Warnings that data center construction is outrunning compute demand set the tone, while Virginia, California and MEP Nina Carberry pushed chatbot rules for children, Reston residents fought data center noise, and micro1 committed $1 billion to enterprise training data.
The Fed raised rates in September and signaled more to come, landing on households that coverage calls stretched. Yields above 5% fed panic talk and selective bargain hunting, while Warsh's Fed faced questions about whether it can deliver price stability.
Boards, regulators and pension giants like CalPERS and OMERS argued over who should steer portfolios, while Fitch, SLR and Oaktree flagged private credit defaults and weak recoveries, fraud cases widened, and private equity sat on 33,575 unsold companies.