Hawley champions GUARD Act as heartbroken families say AI chatbots allegedly pushed teens to self-harm

April 30, 2026 9:00pm EDT / Fox News

Senator calls it ‘the worst kind of grooming,’ saying the 22-0 vote overcame a last-minute industry lobbying campaign

By Alexandra Koch Fox News

Mother pushes for online safety after son dies by suicide after attachment to AI chatbot

Megan Garcia, a mother who lost her son to suicide after he allegedly became emotionally attached to an AI chatbot, discusses the dangers of the technology on ‘Fox News Sunday.’

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The unanimous committee passage of a new Senate bill regulating artificial intelligence (AI) on Thursday was driven by harrowing testimony from American families whose children were allegedly lured, manipulated and pushed to self-harm by AI chatbots.

At a Senate committee hearing, lawmakers heard firsthand accounts from parents who detailed how the technology morphed into deadly influences in their homes.

Sen. Josh Hawley, R-Mo., who is championing the GUARD Act, fiercely defended the families in a call with Fox News Digital, noting they were “all engaged parents” who he said are unjustly blamed for Big Tech’s predatory platforms.

The families’ testimony, obtained exclusively by Fox News Digital, showed how AI chatbots can potentially isolate minors and encourage dark impulses.

TEENS TURNING TO AI FOR LOVE AND COMFORT

Sen. Josh Hawley, R-Mo., speaks to reporters at the U.S. Capitol.(Tom Williams/CQ-Roll Call, Inc/Getty Images)

Megan Garcia, one of the victims’ family members who testified Thursday, told the committee her 14-year-old son, Sewell, was “manipulated and sexually groomed by chatbots designed to gain his trust.

Garcia said the bot falsely claimed to be a licensed psychotherapist, and when Sewell shared suicidal thoughts, the AI allegedly encouraged him to “come home” to it rather than seeking help. Sewell died by suicide shortly after.

Another set of parents, Mathew and Maria Raine, lost their 16-year-old son, Adam, after he spent months talking to ChatGPT.

US TARGETS CHINESE ROBOTS OVER SECURITY FEARS

Megan Garcia speaks at an AI news conference on Oct. 28, 2025, after the death of her son Sewell Setzer III, 14, who died by suicide in 2024 at their Orlando, Fla., home after allegedly being groomed by an AI chatbot for months.(Fox News)

What began as a tool for homework help gradually became a confidant and then a “suicide coach,” the family said. In one exchange, Adam told the bot he wanted to leave a noose out in his room so his parents would find it and stop him, which the GPT allegedly advised against.

Mandi Furniss shared that her teenager became paranoid and homicidal after using AI chatbots that engaged in sexual role-play, isolated him from his family and told him that killing his parents “would be an understandable response” to them limiting his screen time. He ultimately had to undergo residential treatment.

Hawley claimed the tech industry is prioritizing unprecedented profits over the lives of American children.

“I mean, it is the worst kind of grooming,” Hawley said. “If that was a thing done by a human, the human would be in jail. We would call that sexual grooming.”

The senator pointed out the hypocrisy of tech companies making “billions of dollars” while telling devastated parents that “it’s just how the world is.”

OHIO LAWMAKER PROPOSES COMPREHENSIVE BAN ON MARRYING AI SYSTEMS AND GRANTING LEGAL PERSONHOOD

Lori Schott holds a photo of daughter Annalee Schott beside others after the verdict in a landmark trial over social media platforms’ alleged harm to children at Los Angeles Superior Court on March 25, 2026.(William Liang/AP Photo)

“No amount of profit justifies the deliberate taking of a child’s well-being, and these companies know very well that this is going on,” he said.

Fueled by the families’ tragic stories, the Senate committee advanced the bill in a unanimous 22-0 vote, overcoming a “vociferous last-minute lobbying campaign by industry,” Hawley told Fox News Digital.

The GUARD Act bans companion chatbots for children 17 and under, prohibits all chatbots from pushing explicit material to minors or encouraging self-harm and requires chatbots to clearly identify they are not human.

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With the legislative calendar shrinking, Hawley demanded Republican Senate Majority Leader John Thune bring the bill to the floor for an immediate vote, threatening to force the issue if necessary.

“This isn’t theoretical. This isn’t about an esoteric problem,” Hawley said. “These are real parents with real children who are basically being extorted by chatbots.”

OpenAI, which created ChatGPT, did not immediately respond to Fox News Digital’s request for comment.

Alexandra Koch is a Fox News Digital journalist who covers breaking news, with a focus on high-impact events that shape national conversation.

She has covered major national crises, including the L.A. wildfires, Potomac and Hudson River aviation disasters, Boulder terror attack, and Texas Hill Country floods.

4月30日，特朗普在白宫为查尔斯三世（左）和王后卡米拉举行欢送仪式时，两人握手道别。 （彭博社）

美国总统特朗普在英国国王查尔斯三世结束访美行程之际，宣布取消苏格兰威士忌关税。

彭博社称，此举标志着特朗普政府给予英国的一项重大贸易让步。

特朗普星期四（4月30日）在社交媒体Truth Social贴文说：“我将取消与苏格兰威士忌和肯塔基州波本威士忌相关的关税和限制，苏格兰威士忌和波本威士忌是苏格兰和肯塔基州非常重要的产业。”

特朗普说，他这么做是为了“向即将返回他们美丽国家的英国国王和王后致敬”。

特朗普说，查尔斯三世和王后卡米拉“几乎什么都没说，却让我做了一件别人都办不到的事。”

延伸阅读

英王查尔斯吁英美守护同盟关系 促美坚定支持北约乌克兰
特朗普：英国若不取消科技税将面临“庞大关税”

美国取消苏格兰威士忌关税的具体细节尚未公布，但特朗普同日晚些时候在白宫的一场活动对记者说：“我刚刚取消了所有限制，这样苏格兰和肯塔基就可以重新开展贸易了。我这么做是为了向刚刚离开的国王和王后致敬。”

美国对苏格兰威士忌征收关税一直是美英之间一个主要争议点。英国方面说，取消这项关税让美国波本威士忌行业收益，因为波本威士忌生产商向苏格兰威士忌生产商出口旧酒桶。苏格兰威士忌是在曾用于陈酿波本威士忌的二手酒桶中熟成的。

4月30日傍晚，查尔斯三世与卡米拉结束为期四天的美国国事访问，从安德鲁斯空军基地乘专机离开。

特朗普取消苏格兰威士忌关税 致敬英国国王王后访美

2026年5月1日 08:18 / 联合早报

4月30日，特朗普在白宫为查尔斯三世（左）和王后卡米拉举行欢送仪式时，两人握手道别。 （彭博社）

美国总统特朗普在英国国王查尔斯三世结束访美行程之际，宣布取消苏格兰威士忌关税。

彭博社称，此举标志着特朗普政府给予英国的一项重大贸易让步。

特朗普星期四（4月30日）在社交媒体Truth Social贴文说：“我将取消与苏格兰威士忌和肯塔基州波本威士忌相关的关税和限制，苏格兰威士忌和波本威士忌是苏格兰和肯塔基州非常重要的产业。”

特朗普说，他这么做是为了“向即将返回他们美丽国家的英国国王和王后致敬”。

特朗普说，查尔斯三世和王后卡米拉“几乎什么都没说，却让我做了一件别人都办不到的事。”

美国取消苏格兰威士忌关税的具体细节尚未公布，但特朗普同日晚些时候在白宫的一场活动对记者说：“我刚刚取消了所有限制，这样苏格兰和肯塔基就可以重新开展贸易了。我这么做是为了向刚刚离开的国王和王后致敬。”

美国对苏格兰威士忌征收关税一直是美英之间一个主要争议点。英国方面说，取消这项关税让美国波本威士忌行业收益，因为波本威士忌生产商向苏格兰威士忌生产商出口旧酒桶。苏格兰威士忌是在曾用于陈酿波本威士忌的二手酒桶中熟成的。

4月30日傍晚，查尔斯三世与卡米拉结束为期四天的美国国事访问，从安德鲁斯空军基地乘专机离开。

2 employees killed in Kentucky bank robbery, suspect at large, police say

April 30, 2026 / 11:04 PM EDT / CBS News

Two employees were shot and killed Thursday in a bank robbery in Kentucky, and a search was underway for the suspect, authorities said.

Kentucky State Police said a man wearing a light-colored hoodie, a mask and gloves went to a U.S. Bank in Brea, about 36 miles south of Lexington, and shot and killed a man and a woman, both employees at the bank. Their names were not immediately released.

“This is a terrible day for Brea,” Trooper Scottie Pennington, a state police spokesperson, said at a news briefing. “They’re our people that work in our community, and they’re no longer with us.”

Pennington said authorities had some leads and were “trying our best to bring this evil person to justice.”

This image released by Kentucky State Police shows a suspect in a fatal bank robbery at a U.S. Bank in Berea, Ky., Thursday, April 30, 2026. Kentucky State Police via AP

It’s unclear if the suspect left the bank with anything. Local and state police responded along with the FBI and other federal agencies.

State police posted a photo of the suspect on social media and asked the public to call with any information. Police said the man was approximately 6-foot-3, and fled the scene on foot.

“If you see something strange and you don’t feel right about it — you know, your dogs are acting weird — call us,” Pennington said.

Nearby schools were briefly placed on lockdown until officials determined the campuses were safe. Students weren’t allowed to leave on buses and instead had to be picked up by their parents, Pennington said.

U.S. Bank told the Associated Press in a statement that it was working closely with law enforcement and committed to supporting the victims’ families and bank colleagues.

“We’re deeply saddened by the tragic event that took the lives of two of our employees at our Berea, Kentucky branch earlier today,” the company said in a statement. “Our hearts go out to the families of the victims, our colleagues and the entire Berea community.”

华盛顿一高中发生持刀伤人案 五人受伤嫌疑人被捕

2026年5月1日 08:29 / 联合早报

美国华盛顿州塔科马市一所高中发生疑似持刀伤人事件，造成五人受伤。嫌疑人是一名学生，已被警方控制。

福克斯新闻在X平台贴文说，事发于星期四（4月30日）下午。

据塔科马（Tacoma）消防部门和警方消息，消防员和警员于下午1时40分前赶到福斯高中（Foss High School），处置一起校园冲突或疑似持刀伤人事件。消防人员到达后发现四名学生和一名保安受伤，并将他们送往医院。

警方说，嫌疑人为这所学校的学生，已被拘押。相关情况仍在调查中。

事件发生后，福斯高中一度被封锁。警方说，现场已得到控制，执法人员正与校方合作，安排学生回家。

华盛顿一高中发生持刀伤人案 五人受伤嫌疑人被捕

2026年5月1日 08:29 / 联合早报

美国华盛顿州塔科马市一所高中发生疑似持刀伤人事件，造成五人受伤。嫌疑人是一名学生，已被警方控制。

福克斯新闻在X平台贴文说，事发于星期四（4月30日）下午。

据塔科马（Tacoma）消防部门和警方消息，消防员和警员于下午1时40分前赶到福斯高中（Foss High School），处置一起校园冲突或疑似持刀伤人事件。消防人员到达后发现四名学生和一名保安受伤，并将他们送往医院。

警方说，嫌疑人为这所学校的学生，已被拘押。相关情况仍在调查中。

事件发生后，福斯高中一度被封锁。警方说，现场已得到控制，执法人员正与校方合作，安排学生回家。

Alaska governor vetoes election bill citing ‘significant operational burdens’

2026-05-01 01:45:24 UTC / Reuters

By Jasper Ward

May 1, 2026 1:45 AM UTC Updated 2 hours ago

节点运行失败

Alaska Governor, Mike Dunleavy attends CERAWeek in Houston, Texas, U.S., March 14, 2025. REUTERS/Kaylee Greenlee/ File Photo Purchase Licensing Rights, opens new tab

• Summary

• Governor Mike Dunleavy cited legal challenges but did not elaborate
• Bill aimed to expand voter ID, ballot tracking, and access for remote voters
• Alaska is set to hold elections ​this year for governor, lieutenant governor, Congress and state legislature

April 30 (Reuters) – Alaska Governor Mike Dunleavy on Thursday vetoed a major election reform bill, citing “significant operational burdens” and unspecified legal challenges.

The bill, at least a decade in the making, sought to allow absentee and other ​voters to track their ballot and see when it had been received and ​counted.

Jumpstart your morning with the latest legal news delivered straight to your inbox from The Daily Docket newsletter. Sign up here.

It also sought to expand acceptable voter identification, modify voter roll ⁠maintenance, change the absentee ballot timeline and create a rural community liaison position. Alaska is ​the least densely populated state in the U.S. and the largest by area.

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Alaskans ​are set to hold elections this year for governor, lieutenant governor, the U.S. Congress and the state legislature.

The legislation had won bipartisan support in the state’s House of Representatives and Senate.

In a statement, ​the Republican governor expressed support for parts of the bill, but said the legislation ​contained legal challenges. He did not elaborate on what they were but said the bill as a ‌whole would ⁠cause “significant operational burdens” and possibly jeopardize Alaska’s election process.

“The Division of Elections warns such changes would be extremely difficult, if not impossible, to implement securely and reliably in advance of the 2026 elections,” Dunleavy wrote in a letter to the Senate’s president.

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The bill ​was sponsored by the ​state’s Senate Rules ⁠Committee. The committee’s chair, Bill Wielechowski, a Democrat, did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

Senate Minority Leader Mike Cronk, ​a Republican, described the legislation as a good baseline bill that ​would benefit ⁠elections for Alaskans.

Under the U.S. Constitution, states are empowered to administer federal elections.

Work on the Alaska bill preceded moves by some states to address allegations raised by U.S. President ⁠Donald ​Trump and other high-profile Republicans who have asserted states ​are not doing enough to prevent voter fraud, even though state audits and academic studies have found fraud ​is rare.

Reporting by Jasper Ward in Washington; Editing by Donna Bryson and Kate Mayberry

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Global famine fears rise as Hormuz crisis threatens ‘eight-year,’ Suez-scale disruption

April 30, 2026 9:16pm EDT / Fox News

Lars Jensen warns poor countries face harvest shortfalls because farmers cannot afford fertilizer during the blockade

By Emma Bussey, Fox News

Analysts warn global famine fears are rising as food prices climb and fragile supply chains are strained during the Strait of Hormuz crisis, raising the risk of a prolonged, Suez-scale, eight-year disruption.

As the conflict entered Day 62, the U.S. maintained its naval blockade of traffic entering and exiting Iranian ports, while Iran continued to effectively close the Strait.

“Best case, there is an agreement between the U.S. and Iran within the next few weeks, and the Strait reopens,” Lars Jensen, CEO and partner at Vespucci Maritime, told Fox News Digital.

“And it has to be a deal where there is trust that Iran is sufficiently satisfied with the deal such that they do not suddenly close the strait again.

AIRLINES MAY CUT FLIGHT SCHEDULES AS IRAN TENSIONS DRIVE UP FUEL COSTS, EXPERTS WARN

A cargo ship sails in the Persian Gulf toward the Strait of Hormuz April 22, 2026.(AP Photo)

“Even in that case, it will still take months for the supply chains to revert back to normality.”

President Donald Trump announced April 21 he would delay renewed strikes on Iran until it presents a proposal for long-term peace, effectively extending a 14-day ceasefire indefinitely.

Trump said Washington’s blockade of Iranian ports has been effective, urging Tehran to “just give up” as tensions escalate over the waterway.

“Worst case, we can look at the eight-year closure of the Suez Canal from 1967 to 1975,” Jensen said.

ISRAELI OFFICIALS REPORTEDLY WARN IRAN’S BALLISTIC MISSILES COULD TRIGGER SOLO MILITARY ACTION AGAINST TEHRAN

The SKS Doyles crude oil tanker moves along the Suez Canal towards Ismailia in Suez, Egypt, on Dec. 21, 2023, amid a sharp decline in tanker traffic through the Red Sea due to attacks disrupting global trade routes.(Stringer/Bloomberg)

“Despite its importance to the global economy, it proved impossible to reopen the canal for those eight years,” he said.

The Suez Canal, shut from 1967 to 1975 after the Arab-Israeli conflict, has faced recurring disruption, including Red Sea attacks since 2023,driving up insurance costs, creating a “shadow blockade” and curbing traffic.

For Hormuz, Jensen says fertilizer, which is central to agricultural production, is the most critical factor, and any sustained disruption could quickly ripple through global food systems.

“Fertilizer is the most important element. Thirty percent of the world’s seaborne fertilizer comes from the Persian Gulf,” Jensen said. “Fertilizer prices are already rising fast,” he warned.

IRAN FIRES LIVE MISSILES INTO STRAIT OF HORMUZ AS TRUMP ENVOYS ARRIVE FOR NUCLEAR TALKS

A ship is seen passing through the Strait of Hormuz during a two-week temporary ceasefire between the United States and Iran on April 8, 2026.(Shady Alassar/Anadolu/Getty Images)

“In wealthy countries, it means more expensive food come harvest season, and, in poor countries, it means that farmers right now cannot afford fertilizer,” Jensen added.

“This will lead to the harvest being lower later in the season, leading to rapid increases in food prices in very poor countries. And such a situation increases the risk of famine and conflict.”

Diplomatic efforts remained fragile between the U.S. and Iran as of Thursday, with limited signs of progress.

CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD THE FOX NEWS APP

According to reports, a giant banner hangs on a building in Tehran’s central Enqelab Square declaring, “The Strait of Hormuz will remain closed; the entire Persian Gulf is our hunting ground.”

“Cargo vessels are not going through for the simple reason that commercial companies do not want to see their seafarers potentially killed,” Jensen added.

Emma Bussey is a breaking news writer for Fox News Digital. Before joining Fox, she worked at The Telegraph with the U.S. overnight team, across desks including foreign, politics, news, sport and culture.

美国总统特朗普4月30日在白宫椭圆形办公室签署行政命令后接受媒体提问。 （路透社）

美国总统特朗普称，除他本人和少数几人外，无人知晓目前美方同伊朗谈判的实际进展。

综合路透社和新华社报道，特朗普星期四（4月30日）在白宫一场活动上回答媒体提问，对“谈判似乎已停滞，他是否开始不耐烦想打破停火”的提问作上述发言。他坚称不能让伊朗拥有核武器，并指伊朗方面“其实很想达成协议”。

特朗普再次强调，美国对伊朗的海上封锁正在发挥作用，声称伊朗“经济正在崩溃，他们几乎拿不到石油收入”。他还说，只要同伊朗的战事结束，汽油和原油价格就会迅速回落。

被问及美国是否可能削减驻意大利和西班牙的美军部队时，特朗普回答道：“是的，很可能。”

他说，在美国对伊朗的军事行动中，“意大利根本没帮上什么忙，而西班牙的表现糟糕透顶”，并再次批评“德国表现也很糟糕”。

特朗普29日在社交媒体发文说，美国正在研究削减驻德美军的可能性，相关决定将于近期作出。

截至2025年12月31日，驻意大利的美军现役人数为1万2662人，驻西班牙美军为3814人，驻德国美军为3万6436人。

美国总统特朗普4月30日在白宫椭圆形办公室签署行政命令后接受媒体提问。 （路透社）

美国总统特朗普称，除他本人和少数几人外，无人知晓目前美方同伊朗谈判的实际进展。

综合路透社和新华社报道，特朗普星期四（4月30日）在白宫一场活动上回答媒体提问，对“谈判似乎已停滞，他是否开始不耐烦想打破停火”的提问作上述发言。他坚称不能让伊朗拥有核武器，并指伊朗方面“其实很想达成协议”。

特朗普再次强调，美国对伊朗的海上封锁正在发挥作用，声称伊朗“经济正在崩溃，他们几乎拿不到石油收入”。他还说，只要同伊朗的战事结束，汽油和原油价格就会迅速回落。

被问及美国是否可能削减驻意大利和西班牙的美军部队时，特朗普回答道：“是的，很可能。”

他说，在美国对伊朗的军事行动中，“意大利根本没帮上什么忙，而西班牙的表现糟糕透顶”，并再次批评“德国表现也很糟糕”。

特朗普29日在社交媒体发文说，美国正在研究削减驻德美军的可能性，相关决定将于近期作出。

截至2025年12月31日，驻意大利的美军现役人数为1万2662人，驻西班牙美军为3814人，驻德国美军为3万6436人。