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NEMA Supports Securing U.S. Power Grid and Strengthening Domestic Manufacturing

William Attardi on August 28, 2026

NEMA supports measures that ensure our nation’s electric grid is secure, reliable, and resilient, particularly as demand for electricity continues to grow. In response to President Trump’s Bulk Power Executive Order 14420, NEMA leadership looks forward to working with the Administration to ensure the shared vision of a secure, reliable grid that delivers affordable electricity for Americans is realized, while balancing the near-term need to expand energy generation, transmission, distribution, storage, and efficiency.  The U.S. electrical manufacturing industry has invested more than $200 billion in domestic production since 2018, advancing manufacturing of components critical to our national security, economic growth, and energy future. The Executive Order’s emphasis on American-made energy infrastructure also reinforces the importance of industry-led programs like NEMA’s Make It American® program, which helps manufacturers demonstrate and verify their commitment to producing electrical products in the U.S. based on the current Build America, Buy America Act.  NAED supports the goal of securing America’s power grid from proliferating threats and supply-chain vulnerabilities. We look forward to working with the Trump Administration as it develops the rules needed to implement the order. NEMA Supports Securing U.S. Power Grid and Strengthening Domestic Manufacturing – NEMA

Larry Ellison Bet It All on the A.I. Boom. Will He Be the Face of the A.I. Bubble?

William Attardi on July 31, 2026

Inside the 81-year-old billionaire’s risky, debt-fueled scramble to transform his data empire into an A.I. juggernaut. The president announced “the largest A.I. infrastructure project by far in history” and told the world that his friend Larry Ellison was just the man to get it done. “He’s sort of C.E.O. of everything,” Trump said. Ellison began by thanking Trump. “We certainly couldn’t do this without you,” he said. “It would simply be impossible.” He then proceeded to sketch out the ambitious plan. Ellison’s database software and cloud computing company, Oracle, and its partners — most prominently OpenAI — were going to invest as much as $500 billion over the next four years into a group of sprawling data centers, 500,000 square feet each, that would produce 10 gigawatts of computing power, using enough energy to power as many as 10 million homes. It was called Project Stargate, after the 1994 sci-fi movie. The effort began in late 2022 when the launch of ChatGPT stunned the world and set in motion a race to master and control the most transformative new technology since the birth of the internet. Analysts began bidding up how much generative A.I. would add to the global economy: $7 trillion over 10 years, $200 trillion by 2030and so on. Larry Ellison Bet It All on the A.I. Boom. Will He Be the Face of the A.I. Bubble? – The New York Times

Trump Says China Trade, Tariff Deal ‘Done,’ Awaits His and Xi Jinping’s Approval

William Attardi on June 11, 2025

President Trump on Wednesday announced that the deal with China “is done,” and is awaiting his and Chinese President Xi Jinping’s approval. ,” Trump postedon Truth Social.  “OUR DEAL WITH CHINA IS DONE, SUBJECT TO FINAL APPROVAL WITH PRESIDENT XI AND ME. FULL MAGNETS, AND ANY NECESSARY RARE EARTHS, WILL BE SUPPLIED, UP FRONT, BY CHINA. LIKEWISE, WE WILL PROVIDE TO CHINA WHAT WAS AGREED TO, INCLUDING CHINESE STUDENTS USING OUR COLLEGES AND UNIVERSITIES (WHICH HAS ALWAYS BEEN GOOD WITH ME!). WE ARE GETTING A TOTAL OF 55% TARIFFS, CHINA IS GETTING 10%. RELATIONSHIP IS EXCELLENT! THANK YOU FOR YOUR ATTENTION TO THIS MATTER!” Trump says China trade, tariff deal ‘done,’ awaits his and Xi Jinping’s approval | Just The News

Trump Backs Massive Middle East AI Hub to Counter China

William Attardi on May 28, 2025

President Donald Trump has signed off on a major agreement with the United Arab Emirates to build the largest artificial intelligence campus outside the United States. The agreement marks a sharp turn from the Biden-era policy, which limited chip exports to nations seen as too close to China. At the center of the pact is a 10-square-mile AI campus in Abu Dhabi, backed by 5 gigawatts of power—enough to support around 2.5 million of Nvidia’s flagship B200 chips………… The U.S. Commerce Department called the initiative the largest AI infrastructure project to date. UAE state-linked firm G42 will construct the site, but American companies will operate it and provide U.S.-managed cloud services across the region. The White House said the UAE has committed to building or financing equivalent data centers in the U.S., while also aligning its national security policies with American standards.  The project signals a deepening U.S. presence in Middle East tech infrastructure and a possible new chapter in global AI competition.  Trump Backs Massive Middle East AI Hub to Counter China – Newsweek

White House Narrows April 2 Tariffs

William Attardi on March 24, 2025

The White House is narrowing its approach to tariffs set to take effect on April 2, likely omitting a set of industry-specific tariffs while applying reciprocal levies on a targeted set of nations that account for the bulk of foreign trade with the U.S.  President Trump has declared his April 2 deadline to be “Liberation Day” for the U.S., when he will put in place what is called reciprocal tariffs that seek to equalize U.S. tariffs with the duties charged by trading partners, as well as tariffs on sectors like automobiles, pharmaceuticals and semiconductors he repeatedly said would be enacted on that day. The administration is now focusing on applying tariffs to about 15% of nations with persistent trade imbalances with the U.S.  Despite economic concerns and global pushback, Trump reiterated his goal of using tariffs to restore trade balance and economic strength.  White House Narrows April 2 Tariffs – WSJ

Positioning American Energy for the Next Century

William Attardi on February 21, 2025

On February 14, President Donald J. Trump signed an Executive Order establishing the National Energy Dominance Council.

  • The National Energy Dominance Council will be established within the Executive Office of the President, chaired by the Secretary of the Interior Doug Burgum and vice-chaired by the Secretary of Energy Chris Wright, and comprised of members of President Trump’s cabinet and key government agencies.
  • The Council will advise President Trump on strategies to achieve energy dominance by improving the processes for permitting, production, generation, distribution, regulation, and transportation across all forms of American energy.
  • It will recommend a National Energy Dominance Strategy to the President aimed at cutting red tape, enhancing private sector investments, and advancing innovation.

Fact Sheet: President Donald J. Trump Establishes the National Energy Dominance Council – The White House

High-Tech Partnership Invests $500 Billion in AI

William Attardi on January 23, 2025

President Donald Trump on Tuesday talked up a joint venture investing up to $500 billion for infrastructure tied to artificial intelligence by a new partnership formed by Sam Altman of OpenAI, Larry Ellison of Oracle, and Masayoshi Son of SoftBank. The new entity, Stargate, will start building out data centers and the electricity generation needed for the further development of the fast-evolving AI in Texas, according to the White House. The initial investment is expected to be $100 billion and could reach five times that sum. “This will be the most important project of this era,” said Altman, CEO of OpenAI. The White House has put an emphasis on making it easier to build out new electricity generation in anticipation of AI’s expansion, knowing that the United States is in a competitive race against China to develop a technology increasingly being adopted by businesses. High-Tech Partnership Invests $500 Billion in AI – electrifiED

Trump Return Likely to Slow, Not Stop, US Clean-Energy Boom

William Attardi on November 21, 2024

Donald Trump’s return to the White House will refocus the nation’s energy policy onto maximizing oil and gas production and away from fighting climate change, but the Republican win in Tuesday’s presidential election is unlikely to dramatically slow the U.S. renewable energy boom. Renewable energy sources such as solar and wind are the fastest-growing segments on the power grid, according to the Department of Energy, driven by federal tax credits, state renewable-energy mandates, and technology advancements that have lowered their costs. Trump return likely to slow, not stop, US clean-energy boom | Reuters

The Creator of Baby Ruth Actually Sued Babe Ruth –The Baby Ruth candy bar was created by the Curtiss Candy Company in 1920 — the same year that baseball legend Babe Ruth hit a then-record 54 home runs. But the Great Bambino was irked that the company was selling a candy bar with such a similar name to his own without offering him any royalties. Rather than take the Curtiss Candy Company to court, the Sultan of Swat decided to make his own candy bar, and in 1926 he debuted Ruth’s Home Run bar. The Curtiss Candy Company responded by turning the tables and taking Ruth to court. They accused the slugger of trying to steal their trademark and capitalize on the success of their brand. In a 1931 deposition, Curtiss founder Otto Schnering insisted the candy was named after “Baby Ruth” Cleveland — the daughter of President Grover Cleveland.  He also attested that the company came up with the name in 1919 before the baseball player had become a household name and that the name was merely coincidental. While the validity of those claims is disputed to this day, the court nonetheless ruled in favor of the candy company, forcing Ruth to end his foray into the world of candy.