Barrasso Blames Haaland for Protests

Senator John Barrasso has called out Interior Secretary Deb Haaland for her department's inadequate response to recent anti-Israel protests on federal properties. In a letter sent on Friday, Barrasso, who serves as the ranking member of the Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee, expressed concern over the insufficient staffing of the U.S. Park Police and the lack of resources allocated to safeguard federal property from demonstrators. Barrasso is demanding a detailed response from Haaland regarding the agency's collaboration with law enforcement to bolster security measures. He is particularly pressing for clarification on why there have not been adequate precautions to prevent potential violent incidents during these protests. In other news, the Department of Energy has released an extensive resource guide aimed at helping utilities meet the growing energy demands of data centers, particularly as the need for electricity surges with the rise of artificial intelligence technologies. The guide comes at a crucial time, as projections indicate that data centers could consume 8% of U.S. power by 2030, a significant increase from 3% in 2022. Meanwhile, a tropical storm warning has been issued for Puerto Rico and the Caribbean, with expectations that the storm could strengthen into a Category 2 hurricane named Ernesto. This would mark the fifth Atlantic storm of the year, raising concerns given the devastating impacts of previous storms like Maria and Fiona. Additionally, the green hydrogen sector faces challenges as many companies hesitate to invest in the costly technologies required for production.