PopInfo Weekly: Bombs, babies, and busted budgets
As communities across the country are fighting new data center projects, states are not only allowing data centers to be built, but many are also providing billions of dollars in tax breaks to incentivize data center construction. Thirty-eight states offer some sort of tax incentives for data centers, according to the National Conference of State Legislatures.
One sticking point in the peace negotiations with Iran is the status of $24 billion in frozen Iranian assets. The Trump administration is reportedly pursuing a plan to “use Iranian assets to help U.S. Gulf allies recover from damage caused by Tehran’s regime during the Iran war.” The move highlights Jared Kushner’s conflict of interest as a top negotiator for the Trump administration while also being the private equity manager of billions of dollars in funds from foreign governments.
Polymarket’s CEO once bragged that the prediction market company is a “global truth machine” that is “solving misinformation.” However, Popular Information found this week that Polymarket sponsored X posts from a network of 16 far-right influencers pushing election conspiracy theories. The influencers, who have a collective audience of 13 million, include far-right content creator Benny Johnson and a former InfoWars host who spent time in jail for his role in January 6.
Following Popular Information’s reporting, Polymarket said that the X posts pushing election conspiracy theories violated company marketing guidelines and asked the influencers to remove the “paid partnership” label from their posts. As of Wednesday afternoon, seven posts Popular Information highlighted were deleted entirely and six had the label removed.
The best of the rest
An analysis by the Marshall Project and MS NOW found that under the second Trump administration, Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) has detained “at least 500 babies and toddlers.” Between January 2025 and March 2026, on an average day, ICE held 25 children aged three and under in custody. (The Marshall Project and MS NOW)
A woman is suing a religious hospital after it delayed care for her ectopic pregnancy, which she alleges resulted in her losing her fertility. This happened despite the hospital being in Illinois, where “reproductive rights are enshrined in law and medical providers are required to offer emergency care regardless of religious beliefs.” (The Guardian)
GEO Group, one of the largest private operators of immigration detention centers in the U.S., is suing the state of Colorado to block a recently passed law that requires regular health inspections of its facilities. Lawmakers say they proposed the law after hearing reports that detainees were living in unsafe conditions and receiving inadequate medical care at detention centers in the state. Popular Information has reported on similar conditions in California. (Colorado Public Radio)
Until a few months ago, the Trump administration had been punishing energy companies in India for buying Russian oil. One of the main companies affected by this policy is owned by the Ambani family. A few months after Donald Trump Jr. met with Anant Ambani late last year, the family made a massive investment in a Texas oil refining start-up in which Trump Jr. had secretly acquired a stake. The investment coincided with Trump easing sanctions and allowing the purchase of Russian oil, a major win for the Ambanis. (ProPublica)
Numerical information
4.2%: Inflation reached 4.2% in May, the highest level seen since early 2023.
22%: A report released this week by Social Security’s trustees indicated that Social Security is “on track to become insolvent by the end of 2032,” in which case monthly checks for beneficiaries would be cut 22%.
$250 million: The amount of money spent on bombs dropped on Iran on Wednesday night alone, according to President Trump.
Quote of the week
“The deal could happen in the next week, but the deal could also happen months from now.” — Vice President JD Vance on the timeline for a deal with Iran to end the war
Photo of the week
