The Latest: Trump will reveal ‘AI Action Plan’ shaped by his Silicon Valley supporters

Vice president’s GOP fundraiser pulls in $3 million

JD Vance on Tuesday appeared at a fundraising dinner at a private home in Nantucket that brought in the high sum for the Republican National Committee, according to a person familiar with the event who requested anonymity because they were not authorized to speak publicly.

Couples were asked to contribute $100,000 to join the dinner and $250,000 to be part of the event’s host committee, according to a copy of the event’s invitation seen by the AP.

Democrats planning summer town halls in GOP districts

House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries said Democrats will “fill the void” if Republicans refuse to face voters back home.

“They have nothing good to sell to the American people,” Jeffries said at a press conference at the Capitol, before lawmakers head out for the August recess.

Flanked by the Democratic leadership team, Jeffries said Democrats plan to show up at town halls and other events to criticize GOP policies and showcase what his party would do if they regain control of the House.

And the Democrats warned the Republicans’ refusal to vote on releasing the Jeffrey Epstein files won’t be forgotten.

“They run out of town to hide sex crimes for the rich and famous,” said Rep. Katherine Clark of Massachusetts, the Democratic Whip.

As US withdraws from UNESCO, China steps up

“We have noted that UNESCO and multiple countries have expressed regret over the U.S. decision to withdraw once again,” Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Guo Jiakun said.

“This is the third time that the U.S. has withdrawn from UNESCO, and it has long been in arrears on its membership dues. This is not the behavior befitting a responsible major country,” Guo said.

“The purpose of UNESCO is to advance international cooperation in education, science, and culture, foster mutual understanding and integration among civilizations, safeguard world peace and promote common development. China has consistently and firmly supported the work of UNESCO.”

China has become increasingly involved in U.N. affairs even as the U.S. retreats. Guo said China calls on “all countries to reaffirm their commitment to multilateralism, and support with concrete actions the international system with the United Nations at its core, international rules based on international law, and basic norms of international relations grounded in the purposes and principles of the UN Charter.”

Here’s what UNESCO does and why it matters

Pulling U.S. funding and participation from UNESCO could sets back cultural heritage preservation around the world:

State Department launches investigation into Harvard’s participation in international program

The probe announced Wednesday could determine whether Harvard University can remain part of a government program that allows foreign nationals to take part in cultural and education exchange programs.

It’s the latest attack by the Trump administration on Harvard, which is challenging $2.6 billion in government funding cuts in federal court. The university has accused the Trump administration of waging a retaliation campaign after Harvard rejected a series of demands from a federal antisemitism task force in April.

The State Department did not say why it is investigating Harvard’s eligibility to take part in the Exchange Visitor Program. It just stated that all participants “are required to fully comply with exchange visitor regulations, transparency in reporting, and a demonstrated commitment to fostering the principles of cultural exchange and mutual understanding upon which the program was founded.”

Japan’s autos will be tariffed at a lower rate than the rest of the world

Trump’s trade framework with Japan would dramatically curb his new 25% tariffs on autos to 15%, according to a social media post by Japanese Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba. “With the idea of ‘prioritizing investment over tariffs,’ Japan and the U.S. have reached a deal that will benefit both sides,” Ishiba posted on X.

The Trump administration has separately placed a broad 25% tariffs on autos, which would hit German and Korean producers that compete against Japanese companies such as Toyota, Honda, Nissan and Subaru.

The lower tariff rate could give Japanese automakers an advantage against their competitors.

The Trump administration has opposed international mandates on global warming

The United States and Russia, both of whom are major petroleum-producing states, are staunchly opposed to the court mandating emissions reductions.

But those who cling to fossil fuels could go broke doing it, the U.N. secretary-general told The Associated Press in an exclusive interview this week.

Simply having the court issue an opinion is the latest in a series of legal victories for the small island nations:

The UN ruling could be a catalyst for lawsuits

The panel of 15 judges was tasked with answering two questions:

"The survival of my people and so many others is on the line," Arnold Kiel Loughman, attorney general of the island nation of Vanuatu, told the court during a week of hearings in December.

Now, activists can sue their governments for failing to comply.

“What makes this case so important is that it addresses the past, present, and future of climate action. It’s not just about future targets -- it also tackles historical responsibility, because we cannot solve the climate crisis without confronting its roots,” Joie Chowdhury, a senior attorney at the Center for International Environmental Law, told AP.

Top UN court says failing to protect planet from climate change could violate international law

The International Court of Justice is delivering an advisory opinion in a landmark case about every nation’s obligations to tackle climate change and consequences they may face if they don’t, calling it an “urgent and existential” threat to humanity.

“Failure of a state to take appropriate action to protect the climate system ... may constitute an internationally wrongful act,” court President Yuji Iwasawa said during Wednesday’s hearing.

The case is led by the Pacific island nation of Vanuatu and backed by more than 130 countries. All U.N. member states, including major greenhouse gas emitters like the United States and China, are parties to the court.

The UN’s top court delivers landmark decision on tackling climate change

The United Nations’ top court’s advisory opinion Wednesday declares that a “clean, healthy and sustainable environment” is a human right.

The International Court of Justice’s opinion describes the obligations of every nation to tackle climate change — and the consequences they may face if they don’t.

The non-binding opinion, which runs to over 500 pages, is seen as a potential turning point in international climate law. Enshrining a sustainable environment as a human right paves the way for other legal actions, including states returning to the ICJ to hold each other to account, as well as domestic lawsuits.

“The human right to a clean, healthy and sustainable environment is therefore inherent in the enjoyment of other human rights,” court President Yuji Iwasawa said.

▶ Read more about the UN court's landmark climate ruling

Tips to help teenagers navigate AI companions

Artificial intelligence is largely unregulated and many parents have no idea how their kids are using AI tools and what personal information they are sharing. Here are some things experts say parents can do:

▶ Read more about tips for protecting teens from AI risks

Teens turn to AI for advice, friendship and ‘to get out of thinking’

Teenagers are increasingly interacting with AI as if it were a human companion, according to a new study and interviews with The Associated Press.

“Everyone uses AI for everything now. It’s really taking over,” said Kayla Chege, who wonders how AI tools will affect her generation. “I think kids use AI to get out of thinking.”

Concerns about cheating at school have dominated the conversation around kids and AI, but artificial intelligence is suddenly playing a much larger role in many of their lives — as a go-to source for personal advice, emotional support, everyday decision-making and problem-solving.

More than 70% of teens have used AI companions and half use them regularly, according to the study from Common Sense Media, a group that advocates for using digital media sensibly.

▶ Read more about teens using AI companions

China to dispatch team to Sweden for trade talks with US

China has announced that Vice Premier He Lifeng will travel to Sweden from Sunday to Wednesday for trade talks with the U.S. side.

Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent also has said he will be in Stockholm for trade talks with his Chinese counterpart next week.

Bessent has indicated that two sides are likely to extend the Aug. 12 deadline, set three months earlier in Geneva when Beijing and Washington agreed to walk back from sky-high tariffs. Bessent and He are taking the leads for their governments in the negotiations.

Americans are paying more for electricity and losing drinking water for AI

The tech industry has pushed for easier permitting to get huge data centers connected to power and water — even if it means consumers losing drinking water and paying higher energy bills.

On Tuesday, 95 groups including labor unions, parent groups, environmental justice organizations and privacy advocates signed a resolution opposing Trump’s embrace of industry-driven AI policy and calling for a “People’s AI Action Plan” that would “deliver first and foremost for the American people.”

Amba Kak, co-executive director of the AI Now Institute, which helped lead the effort, said the coalition expects Trump’s plan to come “straight from Big Tech’s mouth.”

“Every time we say, ‘What about our jobs, our air, water, our children?’ they’re going to say, ‘But what about China?’” she said Tuesday. She said Americans should reject the White House’s argument that artificial intelligence is overregulated, and fight to preserve “baseline protections for the public.”

Blocking tech contractors from using ‘woke AI’

Sacks, a former PayPal executive and now Trump’s top AI adviser, has been criticizing “woke AI” for more than a year, fueled by Google’s February 2024 rollout of an AI image generator that, when asked to show an American Founding Father, created pictures of Black, Asian and Native American men.

Google quickly fixed its tool, but the "Black George Washington" moment remained a parable for the problem of AI's perceived political bias, taken up by X owner Elon Musk, venture capitalist Marc Andreessen, Vice President JD Vance and Republican lawmakers.

“The AI’s incapable of giving you accurate answers because it’s been so programmed with diversity and inclusion,” Sacks said at the time.

Elon Musk's xAI, pitched as an alternative to "woke AI" companies, had to scramble this month to remove posts made by its Grok chatbot that made antisemitic comments and praised Adolf Hitler.

Trump’s artificial intelligence plan unveiling co-hosted by a podcast

The All-In Podcast is a business and technology show hosted by four tech investors and entrepreneurs including Trump's AI czar, David Sacks.

The plan and related executive orders to be announced late Wednesday afternoon are expected to include some familiar tech lobby pitches — including accelerating the sale of AI technology abroad and making it easier to construct the energy-hungry data center buildings needed to run AI products, according to a person briefed on Wednesday's event who was not authorized to speak publicly and spoke on condition of anonymity.

It might also include some of the AI culture war preoccupations of the circle of venture capitalists who endorsed Trump last year.

▶ Read more on Trump's Artificial Intelligence plan

Global markets rally on Trump's Asian trade deals

Global shares rallied on Wednesday, with Tokyo's benchmark Nikkei 225 index gaining 3.5% after Japan and the U.S. announced a deal on Trump's tariffs.

The tariff agreement as announced calls for a 15% U.S. import duty on goods from Japan, apart from certain products such as steel and aluminum that are subject to much higher tariffs. That’s down from the 25% Trump had said would kick in on Aug. 1 if a deal was not reached.

“This Deal will create Hundreds of Thousands of Jobs — There has never been anything like it,” Trump posted on Truth Social, noting that Japan was also investing “at my direction” $550 billion into the U.S. He said Japan would “open” its economy to American autos and rice.

Trump announced the U.S. will place a 19% tax on goods from Indonesia and the Philippines. A senior Trump official said Indonesia will charge no tariffs on 99% of its trade with the United States and drop its nontariff barriers on U.S. goods. Trump said the U.S. won't pay any tariffs in the Philippines, but they will pay 19%.

“President Trump has signed two trade deals this week with the Philippines and Japan which is likely to keep market sentiment propped up despite deals with the likes of the EU and South Korea remaining elusive, for now at least,” Tim Waterer, chief market analyst at Kohle Capital Markets, said in a report.

The Epstein files — delayed, but far from forgotten

House Speaker Mike Johnson rebuffed pressure to act on the investigation into Jeffrey Epstein, instead sending members home early on Wednesday for a month-long break from Washington after the week's legislative agenda was upended by Republican members who are clamoring for a vote.

“There’s no purpose for the Congress to push an administration to do something they’re already doing,” Johnson said at his last weekly news conference.

The speaker's stance did little to alleviate the intra-party turmoil unfolding on Capitol Hill as many of Trump's supporters demand that the administration meet its promises to publicly release a full accounting of the sex trafficking investigation into Epstein, who killed himself in his New York jail cell in 2019 while awaiting trial. Under pressure from right-wing online influencers, as well as voters back home, rank-and-file Republicans are demanding House intervention.

“The public’s not going to let this die, and rightfully so,” said Rep. Ralph Norman, a South Carolina Republican.

Trump says EU will be in Washington for trade talks as tariff deadline nears

The president told congressional Republicans at a Tuesday night dinner that European Union officials will be in town Wednesday for the talks.

“We have Europe coming in tomorrow, the next day,” Trump said after announcing a trade framework with Japan.

The president sent a letter this month threatening the 27 EU member states with 30% tariffs to be imposed starting Aug. 1.

Credit: AP

Credit: AP