News Wrap: White House defends Trump's $45,000 gifts to Natalie Harp and other aides

Concerns about the risks of artificial intelligence, and whether the companies building it are doing enough to keep it safe, have erupted across the tech world. Jacob Coxon, who previously worked at Anthropic and OpenAI, wrote that the industry understands the potential risks but is moving ahead anyway. Geoff Bennett discussed more with Amrith Ramkumar of The Wall Street Journal. PBS News is supported by - https://www.pbs.org/newshour/about/funders. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy

In our news wrap Wednesday, the White House is defending President Trump's gift of $45,000 to his executive assistant Natalie Harp and others, the U.S. and Iran are trading more attacks in a fight to control the Strait of Hormuz and the trade war between the U.S. and Canada is escalating even further after the Trump administration announced a ban on certain Canadian imports. PBS News is supported by - https://www.pbs.org/newshour/about/funders. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy

New reporting in Israel reveals that Prime Minister Netanyahu was warned that Hamas was planning a major attack, but he did not order any kind of action to prevent the Oct. 7 attack that killed over 1000. Netanyahu denied the allegation and threatened to sue the journalists who broke the story. Ali Rogin discussed how the report is impacting the election campaign in Israel with David Makovsky. PBS News is supported by - https://www.pbs.org/newshour/about/funders. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy

On Sept. 11, 2001, when a hijacked plane struck the Pentagon, two WETA camera men and a NewsHour with Jim Lehrer intern rushed to the scene. As the 25th anniversary of the terror attacks approaches, they reflect on what they captured, and how it stays with them. PBS News is supported by - https://www.pbs.org/newshour/about/funders. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy

Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney says Canada will move quickly to reduce its economic reliance on the United States as retaliatory tariffs took effect on roughly $20 billion worth of American goods. The tariffs match duties President Trump imposed on Canadian imports and follows months of strained relations and unsuccessful trade negotiations between the two countries. Amna Nawaz reports. PBS News is supported by - https://www.pbs.org/newshour/about/funders. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy

To discuss the impact of the tariffs on the United States and Canada, Amna Nawaz spoke with Matthew Shoemaker. He is the mayor of Sault Ste. Marie, Ontario, a Canadian city just across the border from its sister city, Sault Ste. Marie, Michigan. PBS News is supported by - https://www.pbs.org/newshour/about/funders. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy

President Trump's tariff policies are shaping key races for control of Congress this fall. Geoff Bennett discussed the impact on the midterms with congressional correspondent Lisa Desjardins. PBS News is supported by - https://www.pbs.org/newshour/about/funders. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy

Tuesday on the News hour, New York City officials released documents that raise new concerns about air quality following the Sept. 11 attacks, authorities in Miami say all five people killed by a plane crash this weekend were in a van used for cleaning crews that service planes and more than 600 flights were cancelled in the UK due to a problem with the country's air traffic control system. PBS News is supported by - https://www.pbs.org/newshour/about/funders. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy

Smithsonian Secretary Lonnie Bunch announced that he is stepping down as the institution he leads faces an escalating battle with the Trump administration over how it tells the American story. Geoff Bennett spoke with Bunch about the political pressure, what's at stake for the Smithsonian and how he sees his legacy. It's for our Art in Action series exploring the intersection of art and democracy. PBS News is supported by - https://www.pbs.org/newshour/about/funders. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy

Southeast Asia is enduring a punishing year of extreme weather and experts warn the ongoing storm season could be one of the most intense in years. Special correspondent Patrick Fok reports from Singapore on how the El Niño climate pattern could fuel more extreme conditions in the coming months. PBS News is supported by - https://www.pbs.org/newshour/about/funders. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy