Add your name: Don’t let Congress block AI regulations

 

Congressional Republicans are threatening to undo state-level protections against artificial intelligence and prevent any additional state protections from being enacted. This would be a slap in the face to the many bipartisan teams of legislators who worked long and hard to pass common-sense bills that make their states safer. Please add your name to tell every member of Congress: Don’t erase AI safeguards. While the federal government is ignoring the risks posed by artificial intelligence, Public Citizen has been working directly with state legislators on two key issues: Twenty-five states have enacted laws to protect voters from election deepfakes — fake AI-generated videos, pictures, or audio — that are used in political campaigns to boost candidates or smear opponents And forty states have passed laws to protect people from intimate deepfakes that depict them naked or engaged in sexual acts without their consent If Congressional Republicans have their way, every single one of these state laws will be blocked for the next decade. Think about how quickly technology has progressed over the past ten years. Giving Big Tech a decade-long unregulated head start will cause untold harm to our elections and to the people — mostly women and girls — who are victims of intimate deepfakes. Tell Congress: People need protections against harmful AI *now* — we can’t afford to wait ten years while Big Tech runs wild. Reject legislation that freezes the enforcement of state-level AI safeguards. Add your name right away >> Thanks for taking action, Ilana Public Citizen

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Ron Filipkowski on Today's Uncovered Ron Filipkowski May 28 On today’s show, we led off talking about Trump’s reprehensible pardons this week of reality TV couple Todd and Julie Chrisley, Sheriff Scott Jenkins, and Paul Walczak - and what each of them did to get the pardons. We also went over Trump’s statements and social media posts over the past few days where he said the quiet part out loud on Vladimir Putin. I talked about Trump and Stephen Miller’s war on higher education, and how Harvard has become the front in that battle. We also talked about Jake Tapper’s book tour, his apology to Lara Trump, and how Jim Jordan is about to weaponize it with hearings where Biden staffers have been subpoenaed. Of course, we had to talk about ex-swimmer/current culture warrior Riley Gaines and her gripe on Fox about Kermit the Frog giving the commencement speech at Maryland. And contrasted that with the “trophy wife” comments Trump made at West Point. I also talked about how Trump and Pete Hegseth’s bumbling incompetence has given Canada tremendous negotiating leverage on tariffs. Lots of other stuff but those we the bigger topics. Link to the show is here. If you missed yesterday’s Today in Politics Bulletin you can find it here. Meidas+ is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber.

 

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Trump Has Disastrous Presser and Freaks Out on Reporter

This was embarrassing

Ben Meiselas and MeidasTouch Network May 28

By Ben Meiselas

Hey Meidas Mighty, it’s Ben. I had to break this one down for you because, honestly, I’m still trying to wrap my head around it.

Donald Trump held a press conference today—and I use “press conference” loosely, because what unfolded was more like an unfunny comedy sketch written by someone who just discovered caffeine and fascism at the same time.

It started with a reporter calmly asking Trump to respond to Wall Street analysts calling him part of the “TACO trade”—an acronym investors are using which stands for Trump Always Chickens Out. It’s shorthand for how Trump always chickens out on tariffs, causing the markets to rally—and investors are using their understanding of Trump’s weakness to their advantage. Trump, predictably, lost it. He yelled at the reporter, denied being a chicken (LOL), and then launched into some incoherent tale about negotiating with the EU using dates he clearly made up on the spot. Just full-on word salad.

But it didn’t stop there.

He got completely confused when a French reporter asked about resuming foreign student visas. Trump didn’t seem to know that it was his own policy blocking those visas in the first place. Not a detail guy, I guess.

Then came the Putin question. “Will Putin stop the war?” Trump’s answer: “I’ll let you know in two weeks.” Again with the two weeks?! That’s his strategy? Just wait and see? You could bait this guy with a tweet. He has no plan—just vibes and volume.

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And then, the delusions really kicked in. He claimed—wait for it—that he personally “brought back” $5.1 trillion from Saudi Arabia, Qatar, and the UAE. I checked. The entire GDP of those countries combined doesn’t even come close. But sure, Trump made that money “in about two hours.” Totally believable.

He even tried to justify flying around in a gold-plated 747 by saying it was “free” and “paid for” with that imaginary $5.1 trillion. You see the scam? He invents a fake windfall, then uses that to excuse real grift—tax cuts for billionaires, gutting Medicaid, slashing SNAP benefits. All while claiming he’s helping the country. It’s fraud layered on fraud.

It got worse. Trump implied he’d consider pardoning the people who plotted to kidnap Michigan Governor Gretchen Whitmer. Yes, domestic terrorists. Then he babbled about Iran and nuclear deals in a way that made it clear he has no clue what verification, inspections, or diplomacy actually entail.

So why was he doing this press conference? Apparently to swear in Jeanine Pirro—yes, the Fox News host—as the top federal prosecutor in Washington, D.C. No joke. He praised her for going after “real criminals,” not the “fake ones” being prosecuted today. It was pure dystopian theater—Idiocracy with a fascist twist.

This press conference was one long, painful reminder of what we are fighting against. Trump is not just erratic—he’s dangerous, delusional, and still obsessed with revenge. He’s elevating loyalists over law, rewarding extremists, and using outright lies to justify stripping away your rights.

We cannot afford to normalize this chaos—and we never will at the MeidasTouch Network.

Meidas+ is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support our work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber.

 

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New from CommonWealth Beacon SUPP BUDGET: The state Senate approved a dramatically scaled-back version of a supplementary budget bill passed by the House last week. State House News reporters Sam Drysdale and Chris Lisinski have details.  PUBLIC MEDIA PANIC: The latest assault on public media funding – an instruction from President Trump to halt money flowing to PBS and NPR – comes at a delicate time for the industry. WBUR CEO Margaret Low discusses the strains on public radio, the long history of defunding efforts from Republican officials, and the core values of NPR stations in an episode of The Codcast.

Boston stays the course, despite Trump yanking violence prevention grants May 28, 2025 By Michael Jonas It’s become a rite of spring in Boston, as certain as Lilac Sunday at the Arnold Arboretum and the return of swan boats to the Public Garden: A press briefing on city plans for promoting public safety during the hot summer months when trouble ticks up with the temperature.   But the annual anti-crime announcement feels a bit like the mayoral warnings issued in advance of a big winter storm or blast of arctic air in January: They are both meant to show that the city is on the job and taking the issue seriously, but the details that are shared invariably have a familiar quality to them.   After all, there are only so many ways to warn people to stay off the roads during a blizzard, or to remind them to lend a hand to any neighbor in need of help during a storm. By the same token, when it comes to efforts to keep a lid on gun violence and other urban ills, Boston’s yearly announcement inevitably follows a well-worn theme.   In a city that has earned national reputation over decades for its low homicide rate and comprehensive approach to public safety and gun violence, there’s no sense in reinventing the wheel.   When Mayor Michelle Wu, Police Commissioner Michael Cox, and other city leaders gathered at a Dorchester park Tuesday morning for their annual briefing, they largely stuck to the script that has driven Boston’s public safety thinking since the 1990s: The police will be vigilant in focusing on the small number of people driving violence in Boston, while various other city departments will be doing all they can to engage young people in positive pursuits, especially those at risk of getting pulled into trouble on the streets.   It is an “all of government” effort, said Wu, highlighting everything from summer youth jobs to expanded evening programming for young people this summer that is aimed at complementing police work so that Boston is “continuing to put in place strategies, the resources, and the leadership to continue to be the safest major city in the country.”   This year, however, “all of government” doesn’t include all levels of government.   READ MORE

More Context In remarkable start to 2024, Boston has had only 2 homicides this year  How Boston escaped the national spike in homicides Boston launches coordinated plan to curb gun violence

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More from CommonWealth Beacon LABOR WIN: The state’s high court agreed with an employment board that Newton retaliated against a police sergeant for union activity by transferring him from day to night shifts. Jennifer Smith has the story.  ECONOMICS: The Healey administration said Friday it will not enforce minimum electric vehicle sales requirements for model years 2026 and 2027, a move that the governor says will give carmakers “more runway to invest in their manufacturing and supply chains.” Colin A. Young, from State House News Service, explains the details.  OPINION: Two major Trump budget moves would wreak havoc on campuses everywhere, writes Lane Glenn, president of Northern Essex Community College. The effects would be especially felt at the nation’s 1,100 community colleges, which enroll a third of America’s undergraduates, including the poorest, most underserved, and vulnerable students.  OPINION: It is crucial that we understand the major role MassHealth plays in ensuring that all residents of Massachusetts have access to health care, writes Audrey Shelto, president and CEO of the Blue Cross Blue Shield of Massachusetts Foundation. Federal cuts to Medicaid would have devastating impacts on individuals, families, doctors, home care services, nursing homes, and hospitals – and the state’s economy.

The Codcast: How does public media survive threats from inside and out? CommonWealth Beacon reporter Jennifer Smith is joined by Margaret Low, CEO of WBUR, to discuss the role of NPR in the news ecosystem, defending journalistic institutions and values while upholding rigorous standards, and the upcoming WBUR Festival. LISTEN NOW

What We're Reading HEALTH CARE: Gov. Maura Healey said 250,000 residents in the state could lose health care coverage under the Republican budget plan approved by the US House last week. (GBH News)  THE ENG FACTOR: “In Phil we trust!” exclaimed Gov. Maura Healey in her State of the Commonwealth address in January. The Phil in whom we trust is Phil Eng, the MBTA general manager whose fix-it efforts have drawn praise from even some of the most cynical T riders. Patricia Wen profiles him in the Globe magazine. (The Boston Globe – paywall)   ICE RAID: Immigration officials arrested about 40 people during raids on Tuesday on Martha’s Vineyard and Nantucket. (Vineyard Gazette)   COURTS: Private attorneys in Massachusetts who serve as court-appointed lawyers for indigent clients are refusing to take new cases until they receive an increase in what the lawyers say are inadequate hourly rates. (GBH News)   ECONOMY: Pittsfield has no regulations governing short-term rentals in the city, but that’s about the change as local leaders draft rules for the sector. (The Berkshire Eagle – paywall)

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