In the News

A key Democrat behind legislative efforts to end US support for Saudi Arabia in Yemen is working to convince Sen. Lindsey Graham to support the measure and said the Republican could be a "game-changer" in convincing President Donald Trump to get on board.

Since Jamal Khashoggi was killed in the Saudi consulate in Istanbul, Turkey, in October, there's been a major shift in Congress when it comes to the US government's ties to Saudi Arabia.

A resolution introduced in the U.S. House of Representatives seeks to begin developing guidelines for "ethical development" of AI.

The co-sponsors of House Resolution 531 unveiled last week noted that software industry groups as well as Facebook and IBM have endorsed the proposal.

Unveiled by Reps. Brenda Lawrence, D-Mich., and Ro Khanna, whose district includes parts of Silicon Valley, the resolution among other things promotes the "transparency and explainability of AI systems, processes and implications."

Michael Cohen, President Trump's former fixer and personal lawyer, concluded a day of testimony on Capitol Hill on Wednesday in front of the House Oversight Committee. Some highlights of his testimony:

●Cohen alleged that Trump knew in advance that the anti-secrecy organization WikiLeaks planned to publish hacked Democratic National Committee emails.

●He sparred aggressively with GOP lawmakers, who questioned his credibility and motives for coming forward.

Three Democratic members of Congress introduced a resolution to formally end the Korean War as President Donald Trump prepares to meet for a second summit with North Korean Supreme Leader Kim Jong-Un on Wednesday.

Reps. Ro Khanna (D-Calif.), Barbara Lee (D-Calif.) and Andy Kim (D-N.J.) introduced the non-binding resolution on Tuesday as a sign of support from Congress ahead of the Hanoi, Vietnam, summit where Trump and Kim Jong-Un could announce an agreement to officially end the war.

The conversation around "stealthing" — the nonconsensual removal or deliberate damaging of a condom during sex — as a form of sexual assault is not new, and neither is the lack of movement on this issue at the federal level. But with Democrats now controlling the House, Reps. Ro Khanna and Carolyn Maloney are determined to move the issue back into the spotlight, beginning with a letter sent Friday requesting information on how the Justice Department addresses stealthing.

BuzzFeed News has learned that the US House Oversight and Reform Committee is considering holding a hearing on facial recognition, which has been widely implemented across the country despite growing concerns about the technology's potential privacy and civil rights implications.

Public-facing federal websites and digital services can often lag behind their private sector counterparts. A new law strives to change the status quo by promoting modernization of government agency technology and previously non-digital, paper-based processes.

Rep. Ro Khanna, D-Calif, introduced the 21st Century Integrated Digital Experience Act (IDEA) in May 2018. It passed the House on Nov. 29 and the Senate on Dec. 11 before being signed into law by President Donald Trump on Dec. 20.

A bill that would end U.S. support for Saudi Arabia's war against Yemen could force President Donald Trump to exercise the first veto of his presidency — and, in the process, raise questions about his willingness to place American interests over those of a foreign government.