NPR News: 09-15-2026 3AM EDT

0:00Live from MPR News, I'm Giles Snyder. The leaders of three major AI companies are ramping up their calls to slow the development of more powerful AI systems. But experts worry restrictions may accomplish little on the U.S. can reach an agreement with China and other countries. Here's Impierras, Windsor Johnston. Gary Marcus is an Artificial Intelligence Researcher at New York University. He says the United States and China share an interest in placing limits on AI agents that can operate freely online. He also says building larger AI models matters less than preventing poorly controlled systems from attacking critical infrastructure. You're going to find banking industries attack, electrical grids attacking. China shouldn't want that, we shouldn't want that. We can make a deal about unrestrained agents. The leaders of major AI companies say they support global cooperation on safeguards. Marcus says that could be done without requiring American companies to slow development on their

1:01own. Windsor Johnston and PR News. President Trump calling new warnings from tech leaders about artificial intelligence of hoax saying Monday on social media that any effort to limit the technology is in his words of sick conspiracy. Trump said Monday that the US is leading China and the only guardrails AI needs is a strong and smart president. Speaking to reporters from a wheelchair outside the Senate chamber Monday, Kentucky Republican Mitch McConnell said he was looking forward to casting his first votes since a fall at his home in June. I want you to be here today. I'm ready to see you. I'm getting back to work. McConnell's three month long absence raised questions about his ability to serve in Congress. McConnell said he'll see he's still not quite back to 100 percent, but he has assured Senate majority leader John Thune that he will do his best to be present for tough votes. Republican candidate for Texas is oil and gas regulating body under fire after posting

2:01a statement that Republican and Democratic officials condemning as racist. Here's NPR Houston public media's Andrew Schneider. Both French, the GOP candidate for Texas Railroad Commissioner, posted a photo Sunday of a group of Asian Americans at a University of Texas football game saying it illustrated quote, how many Americans have been displaced by foreigners? Asked about it on the mark Davis show on Monday, French doubled down. The AI was discriminating against deserving people so that these liberal bureaucrat administrators at University of Texas and places like that could select their preferred groups of people. Well, that is what is racism. Republican Senator John Cornyn and Republican Congressman Dan Crenshaw of Houston both denounced French. Meanwhile, French's Democratic opponent, State Representative John Rosenthal, said, both French spent Sunday morning sorting our students section by skin color. This is NPR News. The U.S. Department of Justice has been dealt a setback at the Supreme Court.

3:05The Court Monday declined to allow the Postal Service to enforce a rule targeting mail ballots. The White House wanted restrictions in place before the November midterm elections, but the justice is upheld. The federal judge is ruling that blocked the rule while legal challenges proceed. One of the most essential water sources in the American Southwest, a Rio Grande, is experiencing one of its driest periods ever. Dry sticks with Member Station KUNM reports. In Albuquerque, there is no water in the riverbed, a feat that has only happened three times in almost half a century. Without water, the river's wildlife and vegetation are struggling. Paltasian is a conservationist with Autobahn Southwest. It's kind of existential what we're seeing out there. I don't think we're going to see a complete dieback, but we might end up with 30% less trees come next year. The historic dryness is due to a combination of low winter snowpack, persistent drought, and record-breaking heat. And the last ditch effort to bring summer leaf, multiple groups came together in this month to dump over 650 million gallons of water to rewet the Rio Grande.

4:09Within days, it had dried up. For MPR News, I'm Bryce Dix in Albuquerque. The horror comedy show Widow's Bay was a big winner of Monday Night's Emmy Awards in Los Angeles. The show broke a record for a comedy with 14 wins, including Best Comedy Series and three acting wins, including Best Actor for Star Matthew Reese, who also won Best Actor for his lead role in The Beast and Me. Reese is now the first person to win two lead acting honors at the same ceremony. This message comes from NPR sponsor Charles Schwab. Financial decisions can be tricky. Your biases can lead you astray. Financial decoder and original podcasts from Charles Schwab can help. Download the latest episode and subscribe at Schwab.com slash financial decoder.