Data Center Politics Spark Cease-and-Desist Letter in State Senate Race A state senate campaign issued an eight-page cease-and-desist letter over an attack ad calling incumbent Republican Frank Farry a data senator. The ad ties him to an Amazon data center. Data centers become a political issue in other races. A state senate campaign has issued an eight-page cease-and-desist letter over an attack ad, demanding a retraction and an apology. The ad, from the campaign of Democrat Eileen Hartnett Albillar, refers to incumbent Republican State Senator Frank Farry as a data senator and attempts to tie him to an Amazon data center via a client of his law firm. The letter calls the ad defamatory and demonstrably false. This event highlights how data centers are becoming a political liability in the 2024 election season. Farry Responds to Data Center ClaimsAccording to the Inquirer, in response to intimations of a conflict of interest, Farry gave a statement including an all-caps section: I didn’t raise a conflict on the House floor in 2021 BECAUSE I DO NOT REPRESENT DATA CENTERS. The letter represents an unusual artifact in the current political era, as campaigns must weigh the tactical value of such a letter against the possibility of triggering the Streisand Effect, where an attack ad gains more attention through the response.Farry's statement emphasizes that he does not represent data centers, but the ad from Albillar's campaign seeks to link him to one through his law firm's client. The cease-and-desist letter demands a retraction and an apology, calling the ad defamatory and demonstrably false. This is not the first time data centers have become a political issue.Data Centers as Political LiabilityElsewhere this political season, tying one’s opponent to data centers is apparently worth taking political risks. For instance, amid the Georgia Governor race, the Democrat, Keisha Lance-Bottoms, is demanding that Republican Rick Jackson divest all data center-related holdings. It’s a potentially ill-advised move from someone who, as mayor of Atlanta, the American public simply loathes data centers. So while data centers still aren’t a digestible, partisan political issue, they’re a political liability, and unless you’re running for office and your name happens to be Brent Spiner, you sure as hell don’t want the label Data Senator to stick.The use of data centers as a political weapon in state races indicates a growing trend. While data centers are critical infrastructure for technology and economy, they can also be a source of controversy due to concerns about energy use, land use, and tax incentives. Politicians are increasingly finding that associating an opponent with data centers can be an effective attack, even if the connection is tenuous.Thermoelectric Generators and Wearable TechThermoelectric generators probably won’t eliminate the charger for your Apple Watch, but for smaller, screenless wearables, the heat constantly escaping from your skin could fundamentally change how we power our devices. This technology could lead to self-powered wearables, reducing the need for batteries and chargers.In other technology news, Google’s Project Suncatcher is sending AI chips into space next week. This project aims to test the feasibility of using satellites for AI computations, potentially revolutionizing space-based technology. These developments show the rapid pace of innovation in tech, from energy harvesting to space-based AI.