Tina Nguyen

In Regulator's latest issue, I speak to Charlie Bullock at the Institute for Law & AI about the draft executive order that would have punished states for writing and enforcing their own AI laws, and its "chilling effect on state legislation."

www.theverge.com/column/82993...

David Sacks tried to kill state AI laws — and it blew up in his face A leaked executive order reveals that the tech billionaire would have become America’s AI policy gatekeeper.

I did a deep dive into the White House's draft executive order that would have counteracted states' abilities to write and enforce their own AI laws.

Boy, does it give David Sacks a lot of influence over setting federal AI regulatory policy!

www.theverge.com/ai-artificia...

David Sacks tried to kill state AI laws — and it blew up in his face A leaked executive order reveals that the tech billionaire would have become America’s AI policy gatekeeper.

Seeking to kneecap states and hand even more power over to his big tech cronies, the ever power thirsty and David Sacks gets ratioed. For now at least — this group is like mold and always returns www.theverge.com/ai-artificia...

Great moments in Verge background policy here btw - @tinanguyen.bsky.social nailed this one

This viral AI pen didn’t help me cheat Don’t fall for the YouTube videos of ‘AI smart pens’ helping students cheat on paper tests. We tried one and it sucks. by Elissa Welle Photography by Amelia Holowaty Krales

the verge's reviews program has always been the heart of the site and one reason we jealously protect it and refuse to do brand deals is so we can just say the products are bad www.theverge.com/report/82215...

Trump Draft Executive Order on AI Law Preemption

Operative word being "draft"; which you can also read here

www.documentcloud.org/documents/26...

Here’s the Trump executive order that would ban state AI laws Trump is launching an all-out broadside against states with strict AI regulations.

I obtained a draft of the WH's executive order that would ban state AI laws via at least FOUR agencies

www.theverge.com/ai-artificia...

‘New media’ is just right-wing media Podcasts, but not those podcasts.

"New media" used to broadly describe traditional outlets that published traditional news, but online. But these days in DC, powerful Republicans now use “new media” as a polite catch-all for “right-wing media.”

My latest reporting in this week's Regulator:

www.theverge.com/column/79990...

Trump rolled YouTube into paying $22 million for his ballroom “This is a political payoff, pure and simple.”

Here’s @tinanguyen.bsky.social detailing the results of the incredible settlement YouTube paid to Trump for no reason except cowardice www.theverge.com/policy/79135...

Donald Trump and Silicon Valley have formed an alliance — but that doesn’t mean the MAGA base thinks it’s a good idea.

This week @tinanguyen.bsky.social joins @parismarx.com to discuss the many ways the MAGA movement isn’t on side with Big Tech.

Full ep: techwontsave.us/episode/296_...

When I read @tinanguyen.bsky.social’s recent piece on visiting NatCon and seeing MAGA leaders openly criticize tech executives and their companies, I knew I had to have Tina on the show. It was a really insightful conversation!

There's this thing at Trump rallies where people leave partway through because they've seen what he's said before

It's happening right now, and I think the stadium is now half empty

But it's so wild to see this happen after all the intense Christian Revival energy pulling the room together

This was right after Erika Kirk said she forgave her husband's killer, btw

Trump: "He did not hate his opponents. He wanted the best of them. But I disagree with Charlie. 
I hate my opponent, and I don't want the best of them...I am sorry. Erika can talk to me and they hope that maybe they can convince me that that's not right, but I can't stand my opponent."

NEW: Trump tells the audience at Charlie Kirk's memorial that tomorrow, he, RFK and Dr. Oz "found an answer to autism [and] how it happens, so won't let it happen anymore."

Will announce at a press conference tomorrow.

Yeah, I'm serious.

At Charlie Kirk's massive memorial service, it appears his widow, Erika Kirk, is not, in fact, the final speaker on the program.

President Trump is.

Tyler Bowyer, COO: "Kirk always wanted to figure out how to bring the Holy Spirit to a Trump rally."

I think TPUSA's accomplished bringing religious overtones to a Trump rally, which I don't think Trump could have done. He's too secular at heart, or at least, not as authentically Christian as Kirk.

‪If I had to guess, a really big percentage of credentialed press here is right-wing outlets, influencers, and interestingly, student newspapers. I couldn’t tell you the percentage of them vs. legacy media folks, but suffice to say, it’s much, much larger than expected.‬

Update: the stadium is completely packed to the rafters

I regret to inform you it is now completely packed

SPOTTED on the stadium floor: Steve Bannon, Raheem Kassam, Jack Posobiec, Scott Pressler. I'm hearing that several other big names MAGA influencers will also be arriving soon.

If the floor weren't closed to general attendees, I can assure you they'd be mobbed by everyone.

Brendan Carr’s FCC is an anti-consumer, rights-trampling harassment machine The White House’s personal censor.

While people are suddenly and uncharacteristically paying attention to media regulation, please take a moment to notice all the massive harm Brendan Carr has done to consumer protection and public safety as well

me, back in April:

Since it's Sunday, the morning seems to be doubling as church service. Two Christian rock bands have played already. There is a really big wooden cross at the back of the stadium near the entrance.

Hello from Charlie Kirk's memorial service in Glendale, Arizona. I'm live from the floor of State Farm Stadium.

The service won't start for another two hours, but lines to get in are backed up for miles. The only word I can give for inside the stadium is "megachurch."

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I would love to continue doing it, and I would love for my colleagues to continue doing it.

So keep reading and sharing our work and more importantly, please subscribe.

It will help fuel my spite :)

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Republicans are honoring Charlie Kirk’s memory by declaring war on the First Amendment Where’s all that free speech absolutism now?

Huge week for people crashing out in The Verge comments saying “I thought this was a tech blog!!!” Anyway here are just a few pieces from our policy and politics desk 🙂

www.theverge.com/policy/77979...

www.theverge.com/report/77935...

www.theverge.com/policy/77897...

Nexstar CEO Perry Sook defends $6.2B Tegna acquisition as regulatory shift creates opening Nexstar Media Group CEO Perry Sook positioned his company’s proposed $6.2 billion acquisition of rival ... Read More

Fun fact: Nexstar needs the FCC to approve their $6.2 billion merger

www.newscaststudio.com/2025/08/22/n...

Jimmy Kimmel Live pulled ‘indefinitely’ for joke about Charlie Kirk’s killer after FCC threat ABC folded.

BREAKING:

- Jimmy Kimmel jokes about Charlie Kirk's killer
- FCC's Brendan Carr threatens to pull licenses of TV stations airing Kimmel unless ABC fires him
- Nexstar owns a lot of TV stations
- Nexstar says their stations will stop airing Kimmel
- ABC does this

www.theverge.com/news/780471/...

The corporation is too personhood smh

Meta created its own super PAC to politically kneecap its AI rivals Mark Zuckerberg, via Meta, can now essentially spend unlimited money in California elections.

First byline with @haydenfield.bsky.social: Meta made a super PAC for AI issues, meaning they can run ads against their political targets in California -- and maybe their AI competitors, too.

www.theverge.com/ai-artificia...