Latest news with #pundits
Forbes
3 days ago
- Business
- Forbes
President Trump Can't Quiet Reality, Neither Can The Federal Reserve
President Trump recently warned Walmart to not raise prices in response to his imposition of tariffs. Economists and pundits reacted to Trump's warning with a mix of horror and haughty disdain. With good reason. Mindless as tariffs are, the foolishness of tariff imposition is magnified when the individual behind the implementation demands that prices not reflect the initial error. Some might even ask if the demand for flat prices is an implicit acknowledgement of the error, but that's a digression. Back to all the reasonably expressed horror about Trump expressed in haughty fashion, why all the parallel quietude about the Federal Reserve? Why indeed. While there's no reasonable way to defend Trump, neither is there a way to defend the Fed. This is notable simply because the Fed is being treated as the adult in the room relative to Trump's much-ridiculed child. Except that in pretending that the central bank has a role in mitigating Trump's errors, the central bank comes off as Trump's equal in the foolish department. Seriously, what does the Fed think it can do to soften the higher price implications of tariffs? Tick tock, tick tock… If the Fed's answer is that economic growth causes prices to rise (the Fed sees higher prices as 'inflation'), and that slower growth born of a higher Fed funds rate will weigh on prices, then economists should be reacting in horror and haughty disdain toward the Fed too. Figure that Fed officials near monolithically embrace the discredited Phillips Curve, which says growth causes prices to rise. Economic growth is an effect of investment, and it reveals itself in enhanced production techniques that increase production of market goods at ever lower prices. How interesting, how ripe for ridicule that Fed economists think economic growth would exacerbate the price impact of Trump's tariffs. Except there's more. Easily the biggest informer of consumer prices is the number of tessellated hands and machines around the world at work in the production of market goods. That's why when global cooperation is compromised due to taxes like tariffs, or perhaps lockdowns (see 'Trump', 'coronavirus' 'panic' 'first term'), prices of market goods rise. Conversely, when meddling politicians leave production and people alone, cooperation soars in concert with falling prices. Despite these truths, we presently have a central bank trying to arrogate to itself a role in tamping down the higher prices that it not unreasonably says will be an effect of his tariffs. Ok, but how? What on earth could the Fed do to keep prices from rising assuming the imposition of Trump's tariffs? The question has to be asked simply because the Fed thinks it has a role here as it endlessly leaks to a compliant and rather worshipful media its fears about the price implications of the Trump tariffs. Fine, but what's the Fed's plan? The question rates asking in consideration of the popular belief inside the Fed that economic slowdowns push down prices. The view is laughable, but since economists believe it to be true, aren't the Trump tariffs the paradoxical answer to higher prices from tariffs? It's a clown question, but that's the point. Much as Trump rates our scorn for wanting prices to not reflect his mindless imposition of tariffs, so does the Fed rate equal amounts of scorn for thinking its own market interventions can blunt those of the President. It's just a comment that Trump isn't the only clown at the moment. Unknown is why he's getting all the laughs.
Yahoo
3 days ago
- Business
- Yahoo
Data centers are at the heart of the AI revolution and here's how they are changing
When you buy through links on our articles, Future and its syndication partners may earn a commission. As demand for AI and cloud computing soars, pundits are suggesting that the world is teetering on the edge of a potential data center crunch—where capacity can't keep up with the digital load. Concerns and the hype have led to plummeting vacancy rates: in Northern Virginia, the world's largest data center market, for example, vacancy rates have fallen below 1%. Echoing past fears of "peak oil" and "peak food," the spotlight now turns to "peak data." But rather than stall, the industry is evolving—adopting modular builds, renewable energy, and AI-optimized systems to redefine how tomorrow's data centers will power an increasingly digital world. Future data centers will increasingly move away from massive centralized facilities alone, embracing smaller, modular, and edge-based data centers. The sector is already splitting out in hyperscale data centers one end and smaller, edge-oriented facilities on the other. Smaller, modular and edge data centers can be built in a few months and tend to be located closer to end users to reduce latency. Unlike the huge campuses of hyperscale with facilities often covering millions of square feet these smaller data centers are sometimes built into repurposed buildings such as abandoned shopping malls, empty office towers, and factories in disuse, helping requalify ex-industrial brownfield areas. Leaner centers can be rapidly deployed, located closer to end users for reduced latency, and tailored to specific workloads such as autonomous vehicles and AR. To address energy demands and grid constraints, future data centers will increasingly be co-located with power generation facilities, such as nuclear or renewable plants. This reduces reliance on strained grid infrastructure and improves energy stability. Some companies are investing in nuclear power. Nuclear power provides massive, always-on power that is also free of carbon emissions. Modular reactors are being considered to overcome grid bottlenecks, long wait times for power delivery, and local utility limits. Similarly, they will be increasingly built in areas where the climate reduces operational strain. Lower cooling costs and access to water enables the use of energy-efficient liquid-cooling systems instead of air-cooling. We will be seeing more data centers pop up in places like Scandinavia and the Pacific Northwest. Artificial intelligence will play a major role in managing and optimizing data center operations, particularly for cooling and energy use. For instance, reinforcement learning algorithms are being used to cut energy use by optimizing cooling systems, achieving up to 21% energy savings. Similarly, fixes like replacing legacy servers with more energy-efficient machines, with newer chips or thermal design, can significantly expand compute capacity, without requiring new premises. Instead of only building new facilities, future capacity will be expanded by refreshing hardware with newer, denser, and more energy-efficient servers. This allows for more compute power in the same footprint, enabling quick scaling to meet surges in demand, particularly for AI workloads. These power-hungry centers are also putting a strain on electricity grids. Future data centers will leverage new solutions such as load shifting to optimize energy efficiency. Google is already partnering with PJM Interconnection, the largest electrical grid operator in North America, to leverage AI to automate tasks such as viability assessments of connection applications, thus enhancing grid efficiency. Issues are typically not due to lack of energy but insufficient transmission capacity. In addition to this, fortunately, data centers are usually running well below full capacity specifically to accommodate future growth. This added capacity will prove useful as facilities accommodate unexpected traffic spikes, and rapid scaling needs without requiring new constructions. Future data center locations will be chosen based on climate efficiency, grid access, and political zoning policies but also availability of AI-skilled workforce. Data centers aren't server rooms—they're among the most complex IT infrastructure projects in existence, requiring seamless power, cooling, high-speed networking, and top-tier security. Building them involves a wide range of experts, from engineers to logistics teams, coordinating everything from semiconductors to industrial HVAC systems. Data centers will thus drive up the demand for high-performance networking, thermal, power redundancy, and advanced cooling engineers. It's clear that the recent surge in infrastructure demand to power GPUs and high-performance computing, for example, is being driven primarily by AI. In fact, training massive models like OpenAI's GPT-4 or Google's Gemini requires immense computational resources, consuming GPU cycles at an astonishing rate. These training runs often last weeks and involve thousands of specialized chips, drawing on power and cooling infrastructure. But the story doesn't end there: even when a model is trained, running these models in real-time to generate responses, make predictions, or process user inputs (so-called AI inference) adds a new layer of energy demand. While not as intense as training, inference must happen at scale and with low latency, which means it's placing a steady, ongoing load on cloud infrastructure. However, here's a nuance that's frequently glossed over in much of the hype: AI workloads don't scale in a straight-forward, linear fashion: doubling the number of GPUs or increasing the size of a model will not always lead to proportionally better results. Experience has shown that as models grow in size, the performance gains actually may taper off or introduce new challenges, such as brittleness, hallucination, or the need for more careful fine-tuning. In short, the current AI boom is real, but it may not be boundless. Understanding the limitations of scale and the nonlinear nature of progress is crucial for policymakers, investors, and businesses alike as they plan for data center demand that is shaped by AI exponential growth. The data center industry therefore stands at a pivotal crossroads. Far from buckling under the weight of AI tools and cloud-driven demand, however, it's adapting at speed through smarter design, greener power, and more efficient hardware. From modular builds in repurposed buildings to AI-optimized cooling systems and co-location with power plants, the future of data infrastructure will be leaner, more distributed, and strategically sited. As data becomes the world's most valuable resource, the facilities that store, process, and protect it are becoming smarter, greener, and more essential than ever. We list the best colocation providers. This article was produced as part of TechRadarPro's Expert Insights channel where we feature the best and brightest minds in the technology industry today. The views expressed here are those of the author and are not necessarily those of TechRadarPro or Future plc. If you are interested in contributing find out more here:
The Independent
6 days ago
- Entertainment
- The Independent
Eni Aluko snubbed by ITV for first Lionesses match since Ian Wright scandal
Eni Aluko has been snubbed by ITV bosses for the Lionesses' first match since she accused Ian Wright of 'blocking' opportunities for female pundits in the women's game. Aluko appeared on BBC Radio 4's Woman's Hour in April and was met with a torrent of criticism when she pointed the finger at fellow former footballer turned pundit Wright, claiming he 'should be aware' of the space he occupies in women's football coverage as a man. Many immediately leapt to the defence of Wright, with the former Arsenal striker recognised for his long-term staunch advocacy of the women's game. Aluko went on to apologise for her comments, which Wright said he 'couldn't accept'. She has since pulled out of a co-presenting role for the Women's Football Awards, which took place on May 1, and will now not be part of ITV's coverage for England's game with Portugal on Friday, with Anita Asanta and former Spain midfielder Vicky Losada opted as pundits by the broadcaster. Aluko is currently embroiled in a libel case against ex-Newcastle and Manchester City midfielder Joey Barton, but saw attention deflected away from that when she spoke misguidedly against her colleague. 'I've worked with Ian a long time and, you know, I think he's a brilliant broadcaster, but I think he's aware of just how much he's doing in the women's game. I think he should be aware of that,' Aluko said. 'The fact of the matter is, as I said, there is a limited amount of spaces available. If we had a situation where there was an equal opportunity in the men's game for broadcasters and coaches that there is in the women's game, it's a free for all.'But that's not the case. I can't dominate the men's game in the way that, you know, you used Ian as an example.' She later admitted her wrongdoing but did not receive the reaction she was hoping for from Wright, who said on Insatgram: 'I've got to say, I'm very disappointed about what Eni has said, she knows how I've helped her, supported her publicly, and I know the previous conversations she's had with me and my management. 'I've seen the apology on social media, but I can't accept it. But I also want to move on.' Wright is hailed in the women's football community, founding and donating to the Ian Wright Coaching Fund to increase the number of female coaches in grassroots football; paying for Stoke City player Kayleigh McDonald's rehab from an ACL injury, as revealed by The Telegraph; and advocating for girls to have equal opportunities with boys to play football in school. He has also only covered exactly one WSL game in the league's history, and 11 Lionesses games in the past two seasons.
Yahoo
10-05-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
Match of the Day
The Ask Me Anything team have been going through your questions - and several were about Match of the Day. To help give you answers, we've been speaking to those at the heart of the world's most famous football show. Pundits are supposed to be balanced and objective, but not necessarily neutral. Everyone knows, for example, that Alan Shearer supports Newcastle and that passion is part of what makes him such a popular pundit. This season he watched the Magpies win the Carabao Cup, but he's also shown on countless occasions that he's prepared to criticise his former club. Similarly, at last summer's Euros every English pundit wanted England to win - but didn't hold back when they thought the team were under-performing in the group stage. The BBC Editorial Guidelines call for a breadth and diversity of opinion in coverage, but within that framework there is scope for individual expression. Balance can also come from the overall mix of voices and not necessarily the individual pundit. Football is an emotional game and MOTD are comfortable with commentary being a mix of analysis, opinion and excitement. 'Goal of the Season' is a long-established Match of the Day feature stretching back more than 50 years to the 1970-71 season. The award has evolved through various TV rights cycles, but is embedded in the history and tradition of MOTD. 'Goal of the Month' provides the contenders for the 'Goal of the Season' vote, and is an enduring and popular part of the programme. The addition of the Premier League Golden Glove in 2004 has prompted an increased focused on goalkeepers, but there is a feeling 'Save of the Month' would not carry the same appeal as 'Goal of the Month'. There is also a practical issue of timings. The 'Goal of the Month' feature typically runs to four minutes and there wouldn't be time in the programme to devote another four minutes to 'Save of the Month'. Pundits such as Joe Hart and Shay Given would probably disagree but, as things stand, MOTD is happy to celebrate goals, not the prevention of them! There is a pecking order, but the programme makers try to mix it up over the season so they have different voices on different teams. Geography is also a factor. Those making the decisions do their best to keep travel down to a sensible distance wherever possible, with sustainability a factor. All of the Premier League grounds are pre-cabled, so MOTD staff can simply turn up and plug in. However, once the match is over they unplug all the kit and move on to the next venue. Thanks to David in South Yorkshire, Angela in Dorset and Louise in Manchester for the questions! Ask Me Anything is a service dedicated to answering your questions. We want to reward your time by telling you things you do not know and reminding you of things you do. The team will find out everything you need to know and be able to call upon a network of contacts including our experts and pundits. We will be answering your questions from the heart of the BBC Sport newsroom, and going behind the scenes at some of the world's biggest sporting events. Our coverage will span the BBC Sport website, app, social media and YouTube accounts, plus BBC TV and radio. Who decides the Match of the Day running order? Who decides the Sports Personality of the Year shortlist? How does BBC report on big stories about itself? How does the BBC pick FA Cup fixtures?
Yahoo
10-05-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
Match of the Day
The Ask Me Anything team have been going through your questions - and several were about Match of the Day. To help give you answers, we've been speaking to those at the heart of the world's most famous football show. Should the pundits be neutral? Pundits are supposed to be balanced and objective, but not necessarily neutral. Advertisement Everyone knows, for example, that Alan Shearer supports Newcastle and that passion is part of what makes him such a popular pundit. This season he watched the Magpies win the Carabao Cup, but he's also shown on countless occasions that he's prepared to criticise his former club. Similarly, at last summer's Euros every English pundit wanted England to win - but didn't hold back when they thought the team were under-performing in the group stage. The BBC Editorial Guidelines call for a breadth and diversity of opinion in coverage, but within that framework there is scope for individual expression. Advertisement Balance can also come from the overall mix of voices and not necessarily the individual pundit. Football is an emotional game and MOTD are comfortable with commentary being a mix of analysis, opinion and excitement. Goal of the Month - but why not Save of the Month? 'Goal of the Season' is a long-established Match of the Day feature stretching back more than 50 years to the 1970-71 season. The award has evolved through various TV rights cycles, but is embedded in the history and tradition of MOTD. 'Goal of the Month' provides the contenders for the 'Goal of the Season' vote, and is an enduring and popular part of the programme. Advertisement The addition of the Premier League Golden Glove in 2004 has prompted an increased focused on goalkeepers, but there is a feeling 'Save of the Month' would not carry the same appeal as 'Goal of the Month'. There is also a practical issue of timings. The 'Goal of the Month' feature typically runs to four minutes and there wouldn't be time in the programme to devote another four minutes to 'Save of the Month'. Pundits such as Joe Hart and Shay Given would probably disagree but, as things stand, MOTD is happy to celebrate goals, not the prevention of them! Who decides which commentators go to which games? There is a pecking order, but the programme makers try to mix it up over the season so they have different voices on different teams. Advertisement Geography is also a factor. Those making the decisions do their best to keep travel down to a sensible distance wherever possible, with sustainability a factor. Are the cameras and kit left at the stadiums throughout the season? All of the Premier League grounds are pre-cabled, so MOTD staff can simply turn up and plug in. However, once the match is over they unplug all the kit and move on to the next venue. Thanks to David in South Yorkshire, Angela in Dorset and Louise in Manchester for the questions! What is Ask Me Anything? Ask Me Anything is a service dedicated to answering your questions. We want to reward your time by telling you things you do not know and reminding you of things you do. Advertisement The team will find out everything you need to know and be able to call upon a network of contacts including our experts and pundits. We will be answering your questions from the heart of the BBC Sport newsroom, and going behind the scenes at some of the world's biggest sporting events. Our coverage will span the BBC Sport website, app, social media and YouTube accounts, plus BBC TV and radio. More questions answered...
