Trump shrugs off high gas prices, creating political headwinds for GOP

WASHINGTON — President Donald Trump has mostly shrugged off rising gasoline prices since his conflict with Iran began over two months ago, giving Republicans political heartburn ahead of the midterm elections as prices are up again this week amid new tensions over the Strait of Hormuz.

As gas prices continue to tick up, with the cost of a barrel of U.S. crude above $100 on Tuesday morning, Trump has appeared mostly dismissive of voters’ pain at the pump despite the strong political headwinds his turbulent second term has created for Republican candidates. Trump reacted with an actual shrug late last month when a reporter asked if Americans should expect spending more on gasoline “for the foreseeable future.”

“For a little while,” he replied. “You know what they get for that? Iran without a nuclear weapon that’s going to try and blow up one of our cities or blow up the entire Middle East.”

On Friday, Trump said that “when the war ends, gasoline prices are going to tumble because there is so much right now on the sea, already loaded into tankers … that can’t escape the strait.”

—CQ-Roll Call

An AI chatbot said it was licensed to practice psychiatry in Pennsylvania. Now, Josh Shapiro’s administration is suing

PHILADELPHIA — The Pennsylvania Department of State is suing a technology company that operates a popular AI chatbot, after an investigation found it can impersonate a licensed medical professional in Pennsylvania.

Gov. Josh Shapiro’s administration filed the suit against Character Technologies, Inc., which owns Character.ai — a chatbot platform with over 20 million monthly users — in an effort to stop “the unlawful practice of medicine and surgery” which it says violates the state’s Medical Practice Act, according to the suit filed in the Commonwealth Court of Pennsylvania on Friday.

“Pennsylvanians deserve to know who — or what — they are interacting with online, especially when it comes to their health,” Shapiro, a Democrat, said in a news release announcing the suit Tuesday morning.

“We will not allow companies to deploy AI tools that mislead people into believing they are receiving advice from a licensed medical professional.”

—The Philadelphia Inquirer

Colorado lawmakers kill ‘No Kings Act’ that would have allowed people to sue federal officials

DENVER — State lawmakers killed legislation dubbed the “No Kings Act” on Monday night, as opposition from local government groups tanked a bill that would have allowed Coloradans to sue federal officials who violated their civil rights.

Two Democrats — Sens. Dylan Roberts and Lindsey Daugherty — joined with the Senate Judiciary Committee’s Republican Sens. John Carson and Byron Pelton to kill Senate Bill 176 on a 4-3 vote. Had it passed, the “No Kings Act” would’ve allowed lawsuits against federal officials for violating residents’ civil rights, filling what supporters had described as a gap in state and federal law that largely provides no legal avenue to challenge federal authorities’ actions.

The measure was an expanded version of another bill that’s already passed the Senate. That one would allow lawsuits against federal officials involved in immigration enforcement. But Senate Bill 5 is narrower — meaning that it wouldn’t cover election interference, for instance, or other federal overreach.

SB-5 is also likely more legally uncertain, since laws similar to it have been challenged in Illinois and overturned in California. Supporters of the wider-scoped SB-176 argued that it was more likely to survive an almost-certain legal challenge from the Trump administration.

—The Denver Post

Iran foreign minister heads to China for first time since war

Iran’s Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi is traveling to Beijing for talks, marking the diplomat’s first visit to China since U.S. and Israeli strikes sparked the most severe global oil supply shock in history.

Araghchi is traveling on Tuesday and will hold talks with his Chinese counterpart Wang Yi, Iran’s Foreign Ministry said in a statement on Telegram. Iran didn’t reveal the duration of the visit, only saying he would discuss regional and international developments. China’s Foreign Ministry confirmed the visit will take place on May 6, according to a separate statement.

The two diplomats have maintained close communication during the Iran war, having called each other at least three times. Beijing has reiterated the need for an immediate ceasefire, while asking countries to respect one another’s sovereignty.

Araghchi’s visit to China comes as Donald Trump prepares to make the first trip to China of a U.S. president in nearly a decade next week. On Monday, the Republican leader said he was looking forward to meeting Xi Jinping, signaling his plans for the summit are still on.

—Bloomberg News