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Egyptian national charged in terror fire-bomb attack on pro-Israel rally in Boulder

Suzanne Downing
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16
Egyptian national charged in terror fire-bomb attack on pro-Israel rally in Boulder

The Federal Bureau of Investigation says an Egyptian national who overstayed his visa has been arrested and charged in a violent terror attack that left six people injured during a peaceful pro-Israel rally in Boulder on Saturday.

Mohamed Sabry Soliman, 45, was taken into custody at the scene after allegedly launching Molotov cocktails into a crowd gathered near the Pearl Street Mall for a “Run for Their Lives” event. The demonstration was held in solidarity with Israeli hostages still being held by Hamas in Gaza.

Witnesses reported that Soliman shouted “Free Palestine” and other anti-Israel slogans as the firebombs ignited, setting multiple elderly participants ablaze. The victims, ranging in age from 67 to 88, sustained serious injuries. Emergency responders were quick to arrive and began treating the wounded while securing the area.

The FBI has labeled the incident a “targeted terror attack.” FBI Director Kash Patel confirmed in a statement posted to X (formerly Twitter) that agents were “fully investigating” the matter. “Our agents and local law enforcement are on the scene already, and we will share updates as more information becomes available,” Patel wrote.

Prior to this terror attack, two Israeli diplomats were fatally shot in May outside the Capital Jewish Museum. 

FBI Deputy Director Dan Bongino said the agency is dedicating its full resources to the investigation and made it clear that authorities intend to pursue anyone who may have played a role in the planning or execution of the assault.

“This was a deliberate act of terrorism,” Bongino said. “We are treating it with the utmost seriousness. Anyone who aided or abetted this attacker in any way will be found and held accountable.”

Federal immigration records show Soliman entered the United States legally two years ago when granted a visa by the Biden Administration but failed to depart after his visa expired. In response, the Biden Administration gave him a work permit. It is not yet known whether he had any prior criminal history or connections to extremist groups. Authorities are reviewing his digital footprint, travel records, and potential contacts within the US.

The attack sent shockwaves through the Boulder community, which has seen a growing number of politically motivated demonstrations in recent months. Organizers of the “Run for Their Lives” event expressed sorrow over the violence but reaffirmed their commitment to peaceful advocacy.

The victims’ names have not been publicly released, and local hospitals report that several remain in serious condition. Law enforcement was asking the public to come forward with any video or photographic evidence from the scene that may assist in the investigation.

Federal charges against Soliman are expected in the coming days.

Linda Boyle: Medical establishment melts down after RFK Jr. limits Covid jab guidance

SENIOR CONTRIBUTOR
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Linda Boyle: Medical establishment melts down after RFK Jr. limits Covid jab guidance

By LINDA BOYLE

It’s been known for some time that HHS Secretary Robert F. Kennedy, Jr. would be making changes to Covid jab recommendations .  

When he announced that on May 27, the media and medical organizations went into a frenzy to decry this decision. No longer would Covid jabs be recommended to children, infants, and pregnant women. The only people who would be recommended for Covid-19 jabs are those over 65 and people with existing health problems.

Just in: CDC nixes Covid shot recommendation for healthy kids and pregnant moms

In the five days since this announcement, a flurry of articles has appeared. Let’s recap.

  1. The American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists said in a statement that the organization is “concerned about and extremely disappointed” by the new recommendations. Dr. Steven J. Fleischman, ACOC President, stated, “As ob-gyns who treat patients every day, we have seen first hand how dangerous COVID-19 infection can be during pregnancy and for newborns who depend on maternal antibodies from the vaccine for protection.”  
  2. The American Academy of Pediatrics also was upset with this ruling and stated that removal of recommended Covid jabs from the schedule “ignores independent medical experts and leaves children at risk.” While this organization has routinely depended on the CDC for recommended childhood vaccines, it told MedPage Today that it “may have to rethink how we harmonize with the federal government.”
  3. The New York Times conceded there isn’t scientific evidence to support vaccination among healthy children. However, the Times felt this move by RFK Jr. of “dismantling decades of vaccine safety policies” troubling. 
  4. The FDA announced plans to limit approvals for updated COVID-19 vaccines to people over age 65 and people with one or more health conditions that put them at high risk for the virus. Based on these criteria, the FDA said between 100-200 million Americans would still be eligible for the shots because “so many people have conditions that are considered comorbidities”.  
  5. Others called out the process behind the decision for not following the “normal process” through the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP). 
  6. ACIP met in April and discussed this issue extensively.  A poll of members at that time showed 76% of the members supported changing the recommendations from all people under 65 to only high risk individuals.  
  7. Others were concerned that if the jab were no longer routinely recommended, the insurance companies may not pay for it. The shot runs about $200.    
  8.  Daily, the MSM checked the CDC web page to see if the recommended changes were made with articles being written to say the changes had not occurred.  The changes occurred on 29 May—two days after the announcement, but fell short of what RFK Jr. had hoped.   
  9. The CDC issued new immunization schedules that changed the language on its recommendation. No longer is it routinely recommended; instead, it states that healthy children “may” still get the jab. This was the same language used for women who are pregnant. The decision to get or not get the jab should be based on “shared clinical decision-making,” between the parent(s)and the provider.

It is thought the language in the new guidance will allow parents to get their children the jab and have insurance companies pay for it.  

I doubt the food fight is over. There is too much financially at stake. Big Pharma’s stocks are dropping. Those who have pushed these jabs for years aren’t willing to give up the fight.  

Always follow the money. Big Pharma has been vaccinated with billions of dollars. Consequently, its resistance to change has high immunity.

RFK, Jr. and his team have an uphill battle. Yet it is for the good of the American citizen. I pray they are successful. 

Linda Boyle, RN, MSN, DM, was formerly the chief nurse for the 3rd Medical Group, JBER, and was the interim director of the Alaska VA. Most recently, she served as Director for Central Alabama VA Healthcare System. She is the director of the Alaska Covid Alliance/Alaskans 4 Personal Freedom.

Linda Boyle: MAHA report on childhood health crisis in America is a ‘Must Read’
Linda Boyle: FDA prepares to change Covid requirements and update drug approval processes
Linda Boyle: When it comes to toxic dyes in foods, why not follow Europe’s lead?
Linda Boyle: Air Force major being involuntary discharged for refusing flu shot

Top Trump officials visit Alaska to push energy projects; Murkowski ducks press questions

Suzanne Downing
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23
Top Trump officials visit Alaska to push energy projects; Murkowski ducks press questions

In a show of federal support for expanding energy development in Alaska, three Cabinet-level officials from the Trump administration visited Anchorage this week to advance drilling in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge (ANWR) and revive the long-dormant Alaska LNG project.

Interior Secretary Doug Burgum, Energy Secretary Chris Wright, and Environmental Protection Agency Administrator Lee Zeldin arrived in Alaska as part of a broader initiative tied to President Donald Trump’s recent executive order prioritizing oil, gas, mining, and timber development on federal lands in Alaska.

Their visit included high-level meetings on Sunday with resource development advocates, energy industry leaders, and Alaska’s two US Senators — Dan Sullivan and Lisa Murkowski — and Gov. Mike Dunleavy.

During a closed-door roundtable with industry leaders, the cabinet members reiterated the administration’s commitment to reducing permitting barriers and restarting long-stalled energy projects, such as the Alaska LNG project that would help Alaska commercialize its extraordinary supply of natural gas.

Sen. Lisa Murkowski, long known as a critic of all-things Trump, participated in the roundtable, but left the event before members of the press were allowed to ask questions.

In contrast, Sen. Dan Sullivan remained engaged through the full session and fielded questions from the media alongside Burgum, Wright, and Zeldin.

Following their Anchorage meetings, the delegation members are traveling to Prudhoe Bay for a firsthand look at the state’s energy infrastructure and to hear directly from North Slope operators.

The renewed focus on ANWR drilling and LNG export infrastructure comes as the Trump administration signals a rollback of what it describes as “regulatory overreach” under prior administrations.

US GoldMining advances exploration at Whistler gold-copper project in West Susitna Mineral District

Suzanne Downing
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27
US GoldMining advances exploration at Whistler gold-copper project in West Susitna Mineral District

US GoldMining Inc. released an update last week regarding its exploration activities in the northern part of its Whistler Gold-Copper Project, 105 miles west of Anchorage in the West Susitna Mineral District.

Spanning 53,700 acres of state mining claims, the Whistler Project hosts the Whistler-Raintree mineral system, also known as the “Whistler Orbit,” a 5×5 km porphyry cluster containing multiple mapped and interpreted intrusions, including the established Whistler and Raintree West mineral resource deposits.

The mining project has indicated resources of 6.5 million gold equivalent ounces and inferred resources of 4.2 million gold equivalent ounces. 

Porphyry deposits, a primary global source of copper, often contain significant gold, silver, and other metals like molybdenum. The Whistler Project is a gold-rich variant, with over 25 individual exploration targets identified within the Whistler Orbit.

These targets, a mix of mapped diorite porphyry rocks, surface geochemical anomalies, and interpreted intrusions from 3D magnetic modeling, highlight the area’s potential for new discoveries, the company said. Recent drilling results, announced Feb. 10, underscore this potential.

Tim Smith, CEO of US GoldMining, emphasized the project’s strategic importance: “The Whistler Gold-Copper Project is located within the West Susitna Mineral District, which contains established gold, copper, and silver mineral resources, plus potential for other critical metals such as antimony and tungsten. The Whistler-Raintree Mineral System already contains two of the three deposits delineated to date and over 25 additional potential exploration targets identified over an area of approximately 5 x 5 km.”

The Whistler Orbit is underlain by a large causative batholith, fostering a cluster of high-level intrusive bodies prospective for porphyry-style gold-copper-silver mineralization. Exploration leverages advanced techniques, including 3D inversion modeling of airborne magnetic survey data, which maps magnetic minerals in the upper crust. This method has identified dozens of pipe-like porphyry intrusions, some comparable in scale to the Whistler Deposit’s host diorite-porphyry, while others represent smaller “pencil” porphyries or dyke swarms.

Key targets include Mammoth, a magnetically similar intrusion to the Whistler Deposit with elevated gold, copper, and silver values in 2024 surface till sampling, suggesting a nearby source. Big White and Sunbowl are interpreted as extensions of the Whistler Deposit’s magnetic and chargeability anomalies, potentially offset by faulting or post-mineral intrusions.

Historic drilling at Raintree North and East has intersected encouraging results, such as 120.66 meters at 0.73 g/t gold equivalent in 2011, indicating potential for additional porphyry mineralization. The Hotfoot target, 0.75 km south of Raintree West, features a large pipe-shaped magnetic anomaly and alteration suggestive of nearby porphyry mineralization.

The company’s exploration strategy builds on two successful field seasons in 2023 and 2024, integrating drilling, historical core relogging, surface mapping, sampling, and geophysical data, the company said. Despite challenges from till and gravel cover obscuring direct surface mapping, remote sensing and drilling are enabling targeted exploration. U.S. GoldMining is currently prioritizing targets for future programs, potentially commencing this summer, to expand resources while advancing an initial economic assessment announced April 15, 2025.

The Whistler Project, with existing deposits occupying less than 1% of the total land package, represents an unusual opportunity for resource growth and potential large-scale mining development in the future for Alaska. Start dates are yet to be confirmed as geological analysis and planning continue, the company noted.

Seattle lawsuit blames oil companies for heat wave death

Suzanne Downing
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27
Seattle lawsuit blames oil companies for heat wave death

A Washington woman is suing several major oil companies, claiming their products contributed to the death of her mother during the 2021 Pacific Northwest heat wave.

Misti Leon has filed a lawsuit in King County Superior Court in Seattle against ExxonMobil, Chevron, Shell, BP, ConocoPhillips, Phillips 66, and Olympic Pipeline Company. She alleges the companies played a role in driving climate change, which intensified the record-breaking heat that caused her mother, Juliana Leon, to die of hyperthermia.

On June 28, 2021, temperatures in the region reached 108 degrees — the highest ever recorded. Juliana Leon, 65, was in her car without a functioning air conditioner when she pulled over and was later found unconscious. Her core body temperature had reached 110 degrees, and she died of overheating.

The Washington State Department of Health and King County medical examiner reported that year that there were at least 25 direct heat-related deaths in King County between June 26 and July 6, 2021. The deaths were primarily attributed to hyperthermia or heatstroke, and the decedents tended to be older individuals or those who lacked air conditioning. The New York Times did an analysis and said there were 600 excess deaths in Washington and Oregon during that heat wave week, with about 450 excess deaths in Washington alone. The University of Washington pegged it at 159.

“Defendants knew that their fossil fuel products were already altering the earth’s atmosphere,” the new lawsuit claims. It also states that by 1968, oil companies “understood that the fossil fuel-dependent economy they were creating and perpetuating would intensify those atmospheric changes, resulting in more frequent and destructive weather disasters and foreseeable loss of human life.” The filing, Leon v. ExxonMobil et al., argues that “the extreme heat that killed Julie was directly linked to fossil fuel-driven alteration of the climate.”

Chevron Corporation counsel Theodore Boutrous Jr. responded in a statement to media: “Exploiting a personal tragedy to promote politicized climate tort litigation is contrary to law, science, and common sense. The court should add this far-fetched claim to the growing list of meritless climate lawsuits that state and federal courts have already dismissed.”

King County Superior Court is a progressive venue in the heart of Seattle, a known bastion of both the Democratic Party and the Socialist Party and its subsets. Seattle voters in 2020 voted 75% for Joe Biden and 22% for Donald Trump. In 2024, Seattle voters awarded Kamala Harris 87% of the vote, and Donald Trump only 8.95%, indicating that the city has gone even more left.

While no other case exactly mirrors this wrongful death claim, several lawsuits have similarly sought to hold fossil fuel companies accountable for climate-related impacts, alleging deception or failure to mitigate emissions.

In 2024, the city and county of Honolulu sued major oil companies including ExxonMobil, Chevron, Shell, and BP, seeking damages for climate change-related impacts such as sea level rise, flooding, and heatwaves. That suit alleges the companies concealed the dangers of fossil fuels and used deceptive marketing. It remains ongoing.

In 2020, the Delaware Attorney General filed a lawsuit against Chevron, ExxonMobil, BP, and the American Petroleum Institute, accusing them of misleading consumers about climate impacts for over 50 years. The case cites violations of consumer protection laws and alleges harms such as sea level rise and extreme weather. It is still in litigation.

Also in 2020, Connecticut’s Attorney General sued ExxonMobil under the state’s Unfair Trade Practices Act, alleging the company concealed the consequences of fossil fuel use, leading to climate-related damages like sea level rise and property loss. That case is ongoing.

In 2019, Massachusetts filed a similar lawsuit against ExxonMobil, accusing the company of misleading investors and consumers about the risks of fossil fuel-driven climate change. That case also remains unresolved.

Many of these lawsuits have been brought by Democratic-led states or environmental litigation firms. The Seattle case is reportedly the first to assert wrongful death liability against oil companies based on a single individual’s death from extreme heat.

Earlier this year, the State of Washington sued President Donald Trump over his declaration of a national energy emergency. Get caught up on lawsuit that at the following link.

Hostile neighbor: State of Washington sues Trump over his emergency order that helps Alaska economy

Memorial week missions: Guard, Army, CAP, Troopers pull off 10 dramatic Alaska rescues

Suzanne Downing
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9
Memorial week missions: Guard, Army, CAP, Troopers pull off 10 dramatic Alaska rescues

Over the course of the busy Memorial Day weekend and into the following week, the Alaska Air and Army National Guard, US Army units, and the Civil Air Patrol responded to six separate emergency missions across the state, working alongside the Alaska State Troopers and local hospitals.

The coordinated efforts from May 24 to 28 resulted in 10 confirmed saves and highlighted the essential role of interagency cooperation in responding to emergencies in Alaska’s rugged terrain.

In the most complex operation of the week, the Alaska Army National Guard rescued five people stranded near the Knik River after their all-terrain vehicle capsized on the shoreline. On May 26, a HH-60M Black Hawk helicopter from Golf Company, 2-211th General Support Aviation Battalion was dispatched with a flight paramedic team and a crew chief, and Chief Warrant Officers Bradley Jorgensen and Mike Miller at the controls.

A good Samaritan had alerted the Alaska State Troopers, who then worked with the Rescue Coordination Center to relay the coordinates of the stranded individuals. One person had sustained injuries during the incident and received immediate care before being airlifted by stretcher. All five were transported to Mat-Su Regional Medical Center for further evaluation.

“We had great coordination with the RCC, and our guys did a great job,” said Jorgensen. “For everyone exploring Alaska this summer, I’d say have a plan and a [satellite communication device].”

The week’s rescue operations started with a May 24 mission in the Seward area, where a hiker injured on a trail was medevaced by an HH-60 Pave Hawk helicopter from the Alaska Air National Guard’s 210th Rescue Squadron. Pararescuemen from the 212th Rescue Squadron supported the mission, working with Seward Fire Department to ensure a successful extraction and one life saved.

On May 25, the Army’s 1st Battalion, 52nd Aviation Regiment responded to a call from Healy Lake, where a patient required emergency transport to Fairbanks Memorial Hospital. Due to weather and terrain challenges, civilian air ambulances were unable to access the area, prompting military intervention. The Army UH-60 crew completed the medevac successfully, marking another save.

The same day as the Knik River operation, a separate joint mission involving the Alaska Army National Guard and Civil Air Patrol was launched to search for an overdue hiker near Sutton. Though the hiker was eventually located by a good Samaritan, the aerial search contributed to the overall recovery.

Later on May 26, the Alaska Air National Guard conducted two separate medevacs. One involved the airlift of an individual with a head injury from a remote cabin near Montana Creek to Providence Alaska Medical Center. Another began on May 27, as crews responded to a leg injury at a remote lodge. The patient was flown to Gulkana, where they were transferred to a civilian air ambulance.

Each of those missions resulted in one additional save, bringing the total number of individuals rescued to ten.

“This busy week was a testament to our capabilities across the state to help Alaskans in need,” said Lt. Col. Aaron Hunter, director of the Alaska Rescue Coordination Center. “As this rescue season kicks off, we encourage all Alaskans to travel with satellite communication devices at all times to ensure their safety.”

Encampment at Davis Park to be cleared, but where will the vagrants go next? SLAZ South

Suzanne Downing
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50
Encampment at Davis Park to be cleared, but where will the vagrants go next? SLAZ South

The Municipality of Anchorage has announced it will abate the long-standing homeless encampment at Davis Park — again — on June 17, citing escalating safety concerns for both camp occupants and neighboring residents. The action is more political theater, one that will move around the city’s vagrant encampments to other neighborhoods, such as one in South Anchorage.

The Suzanne LaFrance Autonomous Zone (SLAZ) encampment at Davis Park has become a symbol of Anchorage’s struggle with chronic drug addiction and criminal vagrancy, especially in the Mountain View neighborhood. Residents have long complained of crime, open drug use, and unsafe public spaces that are filled with human waste.

The last abatement of the Davis Park homeless encampment in Anchorage was in April of 2024, with cleanup efforts continuing for nearly a week afterward due to the mountains of trash and debris. This year it could take longer, as the waste has only grown.

“Large encampments are dangerous — they’re not safe for the people living in them, and they’re not safe for people living nearby,” said Mayor Suzanne LaFrance.

In the name of equity, she is going to spread out the problem.

The city’s plan includes outreach services from the Anchorage Coalition to End Homelessness, increased patrols from the Anchorage Police Department, and a full cleanup by Parks and Recreation following the sweep. “No Camping” signs will be posted, and the city promises shelter referrals and enforcement to prevent re-encampment.

But this pattern is all too familiar. In past abatements, displaced individuals simply migrated to other greenbelts, wooded areas, wildlife sanctuaries, trails, or commercial corners of the city — out of sight, at times, but never out of mind for the communities that absorb the fallout. And then they migrated back to Davis Park.

The LaFrance administration is already considering where those displaced by the June 17 sweep may go, and some South Anchorage residents are now on high alert.

One location under consideration for an organized car-based homeless site is a vacant municipal right-of-way between 104th and 106th Avenues, next to Target and Cabela’s in South Anchorage. The proposal would allow approximately 50 people who are living in vehicles to park overnight in two designated lots, with hours limited from 6 pm to 8 am and requirements for registration, vehicle operability, and compliance with behavioral rules.

The city says the lots would be supervised, equipped with portable toilets and waste disposal, and serve as gateways to social services, including job training and housing programs. The idea is not dissimilar to the navigation center proposed by former Mayor Dave Bronson, who wanted a social service navigation and shelter site established.

The only reason the public knows about this new proposed encampment in south Anchorage is because people are sharing about it on social media. There has been no public process. It was, for all intents and purposes, a secret.

This is especially rich considering Mayor LaFrance’s very vocal opposition to the Bronson administration’s navigation center, which was intended to house hundreds and connect individuals with wraparound care. That facility was to be built in East Anchorage near the Alaska Native Medical Center and was designed to replace the Sullivan Arena mass shelter, which closed in 2023.

As Assembly Chair, LaFrance led the charge to stall and ultimately defund the navigation center, citing lack of public process, poor contract management, and her preference for “scattered site” services. She argued that neighborhoods were not properly consulted and that the Bronson administration failed to follow procurement norms.

Now, as mayor, LaFrance is pursuing her own version of a response, contradicting her own standards. Unlike the lengthy public debates over the navigation center, the proposal to place a vehicle-based homeless site near Target and Cabela’s in South Anchorage has moved forward with little public input.

SLAZ South was a stealth operation by the LaFrance Administration until the public forced the matter into the light.

Welcome to La Franckorage: A multi-media tour of summer in Alaska’s largest vagrant encampments
New Anchorage law targets illegal fires amid rising wildfire risk and vagrant camp sprawl
Room with a view: A multi-media tour of scenic Mayor Suzanne LaFrance Autonomous Zone (SLAZ)
Photo tour: Democrats blasted Bronson for Centennial Park campground. They ushered in Anchorage trail system’s Wild, Wild West

Trump’s new permitting overhaul could get Alaska energy and infrastructure projects back on track

Suzanne Downing
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12
Trump’s new permitting overhaul could get Alaska energy and infrastructure projects back on track

The Trump Administration has released a new Permitting Technology Action Plan that will overhaul the way the federal government reviews and approves infrastructure projects.

The plan, developed by the Council on Environmental Quality in coordination with the National Energy Dominance Council and other permitting agencies, is another step in fulfilling President Trump’s directive to bring federal permitting into the 21st century.

The action plan relates to infrastructure projects such as roads, bridges, energy facilities, and industrial operations, and comes on the heels of President Donald Trump’s April memorandum titled “Updating Permitting Technology for the 21st Century.” It builds upon the launch of the Permitting Innovation Center on April 30, which is a collaboration with the General Services Administration’s Technology Transformation Services to pilot new digital systems.

The Permitting Technology Action Plan includes several major components:

  • Establishes government-wide standards for digital permitting systems to ensure efficiency and consistency.
  • Introduces a preliminary data and technology framework for the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) process, designed to facilitate faster and more uniform environmental reviews.
  • Sets a phased schedule for federal agencies to implement the technology upgrades.
  • Details interagency coordination mechanisms to support effective execution.

The initiative addresses chronic issues that include fragmented systems, incompatible software, and manual handling of data. The goal is to enable real-time collaboration among agencies, improve transparency, and reduce uncertainty for applicants.

Secretary of the Interior Doug Burgum said the plan is “an example of American innovation solving American challenges,” and emphasized that it will result in cleaner, faster, and more reliable infrastructure.

Energy Secretary Chris Wright added that modernizing the permitting process is “essential for strengthening energy security and lowering energy costs for American families.”

The action plan follows President Donald Trump’s Jan. 20 Declaration of National Energy Emergency, which established emergency permitting procedures for fossil fuel and mining projects on federal lands and capped reviews at 28 days.

The initiative also coincides with a major Supreme Court decision on May 29 that narrowed the scope of NEPA. The Court ruled NEPA is a procedural statute, not a regulatory hurdle, making it easier for agencies to approve projects without in-depth environmental impact assessments. Industry leaders hailed the decision, while environmental groups warned it could sideline environmental protections in favor of fossil fuel development.

Since Alaska’s economy heavily relies on natural resource extraction, including oil, gas, and minerals, with projects like the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge oil and gas leasing and the Pebble Mine being focal points, the policy framework may help move projects along in an expedited way, reversing the regulatory tangles created by the Biden Administration.

Supreme Court clears way for energy projects with NEPA decision. Alaska stands to gain big
JERA signals interest in Alaska LNG as global buyers head north for talks in Anchorage

Alaska joins coalition to urge Meta to address AI sex exploitation risks

Suzanne Downing
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2
Alaska joins coalition to urge Meta to address AI sex exploitation risks

Alaska Attorney General Treg Taylor has joined a bipartisan coalition of 28 state attorneys general demanding urgent answers from Meta Platforms, Inc. owner of Facebook, following revelations that Meta’s artificial intelligence chatbot, known as “Meta AI,” may be exposing children to sexually explicit content and enabling simulated grooming behavior on its social media platforms.

The group of top law enforcement officials issued a formal letter to Meta, citing investigative reports that uncovered instances where AI personas, some developed and voiced by Meta itself, engaged in graphic sexual conversations with users identifying as minors.

In one case, a Meta-created persona using the voice of actor John Cena described a sexual encounter with a user posing as a 14-year-old girl and acknowledged that the activity described was illegal.

“These reports are alarming,” said Alaska Attorney General Treg Taylor. “I have the job as Attorney General to protect children. I trust that Meta will take swift action to address our concerns.”

Meta AI is integrated into Facebook, Instagram, and WhatsApp, allowing users to interact with virtual personas through text, voice, and image. Some of these personas mimic celebrities such as Kristen Bell and John Cena, while others are user-generated but curated and promoted by Meta.

According to investigative findings, some of these AI bots have been used to simulate sexually explicit conversations involving children.

The attorneys general are demanding Meta answer the following key questions by June 10:

  • Did Meta intentionally remove safeguards to allow sexual role-play scenarios involving children?
  • Are such capabilities still active on any Meta platforms?
  • Will Meta immediately halt access to sexual role-play on its platforms?

In 2023, Taylor joined 53 attorneys general from states and territories in urging Congress to study and impose restrictions on artificial intelligence tools used to generate child sexual abuse material.

The letter to Meta was led by South Carolina Attorney General Alan Wilson and co-signed by attorneys general from Alabama, Arkansas, Florida, Georgia, Idaho, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Mississippi, Missouri, Montana, Nebraska, New Hampshire, North Dakota, Ohio, Oklahoma, Pennsylvania, South Dakota, Tennessee, Texas, Utah, Virginia, West Virginia, and Wyoming.

The coalition emphasized that protecting children from online harm is a bipartisan priority and warned that failure by Meta to act swiftly and transparently could invite further legal and legislative scrutiny.

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