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Newsom vetoes bill to establish first-in-nation AI safety regulations in California

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Newsom vetoes bill to establish first-in-nation AI safety regulations in California

California Gov. Gavin Newsom, a Democrat, on Sunday vetoed a bill to create safety measures for large artificial intelligence models, which would have been the first such law in the nation.

The governor’s veto delivers a major setback to attempts to create guardrails around AI and its rapid evolution with little oversight, according to The Associated Press. The legislation faced staunch opposition from startups, tech giants and several Democratic lawmakers.

Newsom said earlier this month at Dreamforce, an annual conference hosted by software giant Salesforce, that California must lead in regulating AI as the federal government has failed to put safety measures in place, but that the proposal “can have a chilling effect on the industry.”

S.B. 1047, the governor said, could have hurt the homegrown industry by setting up strict requirements.

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California Gov. Gavin Newsom vetoed a bill to create safety measures for large artificial intelligence models in the Golden State. (AP Photo/John Bazemore)

“While well-intentioned, SB 1047 does not take into account whether an AI system is deployed in high-risk environments, involves critical decision-making or the use of sensitive data,” Newsom said in a statement. “Instead, the bill applies stringent standards to even the most basic functions — so long as a large system deploys it. I do not believe this is the best approach to protecting the public from real threats posed by the technology.”

Newsom announced instead that the state will partner with several industry experts to develop safety measures for powerful AI models.

S.B. 1047 would have required companies to test their models and publicly disclose their safety protocols to prevent the models from being manipulated for harmful purposes, such as, for example, wiping out the state’s electric grid or helping to build chemical weapons, scenarios that experts say could be possible in the future as the industry continues to rapidly evolve.

The legislation also would have provided whistleblower protection to industry workers.

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Democratic state Sen. Scott Weiner, who authored the bill, said the veto was “a setback for everyone who believes in oversight of massive corporations that are making critical decisions that affect the safety and the welfare of the public and the future of the planet.”

“The companies developing advanced AI systems acknowledge that the risks these models present to the public are real and rapidly increasing,” he said in a statement. “While the large AI labs have made admirable commitments to monitor and mitigate these risks, the truth is that voluntary commitments from industry are not enforceable and rarely work out well for the public.”

Wiener said the debate around the bill has helped put a spotlight on the issue of AI safety, and that he would continue pushing to advance safety measures around the technology.

Tech billionaire Elon Musk supported the measure.

800-PLUS BILLS LEFT ON NEWSOM’S DESK ILLUSTRATE CALIFORNIA’S OVERREGULATION PROBLEM: EXPERTS

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Newsom announced that, rather than adopt the legislation, the state will partner with several industry experts to develop safety measures for powerful AI models. (Don Campbell/The Herald-Palladium via AP)

The proposal is one of several bills passed by the state Legislature this year seeking to regulate AI, combat deepfakes and protect workers. State lawmakers said California must take actions this year, pointing to the results of failing to rein in social media companies when they might have had an opportunity.

Supporters of the bill said it could have presented some transparency and accountability around large-scale AI models, as developers and experts say they still do not have a full understanding of how AI models behave.

The bill sought to address systems that require a high level of computing power and more than $100 million to build. No current AI models have met that criteria, but some experts say that could change within the next year.

“This is because of the massive investment scale-up within the industry,” Daniel Kokotajlo, a former OpenAI researcher who stepped down earlier this year over what he described as the company’s disregard for AI risks, told The Associated Press. “This is a crazy amount of power to have any private company control unaccountably, and it’s also incredibly risky.”

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The U.S. is behind Europe in regulating the growing technology that is raising concerns about job loss, misinformation, invasions of privacy and automation bias, supporters of the measure said. The California bill was not as comprehensive as regulations in Europe, but the supporters say it would have been a step in the right direction.

Last year, several leading AI companies voluntarily agreed to follow safeguards set by the White House, which include testing and sharing information about their models. The California bill, according to its supporters, would have required AI developers to follow requirements similar to those safeguards.

But critics of the measure argued that it would harm tech and stifle innovation in the Golden State. The proposal would have discouraged AI developers from investing in large models or sharing open-source software, according to the critics, which include U.S. Rep. Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif.

Two other AI proposals, which also faced opposition from the tech industry, did not pass ahead of a legislative deadline last month. The bills would have required AI developers to label AI-generated content and prohibit discrimination by AI tools used to make employment decisions.

California state Sen. Scott Wiener said the debate around the bill has helped put a spotlight on the issue of AI safety. (Scott Wiener )

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California lawmakers are still considering new rules against AI discrimination in hiring practices.

The governor previously said he wanted to protect the state’s status as a global leader in AI, citing that 32 of the world’s top 50 AI companies are in the Golden State.

Newsom has said California is an early adopter of AI, as the state could deploy generative AI tools in the near future to combat highway congestion, provide tax guidance and streamline homelessness programs.

Earlier this month, Newsom signed some of the strictest laws in the country to fight against election deepfakes and adopt measures to protect Hollywood workers from unauthorized AI use.

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The Associated Press contributed to this report.

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Montana

Rob McManus, Jenavieve Lynch win titles for Montana State at Big Sky Conference track and field championships

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Rob McManus, Jenavieve Lynch win titles for Montana State at Big Sky Conference track and field championships


GRESHAM, Ore. — Montana State seniors Rob McManus and Jenavieve Lynch stood on the top step in the 3,000-meter steeplechase and hammer throw, respectively, in a strong Friday for the Bobcats at the Big Sky Outdoor Championships.

The Bobcat men tallied 44 points on Friday to increase their total to 49 through seven events, and the women collected 36 points after seven events. The men sit in second place after three days of competition, while the women are in fifth. In total, Montana State collected two individual titles, five All-Big Sky honors, 15 scoring performances and five program top-10 marks on Friday. Additionally, the Bobcat women collected 16 advancing times on the track, while the men added three.

The Bobcats tallied three scoring performances in the men’s 3,000m steeplechase, led by McManus’ third straight Big Sky title with a time of 8:34.32. He earned the victory by 3.52 seconds to earn his fourth consecutive medal in the event, including a silver in 2023 and gold in 2024, 2025 and 2026.

Ben Saelens earned a seventh-place result with a time of 8:59.29, finishing just three hundredths of a second shy of his own personal best. Eli Boppart claimed the eighth and final scoring position with a time of 9:07.42 as all three Bobcats entered in the event secured points for Montana State, which earned 13 points thanks to their efforts.

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The women’s hammer throw trio of Lynch, Sydney Brewster and Sydney Mattfeldt all scored on Friday behind Lynch’s Big Sky title in the final field event of the day. Lynch recorded a mark of 55.67 meters/182 feet, 7 inches on her third attempt to sweep the 2026 Big Sky indoor and outdoor titles in the weight throw and hammer throw, respectively. She has earned All-Big Sky honors in those two events during each of the last two seasons.

Brewster placed fifth in the hammer on Friday with a mark of 53.31m/174-11, and Mattfeldt took eighth with a mark of 51.10m/167-8. Friday marked Mattfeldt’s second scoring performance in the hammer and Brewster’s first.

Tilde Bjerager earned Montana State’s first scoring performance of the weekend on the women’s side with a runner-up finish in the high jump to earn All-Big Sky honors. She cleared 1.74m/5-8.50 in her collegiate debut in the event to collect eight points for the Bobcats. The mark places her fifth in Montana State history in the outdoor high jump.

Bob Hartley and Jordan Lasher finished third and fourth, respectively in the pole vault to claim 11 points for the Bobcat men. Hartley vaulted to fifth in Montana State history with his personal-best mark of 5.24m/17-2.25 to take home bronze for the first time outdoors and the second time in his career following his third-place finish at the 2025 Big Sky Indoor Championships. Lasher posted a mark of 5.14m/16-10.25 to follow up his third-place finish indoors earlier this season with a fourth-place result in Gresham.

Matt Furdyk and Easton Hatleberg combined for 10 points in the hammer throw as Furdyk placed third for all-conference honors and Hatleberg took fifth place. Furdyk recorded a mark of 62.30m/204-4 on his final attempt for his second career All-Big Sky honor in the hammer throw. Hatleberg posted a mark of 59.92m/196-7 on his sixth and final attempt to earn four points for the Cats.

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Claire Rutherford and Madi Siana clocked respective times of 34:25.66 and 34:38.35 in the women’s 10,000m to finish fourth and fifth. The duo combined for nine points for the Bobcat women, with Rutherford collecting her five points in her collegiate 10,000m debut.

Niamh Motley earned a fifth-place finish in the 3,000m steeplechase thanks to a pass on Northern Arizona’s Tess Hannigan in the final 100 meters of the race. She clocked a time of 10:15.52 to claim the No. 3 spot on Montana State’s all-time top-10 list, obliterating her own personal-best time by 26 seconds.

Trystin Chapel placed eighth in the long jump to claim one point for Montana State. He posted a mark of 6.87m/22-6.50 on his second attempt to score for the Bobcats.

Montana State advanced four runners to Saturday’s final in the women’s 200m. Caroline Hawkes clocked a 23.77 to post the fastest time in the prelims, Jaeden Wolff finished third with a 24.27, Brooke Reuter posted a 24.37 for sixth place and Peyton Garrison secured the eighth and final spot with a time of 24.57.

Three Bobcats will run in Saturday’s 400m hurdles final after clocking three of the five fastest times in the prelims on Friday. Bjerager led the pack with a time of 59.41, Olivia Lewis posted a 1:00.32 for the third-fastest time in the field and Giulia Gandolfi won her heat with a time of 1:00.74 to place fifth overall.

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Bjerager and Millie Hubbell both earned qualifying times for Saturday’s 100m hurdles final, with Bjerager posting the fastest time in the prelims with a 13.59 and Hubbell clocking a 13.89 to finish second in her heat and sixth overall. Bjerager improved her own No. 3 time in program history by one hundredth of a second with her performance.

Hawkes clocked the fastest time in the 400m prelims to advance to Saturday’s final. She posted a time of 54.12 on Friday and will look to sweep the Big Sky indoor and outdoor 400m titles with a win on Saturday.

Harvey Cramb crossed the finish line first in the 800m prelims on Friday to punch his ticket to Saturday’s final. Cramb clocked a time of 1:48.84 to advance and provide a strong scoring opportunity for the Bobcats.

Jett Grundy advanced to the final in the 400m on the men’s side, winning his heat with a time of 47.19 to place second overall in the prelims.

Nash Coley finished third overall and first in his heat the 400m hurdles prelims with a time of 52.28 and will run in Saturday’s final.

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Two Bobcats advanced to the final in the women’s 1,500m as Kalei Moravitz placed fifth and Annie Kaul took eighth in the prelims. Moravitz clocked a time of 4:34.00 to finish fifth in her heat and qualify based on time, and Kaul crossed the finish line in 4:40.28 to win her heat and earn an automatic qualification to Saturday’s final.

Later in the day, Kaul and Moravitz also clocked top-eight times in the 800m to advance to Saturday’s final. Kaul was the second overall finisher in the prelims with a time of 2:07.53, while Moravitz finished second in her heat and eighth overall with a 2:11.68.

Wolff and Reuter claimed the final two spots in the 100m final with their performances in the prelims on Friday. Both runners crossed the finish line in 11.88, with Wolff finishing seventh and Reuter taking eighth thanks to a tiebreaker that found them just one thousandth of a second apart. Reuter improved her No. 8 time in Montana State history with the result.

Full results from the Big Sky Outdoor Championships are available here.

Montana State will open its fourth and final day of competition in Oregon on Saturday at 11 a.m. MT. The men’s discus featuring Matt Furdyk and Talon Holmquist will kick off the field events, while running events will get underway at 12:30 p.m. with the women’s 4x100m relay, in which Garrison, Hawkes, Reuter and Wolff are expected to compete.

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Nevada

‘It was special’: Bishop Gorman wins Class 5A baseball state title — PHOTOS

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‘It was special’: Bishop Gorman wins Class 5A baseball state title — PHOTOS


Pitching can be the ultimate difference during a double-elimination Nevada high school baseball state tournament.

So after Bishop Gorman ace Hudson Ciulla threw an efficient 67 pitches in the Gaels’ opening win of the tournament on Thursday, he knew the team could call his number again in the championship round Saturday.

Gorman coach Matt Stoner did just that, and Ciulla made the most of his second outing.

After four strong innings from starter Noah Ramos, Ciulla pitched a perfect final three innings to help Bishop Gorman secure a 5-3 win over Bishop Manogue to win the Class 5A state championship Saturday at Las Vegas High School.

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“It’s awesome, it’s a weight off our shoulders,” said Ciulla, a senior right-hander. “It’s been something we’ve been dreaming of my whole life, winning state, especially as a senior. To go out on top, it couldn’t be a better feeling.”

It’s the 10th baseball state title for Gorman. Since the Gaels (32-6) had not lost in the double-elimination tournament entering Saturday, Manogue (30-10) would have needed to beat the Gaels twice on Saturday to claim the title.

“It’s what they talked about doing all year and they went out and did it,” Stoner said. “The team really loved each other and it was special. It was just the togetherness. They wanted it from Day 1 of fall ball. They talked about it, and I said, ‘You talk about it, you got to do it.’”

Gorman’s strong pitching

Manogue gave itself a chance through Saturday. The Miners kept up with Gorman by managing enough runs and limiting the Gaels’ bats. But things changed when Ciulla entered the game in the fifth with Gorman holding a 4-3 lead.

The Gonzaga commit had five innings and 83 pitches to work with before hitting the tournament limit, but Ciulla breezed through the Miners lineup. He struck out seven of the nine batters he faced and did not allow a base runner.

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Ramos, who has dealt with forearm tightness throughout the entire season, pitched the Gaels to a win in the region title game on May 9, and got the Gaels to the fifth inning.

“When we pitch and play defense, we can play with anybody,” Stoner said. “Noah Ramos did an incredible job, he’s been battling the injury bug all year and he came in and got us to the fifth inning, which is what we wanted.

“And then, there’s nothing to say about Hudson Ciulla. He’s been amazing this week, he’s been amazing all year for us. He just came in and dominated and that’s what he does. He was exceptional today.”

‘Went through the fire’

Gorman fell behind early when Nate Lemieux hit a two-run homer in the top of the first to give the Miners the lead. The Gaels evened the score in the bottom of the inning on a Chase Wilk RBI double and DaMari Hall following Wilk with an RBI infield single.

“I have so much faith in this team that I knew we were going to come back,” said Wilk, a senior Minnesota commit. “Just doing whatever I can to help the team, that’s my mindset. … That belief just carries me through my play and all of us.”

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Wilk and Hall delivered again in the third. With the bases loaded, Wilk recorded a long single after a Manogue outfielder dropped a fly ball. Then Hall had a sacrifice fly to give the Gaels a 4-3 lead.

“We went through the fire,” said Hall, a Washington State football commit. “Last season was tough, we played a lot of good competition this year, including this game. We’ve been down a lot this year, but there’s never a doubt that our bats are going to get going, our pitchers are going to throw strikes and we’re going to be out on top.”

Hall scored an insurance run in the sixth on a Soren Savarda sacrifice fly. Hall finished 2-for-3 with two RBIs and two stolen bases, and Wilk was 2-for-3.

“You sit up there and you don’t worry about (the seniors such as Wilk and Hall),” Stoner said. “You know that they are going to do something to help us win. They both stepped up. They have a calming sense about them. I think we were trying too hard on offense (today), we were trying to make it happen instead of doing it. But I’m really proud of them.”

Contact Alex Wright at awright@reviewjournal.com. Follow @AlexWright1028 on X.

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New Mexico

Line Fire, Mimms Fire – Quay County – Update  

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Line Fire, Mimms Fire – Quay County – Update  


May 16, 2026 

The New Mexico Forestry Division would like to update you on wildfire activity on the Line Fire and the Mimms Fire that is requiring the attention of suppression resources in New Mexico. 

Line Fire – Quay County – Final  

Yesterday, good work from response crews kept the Line Fire within its footprint and allowed firefighters to establish line around the entire right flank. These lines held under hot, dry and windy conditions throughout the day, raising containment to 90%. Over the coming days, resources will continue to secure the remainder of the fire’s edge until the incident is fully contained and out. The fire’s size is now estimated at 30,144 acres. This will be the final notification on this fire unless there are significant changes. 

The Line Fire was discovered at 6:14 p.m. Thursday, May 14 near HWY 54 south of Nara Visa in Quay County.  

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Acres: 30,144 acres estimated. 

Containment: 90% contained.      

Start Date / Time: 6:14 p.m. on Thursday, May 14 

Fuels: Grass. 

Cause: Lightning. 

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Location: HWY 54 south of Nara Visa in Quay County. 

Ownership: State and private in New Mexico and Texas. 

Structure Threat: None at this time.  

Evacuations / Closures: None at this time.  

Weather: Today sunny, with highs near 95. Patchy smoke after noon. North wind 5-10 mph becoming south 15-20 mph in the afternoon. Red Flag Warning in effect until 8 p.m. this evening. 

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Resources: Forestry Division, Quay County, local volunteer fire department resources. Six type-6 engines, one fixed-wing aircraft. 

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Mimms Fire – Quay County 

Yesterday, response crews and air resources on the Mimms fire were able to establish and hold fireline around the western edge, raising containment to 20%. Fire behavior remained active in the interior, producing a slop over that was caught on the north side. Spot fires were seen up to three-quarters of a mile ahead of the fire front. 

Today’s objectives include holding and improving line to keep the fire within in its footprint, while working to extinguish heat along the flanks and the head. Crews and heavy equipment will cut grader and dozer line on the east and west flanks, while keeping their focus on the fire’s eastern edge. The Sparks fire burn scar to the southwest will be used a containment feature if necessary. Aviation resources have been requested.  

Acres: 4,000 estimated. 

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Containment: 20% contained.      

Start Date / Time: 2 p.m. on Thursday, May 14 

Fuels: Grass, pinon/juniper 

Cause: Lightning. 

Location: North of HWY 156, northwest of Jordan, east of Sparks Fire footprint. 

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Ownership: Private. 

Threats: Structure threat has passed.  

Weather: Today sunny, with highs near 95. Patchy smoke after noon. North wind 5-10 mph becoming south 15-20 mph in the afternoon. Red Flag Warning in effect until 8 p.m. this evening. 

Resources: NM Forestry Division, Oregon Department of Forestry, local volunteer fire departments, NM Department of Transportation. Total personnel: 68.  

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Mimms Fire, seen from the air, May 15, 2026. Credit: NM Forestry Division



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