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An analysis by The Guardian using Cleanview and federal drought data found that 517 of 809 planned U.S. AI data centers are slated for areas that experienced drought conditions within the past year. The findings come as more than 60% of the contiguous United States remains under some level of drought.

Major projects are moving forward in drought-affected regions, including a newly approved data center complex in Utah, Amazon's planned facility in Washington state's Walla Walla County, and developments in Texas. Researchers estimate U.S. data centers could consume up to 73 billion gallons of water annually by 2028, compared with about 17 billion gallons in 2023.

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A French Rafale fighter jet deployed on NATO’s Baltic Air Policing mission shot down an unidentified drone that entered Latvian airspace on June 7, according to Latvian and French authorities. The drone was intercepted near the village of Berzgale, about 30 kilometers from the Russian border, and no injuries or damage were reported.

The Latvian military said the drone crossed into its airspace as a result of Russian electromagnetic warfare, though officials have not confirmed whether it originated from Russia or Ukraine. The incident is the first confirmed case of a NATO aircraft destroying a drone over Latvia under the Baltic Air Policing mission.

Photo: Serge Goujon / Shutterstock.com