Ruth Reader

TODAY: PEN Guild heads to arbitration over POLITICO’s contract-breaking use of AI. This fight could set the standard for how AI is used in newsrooms across the country.

✍️ Sign our petition and help us go into arbitration with full support: bit.ly/PENGuild

The Plastic Surgery Procedure Booming Among Washington Men Chiseled jawlines are in everywhere, but in Washington, D.C., people have even more reasons to go under the knife (or at least the needle).

The speed with which I clicked on this headline 🏃🏃🏃 www.politico.com/news/magazin...

Thomas Keane is the new assistant secretary for technology policy subscriber.politicopro.com/article/2025...

Politico’s Newsroom Is Starting a Legal Battle With Management Over AI Politico has rules about AI in the newsroom. Staffers say those rules have been violated—and they’re gearing up for a fight.

We're proud our AI agreement has safeguards for journalists jobs-and company ethics, to allow AI use in a way that works for us, not against us. @politico.com already agreed that AI-generated content should be subject to the same standards as human-written articles. It needs to follow the contract

Popping in from vacation for a scoop: Less than four years out of high school, Peter Bowman-Davis is the acting chief AI officer at the Department of Health and Human Services.

The Yale undergrad was recently a fellow at Andreessen Horowitz
subscriber.politicopro.com/article/2025...

Thanks Casey :)

Per our PM Pulse newsletter yesterday afternoon:

If you subscribed to POLITICO you would have gotten this news yesterday

Confusion and despair as health agency workers tally their losses Employees who survived mass firings this week say management hasn't provided an accounting.

Rumors, group chats, clandestine spreadsheets: how health agency workers are struggling to take stock of this week's mass purge by RFK Jr. amid an information blackout www.politico.com/news/2025/04... with @chelseacirruzzo.bsky.social @ruthreader.bsky.social

POLITICO Pro: HHS is killing offices devoted to improving minority health and tackling HIV Some impacted offices are statutorily required.

NEW w/ @ruthreader.bsky.social : HHS is eliminating offices that work on minority health, HIV and STIs.

HIV experts called it a "decimation" that will cost the government much more over time than any short-term savings.

subscriber.politicopro.com/article/2025...

Yes! We reported on it, but the story is behind our paywall.

I'm definitely planning to follow up on these agencies. If you have any leads please send them my way.

However, these employees are at risk of getting fired again as the Trump administration moves forward with plans to reduce the overall size of the government.

Yes! HHS seems to be moving to rehire probationary workers that were fired in February, complying with a court order issued last week. So far, staff at NIH, CMS, FDA, and ONC have received emails to this effect.

More changes are coming as the department embraces deregulation as a way to push AI dominance.

If you work at HHS or know about the coming changes, DM me and I'll share my Signal.

The Trump administration has also taken down HHS strategic plan on AI: a document that laid out how the department planned to work with industry to come up with standards, guidance, and rules for AI in health care.

That includes putting HHS newly hired chief AI officer, chief data officer, and chief technology officer on indefinite administrative leave.

Noting a couple of scoops here that have been published behind the paywall recently: Since Trump has taken office, his administration has quickly tried to unwind the Biden administration's work regulating AI in health care.

Inside RFK Jr.’s health department takeover Kennedy’s first week at HHS included dismissing the workforce, vaccine advisers and some longtime health priorities.

Mass firings, abrupt policy shifts and simmering tensions: Inside RFK Jr’s health department hostile takeover, w @chelseacirruzzo.bsky.social @ruthreader.bsky.social www.politico.com/news/2025/02...

The Senate Commerce Committee advanced the Kids Off Social Media Act, which would ban kids under 13 from social platforms. Expect more online safety bills to come before this committee...

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There is a new lawsuit against Character.ai, alleging the platform caused two users under the age of 18 mental health harm and promoted self harm. This is the second lawsuit against Character.ai and part of a larger wave of social platform product liability lawsuits.

It's worth noting, it's not all or nothing. Meaning, groups could get some language from KOSA- as opposed to the whole bill-added as supplemental to a spending bill.

Still, groups have an opportunity to make their case this week and Sen. Blackburn, who cosponsored the original bill, has been pushing for its passage.

Now, Johnson is still hoping to push off this bill. His statement below:

As I said before, the bill has been stuck in the House because Republican leadership feels it violates first amendment rights.

But over the weekend, Sen. Blackburn put forward an updated version of KOSA, and members of the Trump camp got involved.

Over 500 patents are sending a letter to Mitch McConnell, Chuck Schumer, Mike Johnson, and Hakeem Jeffries to pass this bill, which would require social media companies to provide certain protections for kids.

Today advocates for a kids online safety bill will be on the hill, demonstrating, and meeting with members of Congress in a very late push to get their bill passed in an end of year spending package.

More support for KOSA from the Trump camp

So far, there's been no movement, but Elon's support is an interesting new wrinkle here. More to come this week...

Parents will be on the hill this week to press Congress to get these protections added to an end of year spending bill.

Both state attorneys general and members of the Senate have tried to put pressure on the House to come to the table on this issue.