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Trump admin revives ‘Apprentice’-era energy with $1M business battle in DC

Five small business finalists will compete live in Washington, DC, on Sept. 18 for a share of growth capital

August 31, 2026 3:00pm EDT / Fox News

By Ashley J. DiMella Fox News

FIRST ON FOX: The Small Business Administration is bringing a celebrity panel to Washington next month to judge five entrepreneurs competing for a share of a $1 million prize pool, Fox News Digital has exclusively learned.

“As our nation marks its 250th anniversary, the SBA is celebrating America’s legacy of free enterprise through the Million Dollar Pitch Competition—a historic live event showcasing the essential contributions of America’s small businesses,” SBA Administrator Kelly Loeffler told Fox News Digital.

Entrepreneurs from across the nation submitted their ideas earlier this year, leaving five finalists to participate in a live pitch competition in Washington, D.C., on Sept. 18.

Rapper Nicki Minaj, entrepreneur and private equity fund manager Grant Cardone, co-founder of Airbnb and U.S. Chief Design Office Joe Gebbia will judge the final competition. Award-winning actor Dean Cain will host the event, Fox News Digital has exclusively learned.

REP ROGER WILLIAMS: 250 YEARS OF HARD WORK PAYS OFF FOR MAIN STREET BUSINESSES

WASHINGTON, DC – JANUARY 28: Musician Nicki Minaj (L) joins U.S. President Donald Trump on stage as he delivers remarks during the Treasury Department’s Trump Accounts Summit at Andrew W. Mellon Auditorium on January 28, 2026 in Washington, DC. (Photo by Win McNamee/Getty Images)(Win McNamee/Getty Images)

The competition is another example of the Trump administration’s efforts to spotlight American ingenuity and partner with the private sector to support innovation and small-business growth, Fox News Digital learned.

“Their participation brings invaluable real-world perspective as our five exceptional finalists compete for a share of $1 million in growth capital. I look forward to joining them next month as we recognize the innovators and job creators who power American strength,” Loeffler added.

The participants were evaluated based on categories of strengthening American competitiveness, examples of small businesses “punching above its weight,” economic impact and quality jobs and business fundamentals and execution readiness.

AMAZON EXPLORES ‘THE APPRENTICE’ REBOOT WITH TRUMP JR SET FOR PROMOTION: REPORT

Donald Trump Jr., Donald Trump and Ivanka Trump attend “The Apprentice” Season 6 finale at the Hollywood Bowl in Hollywood, Calif.(Mathew Imaging/FilmMagic)

The five finalists are defense technology company Compotech, Inc. in Brewer, ME, metalworking machinery manufacturer Winton Machine in Suwanee, GA, plastic mold manufacturing company Plas-Tech Tooling in Garner, IA, pressure vessel manufacturer Red River in Gillette, WY, and machinery manufacturing firm VetPowered LLC in San Diego, CA.

No finalist will go empty-handed with the first-place winner scoring $400,000, second place winning $250,000, third place gets $150,000 and fourth place will take home $125,000, leaving fifth place with $75,000.

The competition also echoes the format of Trump’s hit early-2000s reality show, “The Apprentice,” which put aspiring business leaders through a series of challenges for a chance to work for his company.

‘SHARK TANK’ STAR DAYMOND JOHN SAYS ‘YOU’LL BE SCREWED’ IF YOU DO THIS WHEN STARTING A BUSINESS

Donald Trump, Donald Trumpr, Jr and Ivanka Trump during the Celebrity Apprentice livre season finale on May 16, 2010 in New York City.(Bill Tompkins/Getty Images)

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The successful show aired for 14 seasons with Trump as host.

Ashley J. DiMella reports on politics for Fox News Digital.

Tropical storm warning issued for parts of Louisiana, Texas coasts

August 31, 2026 / 2:40 PM EDT / CBS News

By Emily Mae Czachor
Emily Mae Czachor is a reporter and news editor at CBSNews.com. She typically covers breaking news, extreme weather and climate. Emily Mae previously wrote for outlets like the Los Angeles Times, BuzzFeed and Newsweek.

Read Full Bio

A tropical storm warning was issued Monday for coastal stretches of Louisiana and Texas as a tropical depression formed in the Gulf. Forecasters originally classified it as a potential tropical cyclone but revised the designation as it became more organized.

If it continues to develop as anticipated, the system will become Tropical Storm Edouard, the fifth tropical storm so far during the 2026 Atlantic hurricane season.

Maps show storm’s path and forecast

Forecasters predict that the system will dump 3 to 6 inches of rain on parts of coastal Texas and some inland areas in east-central parts of the state, with up to 9 inches of rainfall possible in certain places. Southwestern Louisiana was expected to see 2 to 3 inches, the National Hurricane Center said.

CBS News

It warned that rain in both states “could produce flash flooding, especially in low-lying and urban areas.” Up to 3 feet of possible storm surge in coastal spots was also a concern.

The current warning area includes portions of southeastern Texas and southwestern Louisiana, beginning at Texas’ Port Bolivar and continuing to Louisiana’s Vermilion/Cameron Parish Line, according to the hurricane center, which is based in Miami.

CBS News

Communities are placed under tropical storm warnings when conditions, including strong winds, rain and flooding, are expected to take shape within the warning area. In this case, tropical storm conditions are likely within 24 to 36 hours, the hurricane center said, with the latest forecast track indicating it could reach the Gulf Coast by Tuesday.

The storm was traveling slowly westward toward the Gulf Coast on Monday, when forecasters pinpointed its location about 130 miles from Morgan City, Louisiana, and 230 miles from Port Arthur, Texas.

It had maximum sustained winds of 35 mph — just below the minimum speed of 39 mph that would officially qualify it as a tropical storm. Forecasters said it was expected to strengthen somewhat over the course of the next day or so.

600,000 seniors have signed up for obesity drugs under new Medicare program

August 31, 2026 7:42 PM UTC / Reuters

[1/2]U.S. Center for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) Administrator Dr. Mehmet Oz speaks during a press conference at the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services in Washington, D.C., U.S., July 21, 2026. REUTERS/Kylie Cooper/File Photo

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Eli Lilly and Company
Novo Nordisk A/S

Aug 31 (Reuters) – U.S. Centers for Medicare and ​Medicaid Services Administrator ‌Dr. Mehmet Oz said on ​Monday that 600,000 ​seniors have signed ⁠up to receive ​GLP-1 weight loss ​medications in the first two months of ​a new ​federal program created to expand ‌access ⁠to the highly sought-after treatments.

Under the so-called Medicare ​Bridge ​program, ⁠which launched in July, ​millions of ​older ⁠Americans qualify for obesity medications at ⁠just $50 ​a ​month.

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Reporting by Michael Erman; editing ​by Michelle Nichols

Our Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Longtime friend to Trump foe James Comey subpoenaed in new leak investigation

2026-08-31 1:00 PM ET / CNN

By Hannah Rabinowitz

3 hr ago

PUBLISHED Aug 31, 2026, 1:00 PM ET

Daniel Richman testifies before the Senate Judiciary Committee in 2007.

Stephanie Kuykendal/Bloomberg/Getty Images/File

A federal grand jury on Monday subpoenaed Daniel Richman, a longtime friend and adviser to James Comey, in a renewed probe into whether the former FBI Director improperly shared sensitive information with the media, according to a source familiar with the investigation.

The suspected leak — which involved memos Comey wrote about his meetings with President Donald Trump — had previously been examined during President Donald Trump’s first term, but prosecutors declined to bring charges.

The subpoena suggests the Justice Department has opened a new investigation into the matter, marking the department’s third attempt to target Comey, one of Trump’s most prominent political foes.

Comey is already facing charges that he threatened Trump with a social media post depicting shells that spelled out “8647.” The term 86 is sometimes used to refer to getting rid or removing something and Trump is the 47th president.

He was also facing charges for allegedly making false statements to Congress, but those charges were thrown out by a judge last year.

The subpoena of Richman was first reported by Fox News.

CNN has reached out to Richman for comment.

The controversy over the alleged leaks to the New York Times began in the early days of Trump’s first administration. After he was fired as FBI Director by Trump, Comey shared at least one memo describing his conversations with the president with a New York Times reporter.

Richman has said that while he did share the contents of one memo, “the substance of the memo passed on to the Times was not marked classified and to my knowledge remains unclassified.”

Judge orders National Guard shooting suspect to be force-fed amid monthslong hunger strike

August 31, 2026 / 2:26 PM EDT / CBS News

A federal judge ordered the man accused of fatally shooting a National Guard member and severely injuring another in Washington, D.C., last year to be force-fed and receive medical treatment following a monthslong refusal to eat and sometimes drink water while in government custody.

In a court order dated Saturday, U.S. District Judge Amit Mehta ordered Rahmanullah Lakanwal to be forcibly fed to “preserve” his life “or prevent a foreseeable deterioration in his condition that if not treated is likely to lead to death.”

Lakanwal, the judge ordered, is subject to the treatment “until adequate oral intake of food and liquid and adequate acceptance of medical treatment is achieved and defendant’s life is no longer threatened.”

In court filings last month, the Justice Department said Lakanwal was moved to a D.C. hospital on July 9 on an “emergency basis” to receive “medical treatment necessary to preserve his life” after he had refused to eat starting in June as he awaits trial.

Mehta’s order will remain in effect until Oct. 28.

Undated photo of Rahmanullah Lakanwal U.S. Attorney’s Office via AP

Lakanwal — an Afghan national who received humanitarian parole to enter the U.S. in 2021 — is accused of killing Army SPC Sarah Beckstrom and critically wounding Air Force Staff Sgt. Andrew Wolfe in an ambush-style shooting several blocks from the White House last November. He was also charged with attempting to kill two other unnamed service members who subdued him at the scene of the attack.

Beckstrom and Wolfe were members of the West Virginia National Guard who were deployed to the streets of D.C. last year as part of an anti-crime operation.

It’s unclear why Lakanwal is refusing food and medical care. His attorneys did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

Lakanwal is facing more than a dozen federal charges for the attack, including murder of a person assisting an officer of the United States and discharge of a firearm during a violent crime that causes death, both of which are death penalty-eligible. He also is facing attempted murder and firearm charges, along with first-degree murder, assault and gun possession charges under D.C. law. He has pleaded not guilty to all charges.

The Justice Department has said it is reviewing whether to seek the death penalty in Lakanwal’s case.

Exclusive: DHS plans to launch voter fraud investigation surge Tuesday

2026-08-31T18:22:44.001Z / CNN

The Department of Homeland Security is planning a surge in its efforts to investigate voter fraud in select states starting Tuesday, according to internal federal guidance reviewed by CNN.

Homeland Security Secretary Markwayne Mullin has accelerated efforts to make the department a central force in President Donald Trump’s hunt for purported widespread election fraud. DHS has pushed states to share their voter rolls for audit and has vowed to withhold grant funding from those that refuse to adopt a broader set of election reforms.

The department has leaned for investigative work on one of its agencies — Homeland Security Investigations — an arm of Immigration and Customs Enforcement that typically tackles major crimes like human trafficking, drug smuggling and child exploitation. The agency has already surged an unprecedented number of agents to work on cases, including chasing down voter histories of people believed to be noncitizens who may have illegally voted or registered to vote.

Experts say there is no evidence that widespread voter fraud has occurred in recent elections.

Starting Tuesday, HSI is launching a “coordinated criminal voter fraud surge initiative to pursue investigative leads, conduct field interviews, and support timely prosecutorial review,” the guidance says.

Offices in nine states are expected to take investigative action from early September to mid-October, according to the guidance. Those states include Washington, Wisconsin, Missouri, Georgia, California, Pennsylvania, Nevada, New York and Connecticut.

The guidance’s reference to investigative steps is notable given the push comes as midterm elections get underway. Such “overt” investigatory actions while elections were approaching have historically been discouraged, under long-standing Justice Department policy limiting investigative actions could influence elections.

“Doing otherwise runs the risk of chilling legitimate voting and campaign activities and of interjecting the investigation itself into ongoing campaigns and the adjudication of any ensuing election contest,” the Justice Department manual says. “It may, however, often be appropriate, in consultation with the Public Integrity Section, to share information and allegations involving such matters with state or local authorities where an immediate need for overt measures exists.”

The DOJ formally rescinded the policy under the first Trump administration but still mostly abided by it, and it was reinstated under President Joe Biden.

But DHS, as a separate department, is not obligated to follow the policy, and the new guidance makes no reference to those timing concerns.

CNN reached out to the Department of Homeland Security for comment.

Under the Trump administration, agents have, for example, been assigned to investigate whether naturalized US citizens registered or voted before becoming citizens, CNN previously reported. Another memo directed HSI agents to coordinate with US Citizenship and Immigration Services to begin removal proceedings when a noncitizen is suspected of or linked to voter fraud.

Despite the dramatic shift of resources toward investigating election fraud, the administration has brought only a handful of prosecutions — mostly targeting cases of noncitizens voting or being unlawfully registered to vote.

Still, the administration has touted alleged election fraud arrests. Last week, the Justice Department announced that a Honduran national who was legally living in the United States had been arrested and charged with fraudulently registering to vote and falsely claiming to be a US citizen.

“Today’s arrest is the first of many to come,” First Assistant United States Attorney Bill Essayli said in a statement.

Mullin, meanwhile, has positioned himself as a leading enforcer of Trump’s voter-fraud crackdown. Earlier this summer, his department announced an audit of public voter rolls had identified more than 250,000 registered noncitizens in just four states: California, Pennsylvania, New Jersey and Nevada.

“One thing that I love about numbers, and I love about facts, is they don’t lie,” Mullin told reporters at the time, warning that election officials who fail to secure the midterms could face fines or even jail time.

But the numbers have, thus far, proved far less definitive than DHS initially suggested. The department publicly claimed it had found nearly 16,000 noncitizens on Nevada’s voter rolls. But behind closed doors, the department acknowledged to the state’s top election officials that it had “confirmed” just 185 of them, according to internal records reviewed by CNN. Another 6,200 were labeled “higher confidence matches” — but still required further vetting.

黄总理见澳门特首岑浩辉 探讨深化医疗金融等领域合作

2026年8月31日 23:16 / 联合早报

我国总理黄循财（左）星期一（8月31日）与到访的澳门特首岑浩辉会面。 （数码发展及新闻部提供）

我国总理黄循财星期一（8月31日）与访问新加坡的澳门特首岑浩辉会面，就两地如何在医疗、金融服务、文化、旅游等领域深化合作展开交流。

岑浩辉上星期六（8月29日）起对我国展开三天访问。这是他首次以澳门特首身份访问新加坡，也是澳门特首时隔15年再访新。

黄总理星期一在脸书发文说，很高兴欢迎岑浩辉到访，这是与他首次会面。

黄总理指出，新加坡和澳门都是开放型经济体，坚定支持自由贸易与国际合作。他和岑浩辉就如何深化两地在医疗、金融服务、文化和旅游等领域的关系展开良好交流，并期待新加坡与澳门建立更紧密的关系。

两人也探讨了新加坡能如何把握澳门与横琴乃至粤港澳大湾区融合发展带来的新机遇，以及如何加强两地民众和大学等机构的交流。位于广东省的横琴粤澳深度合作区2021年设立，旨在推动澳门经济多元发展与两地融合。

另据澳门政府文告，岑浩辉在会面中指出，澳门正着力优化产业结构，新加坡作为全球经济转型与产业升级的成功典范，值得澳门深入学习与借鉴。

岑浩辉星期一也与我国副总理兼贸工部长颜金勇会面，并与我国外交部兼贸工部政务部长颜晓芳一起会见随团访新的中企代表。

颜晓芳在澳门政府举办的招待酒会上致辞时说，新加坡与澳门可在旅游与城市发展领域深化合作；也可发挥两地分别连接粤港澳大湾区与东南亚的作用，协助企业开拓新机遇。

岑浩辉同天下午在新加坡国立大学发表演讲，阐述“一国两制”方针在推动澳门经济发展和社会稳定的作用。

他在演讲后的交流环节被问及澳门推动经济多元化的成果时说，澳门的旅游博彩业向来十分发达，但对旅游博彩业的严重依赖不可持续，因此要推动经济多元发展。“我们必须要健康有序的博彩业，而不是（像有一段期间的）野蛮生长…….另外四大产业还有高科技、特色金融、文旅会展和中医药大健康。”

岑浩辉结束新加坡行程后，将续程访问印度尼西亚和马来西亚。

石宇奇翁泓阳状态欠佳 骆建佑郑加恒盼中国大师赛首轮突围

2026年8月31日 23:35 / 新明日报 王慧 深圳报道

• 中国羽毛球大师赛在深圳开赛，新加坡男单骆建佑和郑加恒首轮分别对阵状态欠佳的中国名将石宇奇与翁泓阳。 – 石宇奇世锦赛后排名跌至第六且连续五站无缘四强；翁泓阳近六项赛事四次一轮游，两人目前均不在最佳竞技状态。 – 赛前多名男女单打及双打世界顶尖选手退赛，包括男单世界第一佐纳丹在内的多位名将仍参赛，赛事看点依旧十足。 – 骆建佑与郑加恒若各自在首轮获胜，次轮将直接交锋争夺八强席位，届时或上演新加坡内战或另一场中新对决。

骆建佑（右）和郑加恒去年皆止步中国羽毛球大师赛首轮，这次面对两名中国好手，有挑战也有机遇。 （王慧提供）

2026年中国羽毛球大师赛（超级750赛）星期二（9月1日）在深圳体育中心体育馆打响。新加坡前两号男单骆建佑和郑加恒首轮均迎来中国强敌，分别对阵前世界第一的石宇奇和卫冕冠军翁泓阳。

尽管闯关不易，但两人也并非没有机会。在印度世锦赛上，骆建佑和郑加恒分别跻身16强和32强，而石宇奇和翁泓阳则止步首轮。

作为本赛季世界羽联世界巡回赛超级750级别的第四站（全年共六站，包括印度、新加坡、日本、中国、丹麦、法国），本届中国大师赛吸引众多好手出战。

石宇奇跌至世界第六

根据签表，最新世界排名第14的骆建佑分在上半区四分之一小区，首轮遭遇石宇奇。后者在世锦赛意外上演一轮游后，最新世界排名从榜首跌至第六。

石宇奇已经连续五次比赛没能闯入四强之林，状态欠佳。（档案照片）

两名前世锦赛冠军首轮狭路相逢，石宇奇渴望证明自己，骆建佑也期待能找回今年新加坡公开赛首夺750级别亚军的火热手感。此前双方交手七次，石宇奇四胜三负占优。但因两人目前都不在最佳状态，谁临场发挥更好，谁就可能胜出。

在7月常州中国公开赛（超级1000赛）上，我国二单郑加恒首轮就遇到当时的世界第一石宇奇。郑加恒在21比18拿下首局的情况下，次局2比6落后时因脚伤遗憾退赛。

两场比赛胜者次轮交锋

翁泓阳（图）过去六项赛事有四次一轮游，郑加恒放眼拿下交锋二连胜。（档案照片）

来到深圳，郑加恒不仅与骆建佑同处上半区四分之一小区，而首轮对手更是上届冠军翁泓阳。后者最新世界排名第18，比第31的郑加恒高出不少。不过，郑加恒曾在2025年北极公开赛首轮战胜对手。且相比之下，翁泓阳卫冕冠军的压力更大。

值得一提的是，这两场比赛之间的胜者将在次轮展开对决，争夺八强资格，届时可能会上演中国或新加坡内战，抑或是另一场新中大战。

众多名将赛前退赛

两年前，骆建佑曾对《联合早报》说过：“现在比赛的签表不到最后一刻都不能确定。”本届大师赛，再次印证了他的说法，这次比赛不少男女单打名将在最后一刻退赛。

其中，男单退赛的有世锦赛新科冠军法国新星拉尼尔、印度尼西亚后起之秀法汉，在世锦赛首轮淘汰石宇奇的印度新人阿尤什·谢蒂，以及中华台北名将林俊易等。

女单更是掀起一波退赛潮，包括中国的陈雨菲和韩悦、印尼的普特里·库苏玛·瓦尔达尼、泰国的布桑南、印度的辛杜、丹麦的米娅、新加坡的杨佳敏等都选择弃赛。

双打方面，男双世界第二印尼组合阿尔菲安／菲克里、第三的中国新科世锦赛冠军梁伟铿／王昶，以及女双世界前三中国的刘圣书／谭宁、韩国新科世锦赛冠军白荷娜／李绍希、日本的福岛由纪／松本麻佑等均选择退赛。此外，混双世界第二泰国的德差波·保乌拉努科／苏皮萨拉继世锦赛后再次高挂免战牌，放弃卫冕。

佐纳丹升世界第一 冲击今年首冠

佐纳丹刚升上世界第一，但他今年两次闯入决赛都败北，这次在中国大师赛力争稳住得来不易的排名。（路透社）

尽管如此，比赛仍看点十足。印尼名将佐纳丹本赛季还未得一冠，这次作为新晋男单世界第一，首轮将遭遇马来西亚好手梁峻豪的冲击。另外，泰国名将昆拉武特、中华台北老将周天成、法国的波波夫兄弟、加拿大的赖浩俊等都有不俗实力。

女单方面，韩国名将安洗莹被誉为最稳的夺冠热门。这名世界女单绝对霸主本赛季已拿下八站赛事冠军，胜率惊人，更在印度世锦赛上以一局未失的完美表现强势夺冠。她本赛季迄今唯一一场失利是在全英赛（超级1000赛）决赛中不敌中国的王祉怡。

男双世界头号韩国组合金元浩／徐承宰是洛杉矶奥运周期韩国队在各级别赛事中的夺金大户，这次以上届冠军身份归来，恰逢世锦赛失意以及世界第二和第三组合退赛，志在卫冕。而上届女双冠军中国的贾一凡／张殊贤同样要捍卫荣誉。

混双世界头号中国的冯彦哲／黄东萍在世锦赛决赛中，苦战三局最终输给创造历史的法国组合吉凯尔／德尔吕，无缘冠军。这次回到主场，夺冠是他们唯一的目标。

政府拟修法加强青少年社媒安全 家长专家支持分级监管

2026年8月31日 23:43 / 联合早报

• 政府拟明年初修法加强青少年社媒安全，规定平台须核查年龄、关闭自动播放及防陌生人私信接触。 – 无法提供安全保障的平台或被禁向18岁以下用户服务，受访家长欢迎新规以减轻家庭监管压力。 – 学者支持分级管理但反对一刀切年龄禁令，指其缺乏科学依据，建议完善平台安全机制保障安全。 – 专家建议分阶段提高年龄门槛给各方缓冲期，并推儿童版社媒，提醒新规难解青少年使用手机根源。

数码发展及新闻部长杨莉明（左）上星期五（8月28日）接受本地媒体联访，进一步说明政府接下来将如何加强青少年使用社媒的安全保障。 （陈渊庄摄）

针对政府拟明年初修法加强青少年社交媒体安全保障的举措，受访家长和专家表示欢迎，认为官方统一规定有助于减轻家庭监管压力。学者也支持分级管理的形式，提醒一刀切的年龄禁令缺乏科学依据且难落实，建议侧重于完善平台安全机制来保障安全。

数码发展及新闻部长杨莉明上星期五（8月28日）接受本地媒体联访，进一步说明政府接下来将如何加强青少年使用社媒的安全保障。这包括计划在明年初修法，规定各平台除了须核查用户年龄，也得预先关闭自动播放功能，以及防止陌生人通过私信等方式轻易接触青少年。无法或不愿提供这些安全保障的平台，可能禁止为18岁以下用户提供服务。

49岁的建材业者陈春燕有两个孩子，12岁的儿子上小六，16岁的女儿读中四；儿子还没有社媒账号，女儿已有。

陈春燕说：“当局拟议中的措施，对没有太多时间管控孩子屏幕使用时间的家长来说很有帮助。”

她担心儿子在玩网络游戏的时候，和世界各地的陌生玩家在线聊天，而这些人中可能有诈骗分子，甚至是恋童癖者。她还担忧，孩子可以输入比实际年龄更大的年龄来注册账号，因此家长扮演着重要角色。

她指出，十三四岁的孩子才刚进入中学，面对社交媒体上的各种内容时，可能还不够成熟，建议将使用社媒的最低年龄从13岁提高到15岁。至于政府考虑把这个使用门槛提高到18岁，她认为15岁以上再限制，效果不明显，反而会适得其反。

渐进式分阶段推行 专家建议给各方缓冲期

心理和家庭治疗机构Reconnect的临床总监和家庭治疗师陆雯英支持让13岁以下儿童远离社交媒体平台，但建议未来可以分阶段逐步把年龄门槛提高到15岁，让家庭、学校和平台都有时间适应，同时观察年轻人和平台在每个阶段如何应对，再决定是否进一步调整。

至于当局提出的新措施，陆雯英认为有助于从产品设计本身着手解决问题，但也提醒，新措施无法回应年轻人最初拿起手机的问题——可能是无聊、社交焦虑、渴望融入群体，或家庭关系紧张。

南洋理工大学南洋商学院市场营销学教授卡尔弗特（Gemma Calvert），长期从事社媒使用对青少年行为影响的研究。她不支持以任何年龄为界实行一刀切禁令，因为没有科学依据表明，儿童满13岁这一天，发展阶段就会突然出现一道明确的分界线。

这位英国神经学家说，青少年本来就对同伴和社会反馈更加敏感，全面禁止可能迫使年轻用户转向监管较少的平台，或寻找规避限制的方法，反而可能使他们更难获得保护。

“当汽车普及、交通事故增加时，政府并没有要求人们重新骑马。我们采取的是安全带、限速和提高汽车安全性等措施。社交媒体也需要类似的安全措施。”

对于年龄较小的儿童，她建议推出同一社媒平台的儿童或青少年版本，具有限制内容、默认使用私人账户、禁止成年人主动联系、加强家长控制等特点，并采用符合年龄的内容推荐系统，之后再逐步过渡到成人版本。

她还说，澳大利亚采取了最强硬的做法，限制16岁以下人士开设社交媒体账户，但实践证明在执行上并不容易。

日本国防预算再创新高 AI成军力升级重点

2026年8月31日 20:45 / 联合早报

6月7日，日本陆上自卫队士兵在静冈县东富士演习场操控四足“机器狗”无人地面车辆。 （法新社）

日本防卫省星期一（8月31日）提出创纪录的8.9万亿日元（约715亿新元）国防预算申请，重点发展人工智能（AI）、无人机和远程导弹，以应对中国、朝鲜和俄罗斯带来的安全压力。

法新社报道，这笔预算用于2027年4月开始的新财政年度，最终国防预算据报可能进一步增至10万亿日元。

这次预算申请的一大重点，是应对所谓“新型战争方式”。日本防卫省计划引入人工智能决策支援系统，希望利用AI加快军事判断和指挥流程；同时采购成本较低的无人机，并与远程导弹配合使用，以打击敌方目标。

防卫省也计划研发可从水下发射的高超音速导弹，并成立新单位，加强应对“认知战”的能力。所谓认知战，是指通过虚假信息和其他手段影响公众认知和舆论。

日本近年来持续扩大国防投入，并逐步放宽长期以来以专守防卫为核心的安全政策。中国军力快速扩张，以及朝鲜持续发展导弹和核武器，都促使东京加快强化军事能力。

俄乌战争也进一步加深日本决策层对东亚安全局势的忧虑。日本担心，随着中国持续对台湾施压，以及中日之间领土争议升温，类似的大规模军事冲突未来也可能在东亚发生。