Connect with us

Southwest

Top Texas GOP official rallies around Trump's AI, crypto plans amid state's crucial investments

Published

on

Top Texas GOP official rallies around Trump's AI, crypto plans amid state's crucial investments

One of the top officials in Texas says he is on board with President Donald Trump’s aggressive plan to expand the AI and crypto capabilities of the United States.

“There’s no daylight between President Trump and I on this issue,” Texas Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick told Fox News Digital this week. “

“I totally support the president and his Stargate Plan. We are completely aligned in our desire to see Texas and America lead in AI, data centers and crypto. These industries understand they will have to supply their own power needs and are diligently working toward that goal so costs are not disproportionally shifted onto residential and small businesses customers.”

Patrick, long considered a loyal ally of Trump, raised eyebrows last year when he warned of the burden that crypto mining and data centers could put on the state’s electrical grid. However, he repeatedly emphasized that there is “no daylight” between him and Trump on these issues.

TRUMP CRYPTO CZAR DAVID SACKS TOUTS PRESIDENT’S EXECUTIVE ORDER, SAYS BIDEN DROVE INDUSTRY OFFSHORE

Advertisement

Texas Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick told Fox News Digital he backs President Donald Trump’s AI infrastructure plan. (Getty)

“We need to take a close look at those two industries,” Patrick posted on X in June 2024 while expressing concerns that data centers and crypto mining expansion add more to the grid than they pay off in jobs. 

“They produce very few jobs compared to the incredible demands they place on our grid. Crypto mining may actually make more money selling electricity back to the grid than from their crypto mining operations… Texans will ultimately pay the price. I’m more interested in building the grid to service customers in their homes, apartments, and normal businesses and keeping costs as low as possible for them instead of for very niche industries that have massive power demands and produce few jobs.”

EXPERTS SAY FIRST WEEK OF ‘TRUMP EFFECT’ IS DERAILING GLOBAL CLIMATE MOVEMENT’S ‘HOUSE OF CARDS’

Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick

Republican Texas Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick speaks at a news conference. (Reuters/Jon Herskovitz)

Crypto mining and data center expansion have been dominant themes of the Presidential Transition’s economic messaging, including earlier this month when Trump announced a new $20 billion foreign investment for the expansion of data centers across several U.S. states, including Texas. The announcement drew praise from many conservatives, including Sen. Ted Cruz, R-Texas.

Advertisement

Trump has also garnered significant support from the crypto community and raised large chunks of money from the industry along with his promotion of a message emphasizing energy independence, economic growth and framing the expansion of crypto mining as an essential tool toward ensuring the U.S. leads the industry. 

“The need to quickly scale data center capacity to support the 21st-century economy continues to increase, given the growing demand for AI and other digital services by individuals, households, businesses, government, and organizations of all sizes,” Dan Diorio, senior director of state policy at the Data Center Coalition, told Fox News Digital. 

President Donald Trump and Melania Trump

President Donald Trump and first lady Melania Trump wave as they board Air Force One, Friday, Jan. 24, 2025, at Joint Base Andrews, Maryland, for a trip to North Carolina and California. (AP Photo/Mark Schiefelbein)

“The data center industry appreciates President Trump highlighting the essential role of the data center industry in advancing America’s national security and global economic competitiveness. We also appreciate his commitment to promoting the rapid development of additional data center and energy capacity to support the nation’s leadership in AI,” Diorio continued. “Texas is uniquely poised to benefit from this. With continued support for data centers, Texas can continue to drive innovation and investment while promoting American economic leadership and national security today and into the future.”

Last week, Trump announced Stargate, a joint venture of OpenAI, SoftBank and Oracle that will invest up to $500 billion in AI-related infrastructure.

Advertisement

Texas will serve as ground zero, with 10 data centers by the venture already under construction in the state, 10 more on the way and the first project based in Abilene, Oracle CEO Larry Ellison said. Each building will occupy half a million square feet.

Patrick said in a statement last week to The Texas Tribune that he believes Texas should be the “world leader in AI, data center and crypto. The key is to ensure they have the power they need without a major impact to our electrical grid. The industries understand that and they are working on solutions.”

Texas’ main grid operator predicts power demand will nearly double by 2030, in part due to more requests to plug into the grid from large users like data centers, crypto mining facilities, hydrogen production plants, and oil and gas companies.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

Advertisement

Read the full article from Here

Continue Reading
Advertisement
Click to comment

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

Southwest

Sinaloa cartel member arrested by ICE in Texas: sources

Published

on

Sinaloa cartel member arrested by ICE in Texas: sources

A member of the Sinaloa cartel was arrested in Texas by U.S. Immigrations and Customs Enforcement (ICE) over the weekend and was found to be carrying three rifles, two pistols and more than 3,000 rounds of ammunition, sources tell Fox News. 

The individual — who is from Mexico — was taken into custody in El Paso, the sources added. Across the U.S., ICE operations this past weekend resulted in more than 1,000 arrests.

The head of the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) said last year that the U.S. is facing the “most dangerous and deadly drug crisis” in its history with fentanyl and methamphetamine flowing across the border — and that the “Sinaloa and Jalisco Cartels are at the heart of this crisis.” 

“They operate clandestine labs in Mexico where they manufacture these drugs and then utilize their vast distribution networks to transport the drugs into the United States,” DEA Administrator Anne Milgram wrote in her agency’s annual National Drug Threat Assessment.

Advertisement

CONSERVATIVE GROUP’S ROADMAP SHOWS HOW TRUMP CAN USE MILITARY TO THWART CARTELS 

Pistols, rifles and ammunition found over the weekend following ICE’s arrest of a Sinaloa cartel member in El Paso, Texas, sources say.

“The Sinaloa Cartel also uses border tunnels to cross drugs into the United States undetected,” she added. “Most of the tunnels are not built by the cartel but are part of the border cities’ sewage and water systems.” 

DR. PHIL JOINS ICE TEAM AND BORDER CZAR TOM HOMAN FOR CHICAGO DEPORTATION OPERATIONS 

ICE operation in Chicago

ICE agents knock on the door of a residence during a multi-agency targeted enforcement operation in Chicago, Ill., on Sunday, Jan. 26. (Christopher Dilts/Bloomberg via Getty Images)

Last week, alleged Sinaloa cartel cell leader Octavio Leal-Hernandez, who “is believed responsible for trafficking large amounts of methamphetamine, cocaine, heroin and marijuana into the United States from Mexico,” entered a not guilty plea during a federal court appearance following his extradition from Mexico, the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of California said. 

Advertisement

The alleged Sinaloa member’s arrest in El Paso comes as reports are also emerging that the Trump administration is pushing ICE to increase the number of arrests per day from a few hundred to between at least 1,200 to 1,500 people.  

ICE agent in Chicago

An ICE agent waits in a vehicle during a multi-agency targeted enforcement operation in Chicago, Ill., on Sunday. (Christopher Dilts/Bloomberg via Getty Images)

 

Citing four sources who spoke on condition of anonymity about a purported internal call with ICE officials on Saturday, The Washington Post first reported about the new objective, categorizing the 1,200 to 1,500 daily targets as “quotas,” although a spokesperson for the Department of Homeland Security told Fox News, “Goals is the correct phrasing.” 

Fox News’ Danielle Wallace contributed to this report. 

Advertisement

Read the full article from Here

Continue Reading

Los Angeles, Ca

Pacific Coast Highway to reopen, residents concerned about crime

Published

on

Pacific Coast Highway to reopen, residents concerned about crime

Pacific Coast Highway will reopen this Sunday for the first time since the deadly wildfires ignited. Some residents, however, are concerned that allowing public access will bring crime to the area.

Beginning at 8 a.m. on Feb. 2, PCH will reopen with one lane of traffic in each direction. A 25 mph speed limit will be in place and all traffic signals will be flashing red.

Construction, repair work and debris clearing will continue in the area, so drivers are advised to take caution and avoid unnecessary travel on the road.

Although checkpoints will be removed, California Highway Patrol officers will be stationed every half-mile to ease traffic flow and ensure public safety.

“With hazardous materials throughout the area, unstable burned buildings and utility crews, other workers and heavy equipment hard at work, Angelenos are asked to exercise extreme caution,” city officials said.

Advertisement

As public access returns to cordoned-off neighborhoods, many homes remain uninhabitable without power or water. Some residents are concerned about being targeted by looters or squatters, believing public access to the area is premature.

  • Homes along Pacific Coast Highway are seen burn out from the Palisades Fire, Sunday, Jan. 12, 2025, in Malibu, Calif. (AP Photo/Mark J. Terrill)
  • A surge of law enforcement will be present as Pacific Coast Highway reopens to the public on Sunday, Feb. 2, 2025 for the first time since the Palisades fire erupted on Jan. 7, 2025. (KTLA)
  • A crew for Southern California Edison prepares the ground for electric poles along the Pacific Coast Highway near homes destroyed from the Palisades Fire in Malibu, Calif., Wednesday. Jan. 15, 2025. (AP Photo/Richard Vogel)
  • A surge of law enforcement will be present as Pacific Coast Highway reopens to the public on Sunday, Feb. 2, 2025 for the first time since the Palisades fire erupted on Jan. 7, 2025. (KTLA)
  • Side-by-side images show Pacific Coast Highway before and after deadly fires devastated the Los Angeles region. Captured on April 21, 2020, and January 23, 2025. (Andy Riesmeyer)
  • A crew for Southern California Edison prepares the ground for electric poles along the Pacific Coast Highway near homes destroyed from the Pacific Palisades Fire in Malibu, Calif., Wednesday. Jan. 15, 2025. (AP Photo/Richard Vogel)
  • Homes along Pacific Coast Highway are left burned to the ground in the aftermath of the Palisades Fire Monday, Jan. 13, 2025 in Malibu, Calif. (AP Photo/John Locher)
  • Pacific Coast Highway is reopening to the public on Sunday, Feb. 2, 2025 for the first time since the Palisades fire erupted on Jan. 7, 2025. (KTLA)
  • Malibu, CA - January 15: The remains of beachside homes that burned along Pacific Coast Highway during the Palisades Fire in Malibu, CA, on Wednesday, January 15, 2025. (Photo by Jeff Gritchen/MediaNews Group/Orange County Register via Getty Images)

“The concern is obviously for security,” said Eric Hoek, a Pacific Palisades resident. “If anybody can come and go freely and we’re not here full-time because the house can’t be lived in right now, who’s going to stand guard and watch over the house so that it doesn’t get broken into?”

“It’s definitely a concern,” said Adam McFarland, a Pacific Palisades evacuee. “I’ve been coming up most days since the fire and it’s bizarre, the sort of people you’d see on PCH coming through town.”

In a Friday meeting, city leaders tried to quell residents’ concerns, reassuring them that there would be “an unprecedented surge of law enforcement.”

“The LAPD will surge a specific presence into the Palisades community to make sure that everyone is safe,” said L.A. Mayor Karen Bass. “If you do not need to be in the Palisades, don’t be. We have a zero-tolerance policy for crime. The LAPD will arrest, and City Attorney Feldstein Soto and D.A. Hochman will prosecute.”

The surge of police will include 66 officers, six supervisors and the use of automated license plate readers.

Advertisement

“There will be police pretty much everywhere driving around the Palisades streets,” said Los Angeles police chief Jim McDonnell.

“Our recovery effort is based around getting people back home to rebuild as quickly and safely as possible,” Bass said. “We are making sure that the Palisades will be safe as residents access their properties with their insurance adjusters, contractors, tow trucks, moving trucks and more.”

“The safety of our community, first responders, and road crews remains our top priority as we reopen this vital stretch of highway,” said CHP Commissioner Sean Duryee. “We urge all drivers to stay alert, follow posted signs, and respect the presence of personnel still working in the area.”

Advertisement
Continue Reading

Southwest

‘Side-by-side’: Texas deploys hundreds of troops, choppers to help Trump tackle border crisis

Published

on

‘Side-by-side’: Texas deploys hundreds of troops, choppers to help Trump tackle border crisis

Texas Gov. Greg Abbott on Monday announced that he is deploying troops and helicopters to the southern border in order to help the Trump administration with its new ramped-up efforts to crack down on illegal immigration.

Abbott announced that he has ordered the deployment of the Texas Tactical Border Force to the Rio Grande Valley “to coordinate with U.S. Border Patrol under the Trump administration to secure the border.”

The force will send 400 additional soldiers, as well as C-130s and Chinook helicopters. That is in addition to the Texas National Guard soldiers already stationed at the border as part of Operation Lone Star, which Abbott launched in 2021 to tackle the then-rising border crisis.

COLOMBIAN LEADER QUICKLY CAVES AFTER TRUMP THREATS, OFFERS PRESIDENTIAL PLANE FOR DEPORTATION FLIGHTS 

Asylum seekers wait for their CBP One appointments before crossing through El Chaparral border port in Tijuana, Mexico, on Jan. 20, 2025. (Carlos Moreno/NurPhoto via Getty Images)

Advertisement

“Texas has a partner in the White House we can work with to secure the Texas-Mexico border,” Abbott said in a statement.

He contrasted the Trump administration’s more aggressive stance on the southern border with what he saw as inaction by the Biden administration.

“For the past four years, Texas held the line against the Biden Administration’s border crisis and their refusal to protect Americans. Finally, we have a federal government working to end this crisis,” he said. “I thank President Donald Trump for his decisive leadership on the southern border and look forward to working with him and his Administration to secure the border and make America safe again.”

The efforts come amid a flurry of moves by the Trump administration to push back against illegal immigration and secure the southern border.

Greg Abbott

Gov. Greg Abbott makes an announcement in Houston, Texas, on March 26, 2024. (Suzanne Cordeiro/AFP via Getty Images)

Trump ordered the deployment of the military to the border in a day one executive order, along with a slew of other border measures. Troops began arriving in Texas and California on Thursday evening, with approximately 1,500 troops adding to the already 2,500 service members stationed there in response to the border crisis in 2023.

Advertisement

TRUMP DHS MAKES KEY MOVE AGAINST MIGRANTS ALLOWED IN VIA CONTROVERSIAL BIDEN PAROLE PROGRAMS

“This represents a 60% increase in active-duty ground forces since President Trump was sworn-in Monday,” acting Defense Secretary Robert Salesses said in a statement late Wednesday.

The new stance on the border was on display on Sunday when a diplomatic spat occurred between the U.S. and Colombia on deportations. Colombian President Gustavo Petro refused to accept deportation flights, but later backtracked after Trump threatened tariffs and other measures.

CLICK HERE FOR MORE IMMIGRATION COVERAGE

American officials sent two flights of Colombian illegal aliens as part of Trump’s deportation program. Petro rejected the flights, writing that the U.S. cannot “treat Colombian migrants as criminals.”

Advertisement

CLICK TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP

The White House confirmed on Sunday that the Colombia’s president had caved “to all of President Trump’s terms, including the unrestricted acceptance of all illegal aliens from Colombia returned from the United States, including on U.S. military aircraft, without limitation or delay,” 



Read the full article from Here

Continue Reading

Trending