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Bernie Sanders’ plans to schmooze with top Beijing AI experts ignite backlash: ‘Holy s—‘
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Sen. Bernie Sanders, I-Vt., is drawing scrutiny for cozying up to Chinese AI governance officials while championing policies that critics say would hamper America’s ability to compete with Beijing in the global artificial intelligence arms race.
Sanders, who caucuses with Senate Democrats and is a self-proclaimed democratic socialist, is expected to be speaking at a panel discussion on Capitol Hill Wednesday alongside Xue Lan, a professor at the CCP-funded Tsinghua University and chairman of the Ministry of Science and Technology-backed New Generation Artificial Intelligence Governance Professional Committee.
In attendance will also be Zeng Yi, who is the Dean of the Beijing Institute of AI Safety and Governance and is also tied to the New Generation Artificial Intelligence Governance Professional Committee chaired by Lan. Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), Max Tegmark, who will also be speaking at the event, indicated the event will focus on «AI existential risk and international cooperation.»
Critics from the White House, the data center industry, and major tech-policy think tanks have argued Sanders is proposing policies that would slow the construction of the very infrastructure needed to keep the United States ahead in the race for AI dominance. Now, Sanders is facing more heat for holding an event on Capitol Hill with two Chinese Ministry of Science-linked officials who support China’s preferred AI governance model.
CHINA RACES AHEAD ON AI —TRUMP WARNS AMERICA CAN’T REGULATE ITSELF INTO DEFEAT
Sen. Bernie Sanders, I-Vt., speaks during a news conference on the impact of artificial intelligence on workers at the Hart Senate Office Building on April 16, 2026, in Washington, DC. (Heather Diehl/Getty Images)
«I think Senator Sanders’ concerns about AI are overstated, but I respect them. We should be asking questions about child safety, community impact, and economic displacement,» China policy expert at the Hudson Institute, Michael Sobolik, said. «What we shouldn’t do is partner with foreign adversaries like the Chinese Communist Party in those discussions.»
Rep. Pat Harrigan, R-N.C., pointed out that Tsinghua University is «one of China’s top universities with direct ties to the Chinese Communist Party.»
«This is the same China that just blocked Meta’s $2 billion deal to acquire Manus AI, a startup whose founders had already moved to Singapore and whose deal was already done and closed. Beijing decided it did not matter. They stepped in, killed the deal, and restricted the founders from leaving the country while it was under review,» Harrigan wrote in a Monday post on X ahead of the slated panel discussion on Capitol Hill.
«China is aggressively locking down their most powerful AI assets and shutting American companies out,» he continued. «Bernie Sanders wants to hand them a seat at the table to help decide how America handles the same technology.»
«Holy sh–,» Ruthless Podcast co-host Comfortably Smug posted on X.
«It’s a bit on the nose that communist Bernie Sanders is looking to the Chinese Communist Party for their ‘leadership’ on AI,» conservative commentator Steve Guest posted on X.
Fox News Digital reached out to Sanders’ office but did not receive a response in time for publication.
AI TECHNOLOGY RACE IS NEW ‘COLD WAR’ BETWEEN US AND CHINA THAT COULD HAVE DEVASTATING CONSEQUENCES: REPORT
In March, Sanders and Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez unveiled the Artificial Intelligence Data Center Moratorium Act, which would impose an immediate federal ban on the construction or upgrading of new AI data centers until Congress passes a broader regulatory framework. Sanders’ own office said the bill is designed to «slow down the development of AI,» and Sanders has separately argued that AI threatens jobs, privacy, democracy, the environment and «maybe the human race.»
U.S. Sen Bernie Sanders (I-VT) and Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-NY) hold a press conference to announce the Artificial Intelligence Data Center Moratorium Act at the US Capitol on March 25, 2026 in Washington, DC. (Tasos Katopodis/Getty Images)
Even Democrats have balked at the policy proposal, with Sen. Mark Warner, D-Va., calling the moratorium «idiocy» at an artificial intelligence summit in D.C. last month, warning it would give China an edge in the AI race.
Cy McNeill, the senior director of federal affairs at the Data Center Coalition, a pro-industry group, said a freeze would risk «rationing access to digital services,» impair U.S. competitiveness and hit Americans’ daily lives. The Center for Data Innovation, a tech-policy think tank, similarly argued the bill relies on «well-worn anxieties» and does not justify halting data-center construction.
US TARGETS CHINESE ROBOTS OVER SECURITY FEARS
Lan, as chair of China’s national expert committee for AI governance, and Li, who told TIME last year that he is «highly involved in policymaking through national governance committees» in China, both have championed governance models that would expand China’s role in writing global AI rules that clash with a freer, more competition-driven U.S. strategy.
Yi has argued that China and the world need mandatory safety and ethics frameworks and more international cooperation, according to comments he made to TIME. He also helped develop UNESCO’s Recommendation on the Ethics of AI, the first-ever global standard on AI ethics.
Lan, meanwhile, helped establish a CCP-backed national AI safety body to help «bridge» the gap between technical experts and policymakers, according to TIME.
«China has chosen the path of top-down government control to drive its AI industry. While this strategy affords the CCP some advantages, the American model of bottom-up, free-market capitalism has long been the engine of innovation for the world, and it is more efficient in the long run,» House Energy and Commerce Chairman Brett Guthrie wrote in a February policy review for the Hatch Center.
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A processor chip featuring the flags of the United States and China is shown on a motherboard with a world map background in a 3D render. (Kritsapong Jieantaratip/Getty Images)
«The stakes couldn’t be higher,» Guthrie continues. «China already deploys next-generation technologies to advance many of the regime’s most sinister goals focused on enhancing the power of its Orwellian surveillance state utilizing advanced computing. Even more concerning to the American public is the threat of an adversary’s technology stack serving as the building blocks for future advancements or as a strategic chokehold.»
«The way to beat China in the AI race is to outrace them in innovation, not saddle AI developers with European-style regulations,» Sen. Ted Cruz, R-Texas, has also said. Growth and development of new AI technologies will bolster our national security, create new jobs, and stimulate economic growth»
artificial intelligence, bernie sanders, congress, xi jinping, mit
INTERNACIONAL
Tragedia en las islas Maldivas: encontraron los cuerpos de los cuatro buzos italianos que estaban desaparecidos
Los cuerpos de los cuatro buzos italianos que estaban desaparecidos en una cueva submarina de las islas Maldivas fueron localizados por un equipo de profesionales finlandeses que se sumó al operativo de rescate. La tragedia ya había causado una fuerte conmoción en el país asiático luego de la muerte de un rescatista local durante las tareas de búsqueda.
El accidente ocurrió el jueves cuando cinco buzos murieron mientras exploraban cuevas marinas a unos 50 metros de profundidad en Alimathaa, uno de los sitios de buceo más populares del atolón maldivo. Las autoridades consideran que se trata del peor accidente de buceo individual registrado en la pequeña nación del Océano Índico.
El viernes había sido recuperado el cuerpo de uno de los integrantes del grupo dentro de Thinwana Kandu, conocida también como la “Cueva del Tiburón”, a unos 60 metros de profundidad. Durante el fin de semana continuó la búsqueda de las otras cuatro víctimas.
Sin embargo, el operativo quedó marcado por otra muerte. El sábado murió el sargento mayor Mohamed Mahudhee, un buzo de rescate de las Fuerzas de Defensa Nacional de Maldivas, que había sido hospitalizado en estado crítico.
Durante el domingo, tres especialistas finlandeses llegaron a la zona y su participación permitió avanzar finalmente en la localización de los cuerpos restantes. Los espeleobuzos Sami Paakkarinen, Jenni Westerlund y Patrik Grönqvist trabajaron junto a militares y otros funcionarios maldivos en medio de condiciones marítimas y climáticas adversas.
Giorgia Sommacal murió junto a su madre en la expedición. (Foto: gentileza Il Giornale)
Las víctimas fueron identificadas como Monica Montefalcone, profesora asociada de ecología en la Universidad de Génova; su hija Giorgia Sommacal; el biólogo marino Federico Gualtieri; la investigadora Muriel Oddenino; y el instructor de buceo Gianluca Benedetti.
Según explicaron las autoridades, el cuerpo de Benedetti había sido encontrado cerca de la entrada de la cueva, mientras que los otros cuatro buzos se encontraban más adentro del sistema submarino.
Leé también: Del viaje soñado a la tragedia: quién era Serena Andreatta, la argentina que murió en un choque en Australia
La tragedia abrió además una investigación para intentar determinar qué ocurrió durante la inmersión. El portavoz de la presidencia de Maldivas, Mohamed Hussain Shareef, indicó que la cueva es extremadamente profunda y afirmó que incluso buzos altamente preparados evitan acercarse a ese sector.
En paralelo, el operador turístico italiano Albatros Top Boat negó haber autorizado una inmersión de ese tipo. A través de su representante legal, Orietta Stella, la empresa sostuvo que desconocía que el grupo planeaba descender a más de 30 metros, profundidad que requiere permisos especiales de las autoridades marítimas maldivas.
Gianluca Benedetti era el capitán del yate y sy cuerpo fue encontrado el viernes. (Foto: gentileza Divernet).
También señaló que la excursión había sido organizada originalmente como una expedición científica para tomar muestras de coral a profundidades estándar y no para realizar espeleobuceo profundo.
Otro punto bajo análisis es el tipo de equipamiento utilizado. Según trascendió, los buzos eran experimentados, pero habrían utilizado equipos recreativos convencionales y no material técnico específico para exploración de cuevas profundas.
Las autoridades además investigan si el grupo ingresó a la cueva sin guía local, algo que exige la normativa de Maldivas, y si utilizaron el denominado “hilo de Ariadna”, una cuerda de seguridad obligatoria en ciertos sistemas submarinos para mantener la orientación y encontrar la salida.
Monica Montefalcone, que formó parte del grupo de cinco buzos italianos que murieron cerca de Alimathaa en el archipiélago de las Maldivas cuando exploraban una cueva submarina. (Foto: Greenpeace vía AP)
Mientras tanto, distintas hipótesis intentan explicar qué sucedió bajo el agua. La policía no descarta que el mal clima y la escasa visibilidad hayan provocado desorientación dentro de la cueva. Según publicó el diario italiano La Repubblica, el hecho de que ninguno de los cinco lograra salir podría indicar que el grupo se perdió en el interior del sistema submarino y quedó atrapado.
Otra posibilidad analizada es que alguno de los integrantes haya quedado atascado y que el resto intentara asistirlo hasta quedarse sin aire o entrar en pánico.
Expertos en buceo también mencionaron la posibilidad de una toxicidad por oxígeno causada por una mezcla inadecuada de gases en los tanques. Alfonso Bolognini, presidente de la Sociedad Italiana de Medicina Subacuática e Hiperbárica, explicó que a 50 metros de profundidad existen riesgos severos y que una crisis hiperóxica puede provocar problemas neurológicos y ataques de pánico. “Dentro de una cueva a 50 metros de profundidad, todo supone un problema para un buceador”, señaló.
Muriel Oddenino es otra de las científicas que murieron en Maldivas. (Foto: gentileza Divernet).
El ministro de Asuntos Exteriores de Italia, Antonio Tajani, aseguró que el gobierno hará todo lo posible para repatriar los cuerpos de las víctimas. Además, desde el ministerio informó que trabaja junto a Divers Alert Network, una organización especializada en buceo, para colaborar con las tareas de recuperación.
Entre las historias que surgieron tras la tragedia, una de las más conmovedoras fue la de Monica Montefalcone y su hija Giorgia. Carlo Sommacal, esposo de Monica y padre de Giorgia, contó que su mujer acostumbraba llevar una cámara GoPro durante las inmersiones y consideró que esas imágenes podrían ayudar a esclarecer lo ocurrido.
“Mi esposa era una de las mejores buceadoras del mundo”, aseguró. También sostuvo que ella jamás habría puesto en peligro a su hija ni al resto del grupo y deslizó que algo inesperado debió haber sucedido bajo el agua. El hombre reveló además que Giorgia tenía previsto graduarse de la universidad el próximo mes y que la familia estaba organizando una fiesta para celebrarlo.
Las otras víctimas también tenían una extensa trayectoria vinculada al buceo y la biología marina. Muriel Oddenino, de 31 años, era bióloga marina y autora de publicaciones científicas. Federico Gualtieri, también de 31, se había graduado recientemente en biología marina y ecología en la Universidad de Génova.
Benedetti, de 44 años, era instructor de buceo, capitán de barco y jefe de operaciones del yate Duke of York, utilizado por el grupo durante la expedición. Vivía en Maldivas desde 2017, después de dejar atrás una carrera en banca y finanzas para dedicarse de lleno al buceo.
Las autoridades continúan intentando reconstruir los últimos movimientos del grupo mientras avanzan las pericias para determinar qué provocó la tragedia submarina.
islas maldivas, tragedia, buzos, Italianos
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U.S. and Nigerian forces launched another strike against ISIS fighters in Nigeria, according to U.S. Africa Command (AFRICOM), just days after they carried out an operation that killed a global ISIS leader.
AFRICOM said it conducted the additional kinetic strikes against ISIS militants on Monday in coordination with Nigeria’s government. It said complete assessments are ongoing, though noted that no U.S. or Nigerian forces were harmed during the operation.
«The removal of these terrorists diminishes the group’s capacity to plan attacks that threaten the safety and security of the U.S. and our partners,» AFRICOM said.
The strikes come after President Donald Trump announced late Friday that U.S. and Nigerian forces killed Abu-Bilal al-Minuki, whom he described as ISIS’s second-in-command globally.
ISIS TERROR LEADER AT LARGE AFTER US STRIKE KILLS TOP COMMANDER AMID RISING AFRICA THREAT: ANALYST
U.S. and Nigerian forces conducted kinetic strikes against ISIS fighters in northeastern Nigeria on Sunday, May 17, 2026, AFRICOM said. (X / U.S. Africa Command (AFRICOM))
«Abu-Bilal al-Minuki, second in command of ISIS globally, thought he could hide in Africa, but little did he know we had sources who kept us informed on what he was doing,» Trump wrote in a post on Truth Social at the time. «He will no longer terrorize the people of Africa, or help plan operations to target Americans.»
AFRICOM said no U.S. or Nigerian forces were harmed during operation on Sunday, May 17, 2026. (X / U.S. Africa Command (AFRICOM))
Secretary of War Pete Hegseth confirmed Saturday that U.S. forces, in coordination with the Armed Forces of Nigeria, killed al-Minuki and other ISIS leaders.
«So, for months, we hunted this top ISIS leader in Nigeria who was killing Christians, and we killed him — and his entire posse,» Hegseth wrote.
The U.S. military carried out ten strikes against more than 30 ISIS targets in Syria following a December ambush that killed U.S. troops. (CENTCOM)
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The announcement also comes after U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM) said it carried out multiple strikes against more than 30 ISIS targets in Syria in February as part of a joint military effort to «sustain relentless military pressure on remnants from the terrorist network.»
Fox News Digital’s Michael Sinkewicz and Robert McGreevey contributed to this report.
isis, conflicts, counter terrorism, africa, military, world
INTERNACIONAL
Maryland ballot blunder triggers GOP push for federal review of blue state’s voter rolls
DOJ investigating Michigan voter fraud
Harmeet Dhillon, U.S. Assistant Attorney General for Civil Rights, discusses the DOJ’s investigation into voter fraud in Michigan’s Wayne County, citing instances of fraudulent voting and non-compliance with the Help America Vote Act.
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A Maryland primary ballot mix-up has renewed Republican calls for a federal review of the state’s voter rolls after some of the 400,000 primary voters requesting a mall-in ballot received the ballot of the wrong party this weekend.
Maryland’s conservative Freedom Caucus is demanding that state elections officials release Maryland’s voter rolls to the federal government for an audit after a vendor error forced the state to resend thousands of mail-in primary ballots.
«The Maryland Freedom Caucus is calling on Secretary of the Election Board, Jared DeMarinis, to immediately release Maryland’s voter rolls to the federal government so a proper audit can be conducted to determine the sources of the mistake,» the caucus wrote in a statement. «We caution against reissuing another 400,000 ballots and we demand to know how the state intends to differentiate between the first and second printing of these ballots.»
«The citizens have a right to know the exact process by which ballots will be scrutinized,» the statement continued. «With 400,000 double ballots in circulation, we need to be absolutely sure that there is one vote, one person.»
WHY DOJ IS CAUGHT UP IN TWO DOZEN COURT FIGHTS OVER VOTER ROLLS
Sample ballots from North Macedonia, Azerbaijan and Armenia hang on the wall in the office of Jared DeMarinis, Maryland’s elections administrator, after he collected them during trips overseas. (Karl Merton Ferron/The Baltimore Sun/Tribune News Service)
The group claimed that he mistake undermines confidence in the June 23 primary, pointing the finger at Democrats and the State Board of Elections.
«The Maryland Democrats and the bureaucrats over at the Board of Elections have proven once again that they are the biggest purveyors of voter suppression tactics in the state of Maryland,» the statement read.
«After it was brought to light that roughly 400,000 mail-in ballots were sent out incorrectly, voters who received these flawed ballots will now receive a second ballot, according to the state. Many people’s mail-in votes could be erroneously submitted using the old ballot and their vote suppressed because of the negligence of the Maryland Board of Elections and the Maryland Democrats.»
MARYLAND DODGES SPECIFICS IN ILLEGAL IMMIGRANT VOTER-ROLL CASE AS CONGRESS VOWS TO KEEP DIGGING
Maryland State Administrator of Elections Jared DeMarinis said Friday that the state was «diligently working» to eliminate doubts over the accuracy of the process.
«Mail-in voting is an integral facet of the electoral process,» DeMarinis wrote in a statement. «With over 500,000 voters requesting mail-in ballots, we want to eliminate any doubt in its integrity or accuracy; that is why I have arranged the sending of replacement ballots.»
«Please be assured that we are actively answering phones and responding to emails and will remain transparent as we navigate through this situation,» he added. «We will make every effort to ensure that everyone affected knows the situation and how to cast their ballot. Every vote matters, your voice will be heard, and our elections will remain verified, open, transparent, and secure.»
POSTAL SERVICE THRUST INTO MAIL-IN BALLOT FIGHT AS TRUMP ORDER GETS TIED UP IN COURT
Taylor Print & Visual Impressions (TPVI), Inc., the vendor, admitted the error and apologized.
«A portion of voters received ballot packets intended for a different voter segment,» the TPVI Election Services Team wrote in a statement. «We understand the seriousness of this matter and the importance of accuracy and trust in all election-related communications.»
Notably, «all ballots will be remailed by 5/29/2026,» according to the vendor, which is leaving it up to the recipients to destroy the first ballot they received: «Voters should securely discard or destroy the original ballot materials they received and use only the replacement ballot sent in the new mailing.»
HOUSE OVERSIGHT PROBE PUTS MINNESOTA ELECTIONS UNDER SCRUTINY OVER NONCITIZEN VOTING CONCERNS
«There is no risk of duplicate voting as a result of this issue,» TPVI added in a statement. «Election officials have safeguards in place to ensure that only the corrected ballots included in the replacement mailing will be accepted and counted.»
The error affected ballots requested and mailed before May 14, more than a month before the June 16 deadline for voters who want a ballot mailed to them. Voters who requested web-delivered ballots — which can be downloaded, printed and mailed — were not affected.
This latest issue only increases Republicans’ election integrity scrutiny in the state. The Republican National Committee had already been active in pursuing the state’s voter rolls, suing in December for Maryland failing to properly maintain voter rolls and comply with federal transparency requirements, pointing to registration figures the plaintiffs say are implausibly high.
«Marylanders deserve to have confidence in their elections and to know that their state is properly maintaining its voter rolls,» RNC Chair Joe Gruters wrote in a statement. «The State Board of Elections has failed to do its job and remove ineligible or deceased voters from its rolls. Marylanders have a right to accurate voter rolls, which is why the RNC is suing today.»
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The complaint also alleged that at least two of Maryland’s most populous counties have more registered voters than adult citizens over 18, while other counties report registration rates above 95%, despite Census data showing Maryland’s statewide registration rate at about 75.6%.
The RNC argued that federal law requires states to update voter rolls, remove ineligible registrations and allow public inspection of voter list maintenance records, alleging that Maryland has repeatedly fallen short. The suit followed similar action in Hawaii and New Jersey and public records requests sent last year to nearly every state.
Fox News reached out to the RNC’s election integrity unit for comment.
voter fraud concerns, elections disputes, maryland, state and local primaries, republicans elections, voting
La interna libertaria se traslada a los servicios de inteligencia y crece la desconfianza entre Karina Milei y Santiago Caputo
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Tragedia en las islas Maldivas: encontraron los cuerpos de los cuatro buzos italianos que estaban desaparecidos
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