Cross-Examination

• AI is expensive: Elon Musk and others have been ringing the alarm bell over artificial intelligence (AI), especially since the launch of ChatGPT. Examples of the powerful technology being used for potentially nefarious purposes such as writing fake news articles or producing fabricated video footage using actual individuals is indeed disturbing. However, producing and running this new AI tech is also not cheap. OpenAI, for example, costs roughly $700,000 a day to keep its servers running. And much of this cost goes directly to paying for electricity, which of course opens another can of worms. Is AI eco-friendly? Just how many windmills is this going to take?

• SCOTUS deals a blow to fossil fuel companies: Suncor Energy and Exxon Mobil Corp. petitioned to have local lawsuits brought against them for their supposed impact on climate change decided on the federal level rather than in state courts, but that was rejected by the U.S. Supreme Court. While the fossil fuel companies expressed confidence that they would ultimately prevail in these local lawsuits, Chevron Corp. attorney Theodore Boutrous Jr. argued that this should be solely a federal issue. “Climate change is an issue of national and global magnitude that requires a coordinated federal policy response,” he said, “not a disjointed patchwork of lawsuits in state courts across multiple states.” He further noted, “These wasteful lawsuits in state courts will do nothing to advance global climate solutions, nothing to reduce emissions, and nothing to address climate-related impacts.” SCOTUS offered no reason as to why it rejected the petition.

• Majority of Americans support increasing nuclear energy: Speaking of energy, a recent Gallup poll finds that 55% of Americans are either “somewhat” or “strongly” supportive of using nuclear power to generate electricity. This is the highest level of support for nuclear in over a decade and up 4% since last year. The highest level of public support was 62% back in 1994, when Gallup first asked the question. At the time of that original survey, gas and oil prices were high. The same is true today, but with the added pressure from Joe Biden’s anti-fossil fuel agenda and his electric vehicle push. Interestingly, the poll found that 62% of Republicans support nuclear energy to just 46% of Democrats.

• Washington state bans evil black rifles: On Tuesday, Washington Democrat Governor Jay Inslee celebrated infringing on his residents’ Second Amendment rights as he signed into law three gun control bills, including one that bans “assault weapons.” Inslee ridiculously asserted: “These weapons of war, assault weapons, have no reason other than mass murder. Their only purpose is to kill humans as rapidly as possible in large numbers.” So, did Inslee’s security detail immediately turn in their “assault weapons”? The legislation itself labeled “gun violence” as a “public health and safety” threat, meaning that these Democrats believe guns, not criminals, are responsible for the growing lawlessness and violence in the Evergreen State. Inslee also signed a bill to make firearm purchases contingent on a permit as well as the completion of gun-safety training, and another one that makes firearm manufacturers liable for ensuring that buyers aren’t dangerous individuals. These laws make Washington one of the most anti-2A states in the nation. And these laws will do nothing to curb the state’s growing crime problem.

• Duke prof wants $14T in reparations for blacks: A professor of economics at Duke University recently appeared on the Dr. Phil show to advocate for the U.S. government to give $14 trillion in reparations to black Americans. That would equate to every black American receiving a check of roughly $350,000. If this is what passes for sound economic policy at Duke University, then prospective students seeking a serious degree in economics might want to look elsewhere. The Duke professor in question is William Darity, who happens to be black. He justifies his reparation number by claiming that the federal government has long favored whites over blacks, which he contends explains the household wealth gap between whites and blacks. Never mind such government programs as affirmative action or LBJ’s dubiously named “Great Society,” efforts by leftist that, ironically but predictably, have only made black Americans more dependent on the government and less independently wealthy. Penalizing the innocent today for the injustices of generations past does not produce justice; rather, it is itself unjust.

• Outsourcing counterterrorism: The terrorist mastermind behind the Kabul airport attack that killed 13 American service members and more than 150 Afghans who were seeking to flee the country in 2021 has been killed. The individual was said to have been an ISIS-K operative, and American officials say that the U.S. was not involved in the operation to take out the terrorist. National Security Council spokesman John Kirby explained that the terrorist “was killed in a Taliban operation, which is another in a series of high-profile leadership losses ISIS-K has suffered this year.” Kirby added, “We have made clear to the Taliban that it is their responsibility to ensure that they give no safe haven to terrorists, whether al-Qaida or ISIS-K.” So the Biden administration is relying on the Taliban to take out jihadi terrorists for us? Talk about trusting the fox to guard the hen house.

Headlines

• Biden will veto McCarthy’s debt limit package, White House announces (Washington Examiner)

• The New York Times has a new damage-control interview with Dr. Fauci where he admits he made mistakes and masks don’t work (Not the Bee)

• Fauci says Americans shouldn’t blame him for COVID lockdowns, school closures (Epoch Times)

• Justin Trudeau claims he never forced anyone to get vaxxed (PJ Media)

• Joe Manchin desperately keeps trying to run away from his key Inflation Reduction Act vote (Townhall)

• Democrats rip DNC for not holding 2024 primary debates (Fox News)

• Biden, 80, once attacked 63-year-old rival for being too old (NY Post)

• Hunter Biden notified Burisma colleague of planned Blinken meet (NY Post)

• San Francisco ends boycott of 30 states with conservative laws after limitations proved ineffective, costly (National Review)

• Only 10 electric vehicles qualify for $7,500 tax credit (Daily Wire)

• “Trans” marathoner defeats 14,000 women in race after competing as man months earlier (National Review)

• Corporate America is canceling Mother’s Day (Hot Air)

• Policy: Happy 75th birthday to Israel (Daily Signal)

• Humor: Don Lemon to continue job of lecturing people as Starbucks barista (Babylon Bee)

For more editors’ choice headlines, click here.