Transcript

5.26.26 · Washington Post

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Speaker 1: Welcome to the reading of the Washington Post for Tuesday,
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May twenty sixth, twenty twenty six. As a reminder, RADII
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is a reading service intended for people who are blind
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or have other disabilities that make it difficult to read
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printed material. Your reader for to day is Cindy Fraser.
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To day's front page headlines from the Washington Post are
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peace plan is panned by go O P. Concessions to
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Iran a concern. Trump urges expansion of Abraham Accords. The
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next headline, Trump's health is drawing scrutiny. Presidents set to
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visit Walter read for a third time in thirteen months. Next,
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Popolio puts forth a defense of human dignity, calls for
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limitations to power of technology AI in his first encyclical. Next,
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in Venezuela, Trump's ally's role is pivotal and unofficial. Next,
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gerrymandering war transforms US politics. Both sides of aile dig
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in as redistricting fight rages with no end in sight.
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The final headline from today's front page Texas barbecue takes
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a hit as meat prices soar. Some of the state's
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oldest restaurants struggle to remain open. In addition, on today's
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front page, there is a photo titled A Day in
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Memoriam with a caption Vietnam veteran David Loch visits the
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Vietnam Veterans Memorial in DC on Monday. Flags line the
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wall form Memorial Day, the unofficial start of a summer
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in which the US will celebrate its two hundred and
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fiftieth anniversary. The photo shows an older man down on
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one knee in front of the Vietnam War Memorial Wall.
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He is reflected in the wall. Now, let's turned to
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today's first item, entitled plan is panned by GOP. Concessions
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to Iran a concern. Trump urges expansion of Abraham Accords
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by Sammy Westphal and John Hudson. In the latest twist
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to his bid to end the war against Iran, President
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Donald Trump on Monday urged several majority Muslim countries to
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join the Abraham Accords, a set of treaties aimed at
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normalizing relations with Israel as part of the settlement he
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is seeking to negotiate with Tehran. Trump, posting on truth
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Social said that Saudi Arabia and Qatar should sign first.
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He also called on Pakistan, Turkey Egypt and Jordan to join,
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even though Turkey has recognized Israel since nineteen forty nine
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and Egypt and Jordan have peace treaties with Israel, signed
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respectively in nineteen seventy nine and nineteen ninety four. Trump,
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after speaking Saturday with leaders of nations in Dad region,
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said he also envisioned Iran joining the Abraham Accords. I
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am mandatorily requesting that all countries immediately sign the Abraham Accords,
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and that if Iran signs its agreement with me as
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President of the United States of America, it would be
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an honor to have them also be part of this
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unparalleled world coalition. Trump posted Annalyusts, however, expressed doubt that
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the countries would agree to sign on, especially when tensions
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are running high amid ongoing conflicts in Iran, Lebanon, and Gaza.
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Official Iranian policy also calls for the eradication of Israel
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and its replacement by a Palestinian state. Bringing all of
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these nations into the Abraham Accords, which so far have
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been joined by Bahrain, Kazakhstan, Morocco, Sudan, and the United
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Arab Emirates, will bring true power, strength and peace to
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the Middle East for the first time in five thousand years,
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Trump posted. He added, it will be a document respected
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like no other that has ever been signed anywhere in
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the world. Trump made his pitch as some details of
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his latest effort to reach a deal to end the
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war in Iran and reopen the Strait of Hormuz came
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under withering criticism, including by Republicans in Congress. Senator Ted Cruz,
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Republican from Texas, posting Saturday on X said he was
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deeply concerned about what he was hearing about the Iran
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deal being pushed by some voices in the administration. Cruz
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praised Trump for the military strikes on Iran, but Cruse wrote,
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if the result of that means an Iranian regime now
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receiving billions of dollars, being able to enrich uranium and
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develop nuclear weapons, and having effective control over the Strait
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of Hormuz, then that outcome would be a disastrous mistake.
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Ay the early reports are wrong, Cruse boasted. Senator Roger Wicker,
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Republican from Mississippi, the chairman of the Armed Services Committee,
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also questioned the emerging accord the rumored sixty day cease
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fire with the belief that Iran will ever engage in
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good faith would be a disaster. Wicker posted on x
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everything accomplished by Operation Epic Fury would be for nought.
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Senator Lindsey Graham, Republican from South Carolina, wrote Saturday that
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if a deal is struck because it is believed that
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the Strait of Hormuz cannot be protected from Iranian terrorism
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and Iran still possesses the capability to destroy major Gulf
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oil infrastructure, then Iran will be perceived as being a
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dominant force requiring a diplomatic solution. It is important we
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get this right. On Monday, Graham called Trump's Abraham Accord's
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appeal simply brilliant. Trump tried to quell criticism of the
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deal on Sunday, writing on True Social that people know
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nothing about the potential deal I am making with Iran,
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things that haven't even been negotiated yet. He said the
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following day that negotiations were proceeding nicely. While giving a
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Memorial Day address at Arlington National Cemetery on Monday, Trump
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briefly addressed the war with Iran, acknowledging that thirteen wonderful
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souls had been killed, these incredible men and women gave
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their lives to ensure that the world's number one state
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sponsor of terror will never have a nuclear weapon, Trump said,
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And they won't. They will never have a nuclear weapon,
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he added. The audience seated in the cemetery's amphitheater cheered.
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Arriving back at the White House after the speech, the
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President did not respond to a shouted question from The
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Washington Post about the status of the deal with Iran.
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US and Iranian officials signaled progress over the week end
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on the development of a framework to extend to cease
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fire by sixty days while they negotiate a final accord. However,
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further details had not emerged yet on Monday, despite claims
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by some officials that they would be forthcoming. Secretary of
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State Marco Rubio on Monday pushed back on the suggestion
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that talks were hitting snags or that the emerging deal
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would set back US interests. On Sunday, Rubio had predicted
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there would be an imminent announcement on a deal to
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reopen the Strait of Hormus, but the fact that it
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didn't happen was something he wouldn't read too much into,
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he told reporters in New Delhi on Monday. Takes a
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little while to hear back, Rubio said, regarding the expected
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response from Iran. We have what I think is a
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pretty solid thing on the table in terms of their
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ability to open up the straits, get the straits open,
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enter into a very real, significant, time limited negotiation on
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the nuclear matter, and hopefully we can pull it off,
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Rubio said. At his weekly news conference on Monday, The
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spokesman for Iran's Foreign ministry, Asmail Bahraye, cited progress but
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denied an agreement was imminent. Iranian parliament speaker Mohammed Barghar
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Galabav and Foreign Minister Abasarakshi, two of the country's top negotiators,
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arrived to Delhart, Qatar, for talks on the deal, according
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to the Semi official Mayor News agency. Tromp meanwhile called
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on Saudi Arabia and Gatar to lead the way in
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the expansion of the Abraham Accords. It should start with
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the immediate signing by Saudi Arabia and Qatar, and everybody
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else should follow suit. Trump posted. If they don't, they
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should not be part of this deal in that it
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shows bad intention. While successive US administrations have sought Saudi
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Israeli normalization. Saudi Arabia has long maintained that it would
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not establish ties with Israel without the establishment of a
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Palestinian state. Trump, stressing the possibility of including Iran in
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the Abraham Accords, added, Wow, now that would be something special.
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This will be the most important deal that any of
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these great but always in conflict countries will ever sign.
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Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netnahu, posting Saturday on X, said
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that he had spoken with Trump about the memorandum of
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understanding to reopen the Strait of Hormuz. Net Nahou has
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not publicly commented on Trump's Abraham Accords appeal, but told
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CBS's Sixty Minutes earlier this month that he now sees
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the possibility of the expansion of those agreements. He said
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that possibility was the result of the change in the
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relative power of Israel. Dan Shapiro, a US ambassador to
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Israel in the Obama administration, wrote on X that while
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he is a proponent of eventually expanding the Abraham Accords,
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tying that expansion to a deal to end the war
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is needlessly complicated and unrealistic, especially in the current atmosphere
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of the unsettled wars in the Gaza Strip, Lebanon, and Iran.
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Pathways to greater regional integration will include economic opportunities, regional arrangements,
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and progress towards an Israeli Palestinian resolution. Shapiro wrote, Trump
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just publicly demanding these leaders fall into line as part
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of a deal to end the war with Iran is
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not going to work, Hudson reported from New Delhi. Natalie
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Allison contributed to this report. This item is accompanied by
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a photo captioned people gather at a Tehran mosque Sunday
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to commemorate those killed in Iran's war with United States
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and Israel. The photo shows a crowd, several of whom
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are holding Iranian flags in front of the crowd as
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a large poster showing Iranian leaders. The next item from
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today's front page is entitled Trump's health drawing scrutiny. Presidents
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set to visit Walter Reed for third time in thirteen
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months by Dan Diamond. President Donald Trump on Tuesday is
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expected to undergo his third scheduled medical checkup in thirteen months,
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as outside physicians say they have persistent questions about the
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nearly eighty year old president's health and fitness. Trump, the
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oldest president to ever be inaugurated, is scheduled to visit
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Walter Reed National Military Medical Center for a medical and
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dental visit, the White House said earlier this month. The
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President went to Walter Reed in April twenty twenty five
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for his annual physical exam, and returned in October for
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what officials characterized as a scheduled follow up, sparking weeks
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of inquiries about Trump's diagnosis and procedures that the White
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House repeatedly sidestepped. Nearly three months after the visit, Trump
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and the White House clarified that the president had received
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a CT scan. His doctor, Sean Barrabella, described the imaging
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as preventative to definitively rule out any cardiovascu issues. While
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the White House has around the clock medical team that
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can privately attend to the president if needed, Walter Reed
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has facilities for advanced imaging and other procedures. Trump also
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has made two visits to a Florida dentist since January,
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the White House had said, with official saying those were
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for routine cleaning and care. The White House has repeatedly
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said the president is in excellent health, including in response
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to questions this weekend, citing medical reports produced by White
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House physicians, including one from Barrabella in October that said
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Trump remains in exceptional health. Trump's health and fitness have
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been central to his political identity, in part because the
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President has continually invoked it, seeking to turn persistent doubts
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about his age into a point of strength. Trump campaigned
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in twenty twenty three and twenty twenty four by touting
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his vigor, particularly compared with then President Joe Biden, regularly
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boasting of his results on COG exams while attacking his
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opponent as sleepy Joe. But as an aging president, he
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now receives some of the same questions at dog Biden,
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namely whether he is mentally and physically fit to perform
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the duties of commander in chief. Independent doctors asked why
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Trump's hands have been repeatedly bruised, why his legs are swollen,
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and whether his occasional sleepiness is a sign of a
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deeper issue, saying that they find White House explanations insufficient.
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This White House just doesn't seem to want to acknowledge
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any physical ailment. But older people develop medical issues, and
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the president is almost eighty years old, said Jonathan Rner,
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a long time cardiologist for former Vice President Dick Cheney.
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There just seems to be a lack of candor from
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the White House. A growing share of the public has
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doubts too. A Washington Post ABC News IPSOS poll conducted
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last month found that forty percent of Americans thought Trump
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had the mental sharpness to serve as president, down from
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forty seven percent last September. Forty four percent of Americans
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thought Trump had the physical health to do the job,
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down from fifty four percent last September. Next in this
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article is a bar graph entitled Doubts Grow on the
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President's Health. Percentage of respondents who said the statement applies
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to Trump he has a mental sharpness it takes to
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serve effectively as president. In September twenty twenty five, forty
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seven percent agreed with that statement, February twenty twenty six
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forty three percent, April twenty twenty six forty percent. He
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is in good enough physical health to serve effectively as president.
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In September twenty twenty five, fifty four percent agreed with
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that statement, February twenty six forty eight percent, and in
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April twenty six forty four percent source Washington News, ABC
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News IPSOS poll April twenty four through twenty eighth, twenty
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twenty six, among two thousand, five hundred sixty US adults,
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with an error margin of plus or minus two percentage points.
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Presidents are not required to disclose their health records, although
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annual trips to Walter Reed have become a modern tradition.
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Some lawmakers in both parties have called for more checks
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on chief executives, such as creating an independent commission that
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could assess a president's health. In addition to boasting of
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his physcal health, Trump has regularly touted his results on
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cognitive exams, insisting that the tests validate his fitness. He
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repeated claims about his cognitive scores as recently as a
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rally on Friday. He also has invoked past diagnoses from
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his physicians, including Representative Ronnie Jackson, Republican from Texas, who
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served as a White House physician in Trump's first term.
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Trump has said Jackson told him he was healthier than
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Trump's predecessors, Barack Obama and George W. Bush, both of
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whom were at least fifteen years younger than Trump when
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first worn into office. The two former presidents also had
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consistent exercise routines, a contrast with Trump, who essues exercise
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except for golf. I just care that he was my doctor,
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and he said on the healthiest human being he's ever Ronnie,
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Am I healthier than these guys? Back here, Trump said
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in February, standing in front of the US Naval Academy's
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football team. Yes, Sir Jackson replied, all right, See this
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is why I like him. Trump said. His aids trumpet
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his energy, including this weekend when they touted his commitment
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to working through Saturday. Next to this article is a
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screenshot of a post from X by Stephen Chung saying
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it's nine thirty pm on a Saturday night and President
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Trump is still in the Oval Office working hard for
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the American people. He's simply one of one. The previous
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post in this chain, also from Stephen Chung, said President
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Trump is working at eight pm. Can't stop, won't stop.
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Trump and some of his top deputies, such as his
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health secretary Robert F. Kennedy Junior and mem and Oz,
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have made a recurring joke of the scrutiny of the
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president's health. Doctor Oz looked at his medical records and
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said he's got the highest testosterone level that he's ever
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seen for an individual over seventy years old, Kennedy said
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on a podcast with former White House official Katie Miller
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this year. Officials later said he was repeating a private joke,
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in a sign of how seriously the White House has
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treated the issue. Press Secretary Caroline Levitt had personally handled
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questions about the President's health before she took maternity leave
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this month. Trump also has spoken directly to some reporters
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who pursued stories about his fitness. The White House has
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become increasingly aggressive when rumors have spread about Trump's health,
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which have sometimes corresponded with periods when the highly visible
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president abruptly lowered his public profile. In early April, hundreds
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of thousands of social media users amplified claims that Trump
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had been taken to Walter Read, drawing the ire of
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White House officials, who said that the President was instead
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sequestered to monitor search and rescue operations in Iran. The
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White House subsequently created a digital wall of shame that
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criticized social media influencers who had fueled claims about a
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hospital visit. The page also included reporters and news organizations
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that had merely noted facts about the situation, such as
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that Trump had yet to make a public appearance. The
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response was warranted because this was clearly an organized misinformation
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campaign peddled by left wing accounts, Levitt told The Washington
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Post in a statement last month. Spreading false and slanderous
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misinformation about the president is dangerous, and the White House
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will always hold people accountable for their egregious lies. Trump
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has been a victim of misinformation, said Kathleen Hall Jamison,
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director of the Edinburgh Public Policy Center at the University
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of Pennsylvania, who has studied how misinformation spread threads. The
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president has also contributed to it. She said, conspiracy theories
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can be accurate, Jamison said, alluding to how Trump's political
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career has been shaded by questions around his health, some
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of his own making, It's perfectly possible that unexplained absences
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are worthy of investigation. In interviews, several physicians who have
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treated presidents and other VIPs said they had come to
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distrust the White House's process for releasing information about Trump,
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with some invoking the doubts around Biden too. After a
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decade of delusion, deceit, denial or delay from the administrations
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and White House physicians regarding presidential evaluations. My expectation bar
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is pretty low, said Jeffrey Coleman, who served as a
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physician to former presidents Bill Clinton, George W. Bush, and Obama.
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I hope they are at least transparent and truthful. In
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interviews with a Post, Coleman and other their physicians listed
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several questions there focused on as Trump heads to his
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latest Walter Read visit, mental fitness. Trump has touted his
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performance on the Montreal Cognitive Assessment, which is used to
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screen for dementia or cognitive decline. The president has said
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he was prompted to undergo the assessment during his first
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administration because of persistent questions about his mental health. I
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don't mind being called a brilliant, total tyrant dictator, but
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I don't want to be called dom he said at
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a rally on Friday. He added that all presidents and
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vice presidential candidates should be forced to take a cognitive
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test and a test on intelligence, claiming that he would
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outperform Obama and Biden. Democrats have repeatedly called for Trump
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to have an independent medical evaluation, citing his sometimes shocking statements,
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including his recent threat to end Iran's civilization. Some physicians
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say that given the president's age, more cognitive testing is
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warranted too. In addition to a cognitive screening test, he
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may need further screening of his cognitive executive function. As
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we know eighty year olds do have a decline in memory, reasoning,
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speed of processing, and spatial visualization, said Coleman, who detailed
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his experiences treating presidents in a book called Transforming Presidential
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health Care. Swollen Legs, Reiner said that he had concerns
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about the president's visibly swollen legs, which had become apparent
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last summer. The White House last July said that Trump
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had developed chronic venous insufficiency, a mild but chronic illness
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related to his age. A rare admission of a presidential
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health issue, Reiner noted that no mention of the condition
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was made in Trump's April twenty twenty five medical report.
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If the condition was present at the time, it raises
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questions of whether physicians missed or did not disclose the diagnose,
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as he said. Next in this article are two photos
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which are jointly captioned Swelling around Trump's ankles was visible
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last July when the President met in the Oval Office
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with the Prime Minister of Bahrain, Crown Prince Solomon Inhammad
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al Khalifa. From left, Kent Nishimura for The Washington Post,
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Alex Brandon ap The left photo shows the two men
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sitting in armchairs in front of the fireplace in the
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Oval Office. The right photo is a close up of
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President Trump's right foot and ankle, which shows the ankle
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bulging around the top of the shoe. Alternatively, if Trump
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develops swollen legs in the weeks after the April exam,
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that would indicate a condition called acute edema, and that
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usually warns an in depth evaluation to make sure that
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you don't have conditions like congestive heart failure. Reiner said
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the president's October medical report said nothing about the condition
22:59
bruised hand. The White House has said that recurring bruises
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on Trump's hands are not a sign of a more
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serious medical condition, chalking it up to his daily use
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of aspirin and frequent hand shaking. Rhiner said he found
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those explanations not credible. If you're taking too much aspen,
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one would likely take less aspirin so that explanation doesn't
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make a lot of sense to me, Reiner said, We've
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seen a similar bruise from time to time on his
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left hand, and I doubt he's shaking hands with his
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left hand, he added. Next in this article is a
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photo captioned A bruise is visible on Trump's hand as
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the launch of his Board of Peace initiative in January
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at the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland. Jonathan erst
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Reuter's The photo shows a close up of President Trump's
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left hand, a bruise is visible. Age related accommodations. Biden
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officials may changes to his routine as he approached his
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eightieth birthday, such as scheduling events for the middle of
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the day rather than in the evening, and using shorter
24:03
stairs to access Air Force One. As this weekend, about
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whether the White House had made any adjustments given Trump's age,
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officials said that no accommodations had been necessary. Then Gupta,
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a pulmonologist and ms NOW medical analyst, said that both
24:19
presidents had demonstrated markers of healthy aging, citing Biden's weekend
24:24
biking trips, Trump's regular golf outings, and both men's travel schedules,
24:29
but He said it was important to consider the scope
24:32
of their jobs too. The more important question is not
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whether they are aging normally, but whether they retain the
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sustained executive functioning, cognitive stamina, and adaptive decision making required
24:45
for the presidency, said Gupta, who had discussed joining the
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Biden administration in a senior health role. Those are different standards,
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and in my view, both men have shown enough public
24:56
evidence of decline in those domains to raise legitimate concer
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concerns about fitness for office. Frequency of visits. Trump's second
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physical exam at Walter Read last year had little modern president,
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with presidents usually making just one annual trip unless they
25:13
have an urgent condition. Nearly three months after the visit,
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and after initially telling reporters that he had undergone an
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MRI exam, Trump and the White House clarified that the
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President had received a CT scan as part of his assessment.
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Physicians have asked whether the White House is concealing other
25:32
essential findings, such as whether Trump has privately visited the hospital.
25:37
He has never made an undisclosed visit to Walter Reed,
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Levitt told the Post last month. In addition to the
25:44
photos already mentioned, there was one more photo accompanying this item,
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which is captioned President Donald Trump arrives at Rockland Community
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College in Suffern, New York on Friday. Alex Brandon ap
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the photo show's President Trump slightly hunched over, stepping down
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from what appears to be the Marine one helicopter. Two
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marines are saluting in front of the President. The next
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item from today's front page is entitled Pope Leo puts
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forth defense of human dignity calls for limitations to power
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of technology AI in his first encyclical by Anthony Fiola,
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Michelle Burstein, Garrett de vinc and Stefano Pitrelli from Vatican City.
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In his first encyclical, Pope Leo the fourteenth put forth
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a defense of human dignity in the era of AI,
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delivering a far ranging treatise on the morality of technology
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that included a dramatic plea for guard rails to ensure
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that artificial intelligence eases rather than exacerbates inequality and poverty.
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Leo urged that AI be used to improve conditions for workers,
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and he called for limiting the power of technology companies
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over the vast computing resources that could reshape how human
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beings live as he addressed social ills related to technology.
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Leo also delivered an apology for the Holy See's complicity
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in the slave trade. Previous popes have apologized for the
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historical role of Christians in slavery, but Leo drew a
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connection to the papacy itself, writing of its quote past
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complicity and blindness in the face of the injustice of
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slavery end quote and asking for pardon. An encyclical is
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among the highest forms of papal documents, and Leo's first,
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His most important writing to date, positions AI as a
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catalyst of a new kind of industrial revolution, a cognitive
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one that has already begun to redefine how the world works, lives, plays, loves,
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and wages war. The document sets a clear tone for
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Leo's early papacy, elevating the ethics of AI to a
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religious imperative, the same way Pope Francis did with a
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against climate change a decade ago. In the cyclical called
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Magnifica Humanitas or Magnificent Humanity, the tech savvy, US born
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pontiff makes a resounding defense of pacifism. He also urges
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that humanity embrace its own limitations rather than pursue single
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mindedly to overcome them. Leo has emphasized AI since he
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became pope, and the new document also warns of the
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risks of control over humankind's digital space shifting to the
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for profit corporations of Silicon Valley and away from governments.
28:38
As with every major technological shift, AI tends to amplify
28:42
the power of those who already possess economic resources, expertise,
28:47
and access to data. Leo rights in light of the
28:51
common good and the universal destination of goods. This raises
28:55
serious concerns, since small but highly influential groups can share
29:00
ape information and consumption patterns, influenced democratic processes, and steer
29:05
economic dynamics to their own advantage, undermining social justice and
29:10
solidarity among peoples. Though released Monday, the encyclical was signed
29:15
May fifteenth, a nod to a historic document penned by
29:19
his papal namesake Leo the Thirteenth in eighteen ninety one.
29:24
The dramatic unveiling of the new encyclical overshadowed the document
29:28
itself in some ways. In an unprecedented move, Leo personally
29:33
presided over its presentation and sat on a panel at
29:36
the Vatican with not only leading theologians, but also Christopher
29:41
Ola thirty three, the billionaire co founder of top ai
29:45
company Anthropic. In formulating the document, Leo said he had
29:50
listened to scientists, engineers, and political leaders, as well as
29:55
parents and teachers concerned for the future of younger generation.
29:59
He spoke worryingly of biased algorithms that can block access
30:03
to health care and employment, and send an alarm over
30:06
increasingly autonomous weapons systems practically beyond any human reach to
30:11
govern them effectively. The decision to invite Olah fueled criticism
30:16
out of the Encyclicals release that the Vatican was tactically
30:19
lending its seal of approval to a tech juggernaut and
30:23
dancing with the very digital devil that Magnificat Humanitas purports
30:27
to warn the world against. Speaking While seated not far
30:31
from the Pope, Olac conceded that tech giants operate on
30:35
interests often at odds with the common good, and portrayed
30:38
the Vatican's involvement as necessary. We need informed critics who
30:43
will tell the labs when we are failing, he said.
30:46
We need moral voices that the incentives cannot bend. Despite
30:51
concerns of a Vatican whitewash. The encyclical fired a broadside
30:55
at tech giants and their vast control over AI and
30:58
how it's developed. Tech companies have pushed the White House
31:02
to oppose regulation, but Leo, like his predecessor Francis, forcefully
31:07
argues in favor of such guard rails. He then goes further,
31:11
calling for a moral reassessment of powerful tech platforms and
31:15
the concentration of computing resources in the hands of private
31:18
corporations and billionaires. That dynamic, Leo said, risks the AI's
31:24
benefits and harms being distributed unfairly, as well as massive
31:29
environmental damage from the energy gobbling data centers. The document
31:33
couples the computational mind of a pope who holds a
31:36
mathematics degree from Villanova University with the values of his
31:40
Augustinian roots. Leo proffers a cajoling, even quaint argument. In
31:46
an age of technological disruptors and a pursuit of limitless
31:49
wealth and power by nations and individuals, the NonStop race
31:54
for more, better, and faster may undermine the fundamental messy
31:59
beauty of being human. Leo frames a document as scripture
32:04
come to life humanity. He writes, has a choice between
32:08
two biblical stories, one the Tower of Babel, in which
32:12
humans try to insure their dominance over everything and build
32:16
to the sky, the other of the Israelites reconstruction of Jerusalem,
32:21
which begins with fasting and prayer and emphasizes shared work
32:26
and community. The primary choice is not between a yes
32:31
or no to technology, but rather between constructing Babel or
32:35
rebuilding Jerusalem, between a power that claims to dominate the
32:39
heavens and a people who work together in the presence
32:43
of God to rebuild the walls of fraternal coexistence. The
32:47
pope writes the culmination of an unlikely tenured dialogue between
32:52
Silicon Valley and the Holy See, with benefits and risks
32:56
for both. The encyclical also courses with a message of
32:59
peace and unity, the defining themes of Leo's papacy. Once again,
33:05
he warns against unchecked political power and the rejection of
33:09
multilateral institutions, while railing against false rationales and defenses of war,
33:15
particularly at a time when Ai, he writes, is rendering
33:18
war more impersonal. On the heels of President Donald Trump's
33:23
high profile verbal attacks on Leo and the Pope's stoic
33:27
but unbowed response. Some verses in the encyclicals chapter focusing
33:32
on the nature of modern power easily could be interpreted
33:36
as criticism of the White House. This is especially so
33:40
when Leo expands on his recent assertions that God does
33:44
not justify war. That phrasing could also be interpreted as
33:48
criticism of the Israeli Defense Forces, the Ukrainian Armed Forces,
33:53
and other militaries that have been using AI to target
33:56
their enemies in bombing and assassination campaigns. Some experts caution
34:02
against interpreting the Encyclical a document by the leader of
34:05
the world's one point four billion Catholics that is intended
34:09
to be read and reinterpreted for centuries as part of
34:12
a feud between the American Pope and the American president.
34:17
I think the danger for an American audience is funneling
34:20
everything solely down to some kind of drama between Trump
34:23
and Leo. Anna Rowlands, a British theologian who was among
34:27
the Encyclical's presenters, said in an interview, Certainly there would
34:32
be questions that can be asked for the US when
34:34
you read that section on power, but there are questions
34:38
for other global leaders as well, and also for the
34:41
tech industry itself. The encyclical, a papal letter to the
34:46
faithful and all people of quote goodwill, was portrayed by
34:49
the Pope as a corollary to the eighteen ninety one
34:52
encyclical issued by Leo the thirteenth called Rerum Novarum of
34:57
New Things, which addressed questions of human and dignity during
35:01
the great leaps of the Industrial Revolution and laid the
35:04
groundwork for the modern Catholic Church's advocacy for the poor
35:08
and for labor rights. The core spiritual challenge, now, Leo writes,
35:13
is the dehumanization of human beings by flattening their differences,
35:18
reducing them to data and performance, Turning them into means
35:22
working endlessly to perfect them. Building for the common good
35:27
means accepting the limits and weakness of humanity without considering
35:31
them an error to be corrected, he writes. Charles Kemissy,
35:36
a moral theologian at Catholic University and co author of
35:39
a brief backing Anthropic, in a recent tug of war
35:42
with the Pentagon over how the military can use this technology,
35:46
said Leo was meeting a moment. It seems to me
35:50
Leo has maybe even been elected as Pope in part
35:53
to marshal the Catholic response that's going to be analogous
35:57
to our response to the Industrial revolution, he said. So
36:01
many people are searching around for a kind of ways
36:04
to make sense of what's happening here, he continued, and
36:08
religious institutions and traditions have some of that. Like at
36:11
our fingertips to say, this isn't the first industrial technical
36:16
revolution we've lived through. You know, here's how we responded
36:19
with Catholic social teaching in the past. Inviting an Anthropic
36:24
executive to participate in the document's presentation at the Vatican
36:28
set its own signals. The company positions itself as more
36:32
aware of the risks of AI technology than its competitors,
36:35
and has invited religious leaders, including Catholics, to advise it
36:40
on how to develop AI that acts ethically in a
36:43
diverse range of situations. The text of the encyclical also
36:48
suggests influence from Anthropic. In a section describing why AI
36:52
technology is unpredictable, it notes that programmers don't directly code
36:57
AI software, but instead create a scaffolding upon which AI grows.
37:03
That's the same language Anthropic has used to describe as
37:06
technology it makes me nervous. Paolo Carosa, a law professor
37:12
at the Catholic University Notre Dame who works on ethical
37:15
issues as chair of the Meta Overside Board, said, up
37:19
a partnership that could whitewash an industry long resistant to oversight.
37:24
I have no doubt the frontier AI companies would love
37:28
to co opt religious communities to bring an ethical impromater
37:32
to their work. The Reverend Andreat Chucci, Chancellor of the
37:36
Pontifical Academy for Life in Rome, pushed back against the criticism.
37:42
Those who create the technology also have to bear responsibility,
37:46
Chiucci said, so we need to talk to them. Prominent
37:50
tech leaders have ridiculed those who call for stricter regulation
37:53
of AI or for a slow down in technological advancement
37:57
as decelerationists or doomer The tech mogul Peter Teel, for instance,
38:03
has said in the twenty first century, the Antichrist is
38:06
a Luddite. Leo counters those voices directly, arguing that asking
38:11
for caution in how AI has developed does not mean
38:14
opposing progress in general. Human society must develop strong legal
38:20
frameworks and oversight of AI before it is allowed to
38:23
advance further. He says. He explores technologies tendency to create
38:28
new addictions as platforms vie to capture users time and attention,
38:33
and he delves into other ills, including human trafficking, offering
38:38
a striking male culpa for the Holy sees historical role
38:41
in slavery that some experts called more specific on the
38:45
Vatican's institutional complicity than apologies by past popes. Already in
38:51
the early modern period, the Apostolic See of Rome, responding
38:55
to requests from sovereigns, intervened several times in order to
38:59
regulate and legitimize forms of subjugation and in certain cases,
39:04
the enslavement of quote infidels. Leo writes it was only
39:09
in the nineteenth century that a formal, absolute and universal
39:13
condemnation of slavery was clearly articulated, notably under Popolio the thirteenth.
39:19
He calls us actions a wound in Christian memory, writing
39:23
it is impossible not to feel deep sorrow when contemplating
39:27
the immense suffering and humiliation endured by so many. Leo
39:32
ads for this in the name of the Church, I
39:36
sincerely ask for pardon. The words of a pope do
39:39
not hold the same weight as they did in generations
39:42
and centuries past, But the document comes as Leo, now
39:46
a year into his papacy, is increasingly embraced globally as
39:50
among the world's most influential defenders of human dignity and peace.
39:56
His statue has soared amid Trump's recriminations, and as Leo
40:00
has spoken out more forcefully about the rise of political
40:03
tyranny and the hijacking of religion for political purposes, especially
40:08
going to war. Some observers describe the encyclical as an
40:12
intellectual flex that would further expand Leo's influence. This pope
40:18
is recognized to be speaking inspired by the Gospel, not
40:22
corrupted by economic interests or interests to confirm personal power,
40:26
said the Reverend Rocco do Brosio, a political philosophy professor
40:30
at the Pontifical Gregorian University in Rome. People are responding
40:35
to that for a Catholic church diminished by its handling
40:39
of clerical sexual abuse scandals, the AI issue has provided
40:42
an opportunity to reassert moral authority. Leading tech companies, meanwhile,
40:48
have been eager to win the church's seal of approval
40:51
as the industry grapples with the public relations challenges of
40:54
a technology that could automate and eliminate jobs, amplify misinformation,
41:00
and create new cybersecurity risks. The Rome Call for AI Ethics,
41:06
a document that counted the Vatican, Microsoft and IBM among
41:10
its original signatories in twenty twenty, has emerged as a
41:13
gold standard of best AI practices. Pope Francis, who was
41:17
an early target of deep fakes through an infamous image
41:21
of the Argentine and a Blenciaga puffer jacket, became the
41:24
first Pope to address a group of seven form of
41:27
world leaders, delivering a speech that delved into the cognitive
41:31
industrial revolution set off by AI. Leo's Deep Dive Now, however,
41:37
is seen as more expansive than Francis's ample writings on AI,
41:42
elevating the issue in the same way that Francis's landmark
41:45
encyclical Laudato c Praise B to U sought to reframe
41:50
the fight against climate change as part of Catholic teaching.
41:54
That twenty fifteen document by Francis also spoke of human limits.
41:59
I think think Leo is saying the same thing Carroza said,
42:03
but this time it's about our very selves. This article
42:07
is accompanied by photos The verse is captioned Poplio the
42:11
fourteenth of the presentation of Magnifica Humanitas, his first encyclical
42:16
focused on the rise of artificial intelligence, at the Vatican
42:20
on May twenty fifth, Jarinardi, Reuters. The photo shows Pope
42:26
Leo sitting in the center of a large podium with
42:29
three individuals on each side of him. The podium is
42:32
facing a large auditorium. The cardinal to Poplio's right is
42:37
standing and speaking. A large screen behind and above the
42:42
podium shows the speaker. The next photo accompanying this item
42:47
is captioned Poplio the fourteenth in Saint Peter's Basilica on Sunday,
42:51
Matteo Manella, Reuters. The photo shows the Pope in red vestments.
42:56
He is using incense. The next photo is captioned pages
43:01
from the Anthropic website Patrick Sisson, AP. The photo shows
43:07
layers of pages from Anthropic overlapping each other. The one
43:11
that can be read says Anthropic is an AI safety
43:14
and research company. We build reliable, interpretable and seerable AI systems.
43:20
The next photo accompanying this item is captioned Italian front
43:24
pages highlight President Donald Trump's criticism of the Pope, with
43:28
words including outrage and shock attack in April Domenico Stenellis ap.
43:35
The photo shows four front pages from four different Italian papers.
43:40
The next photo is captioned Pope Leo the fourteenth in
43:43
cyclical Magnifica Humanitas, focused on the rise of artificial intelligence.
43:49
Alberto Pizzoli AFP Getty Images. The photo shows the document
43:54
Magnifica Humanitas being held in someone's hands. X Photto is
44:01
captioned the Pentagon on May nineteenth, Alex Brandon a P.
44:07
The photo shows the exterior the Pentagon from a distance.
44:11
The next photo is captioned Leo addresses a crowd at
44:14
Saint Peter's Square on Sunday. Andrea Solaro a f P
44:18
Getty Images. The photo shows the Pope in front of
44:22
a microphone at an open window. Our next article is
44:28
entitled in Venezuela, Trump Ally's role is Pivotal and Unofficial
44:34
by Samantha Schmidt, Anthony Fiola, Karen de Young, and Samuel
44:38
Oakford from Caracas, Venezuela. In the hours after US military
44:44
forces spirited it away, Venezuelan President Yucolas Manduro on January third,
44:50
Secretary of State Marc Rubio placed a call to Maduro's
44:53
second in command, Vice President Delci Rodriguez. Two others were
44:58
also on the line. One was her brother Jorge Rodriguez,
45:02
the head of the Venezuelan legislature, according to four people
45:06
familiar with the call. The other was Rubio's right hand
45:10
man on Venezuela, Mauricio claver Caron, a Florida lawyer who
45:15
briefly served as Special Envoy to Latin America early in
45:18
President Donald Trump's second term. Claver Coron fifty one, has
45:23
no official job in the U. S. Government, but as
45:27
the administration was formulating plans last fall to send Maduro
45:31
into exile or capture him, claver Coron was intimately involved,
45:35
by his own account and those of others. Since Maduro's removal,
45:40
claver Coron has taken on an even greater role as
45:43
the unofficial U S Viceroy of Venezuela, helping to implement
45:48
the administration's plan to work with Delsi Rodriguez and exploit
45:51
the South American country's fast well wealth. Working directly with Rodriguez,
45:57
now the Trump recognized interim President, her brother Jorge, and
46:01
other officials in Caracas, claver Caron relays instructions on behalf
46:06
of Washington. According to more than ten current and former
46:09
US officials, people in contact with the Venezuelan government, and
46:13
other knowledgeable observers who discussed his role, most spoke on
46:18
the condition of anonymity to discuss sensitive diplomacy and the
46:21
sometimes tense relationship between the two capitals. Claver Coron, usually
46:27
operating by phone from his home and office in southern Florida,
46:30
has been instrumental in picking winners and losers among inspiring
46:35
investors as a country's long faltering oil industry is rejuvenated,
46:39
said people familiar with his dealings. Most recently, he said,
46:44
he vouched for Center View Partners, a New York based
46:47
financial firm that was among the many vying to be
46:50
hired by the Venezuelan government to help restructure its one
46:53
hundred seventy billion dollar debt. His business partner, Jessica Bedoya,
46:58
has traveled ultiple times this year to Caracas, each time
47:02
meeting with Delci Rodriguez, Bedoya said in an interview. Claver Corone,
47:08
in a lengthy interview with The Washington Post, described his
47:11
role in Venezuela as a connector whose intimate knowledge of
47:15
the players and policy in Washington and Caracas is needed
47:19
and sought by both parties. Claver Caron compared his position
47:23
to that of Jared Kushner, Trump's son in law and
47:26
negotiator in the Middle East and beyond. But I always joke,
47:31
he said, you know, people say, hey, are you the
47:34
Jared of Latin American And I say, I'm like, no,
47:38
Jared is the Mauricio of the Middle East. His lofty,
47:41
if unofficial position and the close hauled the administration keeps
47:45
on his Venezuela decision making have raised questions about oversight
47:50
in the affairs of the resource rich nation that is
47:52
emerging as a U S NEO colony. Under Rodriguez's interim presidency,
47:58
the country has largely a revolutionary convulsions while a wild
48:02
West marketplace swarms with US companies and investors. Critics say
48:08
his unofficial position also highlights the lack of transparency within
48:12
the Trump administration between the worlds of business and diplomacy.
48:17
Although the long shuttered US embassy in Caracas has reopened,
48:21
the Venezuela portfolio is handled almost exclusively by the White House,
48:26
where Rubio does double duty as Trump's National Security advisor.
48:31
Rather than the State Department. According to two US officials,
48:35
For a guy who has no role in government, he
48:38
plays an oversized role, said one former US official familiar
48:42
with Clever Coron's work. In the interview, Clever Corone didn't
48:46
dispute his influence, but said he is not making policy.
48:51
I don't make decisions. He said. That's obviously for the
48:54
President and the Secretary. I can just say, hey, listen,
48:58
here's what I see, Here's who I know, Here's what
49:00
I do. What do you want to do? Can it work?
49:04
Can it not? Here's how you implement Trump's Latin American
49:08
fixer Claver Coron has long been a controversial figure in
49:13
Washington and Latin America. The Miami born son of Cuban
49:17
expatriates who has a history of opposing left wing governments
49:20
in Havana and Caracas, a background he shares with Rubio
49:24
Claver Coron emerged as an architect of the maximum pressure
49:28
campaign against the Maduro government during the first Trump administration,
49:32
where he served as Director of Western Hemisphere Affairs on
49:35
the White House National Security Council staff. The administration cracked
49:40
down on Maduro with sanctions and recognized an opposition figure
49:44
as Venezuela's legitimate president, claver Coroon hurled regular threats at
49:49
Maduro and his allies, insisting that their days were numbered.
49:54
When the US backed opposition plotted Maduro's ouster by trying
49:58
to enlist the head of Venezuela Supreme Court Court, plot
50:01
operatives gave claver Coron a code name Komeninos, or the
50:06
Child Leader. The moniker reflected the view that he was
50:10
enemy number one of the Maduro government. The plot collapsed,
50:16
and the administration and claver Caron ran out of time
50:19
to continue pushing for Maduro's removal. Over the next four years,
50:24
the Biden administration unsuccessfully tried to negotiate with Muduro overholding
50:29
free elections in Venezuela. Ahead of the November twenty twenty election,
50:34
Trump had pushed Latin American governments to elect claver Caron
50:38
as the first American president of the inter American Development Bank,
50:43
but after two years, the bank's executive board unanimously voted
50:47
to fire him. The vote reportedly followed an independent ethics
50:51
investigation that found misconduct. Claver Caron declined to discuss his
50:56
departure from the inter American Development Bank, except to say
50:59
he did not violate any rules and was targeted inside
51:03
the bank and smeared by the media. He said, he
51:06
signed a non disclosure agreement with the bank. Back home
51:10
in Florida, he co founded a private equity firm with Beatoya,
51:14
who worked for him at both the NSC and the bank,
51:17
and whom he describes as his life partner, called the
51:21
Laura Fund. The firm aims to match US investors with
51:24
worthy projects in Latin America, but Trump's re election in
51:28
twenty twenty four soon brought him back into government. A
51:32
month before Trump's second inauguration, the President elect named Claver
51:36
Corone to become the State Department's Special Envoy to Latin America,
51:41
a temporary one hundred thirty day appointment that did not
51:44
require Senate confirmation. He spent much of his time working
51:48
on Cuba and Venezuela, both of whose governments were on
51:51
Trump and Rubio's priority list as the administration declared its
51:55
intent to dominate the Western hemisphere. He also helped orchestra
52:00
the deportation of more than two hundred thirty Venezuelan migrants
52:04
to a mega prison in El Salvador. Near the end
52:07
of his temporary term, In May last year, claver Coron
52:10
resigned and resumed his work for the Laara Fund, which
52:14
he said he had left in Medoya's hands during his
52:16
temporary time in government. But in Midsummer, the White House
52:21
came calling again, he said, this time because the President
52:25
had made some decisions of things he wanted to do
52:27
in Venezuela. Planning a Postmoduro Venezuela, claver Coron and Bodoya,
52:34
whose earlier career focused on Western Hemisphere affairs at the
52:37
CIA and State Department, were asked as private citizens to
52:41
help quote find a solution to the Venezuela policy problem
52:45
and present options for quote what a Postmoduro Venezuela could
52:49
look like, Budoya said in an interview with The Post.
52:53
We provided suggestions and advice for how to pursue a
52:56
brand new bilateral relationship. Result was a three phase plan stability,
53:03
economic recovery, and political transition for a future Venezuela without Moduro.
53:09
In December, when Maduro declined a U S offer to
53:12
help arrange a comfortable third country exile, the military mission
53:16
to snatch and deposit him in a New York prison
53:18
to face US charges of corruption and drug trafficking was
53:22
put in motion. The administration's first order of Postmoduro business
53:27
was stability. On the January third call with Delcie Rodriguez,
53:31
the people familiar with it said, Rubio and Clever Coron
53:35
laid out an offer to recognize her as interim president,
53:38
with her brother staying on as president of the National Assembly,
53:42
but they made it clear that Washington would be calling
53:45
the shots. They told the siblings if they did not
53:48
co operate with Trump's plans to quote run Venezuela as
53:52
a president. Later put it in remarks to reporters there
53:56
could be more US military attacks against the Venezuelan leadership,
54:00
like the one that had removed Maduro just hours before.
54:04
In a news conference after Maduro's capture, Trump cited Rubio's
54:08
conversation with Rodriguez and said she was essentially willing to
54:12
do what we think is necessary to make Venezuela great again.
54:16
He said the United States had been prepared to stage
54:19
a second and much larger attack if she hadn't agreed.
54:23
Asked about his previously unreported participation in the call with Rodriguez,
54:28
Claver Caron said, I'm not ready to tell that story
54:31
yet and suggested posing the question to Rubio. Diplomatic disturbances.
54:37
Claver Caron's extensive and unorthodox involvement in the relations between
54:42
Washington and Caracas, along with his self described shar be
54:45
elbows and impatient with bolsh, have frustrated some in the
54:50
State Department and raised questions over potential conflicts of interest.
54:54
Shortly after the Maduro raid, State Department employees focused on
54:58
Latin America were to to stand down on Venezuelan policy.
55:03
Only a small circle of people centered in the White House,
55:05
where Rubio does double duty as Trump's National security advisor,
55:09
are involved in Venezuela decision making. Two US officials sad
55:14
Clever Caroon said he met with career diplomat Laura F.
55:17
Dogu before she went to Venezuela in January to prepare
55:21
to reopen the U. S Embassy, and he met with
55:24
John M. Barrett before he arrived as Charges Affairs in April.
55:29
His deep knowledge of Venezuela and high level administration contacts,
55:33
he said, allows Rubio to attend to his wider responsibilities.
55:37
DELSI has Marco's number, they can talk, she can text him,
55:41
Clever Caroon said, But the Secretary of State has like
55:44
a million issues. He's doing a lot of stuff. So
55:47
at the end of the day when the Secretary is
55:49
not there, she's like, oh my god, do you think
55:52
that you know whatever? And I'm like, hey, listen, let
55:55
me talk to them and I'll figure it out and
55:57
they'll get back to you. That is very normal. That's
56:00
called two track diplomacy, he said. The White House referred
56:04
all questions about clever Coron's role, potential conflicts of interest,
56:08
and Bedoya's flights to Caracas to the State Department. The
56:12
State Department did not respond to specific questions or a
56:15
request to interview a senior official. In an email statement,
56:19
a State Department spokesperson said clever Coron is an expert
56:23
with contacts throughout our region, and as a good US citizen,
56:27
routinely consults and shares his perceptions with the US officials,
56:31
but he does not currently have an official role in
56:34
the Trump administration and is not acting on behalf of
56:37
the United States government or issuing instructions to US or
56:41
foreign officials. Any insinuation of that nature is abundantly false,
56:46
the spokesperson said. Clever Coron also dismissed any suggestion of
56:51
a conflict, saying neither he personally nor the Lara Fund
56:54
have any Venezuelan investments. Venezuelan is not yet in the
56:58
fund's risk profile, he said, adding I hope one day
57:02
it will be. He noted the firm's first three deals
57:05
in the works are in El Salvador, Mexico, and Potaguay.
57:09
Badoya said that the fund, which in US Securities and
57:13
Exchange Commission filings said it was seeking to raise at
57:16
least one billion dollars, has not received any investment money,
57:20
but has a number of projects in the planning stage.
57:23
Both claver Coron and Badoya said they are not paid
57:26
for their work for the government. Badoya declined to say
57:29
who paid for her frequent travel to Venezuela. My role
57:33
really has been to come in on strategic matters, to
57:36
either reinforce a message from the White House or the
57:39
State Department, or to facilitate the execution of certain activities
57:43
that are a priority to Trump, she said. According to
57:46
Venezuelan flight records reviewed by the Post, she was on
57:50
the same chartered flight on February twelfth as two Center
57:53
View executives Matthew Pegasi and Charles Albinet. The firm later
57:58
finalized the contract of the Venice Way for what is
58:01
believed to be one of the world's largest sovereign debt
58:04
default cases. Clever Koron and Bodoya said she had only
58:07
hitched a ride with Centerview on a trip that also
58:10
coincided with the Calacas visit by US Energy Secretary Chris Wright.
58:14
Badoya said she was on a separate mission to touch
58:17
base with Delsi and juag Rodriguez in person. In a
58:21
text message, Pagasse said, there is absolutely no role of
58:25
Maurizio Klaver in our assignment. Due to the constraints of time,
58:31
we will be unable to complete this item. This concludes
58:34
the reading of the Washington Post for today, Tuesday, May
58:38
twenty sixth, twenty twenty six. Your reader today has been
58:41
Cindy Fraser. If you have any questions, comments, or suggestions
58:45
concerning this program, please feel free to call us at
58:48
eight five nine four two two six three nine zero.
58:51
Thank you for listening, and now please stay tuned for
58:54
continued programming on Radio I