Thursday, January 15, 2026

Data centers and your electric bill

Read in browser

eNewspaper | Crosswords | Horoscopes

The Daily Money

ALL THE MONEY NEWS YOU NEED TO KNOW

Thu Jan 15 2026

Daniel de Visé | Personal Finance Reporter

Good morning, and happy National Bagel Day! It's Daniel de Visé with your Daily Money.

Perhaps you've seen those soft-focus television ads touting the virtues of data centers.

There's a reason for those. Voter anger over surging electricity prices is spreading across the country and across partisan lines, Jessica Guynn reports, as energy-guzzling AI facilities strain the power grid. They could become a major factor in the 2026 midterms.

Verizon users ask, 'Can you hear me now?'

If you were affected, then you probably already know this:

A large-scale wireless outage affected more than 1.5 million Verizon customers Wednesday, interrupting service for several hours. Here's a full rundown.

Pros and cons of a 10% credit card cap

Finally, Susan Tompor weighs in on President Trump's call for a 10% cap on credit card rates.

It sounds great, at least if you're paying 20% interest on credit card debt. But the banking industry has zero interest in Trump's proposal.

📰 More stories you shouldn't miss 📰

•	Want a cheaper ticket? Choose a different airport.
•	Donations pour in for Ford worker who heckled Trump
•	What happens to unsold Girl Scout cookies?
•	Saks bankruptcy leaves stores' future in question
•	Home sales hit a new low in 2025

Daniel de Visé covers personal finance for USA TODAY. The Daily Money breaks down complex consumer and financial news. Subscribe here.

Surging electricity rates put data centers on 2026 ballot. Here's why.

Cars drive by Digital Realty Data Center buildings in Ashburn, Virginia.

Energy-guzzling data centers powering AI are in the hot seats as voter anger over surging electric bills becomes a major factor in midterm elections.

Is Verizon still down? Company says outage resolved

Over 1.5 million Verizon customers had reported outages, according to Downdetector, but by late Wednesday the company said service had been restored.

The Detroit Economic Club crowd listens to President Donald Trump speak at Soundboard inside the MotorCity Casino Hotel in Detroit on Tuesday, Jan. 13, 2026.

Credit card interest rates face pressure as Trump calls for 10 percent cap

President Donald Trump noted at the Detroit Economic Club that he's calling to cap credit card rates at 10 percent for a year. But banks are pushing back.

BURBANK, CALIFORNIA - OCTOBER 06: An American Eagle plane takes off from Hollywood Burbank Airport on October 6, 2025 in Burbank, California.

This airport swap could slash your airfare by up to 50%

Flying from a smaller, secondary airport instead of a major hub can lead to cheaper fares, shorter lines and fewer crowds, travel experts say.

U.S. President Donald Trump speaks next to Jim Farley, CEO of Ford, as he visits a Ford production center, in Dearborn, Michigan, January 13, 2026.

Hundreds of thousands of dollars raised for Ford worker who heckled Trump

The incident that led to the worker being suspended happened Jan. 13 during a visit by Trump to Ford's Dearborn Truck Plant.

Girl Scout cookies displayed at a booth in Rockford, Illinois on Feb. 26, 2021.

What happens to unsold Girl Scout Cookies?

Have you ever wondered what happens to unsold Girl Scout Cookies at the end of the season? Here's what happens to the sweet treats.

Saks Fifth Avenue on worth Avenue in Palm Beach. The store closed in April 2025.

Is Saks closing stores? What we know amid bankruptcy filing

Saks Global said the company is 'evaluating its operational footprint to invest resources where it has the greatest long-term potential.'

Houses in New Jersey. How was the housing market in 2025?

Home sales hit fresh low in 2025. How will this year turn out?

Sales of previously-owned homes were fractionally lower in 2025 than the previous year, with little relief in sight for the housing market.

A group of workers at Keller Williams Partners Realty cheer on March 25, 2013 in Plantation, Fla. after they matched five Powerball numbers and won $1 million. Realtor Laurie Finkelstein Reader, middle bought the tickets at a Mobil gas station in Pembroke Pines after collecting $20 from nearly everyone in the office. The winners: (left to right front row) Amy Kilcoyne, Saria Finkelstein, Laurie Finkelstein-reader holding the winning lottery ticket, Jennifer Forrest and Rebecca Kennedy. Middle row: Natali Levine, Marilyn Finkelstein, Natalie Mor and Jennifer Maldonado; and in the back row: Matt Weiner holds a photo of Joey Rivero who was on vacation, Natalie West and Eric J. Ubiera.

Powerball and Mega Millions jackpot winners

Meet lucky Powerball and Mega Millions players who hit the jackpot with winning numbers.

Download USA TODAY's app to get to the heart of news

Our app gives you award-winning coverage, crosswords, audio storytelling, eNewspaper and more.

Sign up for the news you want

Exclusive newsletters are part of your subscription, don't miss out! We're always working to add benefits for subscribers like you.

SEE ALL NEWSLETTERS ➔

Newsletters | eNewspaper | Crosswords

Follow Us

Problem viewing email? View in browser

Unsubscribe • Manage Newsletters • Terms of Service • Privacy Policy/Your California Privacy Rights • Privacy Notice • Do Not Sell My Info/Cookie Policy • Feedback

No comments:

Post a Comment

Subscribe to: Post Comments (Atom)