Episode 10: They Never Let Them Rest: Pennhurst Asylum and the AI Data Center Plan

Krissy cracks open a beer and immediately spirals because apparently we’re at a point in society where someone looked at a historic asylum — a site tied to one of the most important disability rights cases in U.S. history — and said, “you know what would look great here? Servers.”Yeah. No. We’re talking about that.This week’s Fuckery Report breaks down AI data centers — what they actually are (hint: not a magical little cloud), why they’re being built everywhere, and the very real costs no one’s talking about: massive water usage, insane energy demands, environmental strain, and communities getting bulldozed for tech infrastructure they don’t even benefit from.Then in The Long Pour, we dive into the full history of Pennhurst Asylum (Pennhurst State School and Hospital) — the overcrowding, the abuse, the lawsuit that went all the way to the Supreme Court, and the fight that helped shape disability rights in America. This isn’t just a “haunted place”… this is a place that mattered. Still matters.And now it’s at risk of being demolished…for an AI data center.On that ground.Be so unbelievably serious.This episode is part history, part rage spiral, and part “how did we learn absolutely nothing.”If you’re feeling a little unwell after this one… good. That means you’re paying attention. Sign the petition to protect Pennhurst:https://www.change.org/p/protect-pennhurst-from-data-center-developmentBecause we can build data centers literally anywhere…but maybe we stop building them on top of places where people already weren’t allowed to rest.Pour one out. This one’s heavy. Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/beer-belly-sports-radio-network--5080802/support.