INTERNACIONAL
Reporter’s Notebook: Congress faces a crisis that the ‘AI godfather’ warns it may not be ready to address
To hear estimates about the growing power of AI, one might ask AI chatbots how long it will take Congress to regulate the technology.
But you might not need to do that.
You could just inquire with your trusty Capitol Hill correspondent. Let’s call this chatbot «ChadGPT.»
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And it truly doesn’t require that much congressional clairvoyance to divine when lawmakers could address AI – despite the forecast of a looming crisis.
You just need a little understanding of the congressional parliamentary posture over the next few months.
It’s doubtful that Congress will do anything about AI until after the midterms. Or, maybe even early next year. Results of the midterms will likely consume the lame duck session – regardless of which party wins or loses. Plus, lawmakers must fund the government by mid-December. If either the House or Senate flips, it might be March or April next year until Congress returns to AI. It simply takes Congress a long time to accomplish anything. Especially when there’s a change in who runs the place.
The Senate is scheduled to meet for the next two weeks. But House Members fled the Capitol last week – a day earlier than planned and two weeks earlier than the original schedule – even as the «godfather of AI» visited Capitol Hill.
Geoffrey Hinton is professor emeritus at the University of Toronto. He’s a 2004 Nobel laureate for his work on «artificial neural networks.» He proffered a stark warning for lawmakers.
Sen. Bernie Sanders, I-Vt., summoned Hinton to Capitol Hill for a bipartisan, bicameral briefing on AI. Sanders has called for a ban on «superintelligence.» Many lawmakers are furious over what’s unfolded with AI over the past few weeks. They want action now.
I had a battery of questions for Hinton when he emerged from the briefing late last week in the Dirksen Senate Office Building. We’ve heard that Congress is lagging when it comes to taking action.
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«How much time do lawmakers actually have to get ahead of this before this is a big problem,» I asked.
«Very little,» replied Hinton.
«What is ‘a little,’» I countered. «A few weeks? A month?»
«Maybe a year,» opined Hinton. «But not much more than a year.»
Sigh.
Hinton characterized the incident where AI agents went rogue and hacked another company as a «little Chernobyl.»
For the uninitiated, that was the epic meltdown of the nuclear reactor in the former Soviet Union in 1986. It’s one of the most extraordinary human-made disasters in history.
But some Republican leaders – and House Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., in particular – are downplaying potential doom. Especially after President Trump declared on Truth Social that AI concerns were a «HOAX.»
«Do you remember when AOC [Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, D-N.Y.] said, was it climate change? What was her stupid thing? She said, ‘we’re all going to be dead in ten years,’» said Johnson. «This is what the President is saying. You’re not all going to be dead in ten years. That’s a hoax.»
Johnson isn’t opposed to legislative action on AI. But he’s certainly taking his cues from President Trump. And even though many Democrats and some Republicans demanded that the House remain in session to wrestle with AI, Johnson predicted that the exercise would be moot.
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«If I called an emergency session today and I brought everybody in the House and said, ‘let’s regulate,» I tell you, nobody in the room knows yet what that should look like,» said Johnson. «We’re going to have steady hands at the wheel on this.»
But other Republicans harbor more fear of rapid AI development.
«What would happen if we created an independent species that became superior to a human species?» asked Sen. John Kennedy, R-La.
Shortly after the briefing with Hinton and others, Kennedy went to the Senate floor and implored his colleagues to pass a bill on the spot requiring AI firms to install a kill switch if their agents rebelled again.
However, Senate Homeland Security Committee Chairman Rand Paul, R-Ky., blocked that on the floor. He feared that such a mandate could stifle innovation.
«We’re going to just put this blanket regulation on the whole economy with no discussion in one fell swoop, on one day, by unanimous consent?» questioned Paul.
Paul’s objection stymied the Senate.
The Kentucky Republican is sanguine about what’s ahead for AI. But he worries about congressional intervention.
«People have feared technology since the beginning of time,» said Paul. » I wouldn’t put Congress in charge of a McDonald’s.»
Jeffrey Ladish of Palisade Research assesses the risks of new technology. After the briefing, Ladish offered his own foreboding prediction about AI running amok.
«How is this allowed to happen? And how do we ensure this never happens again?» asked Ladish. «Because right now, I guarantee you this will happen again. We are not on track for fixing this.»
Ladish argued that even researchers «don’t know how to control it.»
That’s why some lawmakers insist that Congress must move fast to combat AI – perhaps even treating it as a new threat.
«The people who are the greatest innovators and creators in the world in the AI space are warning us of serious danger. So shame on us if we don’t listen to them,» said Sen. Tim Kaine, D-Va.
Rep. Don Beyer, D-Va., is studying for a master’s degree in AI at George Masson University. He says people are skeptical about AI. But he suggests that the public may grow even more skeptical if one party tries to legislate on AI without bipartisan buy-in.
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«We need to do it together. Also, if we do it together, Democrats and Republicans are much less likely to try to reverse it when political winds shift,» said Beyer.
Some lawmakers are already targeting a scapegoat. Rep. Greg Casar, D-Texas, chairs the House Progressive Caucus. He pins the issue on big tech.
«This is on a few billionaires who are the Silicon Valley guys who have developed technology they can’t even control,» said Casar. «What if it’s a hospital next? What if it is nuclear facilities next? That should not be allowed.»
That introduces a wedge into the debate. Some Republicans are increasingly saying that Congress should lay off the industry and let it innovate. But Casar is producing a foil which has bedeviled both political parties: big tech.
Don’t forget that we are just six weeks before an election. Democrats are already jockeying for political positions on AI.
«The AI safety issue is very real,» said House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries, D-N.Y. «That’s why it’s so irresponsible that Mike Johnson and House Republicans have gotten out of town before sundown.»
Could another AI catastrophe compel lawmakers to move sooner? Especially since an expert like Ladish suggests it’s just a matter of time? What if the political battle lines are drawn already between Republicans and Democrats? As far as anyone could tell, John Kennedy was the only Republican who attended the briefing last week. And what if there simply isn’t the political will to move during the lame duck? Or, if Democrats flip the House and Senate, do they try to advance something next year – but it’s viewed as partisan and «big government» by Republicans, standing behind President Trump?
You don’t need ChatGPT to grasp how challenging this may be for Congress. You don’t even need «ChadGPT.» These are just the legislative realities.
As Mary Shelley wrote in Frankenstein, the acquisition of knowledge can be dangerous. Especially if who acquired that knowledge is suddenly more powerful than those who built it.
Frankenstein is a tale of unhinged hubris, ethics and ambition. Congress has tried to legislate guardrails for those mortal flaws for more than two centuries now. Those laws are for humans. And whatever Congress comes up with might not matter to AI.
politics, tech, congress, senate, house of representatives
INTERNACIONAL
En Panamá dos personas fueron aprehendidas mientras realizaban labores de minería ilegal en el Parque Nacional Chagres
Dos ciudadanos panameños fueron aprehendidos por su presunta participación en actividades de minería ilegal dentro del Parque Nacional Chagres, en la provincia de Panamá.
El operativo se realizó en la quebrada Peluca, ubicada en el corregimiento de Caimitillo.
En el lugar, las autoridades hallaron equipos que, según la información disponible, se usaban para extraer material del cauce.
Se informó que durante la diligencia se decomisaron dos motobombas, cuatro palas y dos bateas de madera. Los objetos quedaron bajo custodia como indicios para la investigación.
La intervención incluyó la participación de personal técnico del Ministerio de Ambiente y de guardaparques, quienes documentaron las afectaciones detectadas en el área protegida.
Los dos hombres y los elementos decomisados fueron puestos a disposición de la Fiscalía Superior Especializada en Delitos Ambientales. La entidad deberá determinar si existieron delitos vinculados con la extracción clandestina de recursos minerales y el daño al ecosistema.
De forma paralela, el Ministerio de Ambiente abrirá un proceso administrativo y efectuará los trámites correspondientes ante el Ministerio Público.
La acción reunió a unidades de la Policía Ambiental, la Unidad de Inteligencia Contra los Delitos Ambientales y el Equipo Multidisciplinario Especializado Ambiental. El despliegue formó parte de las tareas de vigilancia en zonas con recursos naturales bajo protección.
La legislación panameña contempla penas de tres a seis años de prisión para quienes, en contravención de las normas ambientales, extraigan recursos minerales de forma ilegal y afecten el equilibrio ecológico o las fuentes de agua.
La Ley General de Ambiente también prohíbe las intervenciones clandestinas en cauces de ríos y dentro de áreas protegidas, como el Parque Nacional Chagres.
En julio de este año el Equipo Multidisciplinario Especializado Ambiental informó que aprehendió a seis personas, entre ellas dos menores de edad, después de ser sorprendidas realizando actividades de extracción ilegal de oro en el cauce de la quebrada Río María Prieto.
Los reportes indican que la acción se dio durante un operativo de patrullaje preventivo realizado en el Corredor de Los Pobres, corregimiento de Pedregal, distrito de Panamá.
La operación se ejecutó de manera mancomunada con la participación de efectivos de la Unidad de Inteligencia Contra los Delitos Ambientales (UCDA), la Dirección de Investigación Judicial (DIJ) Ambiental, la Policía Ambiental y el Servicio Nacional de Fronteras (Senafront).
La intervención respondió a información previa que alertaba sobre la presencia de personas dedicadas a la actividad minera ilegal, la cual estaba provocando afectaciones al ecosistema, entre ellas la desviación del cauce de la quebrada y la degradación del suelo.
Durante la operación fueron aprehendidos cuatro adultos y dos menores de edad. En cumplimiento de los protocolos establecidos, los adolescentes fueron remitidos a las autoridades competentes a través de la Policía de Niñez y Adolescencia y la Secretaría Nacional de Niñez, Adolescencia y Familia (Senniaf).
A los involucrados se les informó sobre su aprehensión por la presunta comisión de delitos contra el Ambiente y el Ordenamiento Territorial, en la modalidad de delitos contra los recursos naturales.
Como parte de las diligencias, las autoridades decomisaron diversos implementos utilizados para la extracción ilegal, entre ellos: cuatro palas, cuatro bateas, cuatro canalones, diez cubos plásticos, una manguera con filtro, un tanque de gasolina, una coa y una motobomba.
Asimismo, personal técnico del Ministerio de Ambiente entregó las citaciones correspondientes para dar continuidad al proceso administrativo.
Los aprehendidos fueron trasladados a la 14.ª Zona Policial Metro Norte, subestación de Caimitillo, donde se realizaron los trámites legales pertinentes.
Con este tipo de acciones, MiAmbiente, en coordinación con los estamentos de seguridad, mantiene su labor de vigilancia y respuesta frente a las actividades que atentan contra los recursos naturales y los ecosistemas del país.
Corresponsal:Desde Panamá
INTERNACIONAL
Fury erupts over Mamdani parade invite as old Columbus insult resurfaces: ‘Are you kidding me?’
A decision to invite New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani to Manhattan’s annual Columbus Day Parade has sparked backlash among some Italian-American leaders.
The Columbus Citizens Foundation, which is responsible for holding the parade, invited Mamdani in the hopes of fostering a better relationship between City Hall and the Italian-American community, the New York Post reported. Mamdani’s past criticism of Italian explorer Christopher Columbus, however, has sparked backlash among Italians who feel inviting the mayor is in poor taste.
«Are you kidding me? This is a WEAK and FECKLESS move by the organizers,» Italian American Civil Rights League president Mike Crispi wrote on X. «Zohran has showed contempt for our people and kissing a** won’t change his true feelings. Italian Americans need to wake up and get tough. It’s the only way to preserve our culture.»
Crispi’s criticism was a reference to a 2020 social media post where Mamdani posted a photo of himself brandishing his middle finger at a statue of Columbus with the caption «take it down.» Columbus holds a near-legendary status among Italian Americans, with the 15th-century explorer viewed by many as a historic link between their heritage and the United States.
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«We feel cooperating is always the better path . . . and we hope to create a good relationship with his office,» Columbus Citizens Foundation president Christopher Loiacono told the New York Post when asked about his decision to invite Mamdani. «We hope he will be more open to [working] with the Italian community.»
It is unclear if Mamdani has accepted the invitation to the parade. Columbus Day falls on Monday, Oct. 12, with New York City’s annual Columbus Day Parade set for Manhattan.
«This is a man who has made it clear that he doesn’t respect Christopher Columbus, and he doesn’t even think us enough of a group to put on his immigrant enclave map,» New York City Councilwoman Joann Ariola, a Republican from Queens, wrote in response. «Why would he want to be there? To get pictures and pretend he’s a paisan now? He should sit this one out.»
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Ariola’s comment was an apparent reference to a map of ethnic enclaves published by the city earlier this year that excluded Little Italy, which also sparked backlash from Italians. The map was initially created by the previous administration in 2023, and Mamdani said his administration added several neighborhoods before releasing the 2026 version.
Nonetheless, Mamdani has moved to update the map to include Little Italy.
A Columbus Day parade wouldn’t be the first public event Mamdani has attended this year to draw organized opposition to his presence. The mayor’s presence at the annual memorial service at Ground Zero on Sept. 11 spurred some family members of victims to circulate a petition demanding that he stay home.
«Just as Mamdani’s presence at the 9/11 Ceremony was inappropriate, we Italian/Americans don’t want him on Columbus Day either,» right-wing political operative Roger Stone wrote on X.
Some non-Italians are offended on behalf of the community.
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«I’m not Italian but I’ve been an honorary dignitary for 5 years running at the Columbus Day Parade thanks to my friend Angelo Vivolo,» Jewish radio host Sid Rosenberg wrote on X. «The organizers of the parade invited [Mamdani] to attend? What? This Radical Islam mother f*cker gave the finger to a Columbus statue and left Little Italy/Arthur Avenue OFF his bullsh*t immigrant map … When did my Italian brothers and sisters become so soft! … I will NOT attend this year if he is there.»
«The Italians need to step up and stop this!» he added.
Crispi has threatened to hold a competing Columbus Day parade next year if the Columbus Citizens Foundation does not revoke its invitation to the mayor.
The Mayor’s office and the Columbus Citizens Foundation did not respond to a request for comment when reached by Digital on Monday.
zohran mamdani, new york city, heritage, politics, controversies state and local
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Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni announced plans Sept. 20 to introduce legislation capping the number of foreign students in Italian classrooms and banning face-covering garments, including burqas and niqabs, in schools.
The conservative leader said her proposed measures aim to foster integration, preserve Italian cultural identity and ensure that native children do not feel sidelined in the classroom.
«There’s no way that in an Italian classroom, the ones who feel marginalized are Italian children because they have become a minority,» Meloni said during a speech to Gioventù Nazionale, the youth wing of her conservative Brothers of Italy party, in Rome, according to reports.
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Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni attends her annual press conference in Rome on Jan. 9, 2026. (Antonio Masiello/Getty Images)
Under the proposal, individual classrooms would have limits on non-Italian students to prevent heavy concentrations in specific districts.
Meloni did not specify the exact cap but said the government would also require mandatory Italian-language lessons for parents of foreign pupils who struggle to integrate.
«For us, anyone who comes to Italy and wants to build their future here must learn our language, understand our culture, and respect our rules,» Meloni said, The Associated Press reported.
«It is the only serious way to welcome them.»
Students who don’t hold Italian citizenship account for around 11.6% of school enrollment nationwide, according to Italy’s Education Ministry cited by the ISMU ETS Foundation.
Under Italian law, children born to foreign parents also do not automatically gain citizenship at birth and must wait until age 18 before they can apply.
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Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni speaks during a joint statement at the conclusion of Italian-German government consultations in Rome on Jan. 23, 2026. (Remo Casilli/Reuters)
Meloni argued that high concentrations of non-native speakers impact the learning process for everyone involved.
«If in a classroom there is only one child who doesn’t understand Italian, it is possible that that child will manage, with the help of his peers and teachers, to learn the language and integrate fast,» she said.
«But if these children are many, or even the majority, that’s not integration anymore, that’s abandonment.»
The proposed package also targets religious face coverings, explicitly prohibiting burqas and niqabs in educational institutions while permitting other forms of Islamic dress, such as the hijab.
In a series of posts on X on Monday, the Brothers of Italy party reinforced the prime minister’s message:
«Those who choose to build their future in Italy must learn our language, know our culture, and respect our rules.
«School is attended with one’s face uncovered. No tradition can impose on a young woman the obligation to hide herself.»
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Italian PM Giorgia Meloni was seen rolling her eyes after French President Emmanuel Macron whispered in her ear at the G7 summit. (Fox News)
A subsequent post added: «Limit on the number of foreign students in classrooms, obligation for parents of pupils with serious integration difficulties to learn Italian, and ban on burqas and niqabs in educational institutions.
«Integration comes through knowledge of our language, respect for our rules, and protection of our cultural identity.»
Several European neighbors, including France and Belgium, have previously imposed bans on face-coverings in public places, though enforcement and legal frameworks differ.
The proposed Italian legislation is expected to be considered by Italy’s Council of Ministers before being sent to Parliament for consideration.
Meloni, who has led Brothers of Italy since 2014 and served as president of the European Conservatives and Reformists Party from 2020 to 2025, has governed Italy since 2022.
Her administration recently surpassed previous records set by Silvio Berlusconi to become the longest-serving uninterrupted government in modern Italian history.
world, italy, foreign, trending news
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El Gobierno pidió iniciar una investigación por el caso de adoctrinamiento en una escuela primaria de Formosa
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La morosidad de las familias llegó al 12,9% y los menores de 35 años concentran la mayor cantidad de deudores
Fury erupts over Mamdani parade invite as old Columbus insult resurfaces: ‘Are you kidding me?’
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