The WFEA Morning Update

White House AI Summit, Taxpayer Ads, and the Decline of Political Civility
White House AI Summit, Taxpayer Ads, and the Decline of Political Civility

Host Jeff Chidester on WFEA talks with New England College Professor Dr. Nate Shrader to break down the biggest national and local political stories shaping today’s headlines.

In this segment, Jeff and Dr. Shrader tackle the growing controversy surrounding allegations that the Trump administration utilized taxpayer funds for promotional content perceived by critics as a campaign ad.

The conversation shifts to the future of technology and policy as they examine expectations and agenda items ahead of the White House AI Summit on September 29.

Finally, the discussion turns to the alarming state of modern political discourse, highlighting two recent incidents illustrating heightened political tensions: the vandalism targeted at Senator Susan Collins’ Maine office and an extraordinary confrontation involving a New Hampshire State Representative challenging fellow lawmakers to a fistfight in Portsmouth’s Market Square (coverage available at NH Journal)

Recent Headlines

5 days ago in National

Judge orders White House to restore access to CNN, MS NOW and Politico. Reporters still blocked

A federal judge temporarily blocked President Donald Trump's ban of three news outlets from the White House, ordering early Thursday that CNN, MS NOW and Politico must have their access restored. Reporters from all three outlets, however, said they remained blocked a few hours after the ruling.

1 week ago in National

California farmers are struggling to sell grapes as demand for wine drops

It's harvest time in California wine country, but many growers are struggling to sell their grapes as changing drinking habits have caused demand to plunge. The decline is forcing some growers to tear out vineyards that their families have grown for generations.

2 weeks ago in National, Trending

Early voting begins in US midterm elections that could flip control of Congress

In-person voting for this year's midterm elections began Friday, ushering in the final six weeks for Americans to decide which party they trust to lead Congress through a cost-of-living crisis, a prolonged war in Iran and other pressing issues.

3 weeks ago in National, Trending

US marks 25 years since the Sept. 11 attacks

Americans are commemorating the 25th anniversary of 9/11, remembering the shock, the dead and the sweeping consequences of the al-Qaida attacks on symbols of U.S. might and prosperity.

3 weeks ago in National, Trending

Anthropic researcher resigns with warning about the dangers of AI development

An Anthropic researcher said he is resigning from the company over concerns the artificial intelligence firm and its competitors are not acting responsibly in AI development, echoing concerns raised inside and outside of the industry about the technology's potential to elude human control.