Tech CEOs talk AI with lawmakers and Taylor Swift wins big at the VMAs: Morning Rundown

Inflation is trending upward, and gas prices have a lot to do with it. Some of the biggest names in tech will meet with lawmakers to discuss artificial intelligence. And a key ingredient in cold and allergy medicines doesn't work, an FDA panel said.

Here’s what to know today.

Inflation is still ticking upward

Today, the Bureau of Labor Statistics will release its latest inflation report, and it’s expected to say that consumer prices are gradually coming down — but higher gasoline prices are causing an overall increase in inflation.

Economists anticipate the data will show a 3.6% overall increase in inflation compared to a year ago. It would be the second time that year-on-year inflation ticked upward since July after 12 consecutive moths of decline.

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Despite rising costs, inflation has slowed significantly since last summer, when surging prices for fuels, housing and cars sent the measurement to 40-year highs. But the country is still above the Fed’s 2% target, and if officials don’t feel like inflation is under control, interest rates may rise again.

Kim Jong Un and Vladimir Putin’s rare encounter

The leaders of North Korea and Russia held hours of talks at a spaceport, fueling Western concerns that Pyongyang will provide military support for the Kremlin’s war in Ukraine.

Kim Jong Un offered his country’s “full and unconditional support” for what he called Russia’s “sacred fight” to defend its security interests — an apparent reference to Vladimir Putin’s invasion of Ukraine — and vowed they “will always be together with Russia in the fight against imperialism.”

Each party has something the other wants. Russia needs artillery shells as it tries to rebuff a Ukrainian counteroffensive, and North Korea is seeking energy and food aid, as well as Russia’s help in advancing its nuclear and ballistic missile programs.

Tech CEOs, lawmakers to talk artificial intelligence

Elon Musk, Mark Zuckerberg, Bill Gates and Sam Altman are among the high-profile tech leaders who will privately meet with senators today for a brainstorm session about how lawmakers could regulate artificial intelligence. Sen. Elizabeth Warren has already criticized the meeting for being closed to the media and the public — it’s a chance for tech billionaires to lobby senators behind closed doors, she claimed. But those who organized the gathering fought back against the accusation.

The forum is expected to be more like a discussion than a hearing, during which executives and lawmakers will talk about the threats AI poses and how it could affect critical systems like power grids or water supplies.

Covid booster recommended for ages 6 months and up

Updated Covid vaccines are expected to be available within two days in some areas after a CDC committee voted in favor of approving the shots for everyone 6 months and older. The recommendations only apply to Pfizer and Moderna’s vaccines. The FDA is still reviewing data from another vaccine maker, Novavax.

Now the boosters’ approval raises another question: Will people actually get the shot? Meanwhile, experts note that some groups may need multiple shots.

Taylor Swift comes out on top at the VMAs

Last night’s MTV Video Music Awards was a celebration of old and new. Rapper Sean “Diddy” Combs and singer Shakira were honored with awards celebrating their careers and some of hip-hop’s biggest stars celebrated the genre’s 50th anniversary. Meanwhile, Nicki Minaj debuted a new song and Ice Spice won the award for best new artist.

But no one ended the night with more awards than Taylor Swift, who won nine of the 11 categories she was nominated for, tying the record for most wins in one night. Recap the biggest moments from the event and see the full list of winners.

Iran’s leader expresses no regrets over mass protests

In his first interview with a Western news organization in about a year, Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi warned that those who try to sow instability in the Islamic Republic would pay a “big cost.” Raisi’s sit-down with NBC Nightly News’ Lester Holt touched on the unrest triggered last year by the death of a woman, Mahsa Amini, while in police custody. The protests following her death mushroomed into the largest challenge to the theocratic regime since its founding in 1979. Watch the full interview here.

Bodycam records officer saying a woman run over by Seattle police had ‘limited value’

Seattle police union leaders are under investigation after an officer was recorded appearing to make light of the death of a woman who was killed by another officer this year, saying that she “had limited value.” Daniel Auderer, a vice president of the Seattle Police Officers Guild, left his body camera on in January when discussing an incident where a marked patrol vehicle driven by another officer struck and killed Jaahnavi Kandula, aged 23.

In his conversation with the guild’s president, Auderer was recorded laughing. “Yeah, just write a check. Eleven thousand dollars. She was 26 anyway,” he said, misstating Kandula’s age. “She had limited value.”

Today’s Talker: A key ingredient in many over-the-counter decongestants does not...

…work, the FDA concluded. The ingredient, called phenylephrine, is found in common cold and allergy medications, including Sudafed PE, Vicks Nyquil Sinex Nighttime Sinus Relief and Benadryl Allergy Plus Congestion. Depending on what the FDA decides next, products containing phenylephrine could be removed from shelves.

Politics in Brief

2024 election: Some Republicans are holding out hope that a new candidate will enter the race and stop Donald Trump from winning the party’s nomination, but the field is all but set, NBC News’ Jonathan Allen and Ben Kamisar explain in an analysis.

Biden impeachment: House Speaker Kevin McCarthy said he will begin an impeachment inquiry into President Joe Biden.

Immigration: New York City has bungled its handling of over 100,000 migrants, according to several U.S. officials.

14th Amendment fights: A judge denied Donald Trump’s request to move a case in Colorado aimed at removing him from the 2024 ballot to federal court. Meanwhile, a group of voters in Minnesota sued to kick the former president off the ballot.

New Mexico gun ban: In the latest pushback against Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham’s abrupt restriction on firearms, the state’s attorney general said he will not defend Grisham’s administration from lawsuits challenging the ban.

Staff Pick: The spectacle of Ruby Franke

Ruby Franke isn’t an A-list celebrity, but her case is garnering outsize attention. At least 1,000 people tried to join a livestream for a virtual preliminary hearing for the once-popular family vlogger, who is charged with six counts of felony child abuse. Reporter Angela Yang spoke to experts to understand the public’s fascination with a case that she compares to Gwyneth Paltrow’s ski crash trial and the Johnny Depp-Amber Heard defamation trial. — Elizabeth Robinson, newsletter editor

In Case You Missed It

In the first 11 days of this month, eight devastating flooding events have unfolded across four continents, including a flood in Libya, where as many as 10,000 people are feared dead. Scientists explain what’s behind the spate of downpours.

New York Jets quarterback Aaron Rodgers is out for the season with an Achilles tear. Here’s why that kind of injury can be difficult to recover from.

Delays in aid after the earthquake in Morocco has fueled anger among some residents, who say they had to dig through rubble by hand.

Five former Memphis police officers were charged with federal civil rights violations in the beating death of Tyre Nichols.

McDonald’s plans to eliminate self-service soda stations at all of its restaurants.

Florida school districts removed approximately 300 books from library shelves last school year, according to a list that was quietly released by the state’s education department.

Select: Online Shopping, Simplified

Apple has announced its latest iPhone, and there are a few big changes in store. For the iPhone, the most notable new feature is the switch from the company’s Lightning port to a USB-C port, as well as a 48-megapixel main camera. Also included in yesterday’s announcement: the new Apple Watch. Here’s what to know about Apple’s new products and how to pre-order them.

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