Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer faced backlash after calling voter ID legislation "Jim Crow 2.0" and vowing to block the SAVE Act requiring proof of citizenship to vote.

OpenAI did not respond to questions about its lobbying efforts. But perhaps more important, the disclosure is a clear signal of the company's arrival as a political player, as its first year of serious lobbying ends and Republican control of Washington begins. While OpenAI's lobbying spending is still dwarfed by its peers'--Meta tops the list of Big Tech spenders, with more than 24 million in 2024--the uptick comes as it and other AI companies have helped redraw the shape of AI policy. For the past few years, AI policy has been something like a whack-a-mole response to the risks posed by deepfakes and misinformation. But over the last year, AI companies have started to position the success of the technology as pivotal to national security and American competitiveness, arguing that the government must therefore support the industry's growth.

Mayor Michael Melham of Belleville, New Jersey, gives an update on the mysterious drone sightings across the Garden State on'The Faulkner Focus.' Sen. Rand Paul, R-Ky., blocked a Senate bill Wednesday that would have authorized resources for state and local authorities to track drones that have mystified residents across New Jersey and the Northeast in recent weeks. Paul objected to the passage of the bill, citing his long-standing concerns over expanding governmental powers. "This body must not rush to grant sweeping surveillance powers without proper consideration and debate by the committees of jurisdiction," he said. Sen. Rand Paul, ranking member of the Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee, blocked a bill Wednesday that would have allowed local law enforcement agencies to track aerial drones.

Ocean County, New Jersey Sheriff Michael Mastronardy shares how he launched his own drones to learn more information about the mysterious drones hovering over his state on'Your World.' Sen. Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., announced Monday that he will move to advance drone legislation this week that will give local officials more authority to respond to the growing concerns of drone sightings. Reports of drones flying over New Jersey and New York, particularly near military research facilities and Trump's Bedminster golf course, have prompted lawmakers to press the Biden administration for more transparency when it comes to who is flying the suspected unmanned aircraft and why the government is not doing anything about them. Schumer has called on Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas to "quickly deploy" any drone-detecting tools that are available to help New York and New Jersey deal with the mysterious drone sightings that started a few weeks ago. "This week, I will also come to the floor of the Senate to seek passage of legislation that will give local officials greater authority to swiftly respond to these sightings," Schumer said while speaking on the Senate floor on Monday.

President-elect Donald Trump ripped the Biden administration for selling border wall materials while delivering remarks from Mar-a-Lago, vowing to deliver'prosperity' ahead of his second term. President-elect Trump claims that President Biden's administration "knows what is happening" regarding unexplained drone sightings over New Jersey, New York and other states. Trump made the statement Monday during a lengthy press conference with reporters at Mar-a-Lago, saying the U.S. military certainly knows the origin of the drones. "The government knows what is happening. Look, our military knows where they took off from. If it's a garage they can go right inside. They know where it came from and where it went," Trump said.

As unknown airborne craft traverse the night skies in parts of the United States, Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., called upon the Department of Homeland Security to deploy 360-degree radar systems capable of detecting drones. "Our local people who have questions about these drones should not have to shake an eight ball to get an answer," Schumer said, holding up a magic eight ball toy in one hand and an image of a drone in another. Schumer wants a 360-degree radar system produced by Dutch company Robin Radar Systems deployed to the New York and New Jersey region. NJ DRONE SIGHTINGS COULD BE A'CLASSIFIED EXERCISE': FORMER CIA OFFICER Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y. speaks during a news conference following the weekly Senate Democratic policy luncheon at the U.S. Capitol on Dec. 10, 2024 in Washington, D.C. (Kevin Dietsch/Getty Images) The website of Robin Radar Systems notes, "Bird, bat, or drone, our 360 radar systems log thousands of observations, scanning every second to track and classify with precision." "They want real answers, and the Robin can supply those answers, and that's why we want them here," Schumer said.

Fox News chief political anchor Bret Baier has the latest on the pros and cons of the bombshell developments on'Special Report.' It is said that predicting the future isn't magic. If that's the case, perhaps we should ask AI when Congress might pass a bill to regulate the emerging technology – before it spirals out of control. There's a push by Congressional leaders to approve a bill regulating AI when lawmakers return to Washington after the election. But the path to passage - and developing a consensus on establishing guardrails for AI - is far from certain.

The US Senate unanimously passed a bill on Tuesday designed to hold accountable those who make or share deepfake porn. The Disrupt Explicit Forged Images and Non-Consensual Edits Act (DEFIANCE Act) would allow victims to sue those who create, share or possess AI-generated sexual images or videos using their likeness. The issue took root in the public consciousness after the infamous Taylor Swift deepfake that circulated among online lowlifes early this year. The bill would let victims sue for up to 150,000 in damages. That number grows to 250,000 if it's related to attempted sexual assault, stalking or harassment.

AI's capabilities are growing at tremendous speeds, and while that apparently warrants a ton of the United States' money for development, it doesn't seem to translate to a very obvious action: regulation. A bipartisan group of four senators, led by majority leader Chuck Schumer, have announced a legislative plan for AI that includes putting 32 billion towards research and development. "It's very hard to do regulations because AI is changing too quickly," Schumer said in an interview published by The New York Times. Yet, in March, the European Parliament approved wide-ranging legislation for regulating AI that manages the obligations of AI applications based on what risks and effects they could bring. The European Union said it hopes to "protect fundamental rights, democracy, the rule of law and environmental sustainability from high-risk AI, while boosting innovation and establishing Europe as a leader in the field." Schumer seems to disagree with finding that balance, instead stating in the interview that investment into AI research and development "is sort of the American way -- we are more entrepreneurial."

A bipartisan group of senators, including Majority Leader Charles E. Schumer, will unveil a long-awaited "road map" for regulating artificial intelligence this week, directing Congress to infuse billions of dollars into research and development of the technology while addressing its potential harms.