© 2025 Improve the News Foundation.
All rights reserved.
Version 6.20.0
Trump Signs Executive Order to Block State AI Regulations
U.S. President Donald Trump signed an executive order Thursday aimed at blocking states from crafting their own regulations for artificial intelligence, directing the Attorney General to create a task force to challenge state laws and the Commerce Department to compile a list of problematic regulations.
The order instructs White House AI Czar David Sacks and Office of Science and Technology Policy Director Michael Kratsios to draft recommendations for a federal AI law that would preempt state regulations. It leaves state rules on child safety, data-center infrastructure, state AI procurement, and other areas not yet addressed untouched.
Trump stated in the Oval Office that "there's only going to be one winner" as nations race to dominate artificial intelligence, noting that China's central government provides its companies a single place for government approvals, while U.S. firms need "to get 50 different approvals from 50 different states."
Establishment-critical narrative
This EO creates unnecessary litigation, fails to protect children by preempting AI-specific state safeguards and rewards billionaires like Sacks himself. California already proved commonsense AI safeguards work without killing innovation, but this power grab lets unaccountable tech billionaires run wild instead of letting the public decide how AI shapes society. States must retain authority to shield residents from online censorship, child predation, intellectual property theft and data center resource grabs.
Pro-establishment narrative
A single federal AI framework eliminates the chaotic patchwork of over 1,000 state bills that threaten to cripple American innovation and hand China the competitive advantage. Companies need one approval lane instead of navigating 50 conflicting state regulations that make compliance impossible and slow everything down. Establishing national standards protects children and communities while ensuring America wins the AI race through minimally burdensome rules.
Nerd narrative
There's an 85% chance that the U.S. will have passed legislation requiring cybersecurity for AI models before 2030, according to the Metaculus prediction community.
Over 400 Civilians Killed in Fighting in Eastern DR Congo
More than 413 civilians, including women and children, have been killed by bullets, grenades and bombs in different localities in Uvira territory in South Kivu province, according to a statement from South Kivu government spokesperson Bashizi-Didier Kabuya.
The Rwanda-backed M23 rebels said they had captured Uvira, a key commercial hub near the Burundian border and South Kivu’s temporary capital, after days of clashes with government forces, triggering the displacement of more than 200,000 people.
The African Union said the escalating violence runs "counter to the momentum" generated by the Doha Framework Agreement between the DRC and the rebels, as well as the U.S.-brokered peace deal, with new U.N. assessments showing that over 500,000 people have been displaced in just over a week.
Pro-Trump narrative
The well-intended Trump-backed peace framework is being eroded by militias and foreign interference that feed on eastern Congo’s entrenched instability. The recent killings highlight the need for stronger regional coordination, credible monitoring and real pressure on all armed actors. U.S. engagement remains crucial to restrain spoilers, ease cross-border tensions and prevent a wider regional conflagration. Trump can help facilitate peace, he cannot dictate it.
Anti-Trump narrative
Trump’s so-called peace deal collapsed because it ignored the political interests shaping eastern Congo’s war. By shielding strategic partners and prioritizing optics, it allowed militias to grow stronger and violence to spread. The U.S. aimed to preserve a manageable status quo rather than confront the forces sustaining the conflict, making renewed massacres inevitable once the deal unraveled.
Nerd narrative
There is a 60% chance that the Democratic Republic of Congo will experience a civil war before 2036, according to the Metaculus prediction community.
Disney, OpenAI Strike $1B Deal for AI Character Videos
The Walt Disney Company and OpenAI announced a three-year licensing agreement on Thursday, allowing users to create short videos using more than 200 characters from Disney, Marvel, Pixar and Star Wars through OpenAI’s Sora video-generation tool and ChatGPT images.
Per the agreement, Disney will invest $1 billion in OpenAI and receive warrants to purchase additional equity. Disney will also become a “major [OpenAI] customer” by utilizing its APIs to build new tools and products for services like Disney+, as well as by equipping Disney employees with ChatGPT.
The deal does not cover talent likenesses or voices, with OpenAI pledging to implement age-appropriate policies, along with other controls, to prevent users from generating “illegal or harmful content” and to respect the rights of content owners and individuals.
Techno-optimist narrative
This groundbreaking partnership puts the power of imagination directly into the hands of fans, allowing them to create personal connections with the stories and characters they love. Simultaneously, Disney’s strategic investment in OpenAI secures the company a leading technological position while maintaining the robust controls needed to protect the rights of the creative industry.
Techno-skeptic narrative
Disney’s billion-dollar deal with OpenAI transforms its subscribers into unpaid content generators, who will flood the internet with AI-slop, degrading the beloved characters carefully crafted by skilled human artists. In doing so, this deal will significantly cheapen Disney’s creative integrity and will invite the same toxic misuse seen on other platforms, such as Fortnite.
Nerd narrative
There is a 51% chance that OpenAI will reach its profit cap for the first round of investors by 2035, according to the Metaculus prediction community.
Europol Warns of AI-Powered Crime and 'Bot Bashing'
Europol, the European police authority, has published a report produced by the Europol Innovation Lab warning about how AI and unmanned systems could alter the nature of society, crime and law enforcement.
While highlighting the uptake of autonomous systems across the continent for various policing tasks, the report cautions that their use suffers from technical limitations and regulatory gaps — such as dependence on industrial suppliers, limited autonomy and a lack of clear guidelines — that hinder their effectiveness.
Criminal and terrorist groups, meanwhile, are rapidly adopting such systems for their own illicit activities, including information gathering, drug smuggling and attacks on the police, after refining their drone strategies since 2010.
Techno-optimist narrative
As criminals and terrorists increasingly make use of ever-more sophisticated AI and unmanned systems, it is up to law enforcement authorities across Europe to do the same. From surveillance and bomb disposal to search and rescue operations, these technologies offer police forces on the continent unprecedented capabilities that are essential if they want to avoid falling behind.
Techno-skeptic narrative
While AI is a powerful tool, if handed to the police without proper regulations, this technology will only exacerbate the existing problems plaguing law enforcement. Systemic issues with bias and inaccuracy, for example, could be amplified by an AI-driven platform through flawed human inputs. Strict guidelines are necessary, therefore, to keep the police's use of AI in check.
Nerd narrative
There is a 25% chance that Tesla will be able to mass-produce humanoid robots by the end of 2027, according to the Metaculus prediction community.
Alleged Charlie Kirk Assassin Tyler Robinson Makes First In-Person Court Appearance
Tyler Robinson, the 22-year-old man accused of murdering Conservative activist Charlie Kirk in September, made his first in-person court appearance in Utah on Thursday.
After handing himself into authorities on Sept. 11, the day after Kirk was shot and killed at Utah Valley University, Robinson was charged with seven offenses including aggravated murder, felony use of a firearm and commission of a violent offense in the presence of a child, as well as two offenses of obstruction of justice and two offenses of witness tampering.
However, Robinson has yet to enter a plea and previous proceedings, which he attended remotely, focused on issues of his courtroom attire, courtroom security and whether film crews were to be granted access.
Pro-establishment narrative
This case has attracted an extraordinary amount of media attention and if it is not regulated in the proper manner, there's a high risk it could prejudice Robinson's right to a fair trial. If this were to happen, it could lead to a mistrial or an acquittal so it is imperative the judge gets this right.
Establishment-critical narrative
Too many hearings in this case have already taken place behind closed doors. But all this does is fan the flames of conspiracies and undermine the public's trust in the legal system. While the judge is right to protect Robinson's presumption of innocence, the court must not overstep the mark to undermine the principles of transparency and open justice.
Nerd narrative
There's a 50% chance that the U.S. murder rate will be at least 4.99 per 100,000 inhabitants in 2030, according to the Metaculus prediction community
Putin Meets Erdoğan, Pezeshkian at Turkmenistan Summit
Russian President Vladimir Putin, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan and Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian attended a summit in Turkmenistan on Friday to mark the 30th anniversary of the country's permanent neutrality status, which was recognized by the U.N. in 1995.
During a high-level meeting, Putin and Erdoğan reaffirmed strong bilateral ties and discussed "the European Union’s freezing of Russian funds," with Erdoğan reiterating Turkey's readiness to host peace talks to help end the ongoing Russia–Ukraine war.
Iran's President Pezeshkian reaffirmed Tehran's commitment to the January 2025 strategic partnership with Russia, noting expanded cooperation in power generation and transportation, while emphasizing Iran's commitment to implement the North-South transit corridor "by the end of the year."
Pro-establishment narrative
The Ashgabat summit highlights why Western alignment remains essential for regional stability. Russia's outreach to Turkey and Iran reflects not renewed strength but the strategic vacuum created when Moscow isolates itself from rule-based institutions. Such trilateral formats operate without transparency or accountability, risking ad-hoc deals that undermine conflict management in Syria and the Caucasus and weaken the broader system of international norms.
Establishment-critical narrative
The summit instead exposes the limits of Western pressure and the erosion of a U.S.-led order. Years of sanctions and containment did not marginalize Russia but encouraged it to consolidate ties with Turkey and Iran on its own terms. By meeting as equal power centers and coordinating outside Western frameworks, the trio signals a shifting landscape in which alternative alliances gain weight and new circuits of influence bypass Washington and Brussels.
Nerd narrative
There is a 5% chance that Turkey will be a member of the European Union by 2040, according to the Metaculus prediction community.
NATO Chief Warns Russia Could Attack Alliance in 5 Years
NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte warned in a speech in Berlin that Russia could be ready to use military force against NATO within five years, stating that alliance members are Russia's next target and urging rapid increases in defense spending and production.
Rutte stated that Russia's economy has been on a war footing for over three years, with factories producing around 150 tanks, 550 infantry fighting vehicles, 120 Lancet drones and more than 50 artillery pieces monthly, while Western Europe would take years to match this production.
The NATO chief said that over 1 million Russian troops have been killed or injured since the February 2022 invasion of Ukraine, with Russia losing an average of about 1,200 troops per day this year, according to Western intelligence sources and NATO estimates.
Anti-Russia narrative
It's possible that Russia could attack NATO within five years, and Atlantic Alliance members are already in harm's way. Moscow has become increasingly brazen with hybrid warfare, including cyber attacks, disinformation and drone incursions into allied airspace. Defense spending and production must rise rapidly now because time is not on NATO's side.
Pro-Russia narrative
Russia has no plans to attack NATO and prioritizes peace and cooperation. NATO officials are running an orchestrated fear campaign to manipulate their populations, justify their own failures and distract from economic disasters at home. Any attack on Russia will be met with overwhelming force using every capability available.
Nerd narrative
There is a 40% chance that Russia will attack a European NATO member before 2035, according to the Metaculus prediction community.
House Democrats Release Two Sets of Epstein Photos Featuring Trump, Clinton
Democrats on the U.S. House Oversight Committee released over 70 more images provided by Jeffrey Epstein's estate Friday afternoon just hours after publicizing 19 such photos. The newly released photos feature high-profile figures, such as U.S. President Donald Trump and former President Bill Clinton, and follow an initial batch unveiled by the committee last week.
The images include Trump standing with several women whose faces were redacted, as well as photos of Clinton posing with Epstein and Ghislaine Maxwell, Steve Bannon meeting with Epstein, and other prominent individuals, including Bill Gates and Woody Allen.
Trump has distanced himself from his past ties to Epstein, denying knowledge of his crimes, while Clinton acknowledged flying on Epstein's jet but has said he was unaware of any wrongdoing. Bannon, Gates, Allen and others depicted in the photos have likewise denied knowledge of or involvement in Epstein's crimes.
Democratic narrative
Oversight Democrats are exposing the full scope of Epstein’s ties to the wealthy and powerful, including new photos showing Trump, Clinton, Bannon, Gates and other influential men. Even as tens of thousands of new images surface of Epstein's property and women connected to his operation, Trump's DOJ is obstructing and delaying the release of files required by law. Survivors and the American people deserve full transparency — no more cover-ups or excuses.
Republican narrative
Once again, Oversight Democrats are chasing headlines with a handful of cherry-picked and heavily redacted Epstein photos. Nothing in the files shows wrongdoing by President Trump, yet Democrats continue to use this drip-by-drip strategy to undermine trust in the government and cast doubt on the president without presenting any new evidence. Instead of serving survivors, they prioritize partisan attacks, censoring material that’s already public while pretending to fight a "cover-up."
Report: Nobel Prize Laureate Narges Mohammadi Arrested in Iran
The Narges Mohammadi Foundation reported on Friday that the Nobel Peace Prize winner and women's rights activist after whom the organization is named had been arrested earlier that day along with other activists. The arrests were corroborated by sources for the Center for Human Rights in Iran and BBC Persian.
This comes as they were attending a memorial ceremony in the northeastern city of Mashhad for prominent human rights lawyer Khosrow Alikordi, who was found dead in his office last week in what his supporters described as suspicious circumstances. Local officials ruled the cause of death as a heart attack.
The city governor of Mashhad told state media that prosecutors ordered the arrest of some participants for their own safety after "norm-breaking" chants erupted in the crowd. Authorities have yet to provide information about the whereabouts of the detainees.
Pro-establishment narrative
Mohammadi's latest arrest exposes the regime's fear of global attention on courageous dissidents. For years, she has fearlessly fought oppression and stood for women's rights despite repeated imprisonment and harsh treatment. The timing — just as María Corina Machado arrived in Norway — reveals exactly what authoritarian regimes fear most the unstoppable power of truth when the world is watching.
Establishment-critical narrative
It's outrageous how the West insists on meddling in Iran's internal affairs. Mohammadi was convicted of legitimate criminal charges including colluding against national security and spreading anti-government propaganda. That she was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize in 2023 means only that the Nobel Committee and Mohammadi serve the interest of the Western establishment.
Nerd narrative
There's a 50% chance that Iran will cease to be an Islamic Republic by September 2039, according to the Metaculus prediction community.
Canada: Conservative MP Michael Ma Defects to Carney's Liberals
Michael Ma, a Conservative member of parliament representing Markham-Unionville in Ontario, announced on Thursday that he would cross the floor to join Prime Minister Mark Carney's Liberal Party, marking the second Conservative defection in just over a month.
Ma stated he entered politics to focus on solutions rather than division and concluded that Prime Minister Carney is offering the steady, practical approach needed to deliver on priorities including affordability and the economy.
The defection reportedly leaves the Liberal Party with 171 seats in the House of Commons, placing them one seat short of a majority government and the ability to pass legislation without opposition support.
Left narrative
Ma's decision to join Carney reflects careful listening to constituents who want affordability, economic growth and community safety over Conservative obstruction. The steady, practical approach offered by Carney's government delivers real solutions for families working to build their Canadian dream. This is a time for unity and decisive action, not the soul-destroying partisan games that frustrate even Conservative members.
Right narrative
This political alliance reeks of illegitimacy, given Markham–Unionville's documented foreign interference problems and PRC-linked candidates. Carney personally backed a Liberal lawmaker who joked about handing a Conservative opponent to the CCP, and now a defection from that same tainted riding hands him near-majority power. A by-election is the only legitimate path forward when power shifts involve a riding so shrouded in unanswered questions.