Good morning, it’s Tuesday, January 6, 2025. In today’s edition, New York, California weigh new AI limits for kids; Kansas won’t advance redistricting measure; Walz drops re-election bid:
Top Stories
ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE: New York Gov. Kathy Hochul (D) has endorsed a slate of proposals to expand mandatory age verification for online gaming platforms and to disable certain AI chatbot features for kids. In California, Sen. Steve Padilla (D) will introduce legislation placing a four-year moratorium on the manufacture and sale of AI chatbot toys. (Pluribus News)
REDISTRICTING: The Kansas House is unlikely to take up a bill redrawing the state’s congressional district lines, House Speaker Dan Hawkins (R) told reporters on Monday. Hawkins fell about 10 signatures short of calling a special session late last year; he says the level of support for redistricting is now even lower than that. (State Affairs)
LGBTQ RIGHTS: The Utah legislature intends to approve a measure banning gender transition treatments for minors, House Speaker Mike Schultz (R) said. A moratorium on such treatments is already in place, but Schultz said new legislation would make a ban permanent. (KSL)
EDUCATION: Alabama Rep. Jeana Ross (R) has introduced legislation requiring day care facilities, kindergarten and pre-K classrooms to implement guidelines on screen time use by kids. The bill would limit screen time to 90 minutes per day for children between 2-4. Individual screen time would be prohibited. (Alabama Reflector)
MORE: Pennsylvania Rep. Joe Ciresi (D) will introduce legislation to establish a state-run program offering low-interest loans to college students regardless of their family income. Ciresi pointed to similar programs in North Dakota and Minnesota, which offer lower interest rates than are available to federal borrowers. (State Affairs)
EVEN MORE: California lawmakers intend to introduce legislation making kindergarten mandatory. California requires all school districts to offer kindergarten, but it is one of 32 states that do not require parents to send their kids to school so early. Only about 5% of families keep their kids out of kindergarten. (CalMatters)
GAMBLING: The Iowa legislature will consider a measure giving the Iowa Racing and Gaming Commission the authority to take action against unlicensed gambling websites. The bill would allow the commission to issue cease and desist orders against sites that scam state residents. (Iowa Capital Dispatch)
In Politics & Business
MINNESOTA: Gov. Tim Walz (D) dropped his bid for re-election Monday, citing a fraud scandal that has cost state social service agencies more than $1 billion and captured the attention of conservative cable networks. U.S. Sen. Amy Klobuchar (D), with whom Walz met over the weekend to discuss his plans, is said to be considering a bid in his place. (Pluribus News)
ALABAMA: U.S. Sen. Tommy Tuberville (R) has formally filed paperwork to run for governor in 2026. Democrats have raised questions about whether Tuberville meets residency requirements; Tuberville maintains a home in Auburn, and a beach home in Walton County, Fla. (AL.com)
TEXAS: Houston businessman Andrew White (D) has dropped his bid for governor and endorsed state Rep. Gina Hinojosa (D). White said his campaign hadn’t raised enough money to be successful. A poll in mid-December by Texas Southern University found Hinojosa leading the Democratic field with 41% of the vote, while other candidates were mired in single digits. (Texas Tribune)
MASSACHUSETTS: Former criminal defense attorney Andrea James will launch a bid for governor as an independent. James plans a formal Jan. 24 campaign launch in Dorchester. (WBUR)
PEOPLE: Illinois Sen. Don DeWitte (R) has announced he is being treated for prostate cancer, but he intends to be back at work when lawmakers reconvene last month. DeWitte said his doctors had caught the cancer early, and that his prognosis is excellent. (Daily Herald)
Our best wishes for a speedy recovery.
By The Numbers
111: The number of on-duty law enforcement officers killed in the United States in 2025, a decline of nearly 25% from the previous year. Firearm-related fatalities dropped 15% to the lowest number in at least a decade, while traffic-related deaths declined nearly 23%. (Associated Press)
2,315,067: The number of voters in North Carolina who are registered with the Republican Party, about 2,000 more than the number of registered Democrats. It’s the first time in state history that Republicans have outnumbered Democrats on the voting rolls. (Raleigh News & Observer)
85.5%: The share of Massachusetts drivers who used seat belts in 2025, a record high, according to the state Office of Grants and Research. The state saw a decline in fatal motor vehicle crashes last year compared with 2024. (State Affairs)
Off The Wall
A 535-lb. bluefin tuna sold for 510 million yen, about $3.2 million, at the first auction of the year at Tokyo’s Toyosu fish market. It’s the highest price ever paid for a tuna. (Seattle Times)
The Heber City, Utah, Police Department has been using a pair of AI programs to automatically generate police reports from body camera footage. One report generated by a program called Draft One mistakenly reported that one officer had been turned into a frog. Sgt. Rick Keel told reporters that the software had picked up a movie playing in the background, ‘The Princess and the Frog.’ (UPI)
How did the frog lose its car? It was toad. We’ll show ourselves out.
A new study from the University of Massachusetts Lowell finds traces of fentanyl and ketamine can slow the movements and reduce survival rates of early-stage oysters. Researchers are trying to understand the ecological effects of illicit drugs in oceanic marine life. (CT Insider)
Quote of the Day
“And that would be my family. Leave it to a good family to do a porra, which is a cheer.”
— California Senate President Pro Tem Monique Limón (D), addressing reporters in the midst of a “Monique! Monique! Rah! Rah! Rah!” cheer from the next room. (Sacramento Bee)