INTERNACIONAL
Dem’s data center attack in critical Senate race hits snag when money trail surfaces: ‘Jekyll-and-Hyde’

FIRST ON FOX: Former Democratic Sen. Sherrod Brown is targeting Republican Sen. Jon Husted over Ohio’s growing data center industry in a new campaign ad that features a facility owned by Google — whose corporate PAC and lobbyists have contributed thousands of dollars to Brown’s campaigns.
The Sept. 4 ad features an Ohioan blaming Husted for spearheading «the push to bring data centers to Ohio» and linking their expansion to «higher electric bills.»
The facility featured in the ad, which opened in Lancaster in 2023, is owned by Google.
Campaign finance records reviewed by Digital show Google’s corporate PAC contributed $20,000 to Brown over his political career. Brown also received thousands of dollars from individuals who lobby for Google, including two whose firms have worked on permitting, grid reliability and energy affordability issues.
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«Apparently Google is terrible enough to put in a campaign attack ad, but perfectly acceptable when the political contributions are coming in,» Mehek Cooke, a GOP strategist and attorney in Ohio, said in a statement to Digital. «That is the contradiction Brown needs to answer. If Google’s Lancaster investment is so bad for Ohio, why was Google political money acceptable to Sherrod Brown?»
Among the contributors are Google lobbyist Lisa Kountoupes, who donated $3,500 in March, and Google lobbyist Michael D. Smith, who donated a total of $10,200 to Brown since 2017, according to Federal Election Commission records. The contributions were made to Friends of Sherrod Brown, Brown’s principal campaign committee.
Kountoupes’s firm, Kountoupes Denham Carr & Reid, was hired by Google in December to lobby on «issues related to permitting reform» tied to the company’s data center needs, Politico previously reported. Smith’s firm, Cornerstone Government Affairs, reported lobbying for Google on «issues related to permitting reform for grid reliability and energy affordability,» according to federal lobbying filings.
FEC records show Brown also received a combined $6,000 over the past decade from three additional Google lobbyists.
In a statement to Digital, Lauren Chou, a spokeswoman for Brown’s campaign, highlighted Brown’s opposition to Ohio’s data center expansion, saying Husted «led the charge,» but did not address Brown’s past campaign contributions.
«Husted is a ‘chief reason’ Ohio has 226 data centers and is ‘the face of data centers’ in Ohio,» Chou wrote. «Ohioans shouldn’t be forced to subsidize these costs and Ohioans – not Jon Husted and his billionaire friends – should get to decide if data centers are built in their community.»
Cooke accused Brown of acting like his «Google relationship in Washington does not count,» calling it «Jekyll-and-Hyde politics.»
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«For nearly five decades, Brown has sold himself as the plaid-shirt, working-class populist,» she said. «He lost in 2024, and now he is back running the same playbook: say one thing to Ohioans while his Washington record tells a very different story.»
Brown, who is seeking to return to the U.S. Senate in the high-stakes race against Husted, was elected to the U.S. Senate in 2006 before losing his reelection bid in 2024 to Sen. Bernie Moreno, R-Ohio.
But this isn’t the first time Brown’s comeback campaign has faced questions over conflicting positions.
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In 2015, Brown celebrated the construction of an Amazon data center in central Ohio, saying in a press release the new facility «is great news for New Albany and central Ohio.»
Despite his public praise, Brown has become an outspoken critic of Ohio’s growing number of data centers, a defining issue in Ohio politics ahead of the midterms. President Donald Trump has pushed to expand the facilities, warning that communities that block them would «end up being backwards and poor.»
But Cooke said this about more than one local data center.
«America is in a global race for AI, computing capacity and energy infrastructure,» she said. «China is not slowing down because American politicians discovered that attacking data centers makes a convenient campaign commercial.»
In a statement to Digital, Husted campaign spokesperson Amy Natoce said that Brown failed Ohio families during his 32 years in Washington and is «once again resorting to lies instead of facing his abysmal record head-on. «
«The House overwhelmingly passed Sen. Husted’s bipartisan legislation requiring data center companies to pay for the power they use, but Senate Democrats blocked it,» Natoce said. «Sherrod Brown and his friends would rather play politics and stick Ohio families with higher electric bills than pass a commonsense solution. It’s despicable.»
politics, midterm elections, ohio, google, lobbying, campaigning
INTERNACIONAL
Fanny Uribe, alcaldesa de la isla Santa Cruz, Galápagos: “Las familias dejaron sus hogares con lo puesto y perdieron todo”

El fenómeno El Niño arrasa con distintos destinos turísticos de América Latina. Las inundaciones repentinas de las últimas horas dejaron al menos tres muertos, miles de personas afectadas, casas anegadas y decenas de vehículos arrastrados por la fuerza del agua.
Los episodios más graves se registraron en el noroeste de México y en las islas Galápagos de Ecuador, en un contexto de preocupación por las lluvias torrenciales que azotan a la región hace días.
El estado de situación de México
Las ciudades de Guaymas, en el estado de Sonora, y San José del Cabo, en Baja California Sur, sufrieron precipitaciones extraordinarias que provocaron inundaciones y graves daños materiales.
En Guaymas, las lluvias dejaron al menos dos muertos, según informó el medio mexicano ABC Noticias. Las víctimas viajaban en un vehículo que fue arrastrado por la corriente generada por el desbordamiento de los arroyos.
De acuerdo con los registros de la Comisión Nacional del Agua (Conagua), las lluvias superaron los 106 milímetros. El temporal provocó inundaciones en al menos 16 rutas principales y afectó a más de 240 casas, además de ocasionar la caída de árboles, postes de alumbrado y cortes temporales del suministro eléctrico.
La fuerza del agua también arrastró numerosos vehículos. Uno de los sectores más comprometidos fue el arroyo Las Palmas, cuyo caudal aumentó considerablemente y generó situaciones de extremo peligro para los habitantes.
Ante la magnitud de la emergencia, el Ejército mexicano activó el Plan DN-III-E, mientras que la Secretaría de Marina puso en marcha el sistema de emergencia para colaborar con las evacuaciones, los rescates y la asistencia a las familias damnificadas.
Galápagos: un muerto y alrededor de 2.000 familias afectadas
La emergencia también alcanzó al archipiélago de Galápagos, en Ecuador, donde las fuertes precipitaciones provocaron inundaciones en la isla Santa Cruz.
Según informó la agencia EFE, al menos una persona murió y unas 2.000 personas resultaron afectadas por las lluvias, que las autoridades vincularon con el fenómeno El Niño.
La situación obligó a declarar el estado de emergencia en Santa Cruz y a suspender temporalmente los vuelos comerciales para priorizar el traslado de ayuda humanitaria, con unas 10 toneladas de suministros que envió el Gobierno de Ecuador.
En Puerto Ayora, la principal localidad de la isla, también se interrumpió el suministro de agua mediante la red pública. Además, se habilitaron cuatro alojamientos temporales para recibir a las personas que debieron abandonar sus casas.
@pulsoguayaco)
El impacto de las precipitaciones fue grave en las zonas residenciales. La alcaldesa de Santa Cruz, Fanny Uribe, señaló a la agencia AFP que “muchas familias perdieron prácticamente todas sus pertenencias y debieron abandonar sus hogares con lo puesto”.
Por su parte, el servicio de emergencias ECU 911 reportó el desbordamiento de cauces, inundaciones en viviendas y daños en carreteras. Según el mismo reporte, también se informó inicialmente sobre dos personas desaparecidas.
El Ministerio de Salud Pública informó que 85 personas habían recibido atención médica, mientras que las autoridades coordinaron el envío de asistencia humanitaria desde Guayaquil con apoyo de las Fuerzas Armadas.
Alerta climática y restricciones turísticas
Las consecuencias del temporal también alcanzaron la actividad turística. El Parque Nacional Galápagos dispuso el cierre temporal de distintos atractivos naturales para proteger a los visitantes y facilitar las tareas de emergencia.
Entre los lugares afectados se encuentran las playas de Garrapatero, Puerto Chino y Baquerizo, además de Las Grietas, Puntudo y El Chato, según informó la agencia EFE.
inundación
INTERNACIONAL
Mató a sus dos hijos y a su suegra, filmó los crímenes y mandó un escalofriante mensaje a su esposa: qué revelaron las autopsias

Un brutal crimen familiar conmocionó a una pequeña localidad de Francia, donde un hombre de 42 años habría asesinado a sus dos hijos, de 6 y 10 años, y a su suegra de 74, antes de quitarse la vida.
El caso ocurrió el 2 de septiembre en Gy, una localidad del departamento de Haute-Saône, en el este del país. La investigación reveló detalles estremecedores sobre cómo murieron las víctimas y un mensaje que el presunto asesino le habría enviado a su esposa después de filmar la escena.
“Esto es lo que te merecés”, fue la frase que, según el relato de un primo del hombre, acompañó las imágenes que recibió la mujer, de quien se estaba separando.
Los resultados de las autopsias, difundidos por la Fiscalía de Vesoul y publicados por medios franceses como Le Parisien y TF1, permitieron reconstruir las lesiones que sufrieron las víctimas.
Qué revelaron las autopsias de los dos chicos y su abuela
El fiscal Arnaud Grécourt informó que los dos nenes, identficados como Eden y Nino Monnot, murieron por un disparo cada uno, recibido en la parte posterior del torso.
De acuerdo con los peritos forenses, las características de las heridas permiten considerar que los disparos fueron efectuados a corta distancia. Los médicos no encontraron otras lesiones sospechosas en los cuerpos de los menores.
La autopsia de la abuela, de 74 años, reveló una secuencia de violencia todavía mayor.
La mujer murió por una hemorragia masiva provocada por tres puñaladas en el tórax y el abdomen. Los especialistas determinaron que las heridas habían sido causadas con gran violencia.
Además, encontraron hematomas en la cara, los brazos y el pecho, compatibles con golpes o maniobras de sujeción. También detectaron lesiones en el cuello que sugerían un posible estrangulamiento manual.
En cuanto al padre de los chicos, la autopsia estableció que murió por un único disparo debajo del mentón.
La principal hipótesis de los investigadores es que el hombre asesinó a sus familiares y después se suicidó.
El video del crimen y el mensaje que recibió su esposa
Uno de los detalles más impactantes del caso surgió del testimonio de Charles Martino-Herter, primo del presunto asesino, quien habló con la prensa francesa después de la tragedia.
Según contó, el hombre habría filmado los asesinatos y enviado las imágenes a su esposa, con quien atravesaba una separación.
“Esto es lo que te merecés”, habría sido el mensaje que acompañó el video.
El familiar también aseguró, en declaraciones a TF1, que el hombre llamó a otros integrantes de su familia y se quitó la vida mientras ellos presenciaban la comunicación.
La Fiscalía informó que los investigadores estaban analizando los dispositivos electrónicos secuestrados y las comunicaciones que pudieron haberse producido antes y durante los crímenes.
Por lo tanto, el relato sobre el video y el mensaje todavía debía ser corroborado mediante la investigación judicial.
Cómo encontraron los cuerpos y qué contaron los vecinos
Los investigadores encontraron los cuerpos de los dos nenes dentro de un vehículo utilitario, mientras que los del padre y la abuela estaban en una vivienda prefabricada ubicada junto a la casa que la familia estaba construyendo.
El hombre, identificado por la prensa francesa como Jean-Paul M., vivía allí mientras avanzaban las obras de su futura casa.
Su esposa, que trabajaba como auxiliar de enfermería, no se encontraba en el lugar cuando ocurrió la tragedia.
Autopsia
INTERNACIONAL
A look inside the Somali mall where Omar reappeared after DC raid raises more failed assimilation concerns

MINNEAPOLIS — The day after Rep. Ilhan Omar’s first public appearance since the raid on her home, Digital was given a tour of the mall where she reemerged in her home state.
The footage provides a glimpse inside an enclave within America that is dominated by Somalis and Somali culture, and a gives a peak into the community that Omar represents in the U.S. House of Representatives.
The mall isn’t just a place for people to buy clothing, food and receive services, but is a «community hub» of mostly women entrepreneurs, as described by a female shop owner.
«We’re here today are Karmel Mall with brother Basim, to kind of browse through this amazing community, corridor that is full of amazing women,» she told Digital, referring the Karmel Mall of Somalia’s owner, Basim Sabri, who provided the tour.
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Sabri, a Gaza-born immigrant, came to the United States to study in Minneapolis. During that time, he became a real-estate investor and steadily grew his business in the years to come. Now, he’s a local titan of industry and owns a vast real estate empire, which includes the mall and several apartment complexes in the area that house Somalis. He has political ties at all levels of local and state politics, and is friends with Omar. He also knew the Somali-born congresswoman’s father.
Digital interviewed him separately, days before the official tour of the mall.
For most inside, English is the mall’s second language. It’s packed with stores offering electronic SIM cards to call overseas, foreign money exchanges and travel agencies arranging trips to the Middle East and East Africa. Vendors also sell gold, fragrances and traditional Somali fashion items, mostly for women.
There are Somali barber shops, cafes, traditional Somali food vendors and henna tattoo shops. Sabri gave conflicting figures on the exact number of stores, once saying 900, and later 750.
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It sports a food court with a giant Somali flag painted on the ceiling, as well as Somali, Palestinian and American flags hanging from the walls. Many politicians use that space for press conferences, Sabri explained.
It’s also where Omar ate lunch with friends, supporters and state Attorney General Keith Ellison during Digital’s foray into the mall when the lawmaker reemerged after casting an early ballot in her own reelection.
Karmel Mall also has an Islamic weekend school for children, where they’re taught the Quran and engage in recreational activities.
While the mall isn’t strictly for Somalis, few outside the Somali community were present when Digital toured. Digital was initially bucked by security upon attempting to enter and film inside the mall without Sabri’s permission.
The owner once banned Democratic Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey from the premises in February 2024 after he vetoed an Israel-Gaza ceasefire resolution passed by the City Council.
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«It is kind of an incubator setting where many businesses start in here, and then many succeed and grow and move somewhere else, to a bigger space,» Sabri explained to Digital.
He claims that the mall is a space where Somalis learn to integrate into the community.
«You can see [the] Somalis not only integrating in the community, but also prospering,» he said. «Somalis are very smart business individuals.»
But the mall’s very name — the Karmel Mall of Somalia — along with the overwhelmingly Somali culture inside, raise questions about whether the group is actually assimilating into American society.
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Steven Camerota is the director for research at the Center for Immigration Studies (CIS). He pointed Digital to a CIS report published in December of last year that describes Somalis as a «struggling group.»
The report shows that more than half of children who live in the homes of Somali-born immigrants in Minnesota live in poverty, compared to only 8% of children living in homes of native-born Minnesotans. Among Somali-born immigrants who have lived in the United States for more than a decade, half cannot speak English «very well.» The report says that 89% of Somali households receive some form of welfare, and 39% don’t have high school diplomas, compared to only 8% of the native population.
Camerota argued that across America, assimilation among various foreign-born groups, including Somalis, has dropped, though today’s immigration numbers are about the same they were during America’s first great wave of immigration.
In the late 19th- and early 20th-centuries, immigrations from across the world flooded the United States. During that time, immigrants comprised about 15% of America’s population, on par with todays numbers. After World War I, restrictive immigration policies that lasted until the 1960s took effect. In more recent history, immigration has ramped up to the tune of one million legal immigrants per year entering the United States, Camerota said.
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«So, there are three big things about modern immigration that you can argue greatly hinder assimilation, and it has much less to do with the immigrants, and a lot more to do with just modern conditions,» he told Digital. «The first is technology. You can fly home and visit home for the holidays if you want. In a way that just wouldn’t have been possible in 1900, and in terms of costs.»
Camerota noted that the internet allows people access to constant news from home, and the constant ability to stay connected with family and friends via phone and video calls.
«So this technology, travel and communications is fundamentally different today than in the past. And that likely means that the connection with the home country doesn’t become as attenuated as quickly as it would have,» he said.
The attitudes of those who Camerota characterizes as «elites,» in academia, government, media and other institutions has also changed. He said there are now dueling theories about the what exactly America is that could be contributing to a lack of assimilation.
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«So is America essentially a magnificent historical project of democracy and equality and republican government, or is it essentially — most of that’s a sham and it’s really a racist, sexist, homophobic [and] classist society?» he said. «The immigrants are arriving in a country in many ways that received both those messages, and so this elite attitude which permeates down is just so different than the world of the last great wave of immigration and almost certainly matters a great deal.»
Essentially, Camerota argued, if immigrants adopt the narrative that America is a fundamentally flawed nation, there is little reason for them to assimilate.
«The word assimilation itself is seen as a bad word in many circles. The idea that immigrants are supposed to shed their their old culture and become American is now seen as a kind of for some — I don’t want to say universally for all — but some fraction of it at least, as an undesirable Anglo conformity,» he continued.
«We are living in a country that can’t really agree itself about its own history, let alone agree on what it wants from the immigrants.»
The third important fact to assimilation in Camerota’s mind is the sheer number of immigrants coming to the United States.
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«The last point is numbers,» he said. «So, we’re at a record high now, right? 15% of the population is foreign born. It’s matched the levels of between 1890 and 1910 … during the last peak of the last great wave. But the one question then has to be asked, what happened then?»
He said the immigration restriction of the mid 20th-century necessarily resulted in assimilation, as immigrants could not endlessly build enclaves for more and more foreign-born residents, as is happening today.
«I think it’s pretty clear it likely played a very big role in facilitating the assimilation of the immigrants,» he said, suggesting that a similar immigration restriction could have the same effect if implemented now.
Sabri has faced troubles of his own.
In 2005, he was sentenced to 33 months in federal prison for bribing a local Minneapolis public official. He told Digital in the first interview about his time in prison, which included a brief stay at the infamous Federal Correctional Institution, Leavenworth in Kansas, in colorful detail.
In that interview, he also insisted that the mall is for everyone.
«But my experience is that Somalis are very, very intelligent and extremely hard-working people,» he said.
«So, I would invite anybody to come into the mall, and know that there are many people doing a great job and making a good living, and learning the American dream, and doing business, and opening businesses that eventually tend to be very successful for them.»
politics, somali immigrant community, ilhan omar, minneapolis st paul, minnesota, islam
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