When Reconstruction ended in the South in 1876, white political leaders moved swiftly to establish what they called a "redemption" — the re-establishment of white supremacist rule. Now, 60 years after the Civil Rights Act, white conservative political leaders are again moving to roll back advances toward racial and sexual equality. Are we in a second "redemption"? We talk about that with Princeton historian Kevin Kruse, who grew up in the South and has studied its political currents in the aftermath of the Civil Rights Movement. He also discusses the lessons — and hopes — provided by the history of resistance and liberation movements in the South. In our news roundup, we look at the explosion of crypto mines and massive AI data centers across the South — often with the enthusiastic support of state and local officials. One operation in Texas is poised to become the first 1-gigwatt crypto mine, using enough energy to power a city of 250,000 homes. And our arts and culture segment checks in on this weekend's Florida Folk Festival — a celebration of the complex state's cultural diversity.

SHOW NOTES

Texas: "The Crypto Racket" Candice Bernd, The Texas Observer "The Real-World Costs of the Digital Race for Bitcoin" The New York Times "Texas Is Running Out of Water" The Texas Tribune "Texas Swelters as Record-Breaking Heat Wave Sweeps State" The Guardian

Memphis: "Boxtown: The Land of Broken Promises" Storyboard Memphis "Pipeline Through the Heart" MLK50 "Memphis Must Reject Elon Musk's xAI Project" Tennessee Lookout "Elon Musk's xAI Buys One Million Sq. Ft. Site for Second Memphis Data Center" Data Center Dynamics "Elon Musk's xAI Powering Its Facility in Memphis with 'Ilegal' Generators" The Guardian "Elon Musk's xAI Accused of Pollution Over Memphis Supercomputer" The Guardian "'How Come I Can't Breathe?'" Politico

Other States: "Blackstone's Data-Center Ambitions School a City on AI Power Strains" Bloomberg "Amazon's AWS to invest $11 bln in Georgia to boost AI infrastructure development" Reuters "Texas may put restraints on new big businesses hoping to tap into the energy grid" The Texas Tribune

Florida Folk Festival: Florida Folk Festival: History

CONTACT: Jesse Mayshark [email protected] (865) 214-7764