9.30 | Washington Wednesday · A wave forming?

Lindsay Mast (0:00)

It's deadline day for your commemorative sticker. We'll put a link once again in Episode Notes.

Nick Eicher (0:05)

Very easy access right now from your podcast player. Just tap your screen for Episode Notes, and that link is going to be prominent. One more tap and you're in. Tell us who you are and where we should send it, and we will do it.

Lindsay Mast (0:19)

You can also visit theworldandeverythinginit.org/sticker.

Nick Eicher (0:23)

Be sure to do it today.

Lindsay Mast (0:24)

Yeah, we want you to have one.

Nick Eicher (0:31)

Good morning, Democrats trying to flip Trump voters for the midterms.

Lindsay Mast (0:36)

We'll talk about key races, a constitutional fight over federal spending and more. Washington Wednesday coming up with Hunter Baker.

Also today, world tour. Unrest in Ethiopia stirs fears of another civil war. And later, after missing years of school, one woman is finally getting her chance to learn.

Hope Jones (0:55)

He's like, we're going to sign you up there. They're going to help you with the basics.

Lindsay Mast (0:59)

And world commentator Daniel Surr on religious liberty and what law enforcement should not do.

Nick Eicher (1:13)

It's Wednesday, September 30th. This is The World and Everything In It from listeners supported World Radio. I'm Nick Eicher.

Lindsay Mast (1:20)

And I'm Lindsay Mast. Good morning.

Nick Eicher (1:24)

Up next, Mark Mellinger with today's news.

Mark Mellinger (1:27)

Leaders of America's top tech companies have signed an agreement with the White House to self-police the development of artificial intelligence. The pledge comes amid growing concerns. AI could become lethal to humans after several recent reports of AI agents going rogue. Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg.

Mark Zuckerberg (1:48)

I think what we can all agree on is that the American public and our customers want to know that what we're building is working in the way that we all intend.

Mark Mellinger (1:56)

Under the accord signed during a meeting at the White House Tuesday, companies will set up internal controls for safe AI development, work with an outside auditor to see if those controls are working, and form internal boards to review auditor's reports. President Trump says the agreement is morally binding and added he'll appoint an advisor to oversee it in the coming days. He also signed an executive order directing federal agencies to use the term super intelligence or SI instead of AI. Tuesday's agreement, by the way, does leave the door open to tighter federal regulation of AI development down the road, something several top AI executives support.

Meantime, the Trump administration Tuesday also unveiled a new AI powered online platform aimed at simplifying services from the federal government. The president gave this example.

Donald Trump (2:51)

Getting a passport once required appointments, paperwork and months of waiting. Now it's done in a few simple clicks.

Mark Mellinger (3:00)

The new website housing the platform is America.gov. President Trump describes it as a front door to the federal government. The idea is for users to be able to ask a question and the answer will quickly come, along with steps to complete the request. In addition to making the passport process simpler and faster, America.gov is meant to help streamline services like name changes and accessing government benefits.

The Supreme Court has given the green light for now to the Trump administration's swift deportation of unauthorized immigrants to countries other than their own. In a six to three decision with the court's three more liberal members dissenting, the justices overturned a lower court's ruling that immigrants needed to be given a chance to object before being deported to countries where they have no ties. The high court's decision allows the government to continue the swift deportations while the justices consider whether the policy itself is constitutional. The Supreme Court will hear arguments on that in December.

Investigators are combing through the backgrounds of the five suspects accused of plotting a terror attack in Britain near an airbase used by the US military. The Air Force has launched limited bombings from the base, RAF Fairford, in the US war with Iran. While investigators in the UK say a lot of questions remain, US Secretary of State Marco Rubio says one thing is clear.

Marco Rubio (4:29)

What could have happened in the UK over the weekend is a very serious situation.

It's one that clearly involves the hands of a foreign actor. I won't get into great detail about that yet.

Mark Mellinger (4:40)

Rubio, talking to Fox News, Iran denies any involvement in the plot. The five suspects, all British nationals in their 20s, are free on bond after their arrests Sunday on suspicion of explosives and terrorism offenses.

A defiant Jack Smith defended his prosecutions of Donald Trump during a Senate hearing Tuesday. Republican senators accused Smith, who was serving as special counsel, of politicizing the prosecutions of Trump for allegedly taking classified documents and trying to overturn the 2020 election. Smith had already testified before house lawmakers, after which he was referred to the Justice Department for possible prosecution on claims that he lied about evidence gathering at a previous hearing. Tuesday, Smith said he is not intimidated.