POLITICO

The CEO of NextEra said the merger between the utility giant and Dominion Energy would result in lower costs for Dominion’s customers in Virginia, North Carolina and South Carolina, in part through $2.25 billion in proposed bill credits to Dominion’s customers in those states over two years. But elected officials in Virginia, where Dominion is a powerful fixture in the commonwealth’s politics, are wary of NextEra’s claims that a combination creating a dominant utility holding company can hold down costs for ratepayers in the long-term. “This merger needs to be strongly scrutinized for how it will impact energy bills,” said Rep. Suhas Subramanyam (D-Va.), whose district includes “Data Center Alley” in northern Virginia, in a statement. “A company that specializes in building energy infrastructure just bought a company that likes to increase rates for new infrastructure.” More reactions here: https://lnkd.in/eBgQ6gkQ From Nico Portuondo, Adam Aton and myself

A federal appeals court appears poised to give the White House broad powers to designate domestic tech companies a national security risk while also granting the Trump administration a path to keep using AI tools developed by Anthropic. Judges Gregory Katsas and Neomi Rao, both appointed by President Donald Trump, sounded skeptical on Tuesday of the D.C. Circuit Court of Appeals’ authority to review the Pentagon’s designation of Anthropic as a national security risk, but suggested they can review specific orders banning a company and its products from government work. The Pentagon previously designated Anthropic a supply chain risk over its refusal to allow its AI tools to be used for mass domestic surveillance and in autonomous weapons, but the potential government ban comes as agencies scramble to access Anthropic’s powerful Mythos model. My colleague Hassan Kanu has the story for POLITICO: https://lnkd.in/e25xyBBT (Photographer: Don Feria/AP)

Electric utilities are trying to use AI to help manage AI -- but they're running into roadblocks from regulators. I spoke with tech companies & power experts about hurdles facing new tools that can squeeze more juice out of the existing grid. It's an emerging front in the affordability debate as utilities deal with long lead times for new hardware and permitting. So-called "grid-enhancing technologies" or "non-wires alternatives" offer some of the quickest ways to address power supply and demand imbalances. But the interest in those solutions -- which can be costly up-front while potentially saving more on the back-end -- comes as regulators are increasingly sensitive to saddling customers with more expenses. Many thanks to the people/companies who helped inform this story. Kim Getgen Karen Wayland Andrew Abranches Ann Rendahl NARUC Jake Loosararian Gecko Robotics Uplight Climavision Pacific Gas and Electric Company OATI Mishal Thadani Rhizome https://lnkd.in/eXKSUk2M

California Governor Gavin Newsom argued for a fundamental overhaul of economic and tax policy. “You cannot save democracy unless we democratize the economy,” he said. “The whole system has to be reimagined.” Newsom warned the economy is failing most Americans and predicted accelerating tech transformations like AI will only worsen the problem. It was a striking prescription from a governor who is seen in Sacramento as a business-friendly moderate. Newsom has long championed Silicon Valley innovation, including by vetoing a series of bills to regulate AI and limit autonomous vehicles — before signing a proposal for more scaled-back AI regulation. Read more on Newsom’s economic message: https://politi.co/4v4ayQN

Since a recent hantavirus outbreak aboard a cruise ship, social media has been flooded with misinformation, fueling distrust in health institutions and potentially endangering public health. From claims of crisis actors on cruise ships to pushing a horse dewormer as a cure-all, misinformation tracking groups have found a variety of false narratives about the outbreak that echo fabricated claims that originated during the Covid-19 pandemic. Where are these claims coming from? Read in our Weekly Cybersecurity newsletter: https://politi.co/4tMdGzw

I’m in LA this week for POLITICO’s first-ever event here, The California Agenda: Los Angeles. This is part of POLITICO Live’s expansion across the states and, in particular, California, where we’re also planning summits later this year in Sacramento and San Francisco. On Wednesday, we’ll be hosting a series of conversations on the forces shaping LA’s future, from housing to Hollywood and beyond. And we’ve booked a lineup of speakers who are making the decisions and driving the debates that matter most, including Mayor Karen Bass, California Community Foundation CEO Miguel Santana, writer and comedian Adam Conover, and more. Register for the livestream or request an invite to attend here: https://lnkd.in/e5yHX2h7

Drugmakers and insurers are spending millions to convince lawmakers it’s the hospitals they should regulate, and not them, if they want to bring down Americans’ bills. The Pharmaceutical Research and Manufacturers of America, the lobby for branded drugmakers, launched a seven-figure ad blitz this month alleging hospitals were abusing a federal drug discount program. That followed a six-figure campaign in April from an insurance-backed coalition that blames hospital consolidation for high prices. The barrage of attacks against hospitals marks the latest high-profile clash between three of Washington’s most powerful industry lobbies. PhRMA, AHIP, which represents health insurers, and the American Hospital Association have poured record sums into lobbying in the past year as the Trump administration and Republicans in Congress overhauled the country’s health policies. For hospitals, the likelihood that there are more hits to come compounds an already difficult economic outlook for a sector that is one of the country’s largest sources of employment. That outlook was clouded by enactment last year of nearly $1 trillion in cuts to Medicaid in Trump’s One Big Beautiful Bill Act and the expiration of enhanced Obamacare subsidies at year end. “The entire environment right now for hospitals is not a great one,” said Lisa Kidder Hrobsky, senior vice president of federal relations at the American Hospital Association, the main industry group. “We do feel like we are sort of in constant attack from others outside of the hospital industry,” she added. My latest story for POLITICO: https://lnkd.in/eejgzDHt

As Los Angeles rebuilds from devastating fires and prepares for the World Cup and Olympic Games, its leaders face a pivotal moment of resilience and reinvestment. Meanwhile, the city's core economic engines — from film to trade, real estate and technology — remain critical to the region and the nation. Tune in Wednesday as we discuss that and more with policymakers, business leaders and decision-makers shaping Los Angeles' future. Featured speakers include L.A. mayor Karen Bass, comedian Adam Conover, and more. RSVP👇

Big Tech is ready to monetize your neural data — and a battle is looming not just over privacy, but the future of the human species. There will come a time, in the not-so-distant future, when you decide to stick a computer chip in your brain. At least, that’s what D. Scott Phoenix told the audience at TED 2026. The perspective, as outlandish as it may sound, is commonly held in Silicon Valley. There's good reason to be skeptical about an imminent merger of humans and AI — the technology to perform such a thing remains in its earliest stages — but huge sums of money are already sloshing around the technology, with more to come. With the future of humanity at stake, the battle over our brainwaves is starting to heat up: https://politi.co/4uO6zrb

I'll be discussing the state of Hollywood w/ Adam Conover and the MPA's Kathy Bañuelos at POLITICO's new Los Angeles event on 5/20 at Union Station. We'll delve into production incentives, AI anxiety and entertainment industry politics. Request an invite here: https://lnkd.in/g4TgTxRA