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Tag: Legislation

  • House Is Voting on a Defense Bill to Raise Troop Pay and Overhaul Weapons Purchases

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    WASHINGTON (AP) — The House was headed toward a final vote Wednesday on a sweeping defense bill that authorizes $900 billion in military programs, including a pay raise for troops and an overhaul of how the Department of Defense buys weapons.

    The annual National Defense Authorization Act typically gains bipartisan backing, and the White House has signaled “strong support” for the must-pass legislation, saying it is in line with Trump’s national security agenda. Yet tucked into the over-3,000-page bill are several measures that push back against the Department of Defense, including a demand for more information on boat strikes in the Caribbean and support for allies in Europe, such as Ukraine.

    Overall, the sweeping bill calls for a 3.8% pay raise for many military members as well as housing and facility improvements on military bases. It also strikes a compromise between the political parties — cutting climate and diversity efforts in line with Trump’s agenda, while also boosting congressional oversight of the Pentagon and repealing several old war authorizations. Still, hard-line conservatives said they were frustrated that the bill does not do more to cut U.S. commitments overseas.

    “We need a ready, capable and lethal fighting force because the threats to our nation, especially those from China, are more complex and challenging than at any point in the last 40 years,” said Rep. Mike Rogers, the GOP chair of the House Armed Services Committee.

    Lawmakers overseeing the military said the bill would change how the Pentagon buys weapons, with an emphasis on speed after years of delay by the defense industry. It’s also a key priority for Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth. Rep. Adam Smith, the top Democrat on the armed services panel, called the bill “the most ambitious swing at acquisition reform that we’ve taken.”

    Smith lamented that the bill does not do as much as Democrats would like to rein in the Trump administration but called it “a step in the right direction towards reasserting the authority of Congress.”

    “The biggest concern I have is that the Pentagon, being run by Secretary Hegseth and by President Trump, is simply not accountable to Congress or accountable to the law,” he said.

    The legislation next heads to the Senate, where leaders are working to pass the bill before lawmakers depart Washington for a holiday break.

    Several senators on both sides of the aisle have criticized the bill for not doing enough to restrict military flights over Washington. They had pushed for reforms after a midair collision this year between an Army helicopter and a jetliner killed all 67 people aboard the two aircraft near Washington’s Ronald Reagan National Airport. The National Transportation Safety Board has also voiced opposition to that section of the bill.

    Here’s what the defense bill does as it makes its way through Congress.


    Boat strike videos and congressional oversight

    Lawmakers included a provision that would cut Hegseth’s travel budget by a quarter until the Pentagon provides Congress with unedited video of the strikes against alleged drug boats near Venezuela. Lawmakers are asserting their oversight role after a Sept. 2 strike where the U.S. military fired on two survivors who were holding on to a boat that had partially been destroyed.

    The bill also demands that Hegseth allow Congress to review the orders for the strikes.


    Reaffirm commitments to Europe and Korea

    Trump’s ongoing support for Ukraine and other allies in Eastern Europe has been under doubt over the last year, but lawmakers included several positions meant to keep up U.S. support for countering Russian aggression in the region.

    The defense bill requires the Pentagon to keep at least 76,000 troops and major equipment stationed in Europe unless NATO allies are consulted and there is a determination that such a withdrawal is in U.S. interests. Around 80,000 to 100,000 U.S. troops are usually present on European soil. It also authorizes $400 million for each of the next two years to manufacture weapons to be sent to Ukraine.

    Additionally, there is a provision to keep U.S. troops stationed in South Korea, setting the minimum requirement at 28,500.


    Cuts to climate and diversity initiatives

    The bill makes $1.6 billion in cuts to climate change-related spending, the House Armed Services Committee said. U.S. military assessments have long found that climate change is a threat to national security, with bases being pummeled by hurricanes or routinely flooded.

    The bill also would save $40 million by repealing diversity, equity and inclusion offices, programs and trainings, the committee said. The position of chief diversity officer would be cut, for example.


    Iraq War resolution repeal

    Congress is putting an official end to the war in Iraq by repealing the authorization for the 2003 invasion. Supporters in both the House and Senate say the repeal is crucial to prevent future abuses and to reinforce that Iraq is now a strategic partner of the U.S.

    The 2002 resolution has been rarely used in recent years. But the first Trump administration cited it as part of its legal justification for a 2020 U.S. drone strike that killed Iranian Gen. Qassim Suleimani.


    Lifting final Syria sanctions

    Lawmakers imposed economically crippling sanctions on the country in 2019 to punish former leader Bashar Assad for human rights abuses during the nearly 14-year civil war. After Syrian President Ahmed al-Sharaa led a successful insurgency to depose Assad, he is seeking to rebuild his nation’s economy.

    Advocates of a permanent repeal have said international companies are unlikely to invest in projects needed for the country’s reconstruction as long as there is a threat of sanctions returning.

    Democrats criticized Johnson for stripping a provision from the bill to expand coverage of in vitro fertilization for active duty personnel. An earlier version covered the medical procedure, known as IVF, which helps people facing infertility have children.

    Copyright 2025 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

    Photos You Should See – December 2025

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  • In first year in Senate, Schiff pushes legislation, party message and challenges to Trump

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    Five months after joining the U.S. Senate, Adam Schiff delivered a floor speech on what he called “the top 10 deals for Donald Trump and the worst deals for the American people.”

    Schiff spoke of Trump and his family getting rich off cryptocurrency and cutting new development deals across the Middle East, and of the president accepting a free jet from the Qatari government. Meanwhile, he said, average Americans were losing their healthcare, getting priced out of the housing market and having to “choose between rent or groceries.”

    “Trump gets rich. You get screwed,” the Democrat said.

    The speech was classic Schiff — an attempt by the former prosecutor to wrangle a complex set of graft allegations against Trump and his orbit into a single, cohesive corruption case against the president, all while serving up his own party’s preferred messaging on rising costs and the lack of affordability.

    It was also a prime example of the tack Schiff has taken since being sworn in one year ago to finish the final term of the late Sen. Dianne Feinstein, a titan of California politics who held the seat for more than 30 years before dying in office in 2023.

    Schiff — now serving his own six-year term — has remained the unblinking antagonist to Trump that many Californians elected him to be after watching him dog the president from the U.S. House during Trump’s first term in the White House. He’s also continued to serve as one of the Democratic Party’s most talented if slightly cerebral messengers, hammering Trump over his alleged abuses of power and the lagging economy, which has become one of the president’s biggest liabilities.

    Schiff has done so while also defending himself against Trump’s accusations that he committed mortgage fraud on years-old loan documents; responding to the devastating wildfires that ripped through the Los Angeles region in January; visiting 25 of California’s 58 counties to meet more of his nearly 40 million constituents; grilling Trump appointees as a member of the Senate Judiciary Committee; and struggling to pass legislation as a minority member of a profoundly dysfunctional Congress that recently allowed for the longest federal government shutdown in U.S. history.

    It’s been an unusual and busy freshman year, attracting sharp criticism from the White House but high praise from his allies.

    “Pencil Neck Shifty Schiff clearly suffers from a severe case of Trump Derangement Syndrome that clouds his every thought,” said Abigail Jackson, a White House spokesperson. “It’s too bad for Californians that Pencil Neck is more focused on his hatred of the President than he is on the issues that matter to them.”

    “He’s been great for California,” said Rep. Robert Garcia of Long Beach, ranking Democrat on the House Oversight and Government Reform Committee who endorsed Schiff’s opponent, former Rep. Katie Porter, in the Senate primary. “He’s not afraid of taking on Trump, he’s not afraid of doing tough oversight, he’s not afraid of asking questions, and it’s clear that Donald Trump is scared of Adam Schiff.”

    “While he may be a freshman in the Senate,” said Sen. Alex Padilla (D-Calif.), “he’s certainly no rookie.”

    Attempts to legislate

    Before he became known nationally for helping to lead Trump’s first-term impeachments and investigate the Jan. 6 storming of the U.S. Capitol by Trump’s supporters, Schiff was known as a serious legislator. Since joining the Senate, he has tried to reclaim that reputation.

    He has introduced bills to strengthen homes against wildfires and other natural disasters, give tax relief to Los Angeles fire victims, strengthen California’s fire-crippled insurance market, study AI’s impact on the American workforce, reinstate a national assault weapons ban and expand federal tax credits for affordable housing.

    He has also introduced bills to end Trump’s tariffs, rein in the powers of the executive branch, halt the president and other elected officials from getting rich off cryptocurrencies, and end the White House-directed bombing campaign on alleged drug boats in the Caribbean.

    None of that legislation has passed.

    Schiff said he’s aware that putting his name on legislation might diminish its chances of gaining support, and at times he has intentionally taken a back seat on bills he’s worked on — he wouldn’t say which — to give them a better shot of advancing. But he said he also believes Democrats need to “point out what they’re for” to voters more often, and is proud to have put his name on bills that are important to him and he believes will bring down costs for Californians.

    As an example, he said his recent Housing BOOM (Building Occupancy Opportunity for Millions) Act is about building “millions of new homes across America, like we did after World War II, that are affordable for working families,” and is worth pushing even if Republicans resist it.

    “As we saw with the healthcare debate, when Republicans aren’t acting to bring costs down, when they’re doing things that make costs go up instead, we can force them to respond by putting forward our own proposals to move the country forward,” he said. “If Republicans continue to be tone deaf to the needs of the American people, with President Trump calling the affordability issue a hoax, then they’re gonna get the same kind of shellacking that they did in the election last month.”

    Rep. Nancy Pelosi (D-San Francisco), a staunch ally, called Schiff a “legislative genius” who is “giving people hope” with his bills, which could pass if Democrats win back the House next year.

    “He has a vision for our country. He has knowledge of issues par excellence from all of the years that he’s served. He’s a strategic thinker,” she said. “I wouldn’t question how he decides to take up a bill just because what’s-his-name’s in the White House.”

    Mike Madrid, a Republican consultant, said Schiff’s prominent position on Trump’s enemies list of course hurts his chances of passing legislation, but the hyper-partisan nature of Congress means his chances weren’t great to begin with.

    Meanwhile, being seen as working for solutions clearly serves him and his party well, Madrid said, adding, “He’s probably accomplishing more socially than he ever could legislatively.”

    Criticism and praise

    For months, Trump and his administration have been accusing several prominent Democrats of mortgage-related crimes. Trump has accused Schiff of mortgage fraud for claiming primary residency in both California and Maryland, which Schiff denies.

    So far, nothing has come of it. Schiff said that he has not been interviewed by federal prosecutors, who are reportedly skeptical of the case, and that he doesn’t know anything about it other than that it is “a broad effort to silence and intimidate the president’s critics.”

    Schiff’s supporters and other political observers in the state either ignored the issue when asked about Schiff’s first year, were dismissive of it or said they saw it as a potential asset for the senator.

    “Adam Schiff is a person of great integrity, and people know that,” Pelosi said.

    “Probably one of the best things that could happen to Schiff is if Trump actually goaded the [Justice Department] to charge him for mortgage fraud, and then for the case to be thrown out in court,” said Garry South, a veteran Democratic strategist — noting that is what happened with a similar case brought against New York Atty. Gen. Letitia James.

    “He’s really benefited from having Trump put a target on his back,” South said. “In California, that’s not a death knell, that’s a life force.”

    Sen. John Boozman (R-Ark.), who chairs the Senate Agriculture, Nutrition and Forestry Committee, which Schiff sits on, said California represents a big part of the nation’s agriculture industry and having Schiff on the committee “is a good thing not just for California, but for our overall efforts to support farmers and producers nationwide.”

    “I have known Sen. Schiff since we served in the House together, and we are both committed to advocating farmers’ and rural America’s needs in a bipartisan way,” Boozman said. “We look forward to more opportunities to advance these goals together.”

    Sen. Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa), who chairs the Judiciary Committee, has “a cordial, professional relationship” with Schiff, a spokesperson said.

    Corrin Rankin, chairwoman of the California Republican Party, declined to comment. Riverside Sheriff Chad Bianco, the leading Republican in the race for governor, did not respond to a request for comment.

    Looking ahead

    What comes next for Schiff will depend in part on whether Democrats win back a majority in Congress. But people on both sides of the political aisle said they expect big things from him regardless.

    Garcia said Schiff will be “at the center of holding the Trump administration accountable” no matter what happens. “Obviously, in the majority, we’re going to have the ability to subpoena, and to hold hearings, and to hold the administration accountable in a way that we don’t have now, but even in the minority, I think you see Adam’s strong voice pretty constant.”

    Kevin Spillane, a veteran GOP strategist, said he doesn’t make much of Schiff’s economic messaging because voters in California know that Democrats have caused the state’s affordability crisis by raising taxes and imposing endless regulations.

    But Schiff is already “the second-most important Democrat in California” after Newsom, he said, and his hammering on affordability could propel him even further if voters start to see him as working toward solutions.

    Rob Stutzman, another Republican consultant, said he can see Schiff in coming years “ascend to the Feinstein role” of “the caretaker of California in the U.S. Congress” — someone with “the ability to broker deals” on hugely important issues such as water and infrastructure. But to do so, Stutzman said, Schiff “needs to extract himself from the political meme of being a Trump antagonist.”

    Schiff said he knew heading to the Senate as Trump returned to the White House that he would be dividing his time “between delivering for California and fighting the worst of the Trump policies.” But his efforts to fix the economy and his efforts to resist Trump are not at odds, he said, but deeply intertwined.

    “When people feel like the quality of life their parents had was better, and the future for their kids looks like it’s even more in doubt, all too many are ready to entertain any demagogue who comes along promising they alone can fix it. They start to question whether democracy really works,” he said. “So I don’t think we’re going to put our democracy on a solid footing until we have our economy on a solid footing.”

    Times staff writer Ana Ceballos in Washington contributed to this report.

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  • Epstein’s accusers grapple with complex emotions about promised release of Justice Department files

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    For Marina Lacerda, the upcoming publication of U.S. government files on Jeffrey Epstein represent more than an opportunity for justice: Lacerda says she was just 14 when Epstein started sexually abusing her at his New York mansion, but she struggles to recall much of what happened because it is such a dark period in her life.

    Now, she’s hoping that the files will reveal more about the trauma that distorted so much of her adolescence.

    “I feel that the government and the FBI knows more than I do, and that scares me, because it’s my life, it’s my past,” she told The Associated Press.

    President Donald Trump signed legislation Wednesday that will force the Justice Department to release documents from its voluminous files on Epstein.

    “We have waited long enough. We’ve fought long enough,” Lacerda said.

    It isn’t clear yet how much new information will be in the files, gathered over two decades of investigations into Epstein’s alleged sexual abuse of many girls and women.

    Some of his accusers expect the files to provide a level of transparency they had hardly allowed themselves to believe would materialize, but the release of the documents will be a more complicated moment for others.

    The FBI and police in Palm Beach, Florida, began investigating Epstein in the mid-2000s after several underage girls said he had paid them for sex acts. He pleaded guilty in 2008 to charges including procuring a minor for prostitution, but a secret deal with the U.S. attorney in Florida allowed him to avoid a federal prosecution. He served little more than a year in custody.

    Jena-Lisa Jones says she was abused by Epstein in Palm Beach, in 2002, when she was 14. She did not report the abuse to the police at the time, but she later became one of many accusers to sue the multimillionaire.

    The Miami Herald published a series of articles about Epstein in 2018 that exposed new details about how the federal prosecution was shelved. A year later, federal prosecutors in New York, where Epstein owned a mansion, revived the case and charged him with sex-trafficking

    Jones said she was interviewed during that federal investigation and was prepared to testify in court.

    “It was very important for me to have my moment, for him to see my face and hear my words, and me have that control and power back,” Jones said.

    But that day never came.

    Epstein killed himself in a federal jail cell in New York City in August 2019.

    In lieu of her day in court, Jones and others are hoping for a public reckoning with the publication of the government files on Epstein.

    While the government only ever charged two people — Epstein and his longtime confidante Ghislaine Maxwell — in connection with the alleged abuse, at least one of Epstein’s accusers has claimed she was instructed to have sex with other rich and powerful men.

    Jones didn’t make similar claims but said she believes the documents could map out a “broad scheme” involving others.

    “I’m hoping they’re shaking a little bit and that they have what’s coming for them,” Jones said.

    Lacerda, now 37, is also hoping the files will clarify her own personal experience, which is muddled by the pain she said she endured at that time in her life.

    “I was just a child and it’s just trauma. That’s what trauma does to your brain,” Lacerda said.

    An immigrant from Brazil, Lacerda said she was working three jobs to support herself and her family the summer before 9th grade when a friend said she could make $300 if she gave Epstein massages.

    The first time she massaged Epstein, he told her to remove her shirt, she said.

    Lacerda said she was soon spending so much time working for Epstein that she dropped out of school. The sexual abuse persisted until she turned 17, when Epstein informed her that she was “too old,” she said.

    Lacerda wondered whether the files might include videos and photographs of her and other victims at Epstein’s properties.

    “I need to know — for my healing process and for the adult in me — what I did as a child,” Lacerda said. “It will be re-traumatizing, but it’s transparency — and I need it,” she said.

    For Lacerda, the elation around the upcoming release of the files gave way to familiar feelings for many women who survive abuse: fear and paranoia.

    “In the heat of the moment, we were like, ‘wow, this is like, everything that we’ve been fighting for.’ And then we had to take a moment and be like, ‘Wait a minute. Why is he releasing the files all of a sudden?’” Lacerda said.

    The abrupt change in the political momentum made her uneasy. She wondered if the documents would be doctored or redacted to protect people connected to Epstein.

    Others echoed her concerns, and wondered if the government would sufficiently protect victims who have remained anonymous, who fear scrutiny and harassment if their names were to become public.

    “For the rest of my life, I will never truly trust the government because of what they’ve done to us,” Jones said.

    Haley Robson, who says she was abused by Epstein when she was 16, has the same concerns.

    Robson was a leading voice in advocating for the Florida legislation signed in 2024 that unsealed the grand jury transcripts from the 2006 state case against Epstein.

    She said the political maneuvering in recent months about the files led to non-stop anxiety — reminiscent of how she felt when she was abused as a teenager.

    “I guess it really comes from the trauma I’ve endured, because this is kind of what Jeffrey Epstein did to us. You know, he wasn’t transparent. He played these manipulation tactics,” she said. “It’s triggering for anybody who’s been in that situation.”

    Still, Robson said she is trying to enjoy the victory while she can.

    “This is the first time since 2006 where I don’t feel like the underdog,” she said.

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  • Republicans hyped the Epstein files for years. Now Trump is under pressure to deliver

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    WASHINGTON — What began as a campaign-trail promise to release the Jeffrey Epstein files has become one of the most fraught tests of President Donald Trump’s second term — opening a rift in his political coalition and raising the stakes for an administration now under intense pressure to produce documents that may fall far short of public expectations.

    The issue came to a head this week. After months of efforts by the Trump administration to quash it, both chambers of Congress passed a measure forcing the release of the Epstein files with near-anonymous support. Trump, who changed course days before the vote to bless the effort, signed the legislation Wednesday, starting a 30-day window for the Justice Department to deliver the records.

    Expectations are sky-high, fueled by years of conspiracy theories promoted by many now in Trump’s orbit. Yet with some claims — such as a rumored “client list” of prominent men linked to Epstein — already deemed nonexistent by federal officials, the anti-establishment coalition Trump built in part by elevating those theories is showing cracks that may widen with the anticipated release.

    “Watching this actually turn into a fight has ripped MAGA apart,” Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene said this week, flanked by Epstein survivors ahead of the House vote.

    “The only thing that will speak to the powerful, courageous women behind me is when action is actually taken to release these files,” said Greene, who announced late Friday that she will resign from Congress in January. “And the American people won’t tolerate any other bulls—-.”

    Epstein’s abuse and 2019 death in a New York jail cell have generated conspiracy theories for years, especially on the political right.

    On the campaign trail, Trump expressed openness to releasing the investigative documents, nodding to anti-establishment demands to open up the government’s files on other high-profile cases like the assassinations of John F. Kennedy and Martin Luther King Jr.

    But once Trump was back in office, divulging records from the federal investigations — as well as satisfying the appetites of conspiracy theorists – became less appealing. Attorney General Pam Bondi raised expectations of a full release, only to reverse course over the summer. Her attempt to close the book on the Epstein saga outraged many on the right.

    It was the first sign of a rift in Trump’s coalition, and Democrats took notice.

    In Congress, they began looking for ways to force Republicans to take votes on releasing the Epstein files. Eventually, they found traction with two tracks: initiating an investigation in the House Oversight Committee and putting full support behind a rarely successful petition that maneuvers around the House speaker’s control of which bills see the floor.

    The Democratic effort — joined by a few key Republicans, including Greene — culminated last week in passage of the bill with overwhelming support from both chambers of Congress. It was a sign that the Epstein files had risen from the realm of obscure conspiracy theorists to a political force that neither political party could deny.

    Still, it’s not clear whether the complete files will be released — or that the public interest in them will ever be satisfied.

    At a Tuesday press conference ahead of the House vote, the bill’s sponsors — Democratic Rep. Ro Khanna and Republican Rep. Thomas Massie — joined Greene and several Epstein survivors in warning the administration not to hold anything back.

    “The real test will be whether the Department of Justice releases the files, or whether it all remains tied up in investigations,” Greene said, adding that whether a list of names is released “will be the real test.”

    While Bondi in February said on Fox News that an Epstein “client list” was “sitting on my desk right now to review,” her department has since reversed course, saying such a list doesn’t exist. In a letter this July, the Justice Department said its review uncovered no incriminating “client list.”

    It’s one example of how the Trump administration helped build hype for the release of files — and a reminder of the political danger in being unable to deliver the material his coalition has long believed is hidden.

    Before Congress got involved, tens of thousands of pages of records were released over the years through civil lawsuits, Epstein and Maxwell’s public criminal case dockets, public disclosures and Freedom of Information Act requests.

    Lawmakers believe there are reams more of documents, but they have received little indication that the Department of Justice is ready to put out that information despite a subpoena from the House Oversight Committee that was issued in August.

    Khanna said he still has concerns about how fully the administration will comply, but he believes passage of the bill — and the possibility of contempt of Congress — gives lawmakers leverage. He declined to speculate about who might appear in the files but said he expects whistleblowers to emerge if anything is withheld.

    “The president has realized, as Marjorie Taylor Greene said, that this is splitting his MAGA base,” Khanna said.

    “It would be foolish for him to have a drip, drip, drip fight. I mean, if he wants to fight over Epstein the remainder of his presidency, I suppose we can. But that’s not really smart.”

    Khanna, a Silicon Valley progressive with aspirations for higher office, hopes the Epstein fight will evolve into a broader movement, describing it as a modern version of President Franklin D. Roosevelt’s “forgotten class against the economic royalists.”

    “This is a forgotten America against the Epstein class,” Khanna said in an interview.

    “There’s a real anger at an elite that people think are out of touch and taking away control over the lives,” he added.

    As Democrats look for ways to reconnect with working-class voters, Khanna thinks the party should pursue causes like the Epstein files. He has already begun discussions with Massie, Greene and others about teaming up again.

    “This crack,” Khanna said of the Epstein vote, is the “answer to taking on Trump.”

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  • Congress agrees to publicly release Epstein files

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    WASHINGTON — Both the House and Senate acted decisively Tuesday to pass a bill to force the Justice Department to publicly release its files on the convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein, a remarkable display of approval for an effort that had struggled for months to overcome opposition from President Donald Trump and Republican leadership.

    When a small, bipartisan group of House lawmakers introduced a petition in July to maneuver around House Speaker Mike Johnson’s control of which bills reach the House floor, it appeared a longshot effort — especially as Trump urged his supporters to dismiss the matter as a “hoax.”

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    Copyright 2025 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed without permission.

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  • Judge Orders New Alabama Senate Map After Ruling Found Racial Gerrymandering

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    MONTGOMERY, Ala. (AP) — A federal judge has ordered Alabama to use a new state Senate map in upcoming legislative elections after ruling that districts drawn by lawmakers illegally diluted the voting power of Black residents in the state’s capital city.

    U.S. District Judge Anna Manasco, appointed by President Donald Trump during his first term, issued the ruling Monday putting a new court-selected map in place for the 2026 and 2030 elections. Manasco ruled in August that the state had violated the Voting Rights Act by “packing” Black voters into Montgomery’s Senate District 26 to limit their influence elsewhere. Manasco selected one of three proposed plans drawn by a court-appointed expert.

    “The Court orders the use of a remedial map that was prepared race-blind and affords Black voters in the Montgomery area an equal opportunity, but certainly not a guarantee, to elect Senators of their choice,” Manasco wrote.

    The order came from a 2021 lawsuit that argued the Alabama Senate district lines diluted the voting strength of Black citizens in Montgomery. The lawsuit maintained that in Montgomery, Black voters were unnecessarily packed into a single district, preventing them from influencing elections elsewhere, while white voters in the majority-Black city of Montgomery were “surgically” extracted into a neighboring district.

    The selected map adjusts two Montgomery-area districts — District 26, now represented by Democratic Sen. Kirk Hatcher, and District 25, now represented by Republican Sen. Will Barfoot. Manasco said the remedial plan “unpacks District 26 by moving some Black voters from District 26 into the adjacent District 25.”

    Court-appointed special master Richard Allen had cautioned in an earlier court filing that the plan only “weakly remedies” the Voting Rights Act violation. Manasco wrote the plan does enough to fix the violation while leaving most voters and district lines untouched.

    The civil rights groups that had filed the lawsuit that led to the redistricting order had objected to the selected plan. Lawyers for plaintiffs said the plan creates an opportunity district in Senate District 25 “at the expense of the existing opportunity in SD26.”

    “Although in Plan 3 Black-preferred candidates win around 89% of the time in SD25, such candidates win less than 50% of the time in SD26,” lawyers for plaintiffs wrote in an Oct. 31 court filing. They added that the analysis of past elections showed that Black candidates “almost never win in SD26.”

    Alabama Secretary of State Wes Allen had also objected to the selected plan.

    The ruling will not change the partisan power balance in the Alabama Senate, where Republicans hold 27 of the 35 seats.

    Manasco had given Alabama lawmakers an opportunity to draw a new map, but Gov. Kay Ivey declined to call lawmakers into special session.

    Copyright 2025 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

    Photos You Should See – Nov. 2025

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  • Pennsylvania bill seeks to legalize flying cars

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    Pennsylvania may soon join the few states ready to welcome flying cars. State Sen. Marty Flynn from the 22nd District has reintroduced Senate Bill 1077, also known as the Jetsons Act, during the 2025-2026 Regular Session.

    The proposal amends Title 75 of the Pennsylvania Consolidated Statutes, creating a new legal category for roadable aircraft. These vehicles would have the unique ability to operate both on public roads as motor vehicles and in the air as aircraft.

    The legislation was referred to the Senate Transportation Committee on Nov. 5, 2025. Although a similar version failed to pass last session, Flynn remains committed to positioning Pennsylvania as a leader in advanced transportation technology. He believes that laying the groundwork now will allow the state to adapt quickly when these vehicles become commercially viable.

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    THE WORLD’S FIRST FLYING CAR IS READY FOR TAKEOFF

    Lawmakers hope clear rules today will make tomorrow’s skyways as safe as the highways below. (Rachel Wisniewski/Bloomberg via Getty Images)

    Why this bill matters

    Technology is advancing faster than most laws can keep up. The rise of advanced air mobility is blurring the line between cars and aircraft.

    Several companies, including Alef Aeronautics, Samson Sky and CycloTech, are developing vehicles that can take off vertically or transform from cars to small aircraft within minutes.

    Some states are already laying the groundwork for this new era. Minnesota and New Hampshire have passed legislation formally recognizing “roadable aircraft,” making them the first states to treat flying cars as both vehicles and aircraft under state law. Pennsylvania now hopes to follow their lead with its own version through Senator Marty Flynn’s Jetsons Act.

    At the same time, the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) has begun approving real-world tests. In 2023, the FAA granted a Special Airworthiness Certificate to SpaceX-backed Alef Aeronautics for its Model A prototype, allowing it to operate on roads and in the air for research and development. That approval marked the first time a flying car received official clearance for combined ground and flight testing in the United States.

    Senator Flynn wants Pennsylvania to be part of this growing national conversation. In his co-sponsorship memo, he explained that proactive legislation will help the state prepare for the next wave of innovation.

    WOULD YOU BUY THE WORLD’S FIRST PERSONAL ROBOCAR?

    An Alef flying car in a showroom

    The Alef flying car is made of ultra light material, allowing it to fly and drive on roads. (Alef Aeronautics)

    How the Jetsons Act would work

    Under Senate Bill 1077, Pennsylvania would officially define a “roadable aircraft” as a hybrid vehicle capable of both driving and flying. These vehicles would need to register with the state, display a unique registration plate and meet standard inspection requirements. When operated on highways or city streets, they would be subject to the same rules as other vehicles. When used in flight, they would remain under federal aviation oversight.

    The bill also clarifies how drivers and pilots must transition between ground and air operations safely. It allows take-offs and landings only in approved areas, except during emergencies. Flynn emphasizes that clear definitions and consistent oversight will prevent confusion for both motorists and law enforcement. He hopes this clarity will also encourage manufacturers to consider Pennsylvania a test site for future flying car technologies.

    CHINESE AUTO GIANT WANTS TO MAKE FLYING CARS YOUR NEXT COMMUTE OPTION

    A CycloTech flying car

    Pennsylvania’s Jetsons Act aims to prepare the state for the future of flying cars before they take off. (CycloTech)

    What this means for you

    If you live in Pennsylvania, this bill could one day change how you think about personal transportation. While flying cars remain in development, legislation like this sets the stage for their eventual arrival. Drivers may one day register, inspect and insure a flying car just like a regular vehicle. Pilots could use the same roadways to reach take-off zones before switching to flight mode.

    Even for residents who never plan to own a flying car, the ripple effects could be significant. New rules may influence local zoning, airspace management and infrastructure planning. Communities might see new vertiports or designated landing pads as part of urban development. Insurance companies and safety regulators will need to rethink how they handle this new class of hybrid travel.

    The bill also signals a broader change in how states approach innovation. Rather than waiting for federal action, Pennsylvania wants to establish a framework that welcomes new technologies while protecting public safety.

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    Kurt’s key takeaways

    Senator Flynn’s Jetsons Act might sound futuristic, but it reflects a growing reality in transportation. As autonomous vehicles, drones and hybrid aircraft evolve, state governments must adapt to keep up. This legislation shows Pennsylvania’s willingness to lead rather than follow. While it may take years before you see a flying car parked in your driveway, the groundwork is already being laid. Lawmakers are thinking ahead about licensing, safety and how to integrate flying cars into existing traffic systems. That forward-thinking approach could one day make Pennsylvania one of the first states to see cars take to the sky.

    Do you think flying cars will ever be for everyday folks, or will they stay a luxury reserved for the wealthy? Let us know by writing to us at Cyberguy.com.

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    Copyright 2025 CyberGuy.com. All rights reserved.

    Kurt “CyberGuy” Knutsson is an award-winning tech journalist who has a deep love of technology, gear and gadgets that make life better with his contributions for Fox News & FOX Business beginning mornings on “FOX & Friends.” Got a tech question? Get Kurt’s free CyberGuy Newsletter, share your voice, a story idea or comment at CyberGuy.com.

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  • Nevada Governor Calls Special Session to Consider Criminal Reform, Other Proposals

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    CARSON CITY, Nev. (AP) — Nevada Gov. Joe Lombardo has called lawmakers back for a special session to consider a long list of legislation, including a sweeping criminal reform proposal and a plan to bring film studios to Southern Nevada.

    The Republican governor announced the special session Wednesday evening, saying it will begin Thursday morning in Carson City. As the governor, Lombardo has full control on what is heard on a special session agenda, though the Democratic-majority Legislature ultimately influences what succeeds and what fails.

    “Nevadans deserve action now -– not years from now -– on legislation that implements critical public safety measures, expands healthcare access, and supports good-paying jobs,” Lombardo said in statement announcing the session. “By calling this special session, we are reaffirming our responsibility to act decisively and deliver meaningful results for the people of Nevada.”

    The announcement comes about five months after the Legislature concluded its regular session, which is held every other year. Lawmakers rushed to take action on bills in the waning hours of the session that ended June 3, but major bills didn’t make it across the finish line, including the governor’s sweeping crime legislation and a proposal to expand tax incentives in order to lure movie studios to Las Vegas.

    Lombardo last called a special session in June 2023 to approve public funding for the Athletics’ Las Vegas ballpark, which is under active construction and anticipated to be complete by the 2028 Major League Baseball season.

    Lawmakers will discuss the governor’s far-reaching crime bill, known as the Safe Streets and Neighborhoods Act, which would impose stricter penalties for DUIs and other offenses, including assault and battery against hospitality workers. It would also renew a now-defunct Resort Corridor Court to handle certain crimes originating from the Strip.

    The Legislature will also consider cybersecurity legislation to establish a security operations center after the state grappled with a massive cyberattack that affected state services for weeks.


    Another go at expanded film tax incentives

    Also on the special session agenda is a proposal to offer $95 million in tax credits to Sony Pictures Entertainment and Warner Bros. Discovery for a new film production facility in the Vegas suburbs, as well as $25 million in credits to be available for productions elsewhere in the state.

    Lombardo’s adding the proposal comes after more than a dozen labor unions launched a campaign in support of renewing the effort.

    If lawmakers successfully move the bill forward this time, Las Vegas would be competing with cities like Atlanta, where the film industry has boomed for more than a decade thanks to a far more generous tax break. California, meanwhile, recently revamped its own tax incentive programs to combat a multiyear downward trend in Hollywood film production.

    Some trade unions were in support of the proposal -– arguing the creation of film studios would bring more jobs and bring a much needed boost to Las Vegas’ tourism and economy -– while the state employee union were outspoken in its opposition.

    The state chapter of the American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees called the proposal “fiscally irresponsible and politically indefensible” and said it would only generate $0.52 in tax revenue for every $1 in credit.

    Copyright 2025 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

    Photos You Should See – Oct. 2025

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  • Speaker faces unruly House as lawmakers return for shutdown vote

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    WASHINGTON — After refusing to convene the U.S. House during the government shutdown, Speaker Mike Johnson is recalling lawmakers back into session — and facing an avalanche of pent-up legislative demands from those who have largely been sidelined from governing.

    Hundreds of representatives are preparing to return Wednesday to Washington after a nearly eight-week absence, carrying a torrent of ideas, proposals and frustrations over work that has stalled when the Republican speaker shuttered the House doors nearly two months ago.


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    kAmy@9?D@?’D C67FD2= E@ DH62C:? vC:;2=G2 😀 2 C6>2C<23=6 7=6I @7 E96 DA62<6C’D A@H6C[ =625:?8 E@ 4@>A2C:D@?D H:E9 $6?2E6 v~! {6256C |:E49 |4r@??6==’D 564:D:@? ?@E E@ 4@?D:56C !C6D:56?E q2C24< ~32>2’D $FAC6>6 r@FCE ?@>:?66[ D2:5 s2G:5 #2A2==@[ 2? 2DD@4:2E6 AC@76DD@C 2?5 5:C64E@C @7 E96 u656C2= {68:D=2E:@? r=:?:4 2E v6@C86E@H? &?:G6CD:EJ {2H r6?E6C] pC:K@?2 92D k2 9C67lQ9EEADi^^2A?6HD]4@>^2CE:4=6^256=:E28C:;2=G2DH62C:?4@?8C6DD6ADE6:?7:=6D2563h6f_caa_3ed4h26`bh6ddf4fabg`QmDF65k^2m E@ D62E 96C]k^Am

    Copyright 2025 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed without permission.

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    By LISA MASCARO – AP Congressional Correspondent

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  • Republicans take a victory lap as House gathers to end shutdown

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    WASHINGTON — President Trump and Republican lawmakers took a victory lap on Tuesday after securing bipartisan support to reopen the government, ending the longest shutdown in U.S. history without ceding ground to any core Democratic demands.

    House members were converging on Washington for a final vote expected as early as Wednesday, after 60 senators — including seven Democrats and an independent — advanced the measure on Monday night. Most Democratic lawmakers in the House are expected to oppose the continuing resolution, which does not include an extension of Affordable Care Act tax credits that had been a central demand during the shutdown negotiations.

    The result, according to independent analysts, is that premiums will more than double on average for more than 20 million Americans who use the healthcare marketplace, rising from an average of $888 to $1,904 for out-of-pocket payments annually, according to KFF.

    Democrats in the Senate who voted to reopen the government said they had secured a promise from Majority Leader John Thune, a Republican from South Dakota, that they would get a vote on extending the tax credits next month.

    But the vote is likely to fail down party lines. And even if it earned some Republican support, House Speaker Mike Johnson, a Republican from Louisiana, has made no promises he would give the measure a vote in the lower chamber.

    An end to the shutdown comes at a crucial time for the U.S. aviation industry ahead of one of the busiest travel seasons around the Thanksgiving holiday. The prolonged closure of the federal government led federal employees in the sector to call out sick in large numbers, prompting an unprecedented directive from the Federation Aviation Administration that slowed operations at the nation’s biggest airports.

    Lawmakers are racing to vote before federal employees working in aviation safety miss yet another paycheck this week, potentially extending frustration within their ranks and causing further delays at airports entering the upcoming holiday week.

    It will be the first time the House conducts legislative work in over 50 days, a marathon stretch that has resulted in a backlog of work for lawmakers on a wide range of issues, from appropriations and stock trading regulations to a discharge petition calling for the release of files in the Jeffrey Epstein investigation.

    “We look forward to the government reopening this week so Congress can get back to our regular legislative session,” Johnson told reporters Monday. “There will be long days and long nights here for the foreseeable future to make up for all this lost time that was imposed upon us.”

    To reopen the government, the spending package needs to pass the House, where Republicans hold a slim majority and Democrats have vowed to vote against a deal that does not address healthcare costs.

    Still, Trump and Republican leaders believe they have enough votes to push it through the chamber and reopen the government later in the week.

    Trump has called the spending package a “very good” deal and has indicated that he will sign it once it gets to his desk.

    At a Veterans Day event on Tuesday, Trump thanked Thune and Johnson for their work on their work to reopen the government. Johnson was in the crowd listening to Trump’s remarks.

    “Congratulations to you and to John and to everybody on a very big victory,” Trump said in a speech at Arlington National Cemetery. “We are opening back our country. It should’ve never been closed.”

    While Trump lauded the measure as a done deal, House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries, the top Democrat in the chamber, said his party would still try to delay or tank the legislation with whatever tools it had left.

    “House Democrats will strongly oppose any legislation that does not decisively address the Republican healthcare crisis,” Jeffries said in a CNN interview Tuesday morning.

    Just like in the Senate, California Democrats in the House are expected to vote against the shutdown deal because it does not address the expiring healthcare subsidies.

    Rep. Nancy Pelosi said the shutdown deal reached in the Senate “fails to meet the needs of America’s working families” and said she stood with House Democratic leaders in opposing the legislation.

    “We must continue to fight for a responsible, bipartisan path forward that reopens the government and keeps healthcare affordable for the American people,” Pelosi said in a social media post.

    California Republicans in the House, meanwhile, have criticized Democrats for trying to stop the funding agreement from passing.

    “These extremists only care about their radical base regardless of the impact to America,” Rep. Ken Calvert of Corona said in a social media post.

    Rep. Kevin Kiley (R-Rocklin) publicly called on Johnson to negotiate with Democrats on healthcare during the shutdown. He said in an interview last month that he thought there was “a lot of room” to address concerns on both sides of the aisle on how to address the rising costs of healthcare.

    Kiley said Monday that he was proposing legislation with Rep. Sam Liccardo (D-San José) that proposed extending the Affordable Care Act tax credits for another two years.

    He said the bill would “stop massive increase in healthcare costs for 22 million Americans whose premium tax credits are about to expire.”

    “Importantly, the extension is temporary and fully paid for, so it can’t increase the deficit,” Kiley said in reference to a frequent concern cited by Republicans that extending the credits would contribute to the national debt.

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    Michael Wilner, Ana Ceballos

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  • UK Government Presses Ahead with Gambling Tax Hike

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    The UK government appears determined to press on with its plans to hike taxes for gambling operators despite warnings from industry leaders that such measures could harm jobs, drive players toward unregulated websites, and reduce funding for British sport. Lawmakers are considering a proportional system with higher taxes for more harmful types of gambling.

    Online Gambling Can Be Especially Addictive

    A  recent report from the Treasury Select Committee urged the government to resist what it described as “industry scaremongering” and to impose a tax rate that reflects the growing social harm from online betting games. The report comes just weeks before Chancellor Rachel Reeves presents her first Budget as the UK faces mounting pressure to address a sizeable fiscal deficit.

    The cross-party committee, chaired by Dame Meg Hillier, stated that online gambling now constitutes almost half of the UK’s total gambling revenue. The report notes that while traditional betting, such as horse racing and bingo, can usually be enjoyed safely, online casino games and virtual slots have created a new generation of high-frequency, high-loss gambling.

    Online betting games are extracting huge amounts of money from people who have been funnelled into the most addictive, harmful corners of the industry via their love of sports, or the occasional game of bingo.

    Dame Meg Hillier, Treasury Select Committee chair

    The committee’s findings are based on months of evidence sessions examining how to strike a balance between tax policy, economic growth, and social responsibility. MPs dismissed arguments that higher taxes would push consumers toward unregulated operators, instead recommending harsher crackdowns against illegal offshore sites.

    Gambling Operators Attempted to Downplay the Commission’s Concerns

    Gambling industry representatives remain firmly opposed to any potential tax hikes. Grainne Hurst, chief executive of the Betting and Gaming Council (BGC), argued that regulated gambling is already one of the UK’s most heavily taxed sectors, contributing £4 billion ($5.27 billion) annually to the Treasury and supporting over 100,000 jobs. She cautioned that a tax hike could have rippling consequences for the broader economy.

    Hurst also informed MPs that the industry invests heavily in safer gambling practices like affordability checks, stake limits, and data-driven monitoring systems. However, the Treasury Committee remained unconvinced. Its report criticized the industry’s claims that gambling caused no social harm and pointed out that gambling platforms exploit player data and behavioral patterns to encourage longer play and higher losses.

    The impacts of problem gambling in our communities are plain to see, and the industry’s boldfaced claim to our inquiry that it does no social harm is staggering.

    Dame Meg Hillier, Treasury Select Committee chair

    Reeves’s upcoming Budget could clarify whether online casino and slot games will face a higher tax rate compared to sports betting. Treasury sources have suggested that MPs are considering leaning toward a more graduated system based on the relative risk of harm. With the government showing no signs of yielding to industry pressure, the days of uniform gambling taxation may be numbered.

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    Deyan Dimitrov

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  • Denmark eyes new law to protect citizens from AI deepfakes

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    COPENHAGEN, Denmark — In 2021, Danish video game live-streamer Marie Watson received an image of herself from an unknown Instagram account.

    She instantly recognized the holiday snap from her Instagram account, but something was different: Her clothing had been digitally removed to make her appear naked. It was a deepfake.

    “It overwhelmed me so much,” Watson recalled. “I just started bursting out in tears, because suddenly, I was there naked.”

    In the four years since her experience, deepfakes — highly realistic artificial intelligence-generated images, videos or audio of real people or events — have become not only easier to make worldwide but also look or sound exponentially more realistic. That’s thanks to technological advances and the proliferation of generative AI tools, including video generation tools from OpenAI and Google.

    These tools give millions of users the ability to easily spit out content, including for nefarious purposes that range from depicting celebrities Taylor Swift and Katy Perry to disrupting elections and humiliating teens and women.

    In response, Denmark is seeking to protect ordinary Danes, as well as performers and artists who might have their appearance or voice imitated and shared without their permission. A bill that’s expected to pass early next year would change copyright law by imposing a ban on the sharing of deepfakes to protect citizens’ personal characteristics — such as their appearance or voice — from being imitated and shared online without their consent.

    If enacted, Danish citizens would get the copyright over their own likeness. In theory, they then would be able to demand that online platforms take down content shared without their permission. The law would still allow for parodies and satire, though it’s unclear how that will be determined.

    Experts and officials say the Danish legislation would be among the most extensive steps yet taken by a government to combat misinformation through deepfakes.

    Henry Ajder, founder of consulting firm Latent Space Advisory and a leading expert in generative AI, said that he applauds the Danish government for recognizing that the law needs to change.

    “Because right now, when people say ‘what can I do to protect myself from being deepfaked?’ the answer I have to give most of the time is: ‘There isn’t a huge amount you can do,’” he said, ”without me basically saying, ‘scrub yourself from the internet entirely.’ Which isn’t really possible.”

    He added: “We can’t just pretend that this is business as usual for how we think about those key parts of our identity and our dignity.”

    U.S. President Donald Trump signed bipartisan legislation in May that makes it illegal to knowingly publish or threaten to publish intimate images without a person’s consent, including deepfakes. Last year, South Korea rolled out measures to curb deepfake porn, including harsher punishment and stepped up regulations for social media platforms.

    Danish Culture Minister Jakob Engel-Schmidt said that the bill has broad support from lawmakers in Copenhagen, because such digital manipulations can stir doubts about reality and spread misinformation.

    “If you’re able to deepfake a politician without her or him being able to have that product taken down, that will undermine our democracy,” he told reporters during an AI and copyright conference in September.

    The law would apply only in Denmark, and is unlikely to involve fines or imprisonment for social media users. But big tech platforms that fail to remove deepfakes could face severe fines, Engel-Schmidt said.

    Ajder said Google-owned YouTube, for example, has a “very, very good system for getting the balance between copyright protection and freedom of creativity.”

    The platform’s efforts suggest that it recognizes “the scale of the challenge that is already here and how much deeper it’s going to become,” he added.

    Twitch, TikTok and Meta, which owns Facebook and Instagram, didn’t respond to requests for comment.

    Engel-Schmidt said that Denmark, the current holder of the European Union’s rotating presidency, had received interest in its proposed legislation from several other EU members, including France and Ireland.

    Intellectual property lawyer Jakob Plesner Mathiasen said that the legislation shows the widespread need to combat the online danger that’s now infused into every aspect of Danish life.

    “I think it definitely goes to say that the ministry wouldn’t make this bill, if there hadn’t been any occasion for it,” he said. “We’re seeing it with fake news, with government elections. We are seeing it with pornography, and we’re also seeing it also with famous people and also everyday people — like you and me.”

    The Danish Rights Alliance, which protects the rights of creative industries on the internet, supports the bill, because its director says that current copyright law doesn’t go far enough.

    Danish voice actor David Bateson, for example, was at a loss when AI voice clones were shared by thousands of users online. Bateson voiced a character in the popular “Hitman” video game, as well as Danish toymaker Lego’s English advertisements.

    “When we reported this to the online platforms, they say ‘OK, but which regulation are you referring to?’” said Maria Fredenslund, an attorney and the alliance’s director. “We couldn’t point to an exact regulation in Denmark.”

    Watson had heard about fellow influencers who found digitally-altered images of themselves online, but never thought it might happen to her.

    Delving into a dark side of the web where faceless users sell and share deepfake imagery — often of women — she said she was shocked how easy it was to create such pictures using readily available online tools.

    “You could literally just search ‘deepfake generator’ on Google or ‘how to make a deepfake,’ and all these websites and generators would pop up,” the 28-year-old Watson said.

    She is glad her government is taking action, but she isn’t hopeful. She believes more pressure must be applied to social media platforms.

    “It shouldn’t be a thing that you can upload these types of pictures,” she said. “When it’s online, you’re done. You can’t do anything, it’s out of your control.”

    ___

    Stefanie Dazio in Berlin, Kelvin Chan in London, and Barbara Ortutay in San Francisco, contributed to this report.

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  • California backs down on AI laws so more tech leaders don’t flee the state

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    California’s tech companies, the epicenter of the state’s economy, sent politicians a loud message this year: Back down from restrictive artificial intelligence regulation or they’ll leave.

    The tactic appeared to have worked, activists said, because some politicians weakened or scrapped guardrails to mitigate AI’s biggest risks.

    California Gov. Gavin Newsom rejected a bill aimed at making companion chatbots safer for children after the tech industry fought it. In his veto message, the governor raised concerns about placing broad limits on AI, which has sparked a massive investment spree and created new billionaires overnight around the San Francisco Bay Area.

    Assembly Bill 1064 would have barred companion chatbot operators from making these AI systems available to minors unless the chatbots weren’t “foreseeably capable” of certain conduct, including encouraging a child to engage in self-harm. Newsom said he supported the goal, but feared it would unintentionally bar minors from using AI tools and learning how to use technology safely.

    “We cannot prepare our youth for a future where AI is ubiquitous by preventing their use of these tools altogether,” he wrote in his veto message.

    The bill’s veto was a blow to child safety advocates who had pushed it through the state Legislature and a win for tech industry groups that fought it. In social media ads, groups such as TechNet had urged the public to tell the governor to veto the bill because it would harm innovation and lead to students falling behind in school.

    Organizations trying to rein in the world’s largest tech companies as they advance the powerful technology say the tech industry has become more empowered at the national and state levels.

    Meta, Google, OpenAI, Apple and other major tech companies have strengthened their relationships with the Trump administration. Companies are funding new organizations and political action committees to push back against state AI policy while pouring money into lobbying.

    In Sacramento, AI companies have lobbied behind the scenes for more freedom. California’s massive pool of engineering talent, tech investors and companies make it an attractive place for the tech industry, but companies are letting policymakers know that other states are also interested in attracting those investments and jobs. Big Tech is particularly sensitive to regulations in the Golden State because so many companies are headquartered there and must abide by its rules.

    “We believe California can strike a better balance between protecting consumers and enabling responsible technological growth,” Robert Boykin, TechNet’s executive director for California and the Southwest, said in a statement.

    Common Sense Media founder and Chief Executive Jim Steyer said tech lobbyists put tremendous pressure on Newsom to veto AB 1064. Common Sense Media, a nonprofit that rates and reviews technology and entertainment for families, sponsored the bill.

    “They threaten to hurt the economy of California,” he said. “That’s the basic message from the tech companies.”

    Advertising is among the tactics tech companies with deep pockets use to convince politicians to kill or weaken legislation. Even if the governor signs a bill, companies have at times sued to block new laws from taking effect.

    “If you’re really trying to do something bold with tech policy, you have to jump over a lot of hurdles,” said David Evan Harris, senior policy advisor at the California Initiative for Technology and Democracy, which supported AB 1064. The group focuses on finding state-level solutions to threats that AI, disinformation and emerging technologies pose to democracy.

    Tech companies have threatened to move their headquarters and jobs to other states or countries, a risk looming over politicians and regulators.

    The California Chamber of Commerce, a broad-based business advocacy group that includes tech giants, launched a campaign this year that warned over-regulation could stifle innovation and hinder California.

    “Making competition harder could cause California companies to expand elsewhere, costing the state’s economy billions,” the group said on its website.

    From January to September, the California Chamber of Commerce spent $11.48 million lobbying California lawmakers and regulators on a variety of bills, filings to the California secretary of state show. During that period, Meta spent $4.13 million. A lobbying disclosure report shows that Meta paid the California Chamber of Commerce $3.1 million, making up the bulk of their spending. Google, which also paid TechNet and the California Chamber of Commerce, spent $2.39 million.

    Amazon, Uber, DoorDash and other tech companies spent more than $1 million each. TechNet spent around $800,000.

    The threat that California companies could move away has caught the attention of some politicians.

    California Atty. Gen. Rob Bonta, who has investigated tech companies over child safety concerns, indicated that despite initial concern, his office wouldn’t oppose ChatGPT maker OpenAI’s restructuring plans. The new structure gives OpenAI’s nonprofit parent a stake in its for-profit public benefit corporation and clears the way for OpenAI to list its shares.

    Bonta blessed the restructuring partly because of OpenAI’s pledge to stay in the state.

    “Safety will be prioritized, as well as a commitment that OpenAI will remain right here in California,” he said in a statement last week. The AG’s office, which supervises charitable trusts and ensures these assets are used for public benefit, had been investigating OpenAI’s restructuring plan over the last year and a half.

    OpenAI Chief Executive Sam Altman said he’s glad to stay in California.

    “California is my home, and I love it here, and when I talked to Attorney General Bonta two weeks ago I made clear that we were not going to do what those other companies do and threaten to leave if sued,” he posted on X.

    Critics — which included some tech leaders such as Elon Musk, Meta and former OpenAI executives as well as nonprofits and foundations — have raised concerns about OpenAI’s restructuring plan. Some warned it would allow startups to exploit charitable tax exemptions and let OpenAI prioritize financial gain over public good.

    Lawmakers and advocacy groups say it’s been a mixed year for tech regulation. The governor signed Assembly Bill 56, which requires platforms to display labels for minors that warn about social media’s mental health harms. Another piece of signed legislation, Senate Bill 53, aims to make AI developers more transparent about safety risks and offers more whistleblower protections.

    The governor also signed a bill that requires chatbot operators to have procedures to prevent the production of suicide or self-harm content. But advocacy groups, including Common Sense Media, removed their support for Senate Bill 243 because they said the tech industry pushed for changes that weakened its protections.

    Newsom vetoed other legislation that the tech industry opposed, including Senate Bill 7, which requires employers to notify workers before deploying an “automated decision system” in hiring, promotions and other employment decisions.

    Called the “No Robo Bosses Act,” the legislation didn’t clear the governor, who thought it was too broad.

    “A lot of nuance was demonstrated in the lawmaking process about the balance between ensuring meaningful protections while also encouraging innovation,” said Julia Powles, a professor and executive director of the UCLA Institute for Technology, Law & Policy.

    The battle over AI safety is far from over. Assemblymember Rebecca Bauer-Kahan (D-Orinda), who co-wrote AB 1064, said she plans to revive the legislation.

    Child safety is an issue that both Democrats and Republicans are examining after parents sued AI companies such as OpenAI and Character.AI for allegedly contributing to their children’s suicides.

    “The harm that these chatbots are causing feels so fast and furious, public and real that I thought we would have a different outcome,” Bauer-Kahan said. “It’s always fascinating to me when the outcome of policy feels to be disconnected from what I believe the public wants.”

    Steyer from Common Sense Media said a new ballot initiative includes the AI safety protections that Newsom vetoed.

    “That was a setback, but not an overall defeat,” he said about the veto of AB 1064. “This is a David and Goliath situation, and we are David.”

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  • Denmark Eyes New Law to Protect Citizens From AI Deepfakes

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    COPENHAGEN, Denmark (AP) — In 2021, Danish video game live-streamer Marie Watson received an image of herself from an unknown Instagram account.

    She instantly recognized the holiday snap from her Instagram account, but something was different: Her clothing had been digitally removed to make her appear naked. It was a deepfake.

    “It overwhelmed me so much,” Watson recalled. “I just started bursting out in tears, because suddenly, I was there naked.”

    In the four years since her experience, deepfakes — highly realistic artificial intelligence-generated images, videos or audio of real people or events — have become not only easier to make worldwide but also look or sound exponentially more realistic. That’s thanks to technological advances and the proliferation of generative AI tools, including video generation tools from OpenAI and Google.

    These tools give millions of users the ability to easily spit out content, including for nefarious purposes that range from depicting celebrities Taylor Swift and Katy Perry to disrupting elections and humiliating teens and women.

    In response, Denmark is seeking to protect ordinary Danes, as well as performers and artists who might have their appearance or voice imitated and shared without their permission. A bill that’s expected to pass early next year would change copyright law by imposing a ban on the sharing of deepfakes to protect citizens’ personal characteristics — such as their appearance or voice — from being imitated and shared online without their consent.

    If enacted, Danish citizens would get the copyright over their own likeness. In theory, they then would be able to demand that online platforms take down content shared without their permission. The law would still allow for parodies and satire, though it’s unclear how that will be determined.

    Experts and officials say the Danish legislation would be among the most extensive steps yet taken by a government to combat misinformation through deepfakes.

    Henry Ajder, founder of consulting firm Latent Space Advisory and a leading expert in generative AI, said that he applauds the Danish government for recognizing that the law needs to change.

    “Because right now, when people say ‘what can I do to protect myself from being deepfaked?’ the answer I have to give most of the time is: ‘There isn’t a huge amount you can do,’” he said, ”without me basically saying, ‘scrub yourself from the internet entirely.’ Which isn’t really possible.”

    He added: “We can’t just pretend that this is business as usual for how we think about those key parts of our identity and our dignity.”


    Deepfakes and misinformation

    U.S. President Donald Trump signed bipartisan legislation in May that makes it illegal to knowingly publish or threaten to publish intimate images without a person’s consent, including deepfakes. Last year, South Korea rolled out measures to curb deepfake porn, including harsher punishment and stepped up regulations for social media platforms.

    Danish Culture Minister Jakob Engel-Schmidt said that the bill has broad support from lawmakers in Copenhagen, because such digital manipulations can stir doubts about reality and spread misinformation.

    “If you’re able to deepfake a politician without her or him being able to have that product taken down, that will undermine our democracy,” he told reporters during an AI and copyright conference in September.

    The law would apply only in Denmark, and is unlikely to involve fines or imprisonment for social media users. But big tech platforms that fail to remove deepfakes could face severe fines, Engel-Schmidt said.

    Ajder said Google-owned YouTube, for example, has a “very, very good system for getting the balance between copyright protection and freedom of creativity.”

    The platform’s efforts suggest that it recognizes “the scale of the challenge that is already here and how much deeper it’s going to become,” he added.

    Twitch, TikTok and Meta, which owns Facebook and Instagram, didn’t respond to requests for comment.

    Engel-Schmidt said that Denmark, the current holder of the European Union’s rotating presidency, had received interest in its proposed legislation from several other EU members, including France and Ireland.

    Intellectual property lawyer Jakob Plesner Mathiasen said that the legislation shows the widespread need to combat the online danger that’s now infused into every aspect of Danish life.

    “I think it definitely goes to say that the ministry wouldn’t make this bill, if there hadn’t been any occasion for it,” he said. “We’re seeing it with fake news, with government elections. We are seeing it with pornography, and we’re also seeing it also with famous people and also everyday people — like you and me.”

    The Danish Rights Alliance, which protects the rights of creative industries on the internet, supports the bill, because its director says that current copyright law doesn’t go far enough.

    Danish voice actor David Bateson, for example, was at a loss when AI voice clones were shared by thousands of users online. Bateson voiced a character in the popular “Hitman” video game, as well as Danish toymaker Lego’s English advertisements.

    “When we reported this to the online platforms, they say ‘OK, but which regulation are you referring to?’” said Maria Fredenslund, an attorney and the alliance’s director. “We couldn’t point to an exact regulation in Denmark.”


    ‘When it’s online, you’re done’

    Watson had heard about fellow influencers who found digitally-altered images of themselves online, but never thought it might happen to her.

    Delving into a dark side of the web where faceless users sell and share deepfake imagery — often of women — she said she was shocked how easy it was to create such pictures using readily available online tools.

    “You could literally just search ‘deepfake generator’ on Google or ‘how to make a deepfake,’ and all these websites and generators would pop up,” the 28-year-old Watson said.

    She is glad her government is taking action, but she isn’t hopeful. She believes more pressure must be applied to social media platforms.

    “It shouldn’t be a thing that you can upload these types of pictures,” she said. “When it’s online, you’re done. You can’t do anything, it’s out of your control.”

    Stefanie Dazio in Berlin, Kelvin Chan in London, and Barbara Ortutay in San Francisco, contributed to this report.

    Copyright 2025 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

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  • Senators Hawley and Warner Introduce Bipartisan Bill Exposing AI-Related Layoffs

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    Today, U.S. Senators Josh Hawley (R-Mo.) and Mark Warner (D-Va.) announced their AI-Related Job Impacts Clarity Act. The bill would require major companies and federal agencies to disclose all AI-related layoffs to the Department of Labor for a public report. 

    “Artificial intelligence is already replacing American workers, and experts project AI could drive unemployment up to 10-20 percent in the next five years,” said Senator Hawley. “The American people need to have an accurate understanding of how AI is affecting our workforce, so we can ensure that AI works for the people, not the other way around.” 

    On October 28, Amazon announced its plan to cut 14,000 corporate jobs to make room for spending on AI. It’s the latest in a slew of companies leaning on artificial intelligence. In September, Salesforce laid off 4,000 employees and Lufthansa said it would get rid of 4,000 jobs by 2030 because of AI. 

    But there’s skepticism now around which of these companies are telling the truth, and which are using AI as an excuse—or to impress investors. 

    “I’m really skeptical whether the layoffs that we see currently are really due to true efficiency gains,” Fabian Stephany, assistant professor of AI and work at the Oxford Internet Institute, told CNBC. “It’s rather really a projection into AI in the sense of ‘We can use AI to make good excuses.’” 

    Stephany says some companies that announced AI related layoffs, including Klarna and Duolingo, overhired during the pandemic and now have to cut those roles. 

    Klarna CEO Sebastian Siemiatkowski posted on X October 19 that the company has made “0 layoffs due to AI” but has “virtually stopped hiring, since 2023, largely due to AI.” Amazon’s CEO on October 30 said its layoffs weren’t driven by AI, but rather by culture. Such clarifications are part of what makes it challenging for workers to understand the real reason behind layoffs.

    It’s much easier for a company to say, ‘We are laying workers off because we’re realizing AI-related efficiencies’ than to say ‘We’re laying people off because we’re not that profitable or bloated, or facing a slowing economic environment, etc,’” David Autor, an MIT economics professor, wrote in an email to NBC News. “Whether or not AI were the reason, you’d be wise to attribute the credit/blame to AI.” 

    The proposed bill would require companies to report layoffs “substantially due to replacement or automation by artificial intelligence” along with new hires “that are substantially due to the incorporation of artificial intelligence.” 

    “Good policy starts with good data,” said Senator Warner. “Armed with this information, we can make sure AI drives opportunity instead of leaving workers behind.” 

    The early-rate deadline for the 2026 Inc. Regionals Awards is Friday, November 14, at 11:59 p.m. PT. Apply now.

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  • Banks and retailers run short on pennies as the US Mint stops making them

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    NEW YORK (AP) — The United States is running out of pennies.

    President Donald Trump’s decision to stop producing the penny earlier this year is starting to have real implications for the nation’s commerce. Merchants in multiple regions of the country have run out of pennies and are unable to produce exact change. Meanwhile, banks are unable to order fresh pennies and are rationing pennies for their customers.

    One convenience store chain, Sheetz, got so desperate for pennies that it briefly ran a promotion offering a free soda to customers who bring in 100 pennies. Another retailer says the lack of pennies will end up costing it millions this year, because of the need to round down to avoid lawsuits.

    “It’s a chunk of change,” said Dylan Jeon, senior director of government relations with the National Retail Federation.

    The penny problem started in late summer and is only getting worse as the country heads into the holiday shopping season.

    To be sure, not one retailer or bank has called for the penny to stick around. Pennies, especially in bulk, are heavy and are more often than not used exclusively to give customers change. But the abrupt decision to get rid of the penny has come with no guidance from the federal government. Many stores have been left pleading for Americans to pay in exact change.

    “We have been advocating abolition of the penny for 30 years. But this is not the way we wanted it to go,” said Jeff Lenard with the National Association of Convenience Stores.

    Trump announced on Feb. 9 that the U.S. would no longer mint pennies, citing the high costs. Both the penny and the nickel have been more expensive to produce than they are worth for several years, despite efforts by the U.S. Mint to reduce costs. The Mint spent 3.7 cents to make a penny in 2024, according to its most recent annual report, and it spends 13.8 cents to make a nickel.

    “Let’s rip the waste out of our great nation’s budget, even if it’s a penny at a time,” Trump wrote on Truth Social.

    The Treasury Department said in May that it was placing its last order of copper-zinc planchets — the blank metal disks that are minted into coins. In June, the last pennies were minted and by August, those pennies were distributed to banks and armored vehicle service companies.

    Troy Richards, president at Louisiana-based Guaranty Bank & Trust Co., said he’s had to scramble to have enough pennies on hand for his customers since August.

    “We got an email announcement from the Federal Reserve that penny shipments would be curtailed. Little did we know that those shipments were already over for us,” Richards said.

    Richards said the $1,800 in pennies the bank had were gone in two weeks. His branches are keeping small amounts of pennies for customers who need to cash checks, but that’s it.

    The U.S. Mint issued 3.23 billion pennies in 2024, the last full year of production, more than double that of the second-most minted coin in the country: the quarter. But the problem with pennies is they are issued, given as change, and rarely recirculated back into the economy. Americans store their pennies in jars or use them for decoration. This requires the Mint to produce significant sums of pennies each year.

    The government is expected to save $56 million by not minting pennies, according to the Treasury Department. Despite losing money on the penny, the Mint is profitable for the U.S. government through its production of other circulating coins as well as coin proof and commemorative sets that appeal to numismatic collectors.

    In 2024, the Mint made $182 million in seigniorage, which is its equivalent of profit.

    Besides American’s penny hoarding habit, a logistical issue is also preventing pennies from circulating.

    The distribution of coins is handled by the Federal Reserve system. Several companies, mostly armored carrier companies, operate coin terminals where banks can withdraw and deposit coins. Roughly a third of these 170 coin terminals are now closed to both penny deposits as well as penny withdrawals.

    Bank lobbyists say these terminals being closed to penny deposits is exacerbating the penny shortage, because parts of the country that may have some surplus pennies are unable to get those pennies to parts of country with shortages.

    “As a result of the U.S. Department of the Treasury’s decision to end production of the penny, coin distribution locations accepting penny deposits and fulfilling orders will vary over time as (penny) inventory is depleted” a Federal Reserve spokeswoman said.

    The lack of pennies has also become a legal minefield for stores and retailers. In some states and cities, it is illegal to round up a transaction to the nearest nickel or dime because doing so would run afoul of laws that are supposed to place cash customers and debit and credit card customers on an equal playing field when it comes to item costs.

    So, to avoid lawsuits, retailers are rounding down. While two or three cents may not seem like much, that extra change can add up over tens of thousands of transactions. A spokesman for Kwik Trip, the Midwest convenience store chain, says it has been rounding down every cash transaction to the nearest nickel. That’s expected to cost the company roughly $3 million this year. Some retailers are asking customers to give their change to local or affiliated charities at the cash register, in an effort to avoid pennies as well.

    A bill currently pending in Congress, known as the Common Cents Act, calls for cash transactions to be rounded to the nearest nickel, up or down. While the proposal is palatable to businesses, rounding up could be costly for consumers.

    The Treasury Department did not respond to a request for comment on whether they had any guidance for retailers or banks regarding the penny shortage, or the issues regarding penny circulation.

    The United States is not the first country to transition away from small denomination coins or discontinue out-of-date coins. But in all of these cases, governments wound down the use of their out-of-date coins over a period of, often, years.

    For example, Canada announced it would eliminate its one-cent coin in 2012, transitioning away from one-cent cash transactions starting in 2013 and is still redeeming and recycling one-cent coins a decade later. The “decimalization” process of converting British coins from farthings and shillings to a 100-pence-to-a-pound system took much of the 1960s and early 1970s.

    The U.S. removed the penny from commerce abruptly, without any action by Congress or any regulatory guidance for banks, retailers or states. The retail and banking industries, rarely allies in Washington on policy matters related to point-of-sale, are demanding that Washington issue guidance or pass a law fixing the issues that are arising due to the shortage.

    “We don’t want the penny back. We just want some sort of clarity from the federal government on what to do, as this issue is only going to get worse,” the NACS’ Lenard said.

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  • Uncertainty Over Federal Food Aid Deepens as the Shutdown Fight Reaches a Crisis Point

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    The impacts on basic needs — food and medical care — underscored how the impasse is hitting homes across the United States. The Trump administration’s plans to freeze payments to the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program on Saturday were halted by federal judges, but the delay in payouts will still likely leave millions of people short on their grocery bills.

    It all added to the strain on the country, with a month of missed paychecks for federal workers and growing air travel delays. The shutdown is already the second longest in history and entered its second month on Saturday, yet there was little urgency in Washington to end it, with lawmakers away from Capitol Hill and both parties entrenched in their positions.

    The House has not met for legislative business in more than six weeks, while Senate Majority Leader John Thune, R-S.D., closed his chamber for the weekend after bipartisan talks failed to achieve significant progress.

    Thune said he is hoping “the pressure starts to intensify, and the consequences of keeping the government shut down become even more real for everybody that they will express, hopefully new interest in trying to come up with a path forward.”

    The stalemate appears increasingly unsustainable as Republican President Donald Trump demands action and Democratic leaders warn that an uproar over rising health insurance costs will force Congress to act.

    “This weekend, Americans face a health care crisis unprecedented in modern times,” Senate Democratic leader Chuck Schumer of New York said this week.


    Delays and uncertainty around SNAP

    The Department of Agriculture planned to withhold payments to the food program on Saturday until two federal judges ordered the administration to make them. Trump said he would provide the money but wanted more legal direction from the court, which will not happen until Monday.

    The program serves about 1 in 8 Americans and costs about $8 billion per month. The judges agreed that the USDA needed to at least tap a contingency fund of about $5 billion to keep the program running. But that left some uncertainty about whether the department would use additional money or only provide partial benefits for the month.

    Benefits will already be delayed because it takes a week or more to load SNAP cards in many states.

    “The Trump administration needs to follow the law and fix this problem immediately by working closely with states to get nutritional assistance to the millions who rely on it as soon as possible,” House Democratic leader Hakeem Jeffries of New York said in a statement following the ruling.

    Republicans, in responding to Democratic demands to fund SNAP, say the program is in such a dire situation because Democrats have repeatedly voted against a short-term government funding bill.

    “We are now reaching a breaking point thanks to Democrats voting no on government funding, now 14 different times,” House Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., said at a news conference Friday.

    Trump injected himself into the debate late Thursday by suggesting that Republican senators, who hold the majority, end the shutdown by getting rid of the filibuster rules that prevent most legislation from advancing unless it has the support of at least 60 senators. Democrats have used the filibuster to block a funding bill in the Senate for weeks.

    Republican leaders quickly rejected Trump’s idea, but the discussion showed how desperate the fight has become.


    Health care subsidies expiring

    The annual sign-up period for the Affordable Care Act health insurance also begins Saturday, and there are sharp increases in what people are paying for coverage. Enhanced tax credits that help most enrollees pay for the health plans are set to expire next year.

    Democrats have rallied around a push to extend those credits and have refused to vote for government funding legislation until Congress acts.

    Sen. Patty Murray, D-Wash., spoke on the Senate floor this week about constituents who she said face premium increases of up to $2,000 a month if the credits expire.

    “I am hearing from families in my state today who are panicked,” she said. “The time to act is now.”

    If Congress does not extend the credits, subsidized enrollees will face cost increases of about 114%, or more than $1,000 per year, on average, health care research nonprofit KFF found.

    In the days before the start of open enrollment, Democratic politicians across the country warned that the cost increases would hit their constituents hard.

    In Wisconsin, for example, families on the ACA’s silver plan could see premium increases of roughly $12,500 to $24,500 annually depending on their location. Sixty-year-old couples could face increases ranging from nearly $19,900 to $33,150 annually.

    “No matter what the percentage is, it’s a hell of a lot,” Gov. Tony Evers, D-Wis., said.

    Some Republicans in Congress have been open to the idea of extending the subsidies, but they also want to make major changes to the health overhaul enacted while Democrat Barack Obama was president.

    Thune has offered Democrats a vote on extending the benefits, but has not guaranteed a result.


    Flight delays and missed paychecks

    Federal workers have now gone a month without a full paycheck, and the wear on the workforce is showing.

    Major unions representing federal employees have called for an end to the shutdown, putting more pressure on Democrats to back off their health care demands. The president of the union representing air traffic controllers was the latest to urge Congress to pass legislation reopening the government so federal workers can get paid, and then lawmakers can engage in bipartisan negotiation on health care.

    In a statement Friday, Nick Daniels, president of the National Air Traffic Controllers Association, said that financial and mental strain was increasing on the workforce, “making it less safe with each passing day of the shutdown.”

    Associated Press writers Todd Richmond in Madison, Wis., and Kevin Freking contributed to this report.

    Copyright 2025 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

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  • 4 Republicans back Senate resolution to undo Trump’s tariffs around the globe

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    WASHINGTON — The Senate passed a resolution Thursday that would undo many of President Donald Trump’s tariffs around the globe, the latest note of displeasure at his trade tactics in Washington that came just as the president celebrated his negotiations with China as a success.

    After a meeting with Chinese leader Xi Jinping in South Korea, Trump said he would cut tariffs on the Asian economic giant and China would in turn purchase 25 million metric tons of U.S. soybeans annually for the next three years. The Republican president claimed his trade negotiation would secure “prosperity and security to millions of Americans.”

    But back in Washington, senators — several from Trump’s Republican Party — have demonstrated their dissent with Trump’s tariff tactics by passing a series of resolutions this week that would nullify the national emergencies that Trump has declared to justify the import taxes. Already this week, the Senate approved resolutions to end tariffs imposed on Brazil and Canada. While the legislative efforts are ultimately doomed, they exposed fault lines in the GOP.

    The latest resolution, which would effectively end most of Trump’s tariff policies, passed on a 51-47 vote, with four Republicans joining with all Democrats.

    Sen. Rand Paul, a Kentucky Republican who backed Democrats on the resolutions, credited Trump for decreasing the tariffs on China, but said the result is “still much higher than we’ve had.”

    “It still will lead to increased prices,” he said.

    The votes were orchestrated by Democrats using a decades-old law that allows Congress to nullify a presidential emergency. But House Republicans have instituted a new law that allows the leadership to prevent such resolutions from coming up for a vote. Plus, Trump would surely veto legislation that inhibits his power over trade policy, meaning the legislation won’t ultimately take effect.

    But Democrats have still been able to force the Senate to take up an uncomfortable topic for their Republican colleagues.

    “American families are being squeezed by prices going up and up and up,” said Sen. Ron Wyden, an Oregon Democrat, in a floor speech. He added that “in many ways, red states in rural areas are being hit the hardest,” and pointed to economic strain being put on farmers and manufacturers.

    Overall there has been little movement among Republicans to oppose Trump’s import taxes publicly. A nearly identical resolution failed in April on a tied vote after Republican Sen. Mitch McConnell of Kentucky was absent. On Thursday, McConnell and Paul, as well as Sens. Lisa Murkowski of Alaska and Susan Collins of Maine, voted along with all Democrats to pass the resolution.

    Those four Republicans helped advance similar resolutions this week to end the tariffs on Brazil and Canada. Sen. Thom Tillis, a North Carolina Republican, also voted in favor of the resolution applying to Brazil, but otherwise, GOP senators have held the line this week behind the president.

    “I agree with my colleagues that tariffs should be more targeted to avoid harm to Americans,” said Sen. Mike Crapo, chair of the Senate Finance Committee, in a floor speech. Yet he added that Trump’s negotiations “are bearing fruit” and praised his announcement that Beijing would allow the export of rare earth elements and start buying American soybeans again.

    Republicans representing farm states were especially enthused by the announcement that China would be purchasing 25 million metric tons of soybeans annually, starting with 10 million metric tons for the rest of this year.

    Sen. Roger Marshall, a Kansas Republican, said the deal with China “absolutely” justifies Trump’s use of tariff threats to negotiate trade policy with other nations. He called the announcement “huge news” for Kansas farmers, but also acknowledged that they would still probably need financial help as they deal with the strain of losing their biggest customer for soybeans and sorghum.

    “It’s not like you can snap your finger and send over $15 billion worth of sorghum and soybeans together overnight,” he said.

    China had been the largest purchaser of U.S. soybeans until this year. It purchased almost 27 million metric tons in 2024, so Trump’s negotiated deal only guarantees to return soybean exports to China to less than their previous level.

    Democrats said that Americans shouldn’t be fooled by Trump’s announcement.

    “Donald Trump has folded, leaving American families and farmers and small businesses to deal with the wreckage from his blunders, from his erratic on again off again tariff policies,” said Senate Democratic leader Chuck Schumer of New York.

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  • 4 Republicans Back Senate Resolution to Undo Trump’s Tariffs Around the Globe

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    WASHINGTON (AP) — The Senate passed a resolution Thursday that would undo many of President Donald Trump’s tariffs around the globe, the latest note of displeasure at his trade tactics in Washington that came just as the president celebrated his negotiations with China as a success.

    After a meeting with Chinese leader Xi Jinping in South Korea, Trump said he would cut tariffs on the Asian economic giant and China would in turn purchase 25 million metric tons of U.S. soybeans annually for the next three years. The Republican president claimed his trade negotiation would secure “prosperity and security to millions of Americans.”

    But back in Washington, senators — several from Trump’s Republican Party — have demonstrated their dissent with Trump’s tariff tactics by passing a series of resolutions this week that would nullify the national emergencies that Trump has declared to justify the import taxes. Already this week, the Senate approved resolutions to end tariffs imposed on Brazil and Canada. While the legislative efforts are ultimately doomed, they exposed fault lines in the GOP.

    The latest resolution, which would effectively end most of Trump’s tariff policies, passed on a 51-47 vote, with four Republicans joining with all Democrats.

    Sen. Rand Paul, a Kentucky Republican who backed Democrats on the resolutions, credited Trump for decreasing the tariffs on China, but said the result is “still much higher than we’ve had.”

    “It still will lead to increased prices,” he said.

    The votes were orchestrated by Democrats using a decades-old law that allows Congress to nullify a presidential emergency. But House Republicans have instituted a new law that allows the leadership to prevent such resolutions from coming up for a vote. Plus, Trump would surely veto legislation that inhibits his power over trade policy, meaning the legislation won’t ultimately take effect.


    Democrats can force a vote but not a result

    But Democrats have still been able to force the Senate to take up an uncomfortable topic for their Republican colleagues.

    “American families are being squeezed by prices going up and up and up,” said Sen. Ron Wyden, an Oregon Democrat, in a floor speech. He added that “in many ways, red states in rural areas are being hit the hardest,” and pointed to economic strain being put on farmers and manufacturers.

    Overall there has been little movement among Republicans to oppose Trump’s import taxes publicly. A nearly identical resolution failed in April on a tied vote after Republican Sen. Mitch McConnell of Kentucky was absent. On Thursday, McConnell and Paul, as well as Sens. Lisa Murkowski of Alaska and Susan Collins of Maine, voted along with all Democrats to pass the resolution.

    Those four Republicans helped advance similar resolutions this week to end the tariffs on Brazil and Canada. Sen. Thom Tillis, a North Carolina Republican, also voted in favor of the resolution applying to Brazil, but otherwise, GOP senators have held the line this week behind the president.

    “I agree with my colleagues that tariffs should be more targeted to avoid harm to Americans,” said Sen. Mike Crapo, chair of the Senate Finance Committee, in a floor speech. Yet he added that Trump’s negotiations “are bearing fruit” and praised his announcement that Beijing would allow the export of rare earth elements and start buying American soybeans again.

    Republicans representing farm states were especially enthused by the announcement that China would be purchasing 25 million metric tons of soybeans annually, starting with 10 million metric tons for the rest of this year.

    Sen. Roger Marshall, a Kansas Republican, said the deal with China “absolutely” justifies Trump’s use of tariff threats to negotiate trade policy with other nations. He called the announcement “huge news” for Kansas farmers, but also acknowledged that they would still probably need financial help as they deal with the strain of losing their biggest customer for soybeans and sorghum.

    “It’s not like you can snap your finger and send over $15 billion worth of sorghum and soybeans together overnight,” he said.

    China had been the largest purchaser of U.S. soybeans until this year. It purchased almost 27 million metric tons in 2024, so Trump’s negotiated deal only guarantees to return soybean exports to China to less than their previous level.

    Democrats said that Americans shouldn’t be fooled by Trump’s announcement.

    “Donald Trump has folded, leaving American families and farmers and small businesses to deal with the wreckage from his blunders, from his erratic on again off again tariff policies,” said Senate Democratic leader Chuck Schumer of New York.

    Copyright 2025 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

    Photos You Should See – Oct. 2025

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  • Senate rejects bills to pay federal workers during government shutdown

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    WASHINGTON (AP) — The Senate on Thursday rejected dueling partisan bills to pay federal workers during the government shutdown, with both Republicans and Democrats deflecting blame as many employees are set to miss their first full paycheck at the end of this week.

    With unpaid staff and law enforcement standing nearby, Republicans objected as Democrats proposed a voice vote on their legislation to pay all federal workers and prevent President Donald Trump’s administration from mass firings. Democrats then blocked a Republican bill to pay employees who are working and not furloughed, 54-45.

    The back and forth on day 23 of the government shutdown comes as the two parties are at a protracted impasse with no signs of either side giving in. Democrats say they won’t vote to reopen the government until Republicans negotiate with them on extending expiring subsidies under the Affordable Care Act. Republicans say they won’t negotiate on the subsidies until Democrats vote to reopen the government. Trump is mostly disengaged and headed to Asia in the coming days.

    Dueling bills to pay workers

    The Republican bill by Sen. Ron Johnson of Wisconsin would pay “excepted” workers who still have to come to work during the current government shutdown and any future shutdowns. The bill would “end this punishing federal workers for our dysfunction forever,” Johnson said.

    But Democrats say the legislation is unfair to the workers who are involuntarily furloughed and could give Cabinet secretaries too much discretion as to who gets paid.

    Johnson’s bill is “nothing more than another tool for Trump to hurt federal workers and American families and to keep this shutdown going for as long as he wants,” Senate Democratic Leader Chuck Schumer said ahead of the votes.

    The Democratic bills would have paid a much larger swath of workers as most federal workers are set to miss paychecks over the next week.

    “It seems like everyone in this chamber agrees we should pay federal workers,” Sen. Gary Peters, D-Mich., said ahead of the vote. But because of the shutdown, “they are paying a price.”

    Essential services start to dwindle

    As Congress is unable to agree on a way forward, money for essential services could soon reach a crisis point.

    Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy said Thursday that his message to air traffic controllers during the government shutdown is “come to work, even if you do not get a paycheck.”

    Duffy said that air traffic controllers will miss their first full paycheck on Tuesday and that some are having to make choices to pay the mortgage and other bills, at times by taking a second job.

    “I cannot guarantee you your flight is going to be on time. I cannot guarantee your flight is not going to be cancelled,” Duffy said.

    Payments for federal food and heating assistance could also run out soon, along with funding for Head Start preschool programs, several states have warned.

    Open enrollment approaches

    Another deadline approaching is Nov. 1, the beginning of open enrollment for people who use the marketplaces created by the Affordable Care Act.

    Democrats are holding out for negotiations with Republicans as they seek to extend subsidies that started in 2021, during the COVID-19 pandemic, and expire at the end of the year. But any solution would be hard to put in place once people start purchasing their plans.

    Some Republicans are open to extending the tax credits, with changes, and lawmakers in both parties have been talking behind the scenes about possible compromises. But it’s unclear whether they will be able to find an agreement that satisfies both Republicans and Democrats — or if leadership on either side would be willing to budge.

    “Republicans have been perfectly clear that we’re willing to have a discussion about health care, just not while government funding is being held hostage,” Senate Majority Leader John Thune, R-S.D., said Thursday.

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