While You Were Sleeping: 5 stories you might have missed, Sept 20, 2026
US President Donald Trump said that AI developers should be responsible for ensuring the safety of their products.
US President Donald Trump said in a social media post on Sept 19 that he plans to appoint a new artificial intelligence adviser, known as an “AI czar”, and create an “AI force”, though he did not provide details about either initiative or how they would be implemented.
Fears are growing in Washington among lawmakers about the risks posed by AI technology on humans and property. Earlier this month, former Anthropic researcher Jacob Coxon said that “people building AI earnestly believe that it could kill us all by the end of the decade.” Trump has repeatedly downplayed concerns about AI and argued that additional regulation is unnecessary.
If Trump follows through on the pledge, it would be his second AI czar. Venture capitalist David Sacks previously served in the role before stepping down in the spring and moving into an external advisory position.
US media outlets CNN and MS NOW said they were denied access to the White House grounds on Sept 19, a day after President Donald Trump announced a ban against them for reporting what he calls “fake news”.
The news outlets both denounced the move as a violation of the US constitution and vowed to keep reporting on the US government. Both are expected to take the bans to court to regain access to the presidential mansion.
“The White House belongs to the American people and the decisions made inside are funded with our tax dollars,” MS NOW, formerly known as MSNBC, said on X.
Several thousand people marched in the Swiss cities of Geneva and Lausanne on Sept 19 to protest government inaction in the face of global warming.
They were answering a call by a coalition of more than a hundred associations and political parties under the common banner: “No 50-degree summers!”
People of all ages took part in the marches, carrying placards with slogans such as “No Planet B” and “We’re cooked!”, AFP journalists noted.
The larger demonstration was at Lausanne, where organisers said at least 8,000 had taken part.
When 10-year-old George Burdynski Jr hopped on his bike on May 24, 1993, near his Maryland home, it was the last time his family saw him.
The disappearance of George, who was also known as Junior, shocked Prince George’s County in Maryland and prompted a large search by law enforcement, including the FBI. Volunteers also joined the search.
But the case languished for more than 33 years.
Now, investigators say they have arrested a 61-year-old man, Joseph Lynch, who has been charged with second-degree murder, rape and other sexual abuse charges in connection with George’s disappearance.
The head of United Nations peacekeepers in Lebanon said on Sept 19 it was critical to ensure other UN agencies and Lebanese troops could assume the tasks carried out by the force before it begins withdrawing at the end of 2026.
Major-General Diodato Abagnara of Italy spoke to Reuters in southern Lebanon at a position operated by the UN peacekeeping force known as UNIFIL, which has been monitoring hostilities in southern Lebanon for nearly 50 years.
Since a new war erupted between Israel and Iran-backed Lebanese armed group Hezbollah in March, the force has also provided security escorts for humanitarian aid convoys to residents in a small cluster of predominantly Christian southern Lebanese towns now encircled by Israeli troops. Residents in much of the rest of southern Lebanon have been forcibly displaced by Israeli strikes and evacuation orders.
