{"id":228478,"date":"2026-10-23T19:36:05","date_gmt":"2026-10-23T19:36:05","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/quixnet.net\/wpinstance\/final-michigan-senate-debate-takeaways-and-rural-americas-data-center-boom-morning-rundown-nbc-news\/"},"modified":"2026-10-23T19:36:05","modified_gmt":"2026-10-23T19:36:05","slug":"final-michigan-senate-debate-takeaways-and-rural-americas-data-center-boom-morning-rundown-nbc-news","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/quixnet.net\/wpinstance\/final-michigan-senate-debate-takeaways-and-rural-americas-data-center-boom-morning-rundown-nbc-news\/","title":{"rendered":"Final Michigan Senate debate takeaways and rural America\u2019s data center boom: Morning Rundown – NBC News"},"content":{"rendered":"

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The economy and the war in Iran emerged as dominant debate topics in critical races in Michigan, Kansas and Wisconsin. Data centers are popping up in rural America, but not all communities are on board. And Trump is using flattery to get Putin to the negotiating table.
Here\u2019s what to know today.
Across the country, candidates in tight races met for their final debates of the season in a bid to secure voters\u2019 support with less than two weeks until Election Day:
The second and final Michigan Senate debate between Republican Rep. Mike Rogers and Democratic nominee Abdul El-Sayed was far tamer than their first meeting earlier this month. Polls show a neck-and-neck contest to replace retiring Sen. Gary Peters.
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El-Sayed sought to tie Rogers to President Donald Trump at every turn while also painting his opponent as a corporate sellout. Rogers has tried to put distance between himself and Trump by calling for an end to the Iran war and for a halt to the trade war with Canada, both of which he initially said he supported.
Rogers aimed to tie El-Sayed to Islamist fundamentalist groups and questioned his trustworthiness. El-Sayed has repeatedly denied any connections to the Muslim Brotherhood, saying questions about his ties \u201ccall into question my loyalty to the Constitution.\u201d He cast himself as someone who would stand up to Trump if elected to Congress. What else El-Sayed and Rogers said about the economy, AI and more.<\/strong><\/a>
In Kansas, Republican Sen. Roger Marshall defended most of Trump\u2019s agenda, including tariffs and a deal to lift sanctions on Russian diesel exports, while casting his Democratic competitor, Adam Hamilton, as a socialist.
Hamilton, a megachurch pastor who has billed himself as an \u201cindependent-minded Democrat,\u201d vowed to not support Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer of New York for party leader if he is elected and slammed Marshall for supporting the war in Iran. Hamilton would be the first Democratic senator from Kansas in nearly a century if he\u2019s elected. More from the contentious debate in Kansas.<\/strong><\/a>
The debate between the candidates for Wisconsin governor \u2014 Republican Tom Tiffany and Democrat David Crowley \u2014 focused on economic issues. Tiffany, a member of Congress representing a northern Wisconsin district, vowed to undo various tax increases and return surplus money to residents.
Crowley, the Milwaukee County executive, advocated for a \u201cfair tax system\u201d that would fund education, infrastructure and transportation. With Democratic Gov. Tony Evers retiring, the race between Tiffany and Crowley is the first open governor\u2019s race since 2010. More from the debate for Wisconsin governor.<\/strong><\/a>
Big Tech is building big in rural America. Widespread land availability, cheap electricity and abundant water have led AI giants \u2014 such as Amazon, Microsoft and Google \u2014 to erect data center infrastructure in those areas. But local leaders\u2019 ability to negotiate with developers is key to determine what communities can gain, or risk, from these new centers.
An NBC News analysis shows the number of rural data centers could triple if all the under-construction projects and a portion of the planned projects come online. Amazon is behind the largest share of anticipated new data centers, according to the analysis, which also shows that the estimated energy the new centers will consume will more than triple the current capacity.
For more than a decade, people living on the northern tip of Morrow and Umatilla counties in Oregon, roughly 150 miles east of Portland, have co-existed with data centers. Residents are split on whether the developments have affected their communities for the better \u2014 so much so that at Friday night football games, \u201cyou sit in the \u2018yes\u2019 data center section or you sit in the \u2018no\u2019 data center section,\u201d a cattle rancher and former county commissioner said.
The pros and cons of data center development, according to residents.<\/strong><\/a>
Trump\u2019s recent overtures to Vladimir Putin have become more visible, an apparent effort that experts say is meant to entice the Russian president to the negotiating table to end the war in Ukraine. Even some in his administration are laying on the compliments. Just yesterday, Trump\u2019s lead negotiator, Steve Witkoff, called Putin \u201ca humanitarian\u201d for his release of American teacher Stephen Hubbard<\/strong><\/a>. Some Republican lawmakers balked at the remark.
At the same time, Trump has stepped up his criticism of Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy \u2014 another tool to get Putin to strike a deal, said Robert O\u2019Brien, a national security adviser in Trump\u2019s first term. \u201cThere\u2019d be no hope of getting Putin to engage in talks, with the U.S. as a mediator, if he viewed Trump as 100% aligned with Ukraine in this situation,\u201d he said.
Another expert said he doesn\u2019t expect the gambit to succeed, especially in the \u201cabsence of a clear agenda coming from the White House\u201d and any clear leverage.
What other experts think of Trump\u2019s strategy.<\/strong><\/a>
As we continued reporting on Cornell University\u2019s handling of an alleged 2024 fraternity sexual assault, I kept thinking about another case involving the same district attorney: the death of 18-year-old freshman Antonio Tsialas. In 2019, Tsialas disappeared after attending an unauthorized fraternity party and was found dead in a gorge two days later.
After obtaining hundreds of pages of police records from the Tsialas investigation, I discovered an interesting pattern: Cornell police repeatedly asked prosecutors for two subpoenas to obtain evidence they believed could help explain what happened, but those requests were initially rejected.
The findings took on new significance because the district attorney in that case, who ultimately declined to file charges, is the same one who did not prosecute Jane Doe\u2019s 2024 case. The records don\u2019t establish wrongdoing in either investigation, but they offer a revealing look at how decisions about what evidence to pursue were made at this DA\u2019s office<\/strong><\/a>.
For Tsialas\u2019 family, who still don\u2019t believe they\u2019ve gotten a full accounting of their son\u2019s death, the renewed controversy has brought back painful questions about accountability at Cornell. \u2014 <\/em>Pilar Melendez<\/strong><\/em>, breaking news editor<\/em>
Get ready for sweater weather with this popular electric fabric shaver<\/strong><\/a> that\u2019s 51% off for a limited time. Plus, how to prevent a dry, irritated nose<\/strong><\/a> this cold season, including a $6 drugstore staple you probably have in your medicine cabinet.
Sign up for The Selection<\/strong><\/em><\/a> newsletter for hands-on product reviews, expert shopping tips and a look at the best deals and sales each week.<\/em>
Thanks for reading today\u2019s Morning Rundown. Today\u2019s newsletter was curated for you by Elizabeth Robinson. If you\u2019re a fan, please send a link to your family and friends. They can sign up <\/em>here<\/em><\/a>. <\/em>
Elizabeth Robinson is a newsletter editor for NBC News, based in Los Angeles.
Josephine Murphy is an NBC News platforms intern based in Los Angeles.
© 2026 NBCUniversal Media, LLC<\/p>\n

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