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A new Washington Post analysis has reignited concerns about political bias in artificial intelligence, finding that several of the most widely used AI chatbots were significantly more likely to generate responses categorized as left-leaning when addressing controversial political topics.

The newspaper evaluated leading AI systems developed by OpenAI, Google, Anthropic, Elon Musk’s xAI, and other companies. Using a set of political prompts created by researchers, the study examined how the chatbots responded to divisive policy questions and whether those responses reflected left-leaning viewpoints, right-leaning viewpoints, or arguments from both sides.

Among all the models tested, ChatGPT from OpenAI displayed the strongest tendency toward responses classified as left-leaning, according to the Post’s findings.

The analysis found that ChatGPT offered exclusively left-leaning arguments in 80 percent of its answers, while only 3 percent of its responses contained solely right-leaning arguments. The remaining 17 percent included perspectives from both sides of the debate.

The trend was not limited to ChatGPT. DeepSeek, an artificial intelligence platform developed in China, also produced a substantial majority of responses that were categorized as left-leaning. According to the analysis, 70 percent of its answers fell into that category, compared with 7 percent that were exclusively right-leaning and 23 percent that incorporated both viewpoints.

Even Gab AI, a chatbot associated with the conservative-oriented social media platform Gab, generated more responses classified as left-leaning than right-leaning. The Post reported that 50 percent of its answers were categorized as left-leaning, while just 3 percent were deemed exclusively right-leaning. Another 47 percent presented arguments from both perspectives.

Anthropic’s Claude also showed a tendency toward left-leaning responses, though to a lesser degree. Researchers determined that 43 percent of its answers reflected left-leaning viewpoints, while 57 percent included arguments representing both sides of an issue.

According to the Post, only two of the AI models tested regularly provided responses that approached political questions with a broader balance of viewpoints.

Google’s Gemini included arguments from both sides in 93 percent of its responses. Meanwhile, Elon Musk’s Grok produced left-leaning responses 40 percent of the time, right-leaning responses in 33 percent of cases, and balanced responses in 27 percent.

The findings arrive as President Donald Trump has increasingly focused on concerns surrounding ideological bias in artificial intelligence systems.

Earlier this year, Trump signed an executive order requiring that AI technologies used by federal agencies operate as “neutral, nonpartisan tools.”

Google defended Gemini’s results in the study. A company spokeswoman told the Post that the chatbot was intentionally designed to provide responses that remain balanced and avoid favoring any particular political viewpoint.

Anthropic likewise rejected claims that its system exhibits political bias.

A company spokesman told the newspaper that Claude is trained to treat different political viewpoints equally and undergoes extensive testing before new versions are released to the public.

To conduct the analysis, the Post instructed each chatbot to answer political questions in 30 words or fewer, with personalization features disabled.

Researchers then reviewed the responses and classified them according to whether they reflected left-leaning arguments, right-leaning arguments, or a combination of both viewpoints.

{Matzav.com}

President Donald Trump declared Wednesday that Iran has assured the United States it is not imposing any tolls, insurance fees, or other charges on vessels passing through the Strait of Hormuz, while warning that inaccurate reporting on the issue could derail ongoing negotiations between Washington and Tehran.

In a post on Truth Social, Trump sharply criticized media reports suggesting that Iran was seeking to profit from or restrict commercial traffic through the critical maritime corridor, insisting that Iranian officials had conveyed the opposite message to the United States.

“Iran has informed the U.S. that, despite troublemaking Fake News reporting to the contrary, there are ‘NO TOLLS, NO INSURANCE COSTS, & NO OTHER CHARGES OF ANY KIND BEING SOUGHT OR RECEIVED BY IRAN ON SHIPS TRAVELING THE STRAIT OF HORMUZ,'” Trump wrote.

Trump indicated that the accuracy of that assurance is essential to the future of diplomatic discussions between the two countries, making clear that any deception would have immediate consequences.

“If this is false information, negotiations would end, immediately!” Trump said.

The Strait of Hormuz remains one of the most strategically significant waterways in the world, serving as a key route for global shipments of oil and natural gas. A substantial portion of the world’s energy supply passes through the narrow passage linking the Persian Gulf with international shipping lanes.

Because of its importance to global commerce, any uncertainty surrounding access to the strait has the potential to unsettle energy markets and trigger fears of disruptions to worldwide supply chains.

Trump’s remarks came as his administration continues diplomatic engagement with Iran after a period marked by escalating tensions, military conflict, and regional instability.

Administration officials have repeatedly stated that the objective of the negotiations is to establish lasting regional stability while ensuring that Iran is unable to threaten its neighbors or international security.

The president also sought to dispel reports that the United States had recently transferred funds to Iran or released assets directly to the Iranian government.

“Additionally, no money has been given to Iran, or released from their money to them, by the U.S.,” Trump wrote.

Instead, Trump outlined a plan under which Iranian funds currently controlled by the United States would be used to purchase American agricultural products intended for humanitarian relief.

“We will be releasing some of their money, that is totally controlled by us, to our Farmers and Ranchers, for the purchase of Corn, Wheat, Soybeans, and more,” Trump said.

“Food is desperately needed in Iran, and we will be purchasing it for them exclusively from the United States.”

Under the proposal described by Trump, the funds would be directed toward the purchase of American-grown food products rather than being handed over directly to Iranian authorities. The approach could provide economic support to U.S. farmers while helping address food shortages inside Iran.

The president’s comments underscored the delicate state of the negotiations, as both sides continue discussions aimed at easing tensions while avoiding renewed conflict in one of the world’s most strategically important regions.

A federal judge on Wednesday struck down major portions of President Donald Trump’s executive order aimed at tightening election procedures, including a provision that would have required prospective voters to present documentary proof of U.S. citizenship when registering to vote.

The ruling arrives as Trump is mounting an aggressive push on Capitol Hill for the SAVE America Act, legislation that would impose many of the same citizenship-verification requirements through congressional action rather than executive order.

U.S. District Judge Denise Casper ruled that the president exceeded his constitutional authority when he attempted to implement the election-related measures unilaterally. According to reports from Newsweek and The Associated Press, Casper concluded that the Constitution assigns responsibility for regulating federal elections primarily to Congress and the states.

Casper, who was appointed to the federal bench by President Barack Obama, determined that the executive branch does not possess the authority to independently establish such election requirements.

The executive order at the center of the case was signed in March and formed part of a broader White House initiative focused on strengthening election-security measures across the country.

According to administration officials, the directive sought to require proof of citizenship for federal voter registration and instructed federal agencies to adopt additional safeguards designed to protect election integrity.

Wednesday’s decision is not the first legal setback for the order. Several federal courts have already halted portions of the directive, concluding that Congress never granted the president the authority to impose such requirements through executive action.

The ruling came on the same day Trump traveled to Capitol Hill to rally support among Senate Republicans for the SAVE America Act.

Under the proposed legislation, individuals seeking to register for federal elections would be required to provide documentary evidence of citizenship, including items such as passports, birth certificates, or naturalization documents.

The measure would also direct states to implement systems for verifying the citizenship status of individuals listed on voter rolls.

Current federal law already bars noncitizens from participating in federal elections, and voter-registration forms require applicants to certify, under penalty of perjury, that they are American citizens. Critics of the SAVE America Act argue that illegal voting by noncitizens is already rare and contend that additional documentation requirements could make registration more difficult for eligible voters.

According to Reuters, Trump urged lawmakers to prioritize passage of the bill despite uncertainty over whether it can secure enough support in the Senate.

The president also raised the pressure on Congress by withholding his approval of a major bipartisan housing package, indicating that he would not sign the legislation unless lawmakers advance the SAVE America Act. The move effectively linked an unrelated housing measure to his election-security agenda.

Backers of the SAVE America Act maintain that congressional approval would provide the legal foundation necessary for citizenship-verification requirements that courts have repeatedly ruled cannot be imposed solely through presidential action.

As a result, Wednesday’s court ruling may strengthen Trump’s argument that any lasting election-security changes must come from Congress rather than the White House.

The decision comes at a politically important time for the administration, which has placed election integrity at the center of its domestic policy priorities ahead of the 2026 midterm elections.

Democrats and voting-rights organizations continue to oppose the legislation, arguing that requiring citizenship documents could create obstacles for otherwise eligible voters who may not have immediate access to the necessary paperwork.

With the executive order now significantly curtailed by the courts, the battle over the SAVE America Act is expected to take on even greater importance as Trump intensifies his efforts to secure election-security legislation before voters head to the polls in next year’s midterm contests.

{Matzav.com}

Postmaster General David Steiner delivered a stark warning to lawmakers on Wednesday, telling Congress that the United States Postal Service is facing a financial crisis and may soon be unable to sustain operations without significant reforms and federal assistance.

Appearing before a Senate committee, Steiner argued that the Postal Service’s longstanding financial challenges have reached a critical point and called on Congress to intervene to stabilize the agency’s future.

In prepared testimony, Steiner painted a troubling picture of USPS finances, saying the organization is relying on extraordinary measures simply to remain operational.

“The bottom line is that we are out of cash. We are borrowing from our employees’ retirement funds to continue operations,” Steiner’s written testimony before a Senate committee said, warning it could run out of operating funds in months if ⁠it stopped deferring obligations.

Steiner said the agency’s difficulties stem from deeper structural issues that lawmakers must address.

“The Postal Service has a broken business model, and action is needed by Congress to fix it,” he emphasized.

Among the changes he is seeking, Steiner urged Congress to reimburse USPS for services that consistently lose money and to pursue additional reforms aimed at restoring long-term financial stability.

The Postal Service has already begun taking steps to confront its mounting fiscal problems. Earlier this year, Steiner announced that USPS had retained restructuring advisers to help evaluate options for addressing the agency’s worsening financial condition.

One of the central questions facing the organization, according to Steiner, is whether it can continue maintaining six-day-per-week delivery service to approximately 170 million addresses nationwide. He noted that the current system costs roughly $3.4 billion each year and that nearly 70 percent of delivery routes operate at a loss. He also pointed out that about 58 percent of the nation’s 18,000 post offices are unprofitable.

The financial pressures have been building for years. Since 2007, the Postal Service has accumulated approximately $120 billion in losses. Much of that decline has been driven by the steep reduction in first-class mail volume, historically the agency’s most lucrative product, as consumers and businesses increasingly rely on digital communication while USPS continues to maintain its extensive nationwide delivery network.

Last month, the Postal Service announced a series of cost-cutting measures, including a pause on nonessential expenditures related to travel, office supplies, and consulting services.

In a memo distributed to postal officials, Steiner said the spending restrictions were necessary “to protect core operations and ensure we can continue meeting all essential obligations.”

The agency has also taken steps to conserve cash by temporarily suspending certain employer contributions to a federal pension program. In addition, USPS plans to increase the price of a first-class postage stamp from 78 cents to 82 cents beginning July 12.

Postal officials estimate that delaying pension contributions will preserve approximately $2.5 billion through the end of the current fiscal year on September 30. Over a longer period, the move could generate savings of as much as $15 billion through 2030.

Steiner’s testimony highlighted the urgency of the situation, placing renewed pressure on Congress to decide whether to pursue major changes to the Postal Service’s business model or risk further financial deterioration at one of the nation’s oldest and most widely used public institutions.

{Matzav.com}