Six months after President Donald Trump warned states not to regulate artificial intelligence, they are increasingly doing just that. States are scrutinizing how chatbots interact with children, how employers use AI and what developers must do to prevent an AI-caused catastrophe. State lawmakers have stepped back from earlier, wider-ranging attempts to regulate AI that were vetoed or otherwise derailed by governors. But they are returning with legislation that is more targeted. The White House doesn’t seem to be making good on its threat to sue over state AI laws or withhold money. Rather, it says it wants to enact its policy framework through Congress. That includes preempting state laws that target AI development, although not laws regulating AI use.
A new memo from U.S. health regulators is raising questions about a recent decision to authorize the first fruit-flavored e-cigarettes for adult smokers. The Food and Drug Administration document posted online this week shows that adding flavors like mango and blueberry didn't help smokers quit when compared with older, tobacco-flavored vapes. The memo provides the first detailed look at how the FDA made its decision to approve the e-cigarettes from a small California vaping company. The decision marked a first for the agency and has been heavily criticized by health groups and lawmakers.
Federal health regulators have signed off on the first new sunscreen ingredient for the U.S. market in more than 25 years. The announcement Tuesday by the Food and Drug Administration will give Americans access to a skin-protecting chemical long used in Europe. The FDA says the chemical, bemotrizinol, meets the agency’s standards for protecting from dangerous sun rays while causing little irritation. It will initially be sold in the U.S. under the brand name Parsol Shield. Efforts to introduce new sunscreen products have long been delayed by the FDA’s bureaucratic system for updating its list of safe drug ingredients
A federal lawsuit seeks to halt the upcoming UFC fight card on the White House South Lawn in a mixed martial arts show timed for President Donald Trump’s 80th birthday and part of the celebration of the nation’s 250th anniversary. The filing Saturday by the Public Integrity Project on behalf of two Virginia resident contends the Trump administration’s authorization of the June 14 event violated National Park Service regulations prohibiting sporting events on federal parklands. It also says Congress didn't consent to the towering arch overlooking the event space and no environmental review was conducted before the construction. The White House says the lawsuit is “baseless.”
The Supreme Court has sided with the Trump administration in a case about the power of federal regulators over telecommunications companies. In an 8-1 ruling Thursday, the justices preserved one of the Federal Communications Commission’s key enforcement tools. Verizon and AT&T challenged multimillion-dollar penalties imposed after the agency determined that the companies failed to safeguard customer location data. The companies argued that the FCC's process was unconstitutional and they hoped to build on a line of Supreme Court cases limiting the power of federal agencies. The high court disagreed, though after the administration said companies didn't have to pay the fines right away.
The many candidates running for California governor have been rushing to deliver their closing arguments to voters in the race’s final days before the June 2 primary. They have been trying to stand out from the pack. Democrat Xavier Becerra has been highlighting the more than 35 years he has spent in public office. Republican Steve Hilton says he will bring a fresh set of eyes to state government, reduce regulations and bring down costs. And Democrat Tom Steyer says he is a billionaire who wants to tax other billionaires. All three are headed to the San Francisco Bay Area this weekend to put a finer point on their message to voters. Candidates for Los Angeles mayor are similarly working to try and pull ahead before the election Tuesday.
The Associated Press has learned that officials at the Food and Drug Administration were blindsided by a recent policy change allowing more electronic cigarettes and nicotine pouches to hit the U.S. market. Two FDA staffers who spoke under condition of anonymity say some agency officials only learned of the change the night before it was published. The new guideline breaks with longstanding FDA policy requiring nicotine products to undergo scientific review before launching. The staffers say there is confusion within the FDA about how the guidelines were developed. The policy was published days before former FDA Commissioner Marty Makary resigned under pressure from vaping lobbyists.
The Trump administration is loosening a federal rule that requires grocery stores and air-conditioning companies to reduce greenhouse gases used in cooling equipment. President Donald Trump says that will help lower grocery costs. But it's not clear how much or how quickly prices could be impacted. Industry groups say it could even raise prices because manufacturers have already redesigned products, retooled factories and trained workers to build and service next-generation refrigerant equipment. The move to relax the Biden-era rules on harmful pollutants known as hydrofluorocarbons is the latest attempt by the administration before the November elections to try to address rising voter concerns over the cost of living.