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US President Donald Trump signed a bill on Monday making it a federal crime to post “revenge porn” — whether it is real or generated by artificial intelligence.The “Take It Down Act,” passed with overwhelming bipartisan congressional support, criminalizes non-consensual publication of intimate images, while also mandating their removal from online platforms.”With the rise of AI image generation, countless women have been harassed with deepfakes and other explicit images distributed against their will,” Trump said at a signing ceremony in the Rose Garden of the White House.”And today we’re making it totally illegal,” the president said. “Anyone who intentionally distributes explicit images without the subject’s consent will face up to three years in prison.”Websites that fail to remove the images promptly, within 48 hours, will face civil liabilities, Trump said.First Lady Melania Trump endorsed the bill in early March and attended the signing ceremony in a rare public White House appearance.The First Lady has largely been an elusive figure at the White House since her husband took the oath of office on January 20, spending only limited time in Washington. In remarks at the signing ceremony, she described the bill as a “national victory that will help parents and families protect children from online exploitation.””This legislation is a powerful step forward in our efforts to ensure that every American, especially young people, can feel better protected from their image or identity being abused,” she said.Deepfakes often rely on artificial intelligence and other tools to create realistic-looking fake videos.They can be used to create falsified pornographic images of real women, which are then published without their consent and proliferate.Some US states, including California and Florida, have laws criminalizing the publication of sexually explicit deepfakes, but critics have voiced concerns the “Take It Down Act” grants the authorities increased censorship power.The Electronic Frontier Foundation, a nonprofit focused on free expression, has said the bill gives “the powerful a dangerous new route to manipulate platforms into removing lawful speech that they simply don’t like.” The bill would require social media platforms and websites to have procedures in place to swiftly remove non-consensual intimate imagery upon notification from a victim.- Harassment, bullying, blackmail -An online boom in non-consensual deepfakes is currently outpacing efforts to regulate the technology around the world due to a proliferation of AI tools, including photo apps digitally undressing women.While high-profile politicians and celebrities, including singer Taylor Swift and Democratic congresswoman Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, have been victims of deepfake porn, experts say women not in the public eye are equally vulnerable.A wave of AI porn scandals have been reported at schools across US states with hundreds of teenagers targeted by their own classmates.Such non-consensual imagery can lead to harassment, bullying or blackmail, sometimes causing devastating mental health consequences, experts warn.Renee Cummings, an AI and data ethicist and criminologist at the University of Virginia, said the bill is a “significant step” in addressing the exploitation of AI-generated deepfakes and non-consensual imagery.”Its effectiveness will depend on swift and sure enforcement, severe punishment for perpetrators and real-time adaptability to emerging digital threats,” Cummings told AFP.At least one mother hailed the new legislation as a step in the right direction.”It’s a very important first step,” Dorota Mani told AFP on Monday, calling it at “very powerful bill.”As the mother of a young victim, Mani said she felt empowered because “now I have a legal weapon in my hand, which nobody can say no to.”

At first glance, the Instagram profile of Ms Rachel fits the image an influencer who has won millions of devoted subscribers for her sing-songy educational content for toddlers and parenting tips.In a pink hairband and denim dungarees, the 42-year-old mother-of-two doles out advice on potty training kids and moral support for struggling parents — always with a reassuring smile.So it was an abrupt shift last year when she began speaking out about the plight of children in Gaza, peppering her account with appeals for aid that sowed discord among followers and spurred calls for a federal investigation.”I think it should be controversial to not say anything,” she said a recent interview with independent anchor Mehdi Hassan, of the mounting backlash against her fundraising and advocacy.”It’s sad that people try to make it controversial when you speak out for children that are facing immeasurable suffering. Silence wasn’t a choice for me,” she added.That compulsion has put a spotlight on the beloved figure in millions of households, the American early childhood educator and social media sensation known offline as Rachel Accurso.The fallout comes at a perilous moment for children in the war-battered Palestinian enclave, where aid has only just begun to trickle in after Israel cut it off for weeks, and where aid groups have sounded the alarm over food shortages and famine.But the backlash against her activism — which she has aimed at parents on social media, rather than in her videos for children — reflects broader polarization in the United States over the war that has swept campuses, offices and society at large.- ‘All children, in every country’ -In May last year, Accurso launched a fundraising drive that gathered $50,000 for Save the Children.But she spoke also spoke tearfully about the vitriol and “bullying” that came streaming in the form of allegations of anti-Israeli bias.”Palestinian children, Israeli children, children in the US — Muslim, Jewish, Christian children — all children, in every country,” she wrote in response. “Not one is excluded.”Allegations of anti-Israeli bias and anti-Semitism have only mounted since.And so too the toll among children in Gaza, where the Hamas-run health ministry says more than 10,000 children have died since the October 2023 attack on Israel by Hamas that left 1,218 people on the Israeli side dead.A privately funded pro-Israel lobby group last month urged US Attorney General Pam Bondi to investigate whether Accurso “is being funded by a foreign party to push anti-Israel propaganda to skew public opinion.”The organization StopAntisemitism, which describes itself as a grassroots watchdog, alleged Accurso was spreading “Hamas propaganda.”But it also acknowledged that Accurso had posted in support of Israeli children, including Ariel and Kfir Bibas who were the youngest hostages taken by Hamas and died in captivity.Accurso told The New York Times the accusation she is being funded by Hamas was “absurd” and “patently false.””The painful reality,” the newspaper quoted her as saying, “is that Palestinian children in Gaza have been killed by the thousands and continue to be killed, maimed and starved right now. The idea that caring about one group of children prevents us from caring about another group of children is false.”- ‘You should be ashamed’ -Accurso has deactivated comments on some of her posts urging support for Palestinian children. But commentators on other posts reflect the depth and breadth of emotions that have erupted over her posts.”Love your show. Not your politics,” one user wrote under a Ms Rachel Instagram post promoting an interview on her activism. Another commentator says: “Ms Rachel is a national treasure.”Among those voicing support for the megastar was Tommy Vietor, who worked with former president Barack Obama and hosts the popular Pod Save America podcast.”Antisemitism is a real problem and cynically and dishonestly making those allegations for political purposes makes things worse, not better,” Vietor wrote, dismissing the anti-Semitism allegations.Accurso has ultimately doubled down, despite the criticism.She recently posted images of her meeting with Rahaf, a three-year-old girl from Gaza who lost both her legs in an attack.”We know treating children like they are being treated in Gaza isn’t right morally and ethically. We know it in our souls and hearts,” she wrote along with a picture of the two embracing.”Leaders who are silent and not helping these children, you should be ashamed. Your silence will be remembered.”

When armed immigration agents made a surprise visit earlier this month to Pupatella, a trendy pizzeria in the US capital’s Dupont neighborhood, they may not have made any arrests, but they delivered a clear message.The show of force, part of an “enhanced operation” by President Donald Trump’s hardline administration, has had ripple effects through an industry reliant on immigrant labor, owners and others in the sector say.The agents asked to see employment eligibility forms known as I-9s, said Natasha Neely, vice president of Pupatella, which has several locations in the Washington area.”They did not have a warrant, and they did not have any form of paperwork, so they were turned away,” she told AFP.A few hours later, agents showed up at Pupatella’s Capitol Hill location, this time with a “notice of inspection,” Neely said. The manager referred them to the restaurant’s corporate office.The Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agency said it had arrested 189 undocumented migrants after handing out 187 such notices in the Washington area between May 6 and May 9.In a press release, it described the activity as an “enhanced targeted immigration enforcement operation focusing on criminal alien offenders.” While the inspection notices are not unusual, Neely said, they are normally delivered by e-mail due to their administrative nature.”We have never experienced anything like this,” she said, expressing confusion about why the restaurant had been targeted.- Crackdown fear -Trump has made deporting undocumented immigrants a key priority for his second term, after successfully campaigning against an alleged “invasion” by criminals.So far, his administration has deported tens of thousands of migrants, with US courts hearing cases on allegations that the government violated due process in certain cases.Undocumented migrants are “the backbone of our industry. From top to bottom,” Shawn Townsend, president of the Restaurant Association Metropolitan Washington (RAMW), told AFP.In addition to the restaurant industry, immigrant labor plays a crucial role in many sectors of the economy, including agriculture and construction.Before Trump’s inauguration in January, RAMW knew immigration enforcement “was going to be a priority of the incoming administration, and so we held our first I-9 training workshop,” said Townsend.One restaurant owner, speaking on condition of anonymity, said he felt threatened when immigration agents recently visited his establishment.”I’m going to see what the repercussions of that are. Basically, I don’t know whether they’re going to fine me forever or try to put me in jail,” he said.- Labor impacts -According to a survey by employment law firm Littler Mendelson, 58 percent of executives said they were concerned Trump’s anti-immigration policies would create labor shortages. The manufacturing and hospitality sectors were the most concerned.Since his restaurant was visited, the owner who requested anonymity said “anyone who had any questions about their eligibility to work has left.””They were advised by advocates… to basically just lay low, not come into work.”Townsend said that the “political climate” and economic challenges facing small businesses were likely combining to raise anxiety among restaurant workers.Increased immigration enforcement, as during Trump’s first term in office, “creates a scenario where (staff) may not return to work,” he said.Neely said employees at Pupatella were startled by the surprise ICE visit, but that the restaurant was taking steps to address the situation.”We’ve made sure all of the managers know what the restaurants’ rights are and what each team member’s rights are,” she said.Nevertheless, the raids do have a chilling effect.”Let’s be honest, if anyone shows up at any location in a federal uniform with guns and vests… that’s unnerving.”

The US Supreme Court on Monday allowed President Donald Trump’s administration to end legal protections that have shielded some 350,000 Venezuelans from potential deportation.The top court granted a request by Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem to revoke temporary protected status (TPS) for the Venezuelans while an appeal proceeds in a lower court.Federal law permits TPS to be granted to foreign citizens who cannot safely return home because of war, natural disasters or other “extraordinary” conditions.Former president Joe Biden extended TPS for Venezuelans for 18 months just days before Trump returned to the White House in January, citing ongoing crises in the South American country under longtime ruler Nicolas Maduro.A federal judge in California put a temporary stay in March on the Trump administration’s plans to end TPS for Venezuelan nationals.US District Judge Edward Chen said the plan to end TPS “smacks of racism” and mischaracterizes Venezuelans as criminals.”Acting on the basis of a negative group stereotype and generalizing such stereotype to the entire group is the classic example of racism,” Chen wrote.Solicitor General John Sauer filed an emergency application with the conservative-majority Supreme Court asking it to stay the judge’s order.Reacting to the Supreme Court’s decision on Monday, Venezuelan-American activist Adelys Ferro blasted “a xenophobic, discriminatory, racist attack, coordinated for more than a year against a community whose only sin was to run away from a criminal dictatorship.”She pointed to the US State Department’s continued Level 4 safety advisory for Venezuela — its highest warning against travel to the country.”The Trump administration is basically becoming our tormentor, at least of the most vulnerable,” Ferro told AFP by phone.Trump campaigned for president promising to deport millions of undocumented migrants and a number of his executive orders around immigration have encountered pushback from judges across the country — including the Supreme Court.The president lashed out at the Supreme Court last week after it blocked his bid to resume deportations of alleged members of the Venezuelan gang Tren de Aragua using an obscure wartime law, the 1798 Alien Enemies Act (AEA).”The Supreme Court of the United States is not allowing me to do what I was elected to do,” he said. “This is a bad and dangerous day for America!”In a 7-2 decision, the Supreme Court, which includes three justices nominated by Trump, said the alleged Tren de Aragua members were not being given enough time to legally contest their removal.Trump invoked the AEA, which was last used to round up Japanese-American citizens during World War II, on March 15 and flew two planeloads of alleged TdA members to El Salvador’s notorious maximum security CECOT prison.Since taking office, Trump has sent troops to the Mexican border, imposed tariffs on Mexico and Canada for allegedly not doing enough to stop illegal crossings, and designated gangs like TdA and MS-13 as terrorist groups.

US President Donald Trump fueled speculation Monday that Joe Biden’s cancer diagnosis was covered up, saying he was “surprised” the public was not told about his predecessor’s condition earlier.Republican Trump’s extraordinary claim came just a day after it emerged that his bitter Democratic political rival, 82, had an aggressive form of prostate cancer.Trump also tried to tie the issue into a wider political row — sparked by a new book released this week — about whether Biden’s White House covered up evidence of his cognitive decline while in office.Biden had earlier Monday expressed gratitude for an outpouring of “love and support” following his shock diagnosis.”I’m surprised that the public wasn’t notified a long time ago,” Trump told reporters in the Oval Office when asked for his reaction to Biden’s cancer.”It takes a long time to get to that situation, to get to a stage nine,” he added, apparently referring to the announcement by Biden’s office that his cancer had “a Gleason score of 9 (Grade Group 5).”Prostate cancer that looks “very abnormal” is assigned the highest rating, Grade 5, according to the American Cancer Society. The Gleason Score goes up to 10, indicating the seriousness of Biden’s disease.Oncologists that AFP spoke with, however, said that screening limitations could very well have left Biden’s condition undetected until now, and that late identification of an advanced cancer would not be unheard of, even for a former president receiving top-of-the-line medical care.- ‘Things going on’ -Suggesting that tests when Biden was president should have picked up signs of the disease, Trump added: “If you take a look it’s the same doctor that said Joe was cognitively fine.””There are things going on that the public wasn’t informed of.” Trump, who spent much of the 2024 election campaign bashing Biden’s cognitive fitness, had said in a statement on Sunday that he was “saddened” by the diagnosis. But 24 hours later he was leaning into accusations by others in his orbit of a cover-up, including his son Don Jr.Don Jr. questioned on Sunday whether the cancer should have been detected earlier — and then on Monday boosted unfounded claims Biden had covered up a previous diagnosis.He posted a clip of Biden — whose son Beau died of brain cancer — saying in an apparent gaffe in 2022 that “I, and so damn many other people I grew up with, have cancer.”Vice President JD Vance meanwhile said that “we really do need to be honest” about Biden’s fitness.”You can separate the desire for him to have the right health outcome with a recognition that — whether it was doctors or whether there were staffers around the former president — I don’t think he was able to do a good job for the American people,” Vance said after a meeting with Pope Leo XIV.- ‘Quick buck’ -The cancer diagnosis comes amid swirling new questions in recent weeks over Biden’s health while in office, with a new book titled “Original Sin” by two journalists alleging his staff worked to conceal his decline.Biden’s granddaughter Naomi lashed out at the book’s authors, CNN’s Jake Tapper and Axios’ Alex Thompson, calling it “a bunch of unoriginal, uninspired lies written by irresponsible self promoting journalists out to make a quick buck.”Biden’s team has consistently denied there was any effort to hide fears about his health.His diagnosis had prompted an outpouring of support from other quarters, including Biden’s vice president Kamala Harris and ordinary Americans.”Cancer touches us all. Like so many of you, Jill and I have learned that we are strongest in the broken places,” Biden said on social media on Monday, including a photo of him and former first lady Jill Biden.”Thank you for lifting us up with love and support.”Britain’s King Charles, 76, who himself is being treated for an undisclosed form of cancer, wrote to Biden over the weekend to express his well wishes, Buckingham Palace said.The mental and physical health of Biden, the oldest person ever to hold the US presidency, was a dominant issue in the 2024 election.After a disastrous debate performance against Trump, Biden ended his campaign for a second term.

The first group of undocumented migrants who accepted a payment of $1,000 from the US government and agreed to “self-deport” were flown from the United States to Honduras and Colombia on Monday, the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) said.A total of 64 migrants were aboard the “voluntary charter flight” that took off from Houston, Texas, DHS said in a statement.”They received travel assistance, a $1,000 stipend, and preserved the possibility they could one day return to the United States legally,” it said.Thirty-eight of the migrants were flown to Honduras, while the other 26 went to Colombia.DHS Secretary Kristi Noem urged other undocumented migrants in the United States to take advantage of what the department is calling “Project Homecoming.””Take control of your departure and receive financial support to return home,” Noem said. “If you don’t, you will be subjected to fines, arrest, deportation and will never be allowed to return.”If you are in this country illegally, self-deport now and preserve your opportunity to potentially return the legal, right way,” she said.Donald Trump campaigned for president promising to expel millions of undocumented migrants, and he has taken a number of actions since returning to power in January aimed at speeding up deportations.For instance, Trump has invoked an obscure wartime law to summarily deport alleged Venezuelan gang members, has sent troops to the Mexican border, and has imposed tariffs on Mexico and Canada for allegedly not doing enough to stop illegal border crossings.

The leader of the Democratic minority in the US Senate introduced legislation Monday that would block President Donald Trump from using a luxury plane offered by Qatar as the official Air Force One.Chuck Schumer’s Presidential Airlift Security Act would prohibit the Pentagon from using taxpayer funds to retrofit any plane previously owned by a foreign government for use as the presidential plane.The bill marked the latest in a series of protests by Democrats over Trump’s acceptance of the $400 million 747-8 jumbo jet, offered free-of-charge by the Gulf state’s royal family.The proposal has raised huge constitutional and ethical questions — as well as security concerns about using an aircraft donated by a foreign power for use as the ultra-sensitive Air Force One.Trump has denied there are any ethical issues involved with accepting the plane, saying it would be “stupid” for the US government not to take the aircraft.”Donald Trump has shown time and again he will sell out the American people and the presidency if it means filling his own pockets,” Schumer said in a statement. “Not only would it take billions of taxpayer dollars to even attempt to retrofit and secure this plane, but there’s absolutely no amount of modifications that can guarantee it will be secure.”Although several Republicans have voiced concerns about the proposed gift, Senate Majority Leader John Thune — a Trump loyalist — is not obliged to bring the bill to the floor of Congress’s upper chamber.But Schumer plans to force a vote by offering it as an amendment to spending bills that Republicans will have to pass later in the year.The US Constitution prohibits government officials from accepting gifts “from any King, Prince or foreign State,” in a section known as the Emoluments Clause.Schumer announced last week that he was planning to hold up all Justice Department political appointees over the gift, while Senator Chris Murphy pledged to force votes to block weapons sales to Qatar.Other Democratic senators have sought to advance resolutions of disapproval and have discussed legal action to enforce the Emoluments Clause.Some Republicans have also appeared queasy over the offer, mainly raising security concerns or objecting to the high costs of modifying a craft that will only be used during Trump’s term, before being moved to his presidential library. Trump has long been unhappy with the current Air Force One jets — two highly customized Boeing 747-200B series aircraft that entered service in 1990 under president George H.W. Bush.

An actors’ union is suing the makers of the Fortnite video game over the use of AI to create an interactive Darth Vader, it said Monday.Fortnite announced last week it had got permission from the family of James Earl Jones to make a chatty “Star Wars” villain based on the late actor’s voice work in the smash hit space opera series.Using AI models, developer Epic Games introduced the Emperor’s consigliere into Battle Royale, a player-versus-player version of Fortnite in which squads form to defeat other contestants online.Users were quick to adopt the Sith Lord on their missions, posting clips of their interactions with one of cinema’s most famous bad guys.Many delighted in the character’s apparent wit, laughing as he tells them off for poor technique, or suggesting that they are cheating.”The empire has no need for fast food,” he chides one player who asks what his McDonald’s order would be.”If I were forced to endure such a culinary experience, I would take a Chicken Selects Meal with large fries and a Coca-Cola drink.”But actors’ union SAG-AFTRA was not amused, claiming the use of AI in video games puts performers out of work.”We celebrate the right of our members and their estates to control the use of their digital replicas and welcome the use of new technologies,” a statement said Monday.”However, we must protect our right to bargain terms and conditions around uses of voice that replace the work of our members, including those who previously did the work of matching Darth Vader’s iconic rhythm and tone in video games.”The union, which says it represents around 160,000 people, says Epic’s subsidiary did not talk to its negotiators over how AI would be used in the game.SAG-AFTRA said it had filed a claim for unfair labor practice with the National Labor Relations Board, a federal agency that protects workers’ rights to organize and to negotiate.Epic Games did not immediately respond to AFP’s queries, but a statement released last week cited Jones’s family saying they were pleased with the project.”We hope that this collaboration with Fortnite will allow both longtime fans of Darth Vader and newer generations to share in the enjoyment of this iconic character,” the family said. Performers have become concerned about the use of artificial intelligence in films, TV and video games.Improving technology makes it increasingly possible to digitally recreate the audio and visual likeness of an actor.The strikes that crippled Hollywood in 2023 stemmed in part from fears that studios would seek to use digital models to replace human performers and creators.Video game actors began their own strike against major players in the sector in July 2024.

A jury on Monday convicted a retired four-star US admiral who served as the US Navy’s second-highest-ranking officer on corruption charges for steering contracts to a company in exchange for a lucrative job. Robert Burke ordered staff to award a $355,000 contract to a company, and then began working there at a $500,000-a-year job after his 2022 retirement from the Navy, the US Department of Justice said.He also unsuccessfully attempted to convince a top officer to give the firm a separate contract.A jury found him guilty of offenses including bribery, performing acts affecting a personal financial interest, and concealment of material facts, court records show.Sentencing is set for August, the same month that two co-CEOs of technology services firm Next Jump are to go on trial in a related case, the Washington Post reported.Monday’s verdict makes Burke the senior-most officer to be convicted in recent times for crimes committed while serving in the US military.In the Navy, Burke served as deputy commander of the US 6th Fleet, commander of Submarine Group 8, and chief of naval personnel — a position he held at the same time as when he was vice chief of naval operations, the service’s second-highest position.The Navy has faced other corruption problems in recent years, with the most notorious scandal involving Leonard Francis — known as “Fat Leonard” — who handed out more than $500,000 in cash bribes and provided prostitutes, first-class travel, luxury hotel stays and lavish meals to naval officers.Francis was sentenced to 15 years in prison in November 2024, after fleeing house arrest and traveling to Venezuela before being returned in a prisoner swap the previous year.As part of a plea agreement, Francis provided government investigators with detailed information that led to the conviction of a number of high-ranking US Navy officers.

The CEO of CBS News, one of America’s best-known broadcast media outlets, quit Monday citing a “challenging” last few months as the network became embroiled in legal and business tensions with the Trump administration.US President Donald Trump is suing CBS owner and media giant Paramount for $20 billion in damages over the contents of a pre-election interview last year with his Democratic rival, Kamala Harris.Legal experts have argued the lawsuit is baseless, and would be an easy legal victory for CBS if it ever went to court, per constitutional protections for freedom of the press.Paramount nevertheless entered into mediation in a bid to placate Trump as it seeks to close an $8 billion merger with the entertainment company Skydance, which needs federal government approval.”The past few months have been challenging,” CEO Wendy McMahon wrote in a goodbye letter to staff. “It’s become clear that the company and I do not agree on the path forward. It’s time for me to move on and for this organization to move forward with new leadership,” she said.Trump alleges an interview with Harris on CBS’s “60 Minutes” program last year was edited to remove an embarrassing response.Many legal analysts maintain the suit is part of a broader assault on press freedom that has seen Trump bar some journalists from the Oval Office and sue other media organizations over their coverageIn a message to CBS News staff, Paramount CEO George Cheeks confirmed McMahon’s resignation and thanked her for her leadership.CNBC meanwhile reported that Cheeks spoke with McMahon Saturday and asked for her resignation, citing people familiar with the matter.The executive producer of “60 Minutes,” veteran journalist Bill Owens, resigned last month, citing what he said were attacks on his independence in running the show.Award-winning television newsmagazine broadcast “60 Minutes,” which pulls around 10 million viewers weekly, is a leading target of Trump’s offensive against the media.The program has continued to air investigations critical of the Trump administration since his return to the White House.In response, Trump has called for its cancellation, while his billionaire advisor Elon Musk has said he hoped the team behind “60 Minutes” would receive long prison sentences.