Maria Curi

AI's populist moment AI is emerging as a stand-in for kitchen-table concerns like paychecks, power bills and the future of the economy.

NEW: Republican and Democratic candidates are casting AI as a fight over jobs and corporate power on the campaign trail.

None of the PACs, not even the Anthropic-backed ones positioning themselves as consumer-friendly, are aligned with these populists.

www.axios.com/2026/02/20/a...

What research says about social media addiction as Mark Zuckerberg testifies in court 36% of teens say they use one of five popular platforms "almost constantly," per Pew Research.

Mark Zuckerberg is in LA right now taking the stand in a landmark social media addiction trial.

Here's a useful reminder of what the research says:

www.axios.com/2026/02/18/m...

White House pressures Utah lawmaker to kill AI transparency bill It's a sign that the Trump administration is now starting to intervene with the states in its efforts to squash AI regulation.

NEW: We obtained a White House letter pressuring Republican Utah lawmakers to kill an AI safety bill.

This could be the tip of the iceberg as red states across the country pursue AI transparency measures many see as centrist, common-sense guardrails.

www.axios.com/2026/02/15/w...

Exclusive: Super PACs hunt for the ideal AI candidate Millions are at stake for the politicians that get AI right — and what that means depends on which rival super PAC you ask.

Super PACs are on the hunt for the ideal AI candidate. Here's a first look at what the Anthropic-backed ones want.

Leading the Future PAC (OpenAI/a16Z/8VC etc) tells me they have their own search underway and dozens of candidates have engaged.

www.axios.com/2026/02/13/s...

Paris Hilton joins AOC in fight against AI porn A surge in non-consensual sexualized images targeting women and children is fueling calls for stronger legal protections.

Paris Hilton is advocating for a bill to fight against AI deepfakes after being a victim of online sexual abuse herself.

www.axios.com/2026/01/22/p...

Exclusive: Energy secretary discusses plans for oil, minerals Energy Secretary Chris Wright is looking to secure oil and critical minerals deals with Venezuela in the next few weeks ahead of a trip to Caracas.

NEW: Energy Secretary Chris Wright is looking to secure oil and critical minerals deals with Venezuela in the next few weeks ahead of a trip to Caracas. w/@marcacaputo.bsky.social

www.axios.com/2026/01/16/w...

AI data center fight blurs political lines Candidates from both parties are scrambling to tap into a winning position centered on affordability.

NEW: AI data center fight blurs political lines

www.axios.com/2026/01/16/a...

ICE raid on Meta shows tension between Trump's immigration and AI agendas Trump wants a friendly environment for tech companies building AI infrastructure.

ICE raided a Meta data center in Louisiana yesterday, putting President Trump's immigration crackdown at odds with his goal of American AI dominance.

www.axios.com/2026/01/15/i...

Grok deepfakes accelerate Hill action Non-consensual sexual imagery is increasingly targeting people — including members of Congress — across the country.

New: Grok deepfakes accelerate Hill action & what's next for The DEFIANCE Act

www.axios.com/2026/01/14/g...

Exclusive: Sen. Dick Durbin moves to fast-track AI deepfakes bill Durbin's move comes in the wake of public outcry over Elon Musk's X.

Exclusive: @durbin.senate.gov today will ask for unanimous consent to pass The DEFIANCE Act, an AI deepfakes bill, following outcry over Elon Musk's Grok chatbot producing and spreading sexualized images of women and children.

www.axios.com/2026/01/13/s...

President Trump says tech companies will have to "pick up the tab" for their AI data center energy demands.

Sounds a lot like Governor Kathy Hochul, who will announce tomorrow that these same companies will have to "pay their fair share" in New York.

N.Y. Gov. Kathy Hochul to make data centers pay for own energy demand Hochul's move aims to shift energy costs back onto the companies.

New: N.Y. Gov. Kathy Hochul to make data centers pay for own energy demand

www.axios.com/2026/01/12/n...

YouTube video by Marketplace APM X and Grok Hit With Global Backlash Over AI Misuse | Bytes: Week in Review | Marketplace Tech

This week on @marketplace.org tech we talked:
-Grok's sexualized images of women and children
-Trump's efforts to stop AI regulation in the states
-Meta's new Ray-Ban glasses

youtu.be/4ewllfK2LbM?...

Inside the major split for Democrats over AI President Trump's embrace of AI could be a political gift to Democrats.

NEW: President Trump's embrace of AI could be a political gift to Democrats. Instead, it's exposing a major split in the party.
www.axios.com/2026/01/08/d...

White House floats executive order to override state AI laws The White House can't preempt state level regulation — that's Congress' job.

NEW w/ @ashleyrgold.bsky.social: The White House is floating an executive order to rein in state AI laws

Meanwhile, Congress is scrambling to find a way to include language in the must-pass defense bill

www.axios.com/2025/11/19/t...

Trump backs ban on state AI laws Expect Republican infighting as regulating AI is a bipartisan priority both outside of Washington and in some pockets of D.C.

Trump threw his weight behind banning state AI laws as Republicans on the Hill gear up for a fight on including preemption in the must-pass defense bill

www.axios.com/2025/11/18/s...

Exclusive: Commerce extends Trump's AI exports program deadline The department is giving people more time to comment on how an ambitious AI exports program should work.

News: The Commerce Department is extending the deadline to comment on how an ambitious AI exports program should work to December 13th.

www.axios.com/2025/11/17/t...

AI chatbots loom over tech and social media lawsuits Lawsuits targeting addictive algorithms and the mental health impacts on children are just the start of a new legal era.

ICYMI: New Mexico's attorney general won a fight against Meta to include AI chatbot records in a lawsuit that's headed to trial in February.

This began in 2023 over allegedly addictive algorithms. Now, generative AI is introducing a new set of issues:
www.axios.com/2025/11/14/a...

Los Angeles ramps up AI ahead of the World Cup, Super Bowl and Olympics It's all hands on deck for LA's AI adoption as the city gears up to host a string of major sporting events.

LA is ramping up AI adoption ahead of the World Cup, Super Bowl and Olympics

"The way they describe the Olympics is it's something like seven Super Bowls a day for two weeks. So that's what we're up against," the city's CIO, Ted Ross, told Axios.

www.axios.com/2025/10/29/l...

Trump looms large over Nvidia conference Huang spelled out what he described as a "pro-America" vision for global AI leadership and energy expansion that aligned closely with Trump's agenda.

New: Trump looms large over Nvidia conference

Huang spelled out what he described as a "pro-America" vision for global AI leadership and energy expansion that aligned closely with Trump's agenda.

w/@nathanbomey.bsky.social

www.axios.com/2025/10/28/t...

Nvidia's D.C. moment Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang is bringing Silicon Valley to D.C. this week with the company's first-ever developers conference in the nation's capital.

Nvidia’s developer conference kicks off this week in DC — here’s what we’ve got:

• Exclusive: Jensen Huang and Eric Schmidt’s new “future of work” task force
• Sneak peek at the themes Jensen will hit on in his keynote

www.axios.com/2025/10/27/n...

Exclusive: How Palantir's Alex Karp went full MAGA "The Philosopher in the Valley" offers extraordinary access to the CEO of one of the most powerful data software companies.

Exclusive: In a new book about Palantir and its CEO Alex Karp, journalist Michael Steinberger chronicles how a self-described leftist who said his "biggest fear is fascism" became one of the tech leaders powering President Trump's agenda.

www.axios.com/2025/10/23/t...

DNC bets on new AI and tech tools The Democratic National Committee is planning to expand the use of AI and tech tools in future elections.

First look: The Democratic National Committee is planning to expand the use of AI and tech tools for voter and volunteer engagement in the upcoming midterm and presidential elections after testing them in key state races this year.

www.axios.com/2025/10/23/d...

Anthropic tries to defuse White House backlash The company says it's firmly in step with the White House following AI czar David Sacks' criticism.

NEW: Anthropic is making the case that it's firmly in step with the White House after AI czar David Sacks' criticism sparked questions over the company's relationship with the administration.

www.axios.com/2025/10/21/a...

Exclusive: Lawmakers push back against Trump's $100K H-1B visa fee Congress is calling on Trump to come to the table to negotiate a policy solution.

Exclusive: Lawmakers from both sides of the aisle are calling on President Trump and Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick to come to the table to negotiate a policy solution to H1-B visa issues instead of imposing a $100,000 fee.

www.axios.com/2025/10/21/t...

Scoop: Trump firings could derail AI action plan The Trump administration's slashing of the federal workforce amid the shutdown is threatening AI work at the Commerce Department.

Scoop: The Trump administration's slashing of the federal workforce amid the government shutdown is threatening AI work at the Commerce Department
w/
@ashleyrgold.bsky.social

www.axios.com/2025/10/16/t...

Congress blinks on AI and China national security fears President Trump's love of dealmaking is making it tough for China hawks in Congress.

NEW: From chip sales to China and the UAE to TikTok -- Trump is making it tough for China hawks to keep up their national security fervor, with virtually no Republican directly challenging the president on deals that natsec experts say are dangerous.

www.axios.com/2025/09/26/c...

Exclusive: Moderate Dems roll out AI strategy The New Democrat Coalition unveiled an AI platform it says puts middle-class American workers at the center.

Exclusive//ICYMI: Moderate Dems released their AI agenda soon after Trump did.

The authors recognize Democrats have lost valuable allies in Silicon Valley and the platform embraces the emphasis on innovation that Republicans are also laser-focused on.

www.axios.com/pro/tech-pol...

JD Vance points out him and Stephen Miller are the most hard line people on immigration in the admin.

"I don’t want these tech companies to fire 9,000 American workers and then say we can’t find workers here in America. That’s a bullshit story," he said at AI summit.

Scoop: What's inside Trump's 20-page AI action plan What's inside President Trump's upcoming 20-page AI action plan.

SCOOP w/ @ashleyrgold.bsky.social: What's inside Trump's 20-page AI action plan. +EOs on "woke" AI, exports and infrastructure in the works.

www.axios.com/pro/tech-pol...