STOP FLOCK. STOP AI MASS SURVEILLANCE. Totalitarianism is when a government or another entity with overwhelming power seeks to know, control and influence everything you do, say and even think. I fear very much that if we don't act aggressively, that is where we’re heading. You may not know it, but you may already be being tracked by artificial intelligence. Flock, a surveillance company backed by Big Tech oligarchs like Marc Andreessen and Peter Thiel, has installed more than 120,000 AI-powered surveillance cameras across America. These AI cameras scan and record 20 BILLION vehicles every month across more than 6,000 communities. What does that mean for you? It means that if Flock is in your community, every time you leave your house, a Flock camera records and tracks you. If you are dropping your kids off at school, Flock knows. If you are going to a doctor, Flock knows. If you are going out on a date, Flock knows. And that’s not all. Newer Flock cameras do not just record vehicles. They record people. Flock’s AI system can combine images of you and your vehicle with databases of phone numbers, relatives and court records to find out who you are, where you're going and why. In my view, this raises some very fundamental questions. Do we want to live in an America where AI companies like Flock can work with the government to track our every movement? Do we want to live in an America where our privacy rights and civil liberties — enshrined in the Constitution — are traded away so that AI oligarchs can collect more information, and increase their profits even more? The answer must be NO. We cannot allow America to become a surveillance state where a handful of AI oligarchs profit by giving the government the power to track our every movement. We must come together to stop Flock and AI mass surveillance. That is why I will soon be introducing legislation to do just that.

Dolly Parton was one of the great entertainers of our era. She was not only a talented musician & songwriter, but a lifelong philanthropist and advocate for literacy, education, LGBTQ+ rights, healthcare and disaster relief. Her music and humanity touched millions. She will be sorely missed.

WE MUST ADDRESS THE CLIMATE CRISIS The last 11 years have been the hottest 11 years on record. The last three years have been the hottest three years on record. 2026 will be one of the warmest years on record, and most scientists believe 2027 will be the warmest year in recorded history. This past year, Europe has seen four major heat waves, including the continent’s worst heat wave ever that killed more than 10,000 people. In the United States, three extreme heat waves exposed hundreds of millions of people to dangerous levels of heat. Drought is causing some of the lowest water levels ever seen for reservoirs along the Colorado River, threatening the drinking water of 40 million people. Puerto Ricans are being forced to ration water because of extreme drought. In Europe, some of the continent’s dryest conditions have caused major rivers to run so low that ships are running aground, nuclear power plants are shutting down, and historical artifacts that were previously submerged are being revealed. South Korea is in the midst of a record heat wave — with temperatures reaching 108.5° Fahrenheit, the highest temperature in the country’s history. China, India, Pakistan and Afghanistan are all experiencing torrential rain and flooding. As a result of rising heat levels, we are seeing massive wildfires across the world, including Oregon’s worst wildfire season and fires in Washington state that have forced nearly 65,000 families to evacuate. Europe, France and Spain are experiencing destructive wildfire seasons that have forced more than 330,000 people to evacuate their homes. Portugal, Greece, Italy, Albania, Turkey, Canada, Morocco and Algeria are also experiencing destructive wildfire seasons. This summer alone,Alaska, Louisiana, New York, New Jersey, Ohio, Oklahoma, Pennsylvania and West Virginia have all seen record rainfall events. We’ve seen 1,000-year floods in Texas, Missouri and New York. Once rare, dangerous flash flooding emergencies are now a regular part of summer for tens of millions of Americans. One might think that, in the midst of all of this, there would be major discussions in Congress as to how best to go forward in addressing this existential crisis. Not the case. Insanely, the president of the United States continues to believe that climate change is a “hoax,” and Republican members of Congress are following their “Great Leader” over the cliff. Sadly, too many Democrats think that speaking out on climate change is “bad politics” and have remained far too silent. That has got to change. The simple truth is that we must forcefully take on the greed of the fossil fuel industry and the stupidity of Trump. The simple truth is that we can create millions of good-paying union jobs transforming our energy systems away from fossil fuels and into energy efficiency and sustainable energy. For the sake of our kids, future generations and the habitability of the planet,that is exactly what we must do.

GAZA: THE SUFFERING CONTINUES Today in Gaza, most of the TV cameras are gone and media interest has declined. But, more than nine months after the announcement of a supposed “ceasefire”, the suffering of the Palestinian people continues. Today, 92% of housing units in Gaza are damaged or destroyed, 70% of the entire population lacks adequate housing and is forced to live in makeshift shelters, 86% of agricultural water wells have been damaged, the vast majority of households report significant challenges in accessing safe and clean sanitation facilities and 90% of all energy infrastructure has been destroyed. And what about the children? Today in Gaza, 91% of school-aged children do not have sustained access to in-person education, 93% of school buildings will require full reconstruction or major rehabilitation to be functional again and 70% of infants and young children under two years of age are experiencing moderate to severe food insecurity. All of this is taking place after the horrific destruction that Netanyahu’s extremist government brought to Gaza over the last three years: more than 73,000 Palestinians killed and 173,000 wounded — mostly women, children and the elderly. In addition, virtually the entire infrastructure of Gaza was destroyed. Israel now controls an estimated 70% of Gaza, well beyond what they agreed to, and has built dozens of military outposts inside Gaza since the “ceasefire” began. In the nine months since the “ceasefire” was announced, Israel has killed at least 1,150 Palestinians, including a family of six last week. Now, as if to remove any doubt about their intentions, senior leaders of the Netanyahu government are moving to make the occupation permanent. Recently, a number of government ministers led thousands of settlers to the Gaza border demanding new illegal Jewish settlements be built there. National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir stood up and said "Gaza is ours." The shameful fact is that the United States is complicit in everything that is happening in Gaza. We have funneled tens of billions of dollars in military aid to an Israeli government that has consistently violated international law and whose leader is a war criminal. The good news is that the American people are catching on. More and more Americans — Democrats, Republicans and independents — are demanding that we stop all military aid to Israel and use our considerable leverage to end the suffering of the Palestinian people. Enough is enough! Congress must listen to the American people. NO MORE U.S. MILITARY AID TO ISRAEL.