Latest news with #AttorneysGeneral
Reuters
2 days ago
- Politics
- Reuters
Trump asks Supreme Court to let him dismantle Education Department
WASHINGTON, June 6 (Reuters) - Donald Trump's administration asked the U.S. Supreme Court on Friday to permit it to proceed with dismantling the Department of Education, a move that would leave school policy in the United States almost entirely in the hands of states and local boards. The Justice Department asked the court to halt Boston-based U.S. District Judge Myong Joun's May 22 ruling that ordered the administration reinstate employees terminated in a mass layoff and end further actions to shutter the department. The department, created by a U.S. law passed by Congress in 1979, oversees about 100,000 public and 34,000 private schools in the United States, though more than 85% of public school funding comes from state and local governments. It provides federal grants for needy schools and programs, including money to pay teachers of children with special needs, fund arts programs and replace outdated infrastructure. It also oversees the $1.6 trillion in student loans held by tens of millions of Americans who cannot afford to pay for college outright. Trump's move to dismantle the department is part of the Republican president's campaign to downsize and reshape the federal government. Closing the department long has been a goal of many U.S. conservatives. Attorneys general from 20 states and the District of Columbia, as well as school districts and unions representing teachers, sued to block the Trump administration's efforts to gut the department. The states argued that the massive job cuts will render the agency unable to perform core functions authorized by statute, including in the civil rights arena, effectively usurping Congress's authority in violation of the U.S. Constitution. Trump on March 20 signed an executive order intended to effectively shut down the department, making good on a longstanding campaign promise to conservatives to move education policy almost completely to states and local boards. At a White House ceremony surrounded by children and educators, Trump called the order a first step "to eliminate" the department. Secretary of Education Linda McMahon announced plans on March 11 to carry out a mass termination of employees. Those layoffs would leave the department with 2,183 workers, down from 4,133 when Trump took office in January. The department said in a press release those terminations were part of its "final mission." Trump on March 21 announced plans to transfer the department's student loan portfolio to the Small Business Administration and its special education, nutrition and related services to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, which also is facing deep job cuts. Joun in his ruling ordered the administration to reinstate the laid off workers and halt implementation of Trump's directive to transfer student loans and special needs programs to other federal agencies. The judge rejected the argument put forth by Justice Department lawyers that the mass terminations were aimed at making the department more efficient while fulfilling its mission. In fact, Joun ruled, the job cuts were an effort to shut down the department without the necessary approval of Congress. "This court cannot be asked to cover its eyes while the department's employees are continuously fired and units are transferred out until the department becomes a shell of itself," the judge wrote. White House spokesperson Harrison Fields called the judge's ruling "misguided." The Boston-based 1st U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals on June 4 rejected the Trump administration's request to pause the injunction issued by Joun.
Yahoo
18-05-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Jackley and other AGs oppose AI budget amendment
SIOUX FALLS, S.D. (KELO) — South Dakota Attorney General Marty Jackley and 39 other Attorneys General are opposing a proposed congressional budget amendment that would impose a 10-year prohibition on states from enforcing any state law or regulation addressing artificial intelligence (AI) and automated decision-making systems. DHS wants $50M jet for Noem, Coast Guard 'As Attorney General, I fully support the State's ability to impose reasonable regulations on AI within South Dakota,' said Attorney General Jackley. 'AI has its benefits, but left unchecked, it could lead to real dangers to the public ranging from explicit material and election interference to deception, exploitation, and harassment against consumers,' Jackley said in a news release. The amendment would be part of the budget reconciliation bill if approved. The Attorneys General have sent a letter to congressional leadership expressing their concern, according to the news release. Recommendations for SD DOC could cost $2.1 billion Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Coin Geek
12-05-2025
- Business
- Coin Geek
Last Week in AI: OpenAI stays nonprofit; Google faces AI threat
Getting your Trinity Audio player ready... OpenAI abandons for-profit shift OpenAI suddenly announced it would abandon its plans to convert into a traditional for-profit company. Instead, it will remain a nonprofit organization governed by its board, with the only structural change to the company being that the for-profit LLC it currently owns will now become a public benefit corporation (PBC), with the nonprofit retaining significant control as a major shareholder. According to the company, the decision came after discussions with civic leaders and conversations with the California and Delaware Attorneys General. OpenAI's official line is that remaining a nonprofit, while shifting its for-profit subsidiary into a PBC, will better position it to fulfill its mission and raise the capital needed to build artificial intelligence (AI) systems that serve humanity. 'We believe this is the best way for us to fulfill our mission and to get people to create massive benefits for each other with these new tools,' the company stated. However, I think that the message from the company does not tell the whole story. OpenAI has spent years laying the groundwork for a conversion to a for-profit model. It structured itself as a capped-profit entity, introduced a profit-sharing model for investors, and there were rumors it wanted to go public; so, suddenly slashing the plan to become a for-profit company seems strange. If I had to guess, I think the real answer lies with the California Attorney General. Because OpenAI is a nonprofit registered in California, the AG's office must approve any conversion to a for-profit structure. OpenAI likely got the sense that approval wasn't coming, which killed their conversion plan. On top of that, the Elon Musk lawsuit may play a small role in the company's decision to move away from a conversion. Musk is suing OpenAI for allegedly violating its original nonprofit mission, and even though it likely isn't the main factor in their decision to revert, the lawsuit may have complicated things just enough to ultimately stall out or make the entire transition to a for-profit entity much more difficult. Yes, OpenAI is putting a positive spin on the restructuring, but this doesn't seem like a move that came from within. However, I wouldn't doubt OpenAI's ability to financially engineer and structure a company, and I doubt there will be any material impact from an observer's point of view on the company's ability to raise money and operate. OpenAI's $3 billion WindSurf acquisition The battle over AI-powered coding tools is ramping up. Last week, it was confirmed that OpenAI is acquiring WindSurf, an AI-assisted coding platform, in a $3 billion deal. But OpenAI isn't alone in wanting to add a Gen AI coding tool to its portfolio. The biggest names in AI and legacy tech giants are all trying to secure generative code tools. Some are building in-house (like Apple (NASDAQ: AAPL), which recently revealed it's developing its own AI coding assistant). Others are buying their way in, like OpenAI just did—but why? For starters, these tools have a clear commercial upside. While most AI startups still burn more cash than they generate, AI code tools are proving to be real productivity drivers, and their use cases have been validated by tech giants like Microsoft (NASDAQ: MSFT), which recently revealed that AI now writes between 20% and 30% of its total codebase. If companies at Microsoft's scale are seeing those efficiency gains, imagine the impact these tools could have on mid-sized firms or startups. These tools aren't just about developing faster—they are just as much about talent optimization, faster iteration, and leaner development as well. There's also a data advantage. Owning an AI code tool gives companies real-time insight into which programming languages are being used, what types of apps are being built, and where developers are facing problems. This kind of data is gold when training future AI models, especially if you're trying to outpace competitors. In other words, the AI code war isn't just about productivity or coding faster. Under the hood, it's about having better access and control over a crucial data point in the global AI race. Google's Search threatened by AI search Artificial intelligence is posing a threat to Google's (NASDAQ: GOOGL) dominance in search. On May 7, Alphabet's stock dropped nearly 7% when Apple executive Eddy Cue testified that, for the first time, Safari searches, which direct its users to Google Search by default, declined in April because more users are opting for AI-powered search tools instead of relying on Google. He went even further, revealing that Apple is actively exploring AI search alternatives to integrate directly into Safari. This could spell trouble for Google, which made an estimated $175 billion from its search business in 2024 alone. One month of data doesn't mean it's time to hit the panic button, but it is a signal that should not be ignored. Most people already use AI models like ChatGPT and Claude as replacement search engines. They're asking the same questions they'd typically type into Google, but instead of sifting through pages full of backlinks to find the answer to their queries, they're getting direct, tailored answers from these AI models. Apple's testimony confirms that AI use is at a point where AI-powered search is eating into Google's moat. While Google has its own AI tools (like Gemini), its core business is still searching, and any threat to that crucial component of the business could significantly impact the company's operations as a whole. In order for artificial intelligence (AI) to work right within the law and thrive in the face of growing challenges, it needs to integrate an enterprise blockchain system that ensures data input quality and ownership—allowing it to keep data safe while also guaranteeing the immutability of data. Check out CoinGeek's coverage on this emerging tech to learn more why Enterprise blockchain will be the backbone of AI . Watch: Demonstrating the potential of blockchain's fusion with AI title="YouTube video player" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share" referrerpolicy="strict-origin-when-cross-origin" allowfullscreen="">
Health Line
09-05-2025
- Health
- Health Line
19 States, D.C. Sue Trump Administration Over Federal Health Agency Layoffs
Attorneys general in 19 states have filed a lawsuit, challenging the Trump administration's plans to significantly reduce staffing at the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS). Experts say deep job cuts at federal health agencies like the CDC, NIH, and FDA could endanger public health by disrupting key services that safeguard food and medication supplies. The reductions could also hamper medical research, slowing advances in disease diagnostics and treatments. The fate of thousands of federal employees at the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) is in the hands of the federal court system. The attorneys general of 19 states and Washington, D.C., in the U.S. district court in Rhode Island this week over Republican plans to cut 20,000 jobs from HHS through layoffs, retirements, and attrition. That's almost 25% of the workforce at the department. The reductions are part of the Trump administration's proposed 2026 budget, which allocates nearly $94 billion to HHS, about $33 billion less than what the agency received in the 2025 budget. The reductions that have already occurred have hit agencies such as the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), and the National Institutes of Health (NIH). Those layoffs have reportedly caused laboratories to close, grants to be canceled, and safety inspection programs to be halted. The administration's plan consolidates 28 HHS divisions into 15 divisions. It also reduces the number of HHS regional offices from 10 to five. Trump administration officials have said the reductions are part of an effort to restructure HHS to make it more efficient and eliminate redundant and unnecessary services. However, the state attorneys general say the administration's actions exceed HHS's legal authority and violate the Constitution's separation of powers doctrine by slashing programs authorized by Congress. 'This administration is not streamlining the federal government; they are sabotaging it and all of us,' said New York Attorney General Letitia James. 'When you fire the scientists who research infectious diseases, silence the doctors who care for pregnant people, and shut down the programs that help firefighters and miners breathe or children thrive, you are not making America healthy — you are putting countless lives at risk,' James continued. The lawsuit follows another court action filed in April by 23 states over $11 billion in cuts to public health grants. The grants helped fund programs such as those that track infectious diseases, establish access to vaccine programs, and provide mental health and substance use disorder services. Experts say these reductions in staffing and federal funding will have an impact on virtually everybody in the United States. 'The reduction in the workforce, job cuts, and restructuring at the HHS are considerable blows to public health in the United States,' said Kanwar Kelley, MD, a specialist in otolaryngology head and neck surgery, obesity medicine, and lifestyle medicine, and the co-founder and chief executive officer of Side Health. 'The loss of personnel and disruption of teams and departments will lead to delays in the essential functions of the HHS due to the reorganization, reclassification, and reassignment of responsibilities,' he told Healthline. How federal job cuts will impact the CDC, public health The main responsibility of the CDC is the protection of public health. Among its many duties, the agency tracks disease outbreaks, supports scientific research, advances medical technology, and promotes healthy behaviors. CDC officials told NPR that the staffing reductions, which began in March, are a 'five alarm fire' that will hamper the nation's ability to track and respond to health threats, as well as leaving Americans more vulnerable to a host of dangers from lead poisoning to asthma to cancer. Kelley agreed there are potential health dangers looming. 'Cuts to the CDC will lead to delayed messaging, essential to curbing the spread throughout regions, especially when dealing with infectious diseases or foodborne illness,' he said. Ilana Graetz, PhD, a professor of health policy and management at Emory University's Rollins School of Public Health in Atlanta, said some of the impacts have already been felt. 'A CDC lab that performed genetic tracing of STIs, the only one of its kind in the world, has been closed, limiting our future ability to detect and contain disease outbreaks,' Graetz told Healthline. 'In Milwaukee, school closures due to lead exposure in children went unsupported because federal lead experts had been laid off,' she added. 'These layoffs reduce federal capacity to assist local responses, leaving communities more vulnerable to serious health risks and left to manage risks with fewer resources.' Federal job cuts will impact FDA product safety The primary responsibility of the FDA is to safeguard the safety of the nation's food and medication supplies. Among its many duties, the FDA works to prevent pathogen-related food illnesses, oversees the chemicals used in the food industry, and encourages healthy nutrition programs. The agency also regulates and approves medications and vaccines, as well as medical devices. In addition, it keeps an eye on tobacco and cosmetic products. In April, plans were unveiled to reduce the FDA's workforce of 18,000 by about 3,500 positions. Some of those layoffs were rescinded amid reports of food safety inspections falling behind schedule. Graetz said staffing reductions could slow new product approvals and reduce the number of facility inspections. 'With fewer inspectors, contaminated products may go undetected longer, increasing the risk of illness, hospitalization, or death,' she said. 'Cuts could also disrupt oversight of manufacturing and supply chains, potentially contributing to shortages of essential medications and products.' 'As with other agency cuts, the greatest burden would fall on families with limited resources, who may have fewer safe alternatives and face greater challenges navigating disruptions in care or product availability,' Graetz added. Kelley agreed. 'Loss of (FDA) staff would jeopardize the approval of products coming to market and cripple surveillance of food and items that are made available to the public. Safety data and reports will be limited or absent, and the public will bear the brunt of unsafe products or food,' he said. Impacts on the NIH, medical research The NIH is the nation's leading medical research agency. Among its responsibilities are funding institutions that conduct medical research and expanding the nation's knowledge on topics such as disease prevention and treatments. The 2026 federal budget proposal reduces the NIH annual budget from $48 billion to $27 billion. The reduction could eliminate as many as 5,000 jobs from the NIH's workforce of 20,000 people. This week, the NIH laid off about 200 employees, including cancer researchers. 'Cuts at the NIH will affect biomedical research, slowing or preventing grant funding from reaching individuals or groups performing research studies,' Kelley said. 'This will slow medical innovation and the development of treatments, leaving the American medical system behind other adequately staffed and funded countries.' Graetz considered the current and future impacts. 'Cuts to NIH staffing could significantly slow the pace of biomedical research by delaying grant reviews, reducing oversight of ongoing studies, and limiting the agency's ability to support scientific innovation nationwide,' she said. 'These delays affect not only research institutions and investigators but also critical training programs for the next generation of public health and medical leaders.' Other health-related impacts Experts say there are a variety of other impacts that deep staffing cuts at HHS could have. 'Beyond individual agencies, workforce reductions at HHS would limit coordination across federal, state, and local systems,' said Graetz. 'Programs addressing rural health, maternal health, and health disparities may see delays or diminished support. Many local health departments rely on HHS-funded programs to support housing safety, maternal health, and chronic disease prevention.' Kelley shared similar concerns. 'Cutting funds and staffing at this speed will widen health disparities and threaten our most susceptible populations due to inadequate staffing and the burden of responsibilities on a smaller number of teams and departments,' he said. 'Due to this shake-up, career public health servants may hesitate to join the HHS, further eroding the knowledge base to support the varying jobs contained within the department.'
