Petro named

DEA target

NEW YORK (AP) — Colombian President Gustavo Petro has been designated a “priority target” by the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration as federal prosecutors in New York probe his alleged ties to drug traffickers, according to people familiar with the matter and records seen by The Associated Press.

DEA records show Petro has surfaced in multiple investigations dating to 2022, many based on interviews with confidential informants. Petro has denied all ties to drug traffickers.

Prosecutors in Brooklyn and Manhattan in recent months have been questioning drug traffickers about their ties to Petro and specifically about allegations the Colombian president’s representatives solicited bribes to block their extradition to the United States, said one of the people familiar with the inquiry.

AI rules

proposed

WASHINGTON (AP) — The White House is laying out a new framework that it wants Congress to use to shape national rules for artificial intelligence without curbing growth in the sector. It wants Congress to “preempt” state laws is sees as too burdensome.

The focus is on protecting children, preventing electricity costs from surging, respecting intellectual property rights, preventing censorship and educating Americans on using the technology. It comes as state governments have forged ahead on their own regulations. Civil liberties and consumer rights groups have lobbied for more regulations on the powerful technology.

But the industry and the White House say a patchwork of rules would hurt growth.

US sues

Harvard

WASHINGTON (AP) — The Justice Department has filed a new lawsuit against Harvard University, accusing it of failing to address antisemitism on campus. The lawsuit, filed Friday, seeks to freeze existing grants and recover money already paid to the university.

This is part of a long-standing conflict between the Trump administration and Harvard. The government claims Harvard has not protected Jewish and Israeli students from discrimination during pro-Palestinian demonstrations. Harvard insists it is committed to fighting bias. Harvard argues the administration is violating its First Amendment rights by trying to limit campus activism and change some of its practices for hiring and enrollment. Negotiations have stalled, with the administration demanding large payments to restore funding.

Evacuation

in Hawaii

HONOLULU (AP) — Muddy floodwaters from severe rains have inundated streets, swallowed vehicles and prompted evacuation orders for more than 4,000 people in towns north of Honolulu. Officials are warning about the possible failure of a 120-year-old dam.

Emergency sirens blared early Friday morning along Oahu’s famed North Shore, where rising waters damaged homes and vehicles. Officials have been watching dam levels since a storm last week dumped heavy rain across the state, which led to catastrophic flooding that washed away roads and homes. Most of the state was under a flood watch, with northern Oahu under a flash flood warning, according to the National Weather Service, which reported “widespread life-threatening flash flooding.”