Clerk released

from prison

DENVER (AP) — Former Colorado elections clerk and conspiracy theorist Tina Peters has been released from state prison. She served less than a quarter of her nine-year sentence for her role in a scheme to copy her county’s election system.

Democratic Gov. Jared Polis commuted her sentence last month after pressure from President Donald Trump. Peters was released Monday and then appeared on right-wing podcaster Steve Bannon’s program. Polis had said he would shorten Peters’ sentence if she expressed regret about her actions.

But in her interview with Bannon, Peters repeated the debunked conspiracy theory that voting machines cheated Trump out of reelection in 2020.

Florida sues

OpenAI

MIAMI (AP) — The state of Florida has filed a lawsuit against OpenAI and CEO Sam Altman, claiming the company knowingly released and aggressively marketed ChatGPT to the public while concealing serious risks.

Florida Attorney General James Uthmeier said Monday that the company suppressed internal safety warnings and deceived users about the true nature and dangers of the product. The lawsuit mentioned two recent criminal cases in which the suspects allegedly used OpenAI to plan the attacks.

OpenAI says its models repeatedly encouraged the individuals to seek real-world support, including from mental health professionals. The company also says it has cooperated with law enforcement in both cases.

US reduces

embassies

WASHINGTON (A

P) — The State Department plans to slash the number of U.S. embassies and consulates in Africa that can process visas for foreigners seeking to come to the United States.

The almost 50 U.S. embassies and consulates that are processing visa applications in Africa will be reduced to 20 “hubs” in the coming weeks. That’s according to three U.S. officials and an internal memo obtained by The Associated Press.

The move is part of the Trump administration’s effort to crack down on issuing immigrant and non-immigrant visas as part of its broader aim to limit immigration to the U.S.

Mandelson

files released

LONDON (AP) — British Prime Minister Keir Starmer faces more embarrassment with the release of files about former U.K. ambassador to Washington Peter Mandelson. The documents were published Monday.

They run to more than 1,500 pages and include emails and texts. A handwritten note from Mandelson pledged that the government would “never regret” giving him the job. Mandelson was a friend of convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein. Mandelson was fired as U.K. ambassador to the United States after nine months.

Fallout from the appointment has left Starmer fighting for his job. Critics say the decision to give Mandelson the key diplomatic job shows poor judgment by Starmer who is under pressure to resign.