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Technology

What are the potential benefits and risks of the government investing in AI companies like OpenAI?

President Trump surprised tech CEOs by suddenly pushing the idea of the U.S. taking a small ownership stake in AI giants, so the American people share in the upside of what will be trillion-dollar companies. "There's something very interesting about it, where it almost becomes a partnership with the American public," Trump told reporters aboard Air Force One yesterday. "It's like you make them [partners] in this revolution. It would be a beautiful thing. It would make 'em rich." Why it matters: OpenAI CEO Sam Altman has pushed this idea with the Trump administration over the past year. Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) reignited the conversation this week when he proposed giving the public a "direct ownership stake" in top AI companies via a one-time 50% tax, paid in stock. Of course, industry advocates of the idea would favor giving up much less for an AI public wealth fund — 1-5% stakes have been kicked around. Between the lines: AI is broadly unpopular in the U.S. Some industry leaders, and now clearly Trump, think the technology's image would improve if all Americans participated in this mind-boggling wealth creation. Ahead of the expected stock offerings by Anthropic, SpaceX and OpenAI, Trump said there's "so much money, and it's so big, that there are concepts where pieces could be given to the American public, where the American public essentially becomes a partner . with the companies." "We'll look into that," Trump said. "We're talking about it, where the American people can benefit from the success of AI. And by doing that, they're gonna like it better . We're leading China. We're leading everybody in the world with AI, and we want to keep it that way." The backstory: Altman has pushed the concept in private conversations with administration officials, then in a proposal for an AI New Deal, then on Capitol Hill this week when he visited Sanders and leaders of both parties. A "Public Wealth Fund" was one of the provocative ideas in OpenAI's "Industrial Policy for

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Society

How can the Catholic Church create a culture that supports healing for abuse survivors while ensuring accountability?

Pope Leo XIV on Monday condemned sexual abusers holding positions of authority in the Catholic Church, expressing support for reparation for victims. The Catholic Church has for decades faced investigations concluding it systematically turned a blind eye to thousands of child sex predators operating globally as priests and in other capacities within the Vatican’s network. […]

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Politics

How should political parties balance their interests with fair representation when drawing voting district maps?

Democrats are taking the fight over future House maps down ballot, with the super PAC Forward Majority planning to spend $30 million on two dozen state legislative races this year. Why it matters: They're betting that as few as eight statehouse races could help determine who controls redistricting for six U.S. House seats ahead of 2028. "We're in the Wild West now," said Leslie Martes, the chief executive officer of Forward Majority."There are 7,000 legislative districts across the country. Not all of them are up this year, but you've got to make sure that you're playing in the right places with the resources that you have," she said.The group is eyeing seats such as the Arizona State Senate's 17th District, currently held by a Republican. "Kamala Harris won that district, even though she didn't win Arizona," Martes said. Zoom in: In Texas this year, Republicans showed Democrats that redistricting didn't have to be a decennial affair, pushing through a mid-cycle redistricting that aims to net five new GOP seats. Democrats responded in kind in California, but a state Supreme Court decision blocked Virginia's aggressive redraw. The Supreme Court's Callais ruling weakened Section 2 of the Voting Rights Act, giving both parties more room to pursue aggressive redistricting strategies.10 states ended up with new maps for 2026. Other states flirted with redraws, but held back due to tight deadlines or skittish state legislatures. Zoom out: Republicans plan to pad their numbers in states like Georgia and Mississippi ahead of 2028. House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries is preparing to respond by squeezing more Democratic-friendly seats from blue states.But both parties need the same thing to become creative cartographers: control of the state House, state Senate and governor's mansion.That is especially important ahead of the 2030 census, when all 50 states will redraw their lines. The intrigue: Forward Majority predicts that eight races in five states — Arizona, Michigan, M

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