its way to CNN.
But a prosecutor denied that federal officials were behind it, saying they possessed no copy of that surveillance video prior to CNN’s publication, and that any accusation claiming they did lacked “a good faith basis.”
But the video is a key piece of evidence in the trial, so we will have to see where all this back and forth goes.
And just like everything else with this case, we will be keeping our eyes open to see what happens next.
Influencer list
The Hollywood Reporter just published a list of the 50 most influential influencers,
And the list was more than just the outlet going, “here are some really popular people.”
It argued that their presence online shows their power and ability to dominate other forms of media.
With the report saying that:
“This list is an encapsulation of the ways that comedians, writers, producers, makeup artists, interviewers and fashion moguls…have been captivating our attention, and the promise they hold in the industry…Dear Hollywood, these are the TikTokers, Instagrammers and YouTubers worth knowing and courting, the digital natives starting the trends the rest of us eventually will chase.”
And the list did not make it super clear if it was a ranking, right, there was no “number one through fifty” next to everyone’s name, but the top of the list was Adam Faze, a producer and the founder of a content studio that makes short form shows like Boy Room.
With him noting before being a creator, he was attempting to sell TV shows and movies in Hollywood, but how his content is actually getting seen by young people.
Also on the list you had people who have turned their online fame into podcasting ventures, like Brittany Broski and Alix Earle.
Other staple names like Charli D’Amelio, Tana Mongeau, Kai Cenat, made the list too.
As well as others sort of using their followings to boost potential traditional entertainment careers, right, Jake Shane using his stardom to interview major celebrities,
And Sabrina Brier and Benito Skinner, who have gotten TV gigs from their online content,
As well as Laufey (Loo-ee-vay), who went viral online and now has a Grammy and has toured venues like the Hollywood Bowl.
Then you also had Rhett and Link, who have been able to just build an online empire with Mythical Entertainment.
And I will link down to the list below so you can see who else made it, I obviously don’t have time to hit all 50 people.
But I would love to know your thoughts on this list, and on the idea that many of these creators have kind of elevated themselves from just “influencers” but to people the entertainment industry at large are taking very seriously.
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Influencer list
The Hollywood Reporter just published a list of the 50 most influential influencers,
And the list was more than just the outlet going, “here are some really popular people.”
It argued that their presence online shows their power and ability to dominate other forms of media.
With the report saying that:
“This list is an encapsulation of the ways that comedians, writers, producers, makeup artists, interviewers and fashion moguls…have been captivating our attention, and the promise they hold in the industry…Dear Hollywood, these are the TikTokers, Instagrammers and YouTubers worth knowing and courting, the digital natives starting the trends the rest of us eventually will chase.”
And the list did not make it super clear if it was a ranking, right, there was no “number one through fifty” next to everyone’s name, but the top of the list was Adam Faze, a producer and the founder of a content studio that makes short form shows like Boy Room.
With him noting before being a creator, he was attempting to sell TV shows and movies in Hollywood, but how his content is actually getting seen by young people.
Also on the list you had people who have turned their online fame into podcasting ventures, like Brittany Broski and Alix Earle.
Other staple names like Charli D’Amelio, Tana Mongeau, Kai Cenat, made the list too.
As well as others sort of using their followings to boost potential traditional entertainment careers, right, Jake Shane using his stardom to interview major celebrities,
And Sabrina Brier and Benito Skinner, who have gotten TV gigs from their online content,
As well as Laufey (Loo-ee-vay), who went viral online and now has a Grammy and has toured venues like the Hollywood Bowl.
Then you also had Rhett and Link, who have been able to just build an online empire with Mythical Entertainment.
And I will link down to the list below so you can see who else made it, I obviously don’t have time to hit all 50 people.
But I would love to know your thoughts on this list, and on the idea that many of these creators have kind of elevated themselves from just “influencers” but to people the entertainment industry at large are taking very seriously.
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Florida threatens TV stations for abortion ad script
Y’all may not know this, but next month, Floridians are gonna vote on a ballot measure that could repeal the state’s six-week abortion ban.
So ahead of that vote, organizers on both sides of the issue are desperately mobilizing their people to go out to the polls.
Including the advocacy group Floridians Protecting Freedom, which says it purchased ad spots on over 50 local TV stations. [Quote, find “50”]
But now we’re learning that the Florida Department of Health’s general counsel, John Wilson, has sent cease-and-desist letters to at least two of those stations ordering them to pull the ad. [Headline same link]
Though FCC records show that other stations have also received them, and Floridians Protecting Freedom says most of the more than 50 have as well. [Quote, find “FCC”]
So you’re probably wondering, what’s in this ad that’s so bad it’s literally criminal?
And well, I’ll just play it, and let’s see if you can figure out which part is illegal.
[Clip]
Now if by the end of that you’re thinking, wait, that’s it? Uh, yeah.
It’s pretty much indistinguishable from any other pro-choice political ad floating around out there.
But not according to Wilson, who argues that it violates Florida’s “sanitary nuisance” law.
Which is usually used to charge people for stuff like overflowing septic tanks or unclean slaughterhouses. [Quote, find “tanks”]
Now if you’re asking ‘but aren’t political ads free speech?’ Wilson has an answer to that too.
Arguing that this one isn’t, because not only is it “false,” it’s “dangerous.” [Quote same link, find “not the right”]
With him explaining that women who have “pregnancy complications posing a serious risk of death or substantial and irreversible physical impairment” should seek medical treatment in Florida. [Quote same link]
And “if they are led to believe that such treatment is unavailable under Florida law, such women could foreseeably travel out of state to seek emergency medical care, seek emergency medical care from unlicensed providers in Florida, or not seek emergency medical care at all.” [Same quote]
So he told the stations that if they don’t pull the ad within 24 hours, they’ll be open to a second-degree misdemeanor charge. [Quote same link, find “24 hours”]
Which in Florida carries a sentence of up to 60 days in jail and a 500-dollar fine. [Same quote]
But that’s almost certainly going to be challenged in court, as FCC Chair Jessica Rosenworcel already condemned the threat, saying:
“The right of broadcasters to speak freely is rooted in the First Amendment. Threats against broadcast stations for airing content that conflicts with the government’s views are dangerous and undermine the fundamental principle of free speech.” [Quote same link]
Links:
https://www.washingtonpost.com/nation/2024/10/09/florida-abortion-tv-ad-caroline/
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Menendez Bros. Case Gets Wrapped Up in DA Race & Cultural Discourse
Is the Los Angeles County District Attorney using the Menendez brothers’ case as a distraction heading into his re-election in November?
Because that is what his opponent just suggested is going on, but there is a lot of background that led us here.
The brothers are currently serving a life sentence over the murder of their parents in 1989, but many feel their case was mishandled because both brothers claimed they committed the crime in self defense because their father sexually and physically abused them starting in their childhood.[]
We talked about this case not too long ago because the Ryan Murphy series “Monsters” just did a season about it, and it faced a ton of backlash, the Mendendez family calling it a misleading and "grotesque shockadrama."
But the show, along with a newly released documentary, has given the case a new round of attention,
And that led to LA County District Attorney George Gascón (Gas-cone) saying he would review the case.
Pointing to new evidence that supports the brothers claims of sexual abuse, and saying that:[]
“We have a moral and ethical obligation to review what is being presented to us.”
And while he did not give an indication as to where he was leaning, there is a possibility for a new sentencing or even a new trial.[]
And a hearing is currently set for the end of November.][
But before that hearing, DA Gascon is up for reelection, and polls show him trailing very far behind his challenger, Nathan Hochman (Hock-man).][
And during a debate this week, Hochman argued that Gascon’s choice to look into the case is an attempt to save himself and create a sideshow heading into the election.
“The timing is incredibly suspicious.” (32:44-32:46)
“Why on October 3rd did Gascon have a press conference basically announcing he was thinking about the case? (32:55-33:00)
Claiming that Gascon he could have considered the case earlier when petitions had been filed, but he instead did it recently to distract from negative press he was receiving during his campaign.[]
For his part, Gascon noted the case had been moving for some time, but the new shows about the brothers caused him to receive a massive influx of media requests, so he decided to hold the press conference to address everything at once.z
“It’s not that we haven’t had this, it’s not that the case was not on track to be reviewed.” (32:07-32:12)
“We will have a decision shortly, and by the way, the decision will be mine. There are differences of opinion in my office, I’m evaluating both of them, but I will make the final decision.” (32:24-32:32)
And now, you have the Washington Post putting out an op-ed noting that back in the 90s, the Mendendez brothers’ case was wrapped up in a ton of turmoil and political and culture wars,
And even though it is getting a second look, it feels like it has not escaped all the hooplah, with the piece saying:
“Take the DA’s announcement about the Menendez brothers. Seen one way, it’s a welcome instance of the legal system working as intended. Prosecutors should consider new evidence! Seen another, it’s the latest extraordinary TV moment in a case filled with them, and not as distinct from all that came before as we might wish.”
Noting Gascon is “perhaps in need of a political Hail Mary,” and he is just one of many people trying to take advantage of the discourse and claim a little credit for giving the brothers a second chance.
Right, Ryan Murphy certainly feels he is owed credit, as he previously told the Hollywood Reporter that despite his show receiving tons of backlash:
“The Menendez brothers should be sending me flowers. They haven’t had so much attention in 30 years.”
Then you also have the likes of Kim Kardashain getting involved in the case, last week publishing an op-ed for NBC News where she said it is time for both brothers to be freed, writing:
“I have spent time with Lyle and Erik; they are not monsters.”
“The killings are not excusable…But we should not deny who they are today in their 50s. The trial and punishment these brothers received were more befitting a serial killer than two individuals who endured years of sexual abuse by the very people they loved and trusted. I don’t believe that spending their entire natural lives incarcerated was the right punishment for this complex case.”
And so I would love to know your thoughts on this one here, not just on the potential for the case to be reviewed, but on it getting another media circus with it,
On this decision feeling so tied to true crime interest, and on these sort of claims that people are kind of using the case for their own purposes, for their own attention.
Or do you think, if you are someone who believes the brothers should be freed, as long as it helps them, what does it matter? Right, if it takes a circus, it takes a circus?
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Afghan who worked as a guard for the CIA accused of plotting election day terror attack
A man from Afghanistan has been arrested for allegedly plotting an election day terrorist attack in the name of ISIS.
And he reportedly recruited his wife’s younger brother to help him do it.
Right, on Monday, the two of them met with some people somewhere in rural Oklahoma, purchasing two AK-47 assault rifles, ten magazines, and 500 rounds of ammunition.
But those people? They were actually FBI assets.
And with that, the men were arrested.
After his arrest, he allegedly confirmed to law enforcement officials that he planned to target large gatherings of people the day of the presidential election.
And now, it’s not clear EXACTLY what he had planned.
But notably, he allegedly tried to access surveillance cameras in DC and went online to access the White House and Washington Monument webcams.
And besides that, the FBI searched the man’s phone and found that he communicated online with an ISIS recruiter.
He also allegedly accessed, viewed, and saved ISIS propaganda, participated in pro-ISIS Telegram groups, and contributed to a charity funneling money to ISIS.
And then, he was also seen in a video reading to two children text that describes the rewards a martyr receives in the afterlife, including a crown of jewels, a place in heaven and marriage to 72 virgins.
And with all that, the man is charged with conspiring and attempting to provide material support to the Islamic State, which carries a maximum prison sentence of 20 years.
He’s also being charged for receiving a firearm to be used to commit a felony or a federal crime of terrorism, which carries a maximum prison sentence of 15 years.
The brother-in-law, he’s a minor, so it’s unclear what charges he’ll face.
And of course, besides how scary all this is, the whole thing is obviously getting a lot of attention because of the fact the guy was an immigrant from Afghanistan.
So, let’s address it.
Right, the man reportedly entered the US legally in 2021, about a month after the American military completed its chaotic withdrawal from Afghanistan (BROLL: 0:17-0:24).
And with that, as of now, it hasn't been revealed whether they were radicalized before or after arriving in the US.
But we have people Donald Trump Jr. writing on X:
“Border Czar Kamala Harris literally imported a terrorist from Afghanistan into our country. Enough is enough!”
And then, Speaker Mike Johnson, for example, claiming Afghans arrived here with little to no vetting, and saying
“Whether it’s their open border policies or failed foreign policy, this administration continues to risk American lives by allowing terrorists, murders, rapists, and other violent criminals into our homeland.”
And with comments like that, well, there’s just a lot to unpack.
Regarding foreign policy, for example, he’s seemingly referring to the botched withdrawal from Afghanistan.
And there, it’s important to say, it’s something a lot of people argue both Trump and Biden fucked up on.
And the whole “open borders” thing and letting in criminals?
Well, we know that’s just not accurate.
I mean, Democrats have actually been moving right on immigration, actually to the disappointment of a lot of progressives and human rights groups.
Also, as I’ve said many times, there’s no evidence linking immigration and criminality.
And of course, talking about terrorism, far-right and domestic extremism are also considered some of the biggest threats to this country.
And then, this particular alleged terrorist?
He wasn’t “imported.”
Right, back in Afghanistan, he had apparently been working as a security guard for the CIA.
And with that, he reportedly entered the US on one of the special immigrant visas given to eligible Afghans who helped Americans despite great personal risk to themselves and their loved ones.
Though, notably, officials reportedly told NBC News the charging document is incorrect, crimand that the man entered on what’s known as humanitarian parole.
And that’s given to people on the basis of urgent humanitarian reasons, you know, like the Taliban taking over and hunting down “Western collaborators.”
But in any case, according to a US official, this man, like other Afghans who resettled in the US, would’ve gone through robust security screening in other countries before coming here.
And to be sure, some have expressed real concern that the process was flawed.
A report by the inspector general of the Department of Homeland Security, for example?
It said the authorities “did not always have critical data to properly screen, vet, or inspect the evacuees.” at points of entry
And of course, DHS, has pushed back on that, saying the inspector general’s report didn’t reflect the, quote…
…“interagency and multilayered vetting process” that started overseas, continued at points of entry, and kept going even after evacuees were in the country.
The point being, there are real conversations we can have here.
Let’s have them.
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Elon Musk Builds Secret AI Lair in Black, Polluted Neighborhood Solo
Elon Musk has basically been building a secret AI lair in Memphis.
He really isn’t doing a good job at beating the evil supervillain allegations — and it just gets worse when I give you more context.
Specifically, Musk has been building a massive AI data center that could increase pollution, cancer, and death rates in a predominantly Black neighborhood that’s already been fighting these issues for decades —
Not to mention the added strain on the environment.
Right, the data center in question has been set up to supply power for Musk’s artificial intelligence company, xAI, through an enormous supercomputer named Colossus.
I mean, Musk says this thing is supposed to be bigger than ANY supercomputer we’ve ever seen, with one Memphis official describing it as:
“If you take the two largest supercomputers in the world and you combine them, and you multiply that by four — that’s what we’re building here in Memphis.”
And as far as what this supercomputer is being used for, its main focus will be training xAI’s chatbot, Grok, which is set to be a competitor to ChatGPT.
With the company describing the bot as “having a sense of humor” and Musk calling it the “most fun AI in the world.”
Though it’s not clear what that means besides the fact that Grok has fewer rules than other AI chatbots and has been known to create controversial deepfakes.
Like Mickey Mouse as a Nazi, Donald Trump doing 9/11, the prophet Muhammad holding a bomb, and Taylor Swift, Kamala Harris, and AOC in lingerie.
Regardless, Musk has moved at lightning speed to get the facility up and running — but that rapid development has been totally shrouded in secrecy.
Right, the initial deal to build the facility in Memphis was negotiated under NDA back in March after just a few days of talks between Musk’s team, the city’s utility, Memphis Light, Gas, and Water (MLGW), and the city’s local chamber of commerce.
And while construction began immediately after that, the plan wasn’t officially made public until months later during a press conference in June.[] []
But it wasn’t just the residents of Memphis who were hearing about the facility for the first time — key community leaders and even members of the city council said that they were only informed just hours before the presser.
So, unsurprisingly, that caused a major uproar from the community and local lawmakers, who condemned the total lack of transparency.
Slamming Musk and the others for fast-tracking this project without even getting any input from the people of Memphis and the politicians who represent them.
With multiple city council members also accusing the powers that be of sidelining them in the decision-making process, thus allowing the project to go forward with little government oversight.
And that’s something that we’ve even seen state-level officials arguing, with state Rep. Justin J. Pearson, whose district includes the area where xAI is located, saying:
“This is a terrible idea for Memphis. MLGW’s CEO is not elected, and neither is anybody in the Chamber of Commerce last time I checked. It’d be really wonderful if people who are unelected did start to talk to people who are elected to represent the communities that they’re seeking to do business in, because they would have heard from our community that we don’t want this.”
Right, and with this, we saw community leaders and council members urging Musk and the developers to slow down and actually include them in this super important process.
But xAI still continued forward at warp speed, with Musk himself sharing job postings for the facility in early July, less than a month after it was publicly announced.[]
And during that time, the demands by residents and city officials to include them in the process were largely ignored.
Basically, all they got was the one time when the utility, MLGW, did the bare minimum by sharing a fact sheet and hosting a public forum back in August.
But at that point, the project was nearly done.
Additionally, the Tennessee Lookout reported that, as of this summer, xAI has never hosted town hall-style meetings with the community — and our research didn’t turn up anything since then.
And that lack of transparency, community input, and government oversight is especially concerning given the specific location of the xAI facility: the neighborhood of Boxtown.
Right, Boxtown is one of Memphis’s oldest neighborhoods and was started by former enslaved people after the Civil War and remains one of the city's many predominantly Black areas.
But, in more recent history, that area of southwest Memphis has become a major industrial zone chock full of massive corporations spewing all kinds of pollutants.
And, as a result, just like so many other predominantly Black areas in America, Boxtown has long struggled with high levels of pollution, which experts say have directly contributed to poor health outcomes.
For example, studies have found that Southern Memphis’s cancer rate is four times higher than the national average and that the life expectancy is a full decade shorter than in other parts of the city.
The area also has elevated asthma rates, with the American Lung Association giving it an “F” grade for air quality.
And it’s not uncommon for the county health department to issue alerts when ozone levels exceed federal standards unsafe for certain groups.
But many experts, officials, and residents are concerned that the xAI facility will just make things even worse.
Right, these AI data centers require TONS of energy, and because about 60% of electricity in the U.S. comes from fossil fuels, they are major emitters.
In fact, a Morgan Stanley report estimated that data centers will emit three times more CO2 by the end of this decade than if generative AI hadn’t been developed.
And if Musk’s claims are true that Colossus is “world’s largest supercomputer,” this facility could require a potentially historic amount of energy.
So experts worry that xAI’s high demand for energy will make it a major emitter that will just increase the pollution burden in an already overpolluted area.
With some also noting that this is ESPECIALLY worrisome given the fact that this project has just plowed ahead with little government oversight
And we have already seen those EXACT fears coming to fruition.
Right, just weeks after the supercomputer powered up, xAI was accused of making pollution in the area worse by illegally running gas turbines to power the company without a permit.
And the lack of permits is SUPER significant because they mandate air quality testing and are necessary to determine essential benchmarks, like the concentration of emissions and efficiency requirements for engines.
But without the permit, xAI has been pumping tons of harmful nitrogen oxide into the air, which can cause serious irritation to people’s respiratory systems and other major health problems.
And I mean literal tons here — one environmental group estimated that the turbines have the capacity to emit around 130 tons of nitrogen oxides annually, which would make them the ninth-largest source of the pollutants in the ENTIRE county.
With NPR reporting that xAI’s ability to totally flaunt environmental rules is a direct result of the fact that this project was so rushed and kept secret for so long.
And that’s especially alarming because these unpermitted turbines aren’t the only major environmental concern with this facility.
Right, for example, it typically takes years before data centers this size can get on the grid because utilities need to make sure that they won’t strain resources for residents and other customers.
And that should be a big concern for xAI because it’s size is unprecedented, and Musk has said it will require 150 megawatts of electricity — enough to power 100,000 homes each year.
And while MLGW has said it will only provide 50 megawatts, xAI has requested the extra 100 and the utility told NPR that it is still reviewing the company’s energy needs.
So, as a result, many worry that Memphis’s utilities can’t handle such a big consumer, especially because the grid has ALREADY been under strain recently, resulting in rolling blackouts and residents being asked to reduce power usage.
What’s more, data centers also use ENORMOUS amounts of water to cool their servers.
And xAI predicts that it will need 1 million gallons of water a day — about 3% of the total capacity of the local wellfield, which also provides water for residents.
And while that might be a fraction of the total supply, it's a HUGE amount for a single consumer, and many experts say it will put stress on the wellfield.
Particularly because Memphis’s century-old water infrastructure has failed several winters in a row, forcing residents to be put on boil advisories and conserve water.
Additionally, the water source has already experienced contamination from arsenic and other dangerous chemicals that have leached in from decades of industry pollution in the area.
And experts say that heavy water usage by xAI could exacerbate the problem.
And for many residents, these concerns are only heightened by the fact that Musk and his companies already have a sketchy record when it comes to environmental concerns.
Right, SpaceX has been fined NUMEROUS times in Texas for allegedly discharging industrial wastewater without a permit.
His underground tunneling business, Boring Co., was also fined by the state for disposing of industrial stormwater without a permit.
And California has cited Tesla for 33 different air quality violations.
Now, with all that, MLGW has repeatedly insisted that the xAI facility won’t impact the grid or water availability — in large part because the company has vowed to invest in infrastructure that will accommodate its energy needs.
This including a gray water plant that will use treated wastewater instead of drinking water for cooling, as well as a 150-megawatt substation and large-scale batteries for electricity storage.
And because xAI has said they will pay for all of that, local officials who support the project argue that it will bring positive economic development to the area, while also creating new jobs.
But it’s unclear if those new infrastructure promises have been made in writing — earlier this summer, Forbes reported that they were just verbal agreements and the MLGW said they don’t have contracts.
With the outlet also noting that “Musk has a long history of promising public infrastructure to the places that host his companies — and then underdelivering.”
Pointing to major ongoing failures with his hyperloop project, including some lines that appear to have been given up on entirely.
As well as his promise to build an “ecological paradise” around the Tesla gigafactory but then obtaining an exemption from local environmental rules.
What’s more, as of recording, NPR has reported that xAI only had posted 37 job listings — and the majority were actually based in California, noting that data centers are “highly automated, so they have few employees.”
So, as a result, many politicians and community members have expressed doubt that they will see any of these benefits.
With KeShaun Pearson, the executive director of the nonprofit Memphis Community Against Pollution, telling Time that he’s skeptical for a number of reasons.
Like the fact that community organizations of southwest Memphis haven’t had any conversations or even contact with xAI.
And that there hasn’t been any job recruiting or job training within the community that this facility is suppo sed to boost economically.
Adding that people like him who have lived in Boxtown for a long time have seen how similar projects have failed to bring about any lasting economic development, instead just contributing to pollution and health problems, saying:
“Companies choose Memphis because they believe it is the path of least resistance: They come here, build factories, pollute the air, and move on.”
“This is the same playbook, and the same talking points passed down and passed around by these corporate colonialists. For us, it is empty, it's callous, and it's just disingenuous to continue to regurgitate these things without actually having plans of implementation or inclusion.”
But this could also go a lot further than Memphis.
As Time notes, given how huge this project is, it will serve as a test for whether the AI data center boom will actually help improve local economies or just continue to harm already disadvantaged communities as they’ve done time and time again.
So for now, we’re just going to have to keep our eyes on this one, and in the meantime, I’d love to know your thoughts — especially if you live in Tennessee or another place Musk has built his businesses in.
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