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与美特使会谈后 泽连斯基预计俄乌战争将持续到冬季

2026-09-07 07:43 / 联合早报

9月6日，乌克兰总统泽连斯基（右）、美国特使威特科夫（中）和美国总统特朗普的女婿库什纳（左），在基辅会谈后举行联合新闻发布会。 （法新社）

乌克兰总统泽连斯基在基辅与美国总统特朗普的特使威特科夫和特朗普女婿库什纳举行会谈后，无奈地表示，乌克兰将不得不面对又一个艰难的冬天，这与威特科夫在会后的积极讲话有明显反差。

综合英国广播公司（BBC）和彭博社报道，泽连斯基星期天（9月6日）与威特科夫和库什纳举行了数小时的闭门会谈，会后未宣布重大突破。英、德、法三国官员也参与了当天的另一轮会谈。

泽连斯基在会谈结束后向媒体发表讲话。他告诉记者，各方已达成一致，乌克兰、欧洲和美国官员将在近期会晤，继续磋商。他也呼吁与俄罗斯和美国举行三方会谈。

泽连斯基说，领土问题，例如俄罗斯要求乌克兰割让更多东部顿巴斯地区的领土，应该在“领导人层面”解决。

泽连斯基强调，他希望实现公正的和平，不给俄罗斯再次侵略的机会。他也对欧洲官员参与6日会谈表示感谢，他说：“我们站在同一阵线。”

威特科夫在基辅会谈结束后说，双方进行了实质且重要的讨论，这令美方深受鼓舞。库什纳也说，美方代表团期待旨在结束乌克兰战争的和平谈判取得更多进展。

这是威特科夫和库什纳首次访问基辅。此前，两人已为俄乌和平谈判八次前往莫斯科，但从未踏足基辅。

此前一天，威特科夫和库什纳在莫斯科与俄罗斯总统普京举行三个多小时的会谈，双方过后释放积极信号，但未透露会谈是否取得突破。

Armed man arrested after charging toward Democratic Ohio governor candidate Amy Acton at fair

2026-09-06T18:27:00-0400 / CBS/AP

An armed man was arrested after charging toward the Democratic candidate for Ohio governor, Amy Acton, on Sunday during a campaign stop at the Canfield Fair, injuring several people, campaign officials said.

Acton was not injured, but campaign officials said multiple people were hurt.

The suspect, identified as Patrick Havas, 38, of Canfield, Ohio, “aggressively shoved his way through the crowd toward Acton while holding a cell phone up,” Mahoning County Sheriff Jerry Greene told CBS News. While he was rushing forward, Havas allegedly knocked over two older people on mobility scooters, causing one of them to fall to the ground, Greene said.

Acton’s security detail was able to stop him and take him into custody until law enforcement could arrive, the sheriff said.

The man had two pistols and brass knuckles on him, according to Greene, all of which are legal to carry in Ohio.

Havas is being held at Mahoning County Jail and facing two counts of misdemeanor assault and one count of disorderly conduct, according to Greene.

Wayne Penny Jr., a Democratic candidate for Ohio’s 59th State House District, told CBS News that hecklers had gathered at the Democratic Party’s tent when one of them “bum-rushed through the crowd” in Acton’s direction.

“He literally bull-rushed through the crowd, knocked our volunteers down, ran through, pushed and knocked the elderly gentleman over with Parkinson’s, and the gentleman hit his head and fell,” Penny said.

Mahoning County Democratic Party Chairman Chris Anderson said in a statement the man also knocked several volunteers to the ground.

Acton was “grateful for the swift and decisive action of law enforcement and are praying for the recovery of those injured. This kind of violence has no place in Ohio. Dr. Acton will always stand up to the chaos, hate and vitriol that pits us against one another,” said Addie Bullock, communications director for the campaign.

Acton is facing Republican Vivek Ramaswamy, who has parlayed his national name recognition, tech industry connections and alliance with President Donald Trump into a record fundraising haul that he is tapping for advertising spots aimed at the November election. He is using campaign rallies and advertising to criticize Acton, the state’s former public health director.

Amy Acton, Ohio Democratic gubernatorial candidate and former director of the Ohio Department of Health, speaks to supporters during a rally on April 28, 2026, in Cincinnati, Ohio. Jon Cherry / Getty Images

Ramaswamy called the incident on Sunday unacceptable.

“Candidates should be able to meet with voters without having to worry about threats or violence. What happened today is completely unacceptable and has no place in politics, and we hope that no one was hurt,” Ramaswamy’s communications director, Connie Luck, said in a statement Sunday.

“Fran and I are thankful Dr. Amy Acton was not hurt, and we send our thoughts to those who were injured,” Ohio Governor Mike DeWine said in a statement. “We spoke to Dr. Acton this afternoon and she said to share with Ohioans that she is ok.”

“Violence or the threat of violence at political or public events is always unacceptable,” he added.

姜健号驱逐舰正式入列朝鲜海军

2026年9月7日 07:57 / 联合早报

朝鲜姜健号驱逐舰入列仪式9月6日在元山港举行。 （路透社）

朝鲜姜健号驱逐舰入列仪式星期天（9月6日）在元山港举行，朝鲜领导人金正恩出席入列仪式。

朝中社星期一报道，朝鲜劳动党中央政治局委员、党中央书记赵春龙作了姜健号（Kang Kon）驱逐舰入列准备情况的报告，姜健号下水后通过了多阶段专业评估与试验，驱逐舰战斗性能和可靠性得到综合验证。姜健号正式入列朝鲜人民军海军。

金正恩发表讲话说，姜健号驱逐舰不仅是朝鲜经济、国防、科学技术力量的综合体现，更是朝鲜维护自身权益的自尊、意志、顽强精神的结晶。

Transcript: Rep. Jason Crow on “Face the Nation with Margaret Brennan,” Sept. 6, 2026

2026-09-06T12:08:00-0400 / CBS News

The following is the transcript of the interview with Rep. Jason Crow, Democrat of Colorado, that aired on “Face the Nation with Margaret Brennan” on Sept. 6, 2026.

MARGARET BRENNAN: We’re joined now by Colorado Democratic Congressman Jason Crow. It’s good to have you here in person.

REPRESENTATIVE JASON CROW: Thank you. Thanks for having me.

MARGARET BRENNAN: So CBS is reporting that several dozen of the highest-ranking officials in the United States military were subjected to polygraph tests as part of the sweeping leak probe that Secretary Hegseth has ordered. This includes combatant commanders. They’re looking for who leaked the highly classified details about the nation’s stockpiles of sophisticated weapons. This is extremely rare.

REP. CROW: Yeah.

MARGARET BRENNAN: Is it appropriate? Has Congress been told anything about the outcome?

REP. CROW: I haven’t been briefed anything about this. I’m a senior member of the Armed Services Committee and the Intelligence Committee. We haven’t received any information; it’s just been public reports. And- and certainly, stopping leaks and protecting classified information is really important. And I would always support that. The problem is- is the broader context that Pete Hegseth has created here. He has purged over 80 generals and admirals, the top 10% of the entire military chain of command has been purged. We are at a 25-year low for the number of women on the promotion list, and he’s created an environment of fear. He’s pushed out journalists. He’s pushed out media. This is part of his effort to create fear and to clamp down on information coming out of the Pentagon.

MARGARET BRENNAN: I mean, polygraph tests are part of routine cadence, but from what I understand, it’s the number, it’s the rank of people here. It also seems to confirm the reporting about the problems with America’s munitions shortages.

REP. CROW: Right.

MARGARET BRENNAN: What is the state of that?

REP. CROW: Well, because they don’t- they don’t want people to know. This is exactly the point. They don’t want people to know what’s actually happening. That’s why they fired the editor of the Stars and Stripes, an independent newspaper that’s been around since 1861 by the way- 1861, it was founded during the Civil War to be an independent media outlet for our service members, so that people would understand what they’re going through. This is the broader trend of them not wanting anybody, including members of Congress, to understand what’s going on. Munitions have been depleted. The stockpiles are very low, contrary to what Donald Trump wants us to believe. These types of precise munitions do not grow on trees. They take a long time to build up. They started this war. The president started this war without a plan, without a strategy. I mean, I just heard your prior guest, Secretary Wright, talk about numbers and barrels, and- and that’s all tactical discussion, right? These are tactical decisions. There’s no strategy here. There’s no off-ramp. There’s no longer-term plan for how we get out of this and how we normalize the markets and how we drive down prices for Americans.

MARGARET BRENNAN: Speaking of the region, one of the other things we’re looking at is the 50,000 personnel the U.S. keeps currently in the region. The Navy’s Fifth Fleet is headquartered in the country of Bahrain. The Chief of Naval Operations held a town hall this past week. A sailor asked about like, when can I go back and get all my gear, and he said, “We’re not getting back in there anytime soon. I just want to be completely honest about that.” Should we understand that as saying the U.S. is withdrawing or drawing down personnel from- from the Gulf?

REP. CROW: I- I have for a long time thought that we need to draw down our forces generally in the Middle East. We need to get out of endless conflict in the Middle East. Donald Trump campaigned on this, by the way. He knew that Americans are fed up with an endless cycle of conflict and the quagmires in the Middle East. Over the last–

MARGARET BRENNAN: But even from the Navy’s Fifth Fleet- you want to pull back from that base?

REP. CROW: No, not from that particular base. I’m talking about overall. You’d mentioned the 50,000 service members. We’ve had 50,000 plus service members in this region since 2001. That- that is- that is a high high number. That is to support our endless conflicts in the region, right? We can move that number down. We can save money for taxpayers. We can be stronger. We can be more nimble, but the broader point here is that Donald Trump has doubled down on 25 years of endless conflict that’s cost us $3 to $5 trillion, thousands of American lives, hundreds of thousands altered forever. Right? We- we have been at war in the region for 25 years now.

MARGARET BRENNAN: Since 9/11.

REP. CROW: Since 9/11. That’s not okay. It’s not inevitable. That does not need to happen, right? So, what is happening now is- is- is again, a perpetuation of this conflict that has to stop.

MARGARET BRENNAN: And I understand Secretary Hegseth sent letters out to the Army this week extending troop deployments as well, and our Ellee Watson obtained some of those letters. Let me ask you about a story we shared last week on Face the Nation. General Alizai, an Afghan commander who has asylum here in America, is under current government restrictions due to his nationality. He can’t travel outside, he hasn’t been able to bring his wife and three children to this country, even though he has asylum here. What are vets like you trying to do to reunite those who fought alongside us in that Afghan war?

REP. CROW: There’s a bipartisan group of us who are- who are fighting hard to expand the Special Immigrant Visa program to what it used to be before the Trump administration came in and dismantled- entirely dismantled that program, cut the visas, defunded all of the agencies and departments and personnel that were working to keep that promise. We are pursuing temporary protective status and looking at trying to find ways to force a vote in the House and the Senate to move it forward because we have a moral obligation to these folks who fought with us. Me and others who came back after wars in Iraq and Afghanistan may not be here today if it weren’t for those Iraqis and those Afghans who fought with us, served with us, were essential to our war effort. And- and beyond a moral obligation, it’s a national security imperative. If we want to go someplace in the world and conduct operations, keep America safe, we always, without exception, work with local forces and people on the ground. Those folks will not be there for us, they will not work with us and keep American soldiers safe in the future if they don’t think we’ll have their back.

MARGARET BRENNAN: Let me ask you about a little bit of Democratic politics because you are out there on the front lines, battleground co-chair I understand, the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee. You’re headed to Dallas this week for the Republican GOP midterm convention. What’s the purpose? What are you going to actually try to achieve while you’re there?

REP. CROW: Yeah, we’re going to hold them accountable. That’s what we’re going to do.

MARGARET BRENNAN: How do you hold them accountable when their–

REP. CROW: By- by calling- by calling out their- their- their lies, right? They’re going to get up there- I- I know how this is going to happen. I mean, all of this is so predictable at this point. They’re going to get up there and they’re going to talk about how great everything is. This is what Donald Trump does. You know, the- the economy is A plus plus plus. We’re hotter and better than ever. None of that is true, right? People are losing their farms. They’re losing their healthcare. They can’t afford basic costs. We- we are going to be there to call them out on their failed policies and the fact that we are now almost two years in this administration. And on every measure, every measure, Americans’ lives have gotten worse.

MARGARET BRENNAN: Well, on that point, if Democrats are trying to flip the House, gain control of Congress, you’ve also got to convince people you’re going to do something when you get there.

REP. CROW: Yeah.

MARGARET BRENNAN: Both the President and Speaker Johnson have said if Democrats take control, they’ll undoubtedly launch impeachment inquiries. Jamie Raskin, Maryland Democrat, on another network this morning, saying the president has undoubtedly committed impeachable offenses. Is that the plan? Is that what people should be looking for if Democrats win? Two years of impeachment inquiries?

REP. CROW: The plan is- is for accountability. Now I know a lot about impeachment because I prosecuted the first impeachment trial. I sat on the floor of the Senate in my first term in Congress, and made the case to those senators. I looked in their eye and- and I said, “Donald Trump is a- is a danger. He is not qualified, he’s not competent, and- and he’s corrupt.” They didn’t listen to me then, even though there were plenty of warning signs. So impeachment is one tool of many, and I’m less concerned about, you know, the specific tools, and I won’t hesitate to use that tool if we need to. But what we have to do is look at what’s available and what’s going to deliver results–

MARGARET BRENNAN: Yes.

REP. CROW: –for accountability. That’s what I’m concerned about. Because the corruption is- is boundless. This is the most corrupt administration in the history of America, and what corruption really is is stealing from my constituents. It is taking money out of the pockets of Coloradans,

MARGARET BRENNAN: Yeah–

REP. CROW: –money that should be used for their health care, for their homes, for their farms, and it’s going into the pockets of Donald Trump and their cronies. And I’m going to go after that money, and I’m not going to apologize for it.

MARGARET BRENNAN: Well, I’m going to have to ask you another time exactly how you plan to do that, but we’re going to leave it there for today, Congressman Crow. We’ll be right back.

Transcript: Sunoco chairman Ray Washburne on “Face the Nation with Margaret Brennan,” Sept. 6, 2026

2026-09-06T12:22:00-0400 / CBS News

The following is the transcript of the interview with Sunoco chairman Ray Washburne, Republican midterm election chair, that aired on “Face the Nation with Margaret Brennan” on Sept. 6, 2026.

MARGARET BRENNAN: We go now to Ray Washburn, co-chair of the GOP midterm convention that is happening later this week in Dallas. He’s also chairman of gasoline distributor Sunoco and a real estate investor. Mr. Washburn, good morning to you.

RAY WASHBURNE: Good morning, Margaret. Thank you for having me on.

MARGARET BRENNAN: So there’s a lot of talk about what is the first ever Republican midterm convention. I’m seeing reports here that lawmakers are being asked to pay $25,000 to attend. Vulnerable ones are not. Do lawmakers have to pay to attend and participate?

RAY WASHBURNE: You know, the whole attendance and selling the packages is all an RNC thing. I’m chairman of the host committee that’s putting the convention on, so I’m not sure exactly in all the different packages they have. But what I do know is we have 20,000 people attending all 50 states, every territory, and people have started arriving this weekend. And there’s a high degree of energy here in Dallas for the convention, so we’re very excited.

MARGARET BRENNAN: Okay. Well, the timing I know for some candidates it’s kind of tough to leave their tight races in certain districts. Do you know how many lawmakers are attending and what the money being raised will do for those who attend?

RAY WASHBURNE: Yeah. Well, obviously, with it’s going to be a great networking thing for the candidates to come down. There are going to be a lot of donors here and high-profile people, not only in the administration but in the donor community. So their events stacked every single day. So it’s very advantageous for them to come, even if it’s just for a day, just to meet and network in. So we have a high degree of candidates coming, we pretty much have every race represented here, except for a couple that couldn’t break away.

MARGARET BRENNAN: Okay. Well, President Trump said this past week that he thinks in Dallas the speaker to focus on is former Texas AG Ken Paxton, who’s running for Senate, and he kind of, he was half joking here. He said people don’t like the way he dresses, looks, or does interviews. But he’s the centerpiece candidate. Is he the centerpiece candidate? Is that kind of the drive and focus?

RAY WASHBURNE: For the convention? Is that what you’re asking?

MARGARET BRENNAN: Correct.

RAY WASHBURNE: The focus for the convention is Ken Paxton? Well, no, every candidate is a focus of the convention. You know, Ken Paxton, just because this is his home state, obviously he’s a very high-profile person. Yesterday, Trump announced that they are going to contribute to his campaign $10 million, with more to come. Elon Musk has announced that he is putting in a substantial amount of money. So there’s a lot of momentum for the Paxton campaign starting this week, which we knew was going to happen, starting with the convention through because he hasn’t had a chance to put ads up this summer, and actually the first ad drop this morning. So there’s going to be a wall-to-wall ad campaign for Ken Paxton from here through the convention.

MARGARET BRENNAN: Yeah, a lot of focus on Texas and how competitive it might be. I want to ask you about—sorry, if you can hear me, I want to ask you about your other role at the top of Sunoco. It is the largest reseller of refined fuels. That means you’re selling a gasoline station. You got to look inside what’s happening with consumers right now. Are they changing their behavior based on the fact that gas prices are, what, more than 20% higher than last Labor Day?

RAY WASHBURNE: Well, you know it’s interesting, and the Energy Secretary spoke to it earlier. Right now, we’ve passed peak demand for the summer, and so going into the fall, the refineries are turning more out. It’s very interesting. The refineries are running at 98% right now, and so it’s an energy versus the 1970s and the malaise of the Carter administration when we had lines around the block. You have no issue at all finding any gas station to drive into and fill your car up. There are no lines. There’s been no demand destruction really at all that we’ve seen this year, people are filling their cars up and they’re still driving. Is it painful? Yes, it is more expensive. But you know, as inflation adjusted to what it was in the 1970s, when it was typically around 5% of someone’s paycheck, today it’s less than 2%. So it is more expensive because you see the signs in front of everyone, but companies like Costco, Buc-ees, the big retailers-they’ve really done a great job on keeping a lid on prices to where they could be. They could be much higher, but they’re not.

MARGARET BRENNAN: Do you think we’ve actually seen the worst of the energy shock? I mean, what’s concerning you now?

RAY WASHBURNE: Well, we have supply. As Energy Secretary said earlier in your broadcast, we passed peak demand. Supply is increasing, and demand, as long as it stays steady where it is, I mean, it’s it—It hasn’t gone—Demand hasn’t, for gasoline, has not gone up, but it hasn’t gone down either. So it’s been pretty steady. So our projections through the fall are pretty much the same flat demand, and you know, as a distributor of gasoline, we’ll sell about 17 billion gallons this year. We feel very positive through the rest of the year for our business, but we’re selling to the stations, and the margins that they do-that’s up to the stations to determine those.

MARGARET BRENNAN: Well, let me ask you about the forecast ahead here because crude oil is roughly $90 a barrel. Yesterday, Secretary Besant said that is going to plummet once the Iran war ends. Take a listen.

SEC. SCOTT BESSENT SOT

We have an energy supply shock, and that is going to end. And I, Lara, I actually think on the other side of this. On the other side of this, we’re actually going to—could see oil prices $40 or $50 because there’s so much supply coming on. It’s just constricted right now.

MARGARET BRENNAN: So $40 to $50 bucks a barrel. What time frame would you put on that kind of price drop?

RAY WASHBURNE: Well, Russia right now their refineries are only running at 40 percent. 40 percent. Okay, they’re doing no exports because Ukrainians, you know, are bombing their refineries. Once that comes back online, which it should hopefully soon, once the Iranian situation is resolved, well, then you do have a tremendous amount of supply that’s bottled up that’ll come back on the market.

MARGARET BRENNAN: But two pretty big wars.

RAY WASHBURNE: So, if you look at the forward strip price a year from now—yeah, yeah, they’re two pretty big wars, but there can be a resolution to getting energy out. If you look at what’s called the forward strip price, what people are projecting a year from now, it’s much much lower than the $90. So, the oil traders are all looking out and thinking there is going to be a resolution in the next, within the next few months, in which case prices will come back down. But we’re not in the refining business. I mean, that’s the thing with refiners, they’re buying their feedstock today, and they’re taking a big risk. If prices drop, they’re going to be very exposed.

MARGARET BRENNAN: Ray Washburn we’ll watch Dallas this week. Thanks for your time this morning. We’ll be right back.

Transcript: Michigan Secretary of State Jocelyn Benson on “Face the Nation with Margaret Brennan,” Sept. 6, 2026

2026-09-06T12:25:00-0400 / CBS News

The following is the transcript of the interview with Michigan Secretary of State Jocelyn Benson, Democratic nominee for governor, that aired on “Face the Nation with Margaret Brennan” on Sept. 6, 2026.

MARGARET BRENNAN: We turn now to Michigan Secretary of State Jocelyn Benson, who is the Democratic nominee for governor in Michigan. Good morning to you.

SECRETARY OF STATE JOCELYN BENSON: Good morning. Thanks for having me.

MARGARET BRENNAN: Sure. I want to get to that issue of affordability. A new University of Michigan analysis revealed 40% of the state’s population struggles to pay for basic necessities. Is that affordability issue something you can improve on as governor?

SEC. BENSON: Yes. Well, first, thanks for having me. And affordability is the centerpiece of our campaign. Our campaign is ultimately about driving down costs, growing our economy so that we can increase well-paying jobs in our state, protecting democracy and ending corruption. And everywhere I go in Michigan, I hear heartbreaking stories about choices that residents are having to make. Moms having to choose between whether to pay for food or childcare. Seniors on a fixed income trying to decide how they’re going to still pay for medicine with these rising costs. The next governor of Michigan must address these, and I’ve done that as Secretary of State. I know how to fix broken systems. I’ve run our state agencies well. I’ve improved our democracy. I improved our Department of Motor Vehicles in a way that has saved people time, saved people money and made their lives easier. I’ve done that as Secretary of State. I’m ready to do that as Governor.

MARGARET BRENNAN: Well, one of the challenges in Michigan, of course, is the fact that a large portion of your state’s exports, 36%, go north to Canada. On Tuesday, Canada’s tariffs on steel and aluminum products, U.S.-made dairy and appliances will go into effect as part of this trade dispute. It’s going to be between 15 to 50% on $20 billion worth of American-made goods. How much is that going to hit Michigan?

SEC. BENSON: It already has. I mean, since Trump took office, we’ve seen our- our expenses go up, and these tariffs, particularly with Canada, have increased prices in Michigan more than any other state. The average Michigan family is paying $5,600 more. That’s a tax on our groceries. That’s a tax on our small businesses, on gas. And- and what’s frustrating to me in this race is that my opponent has been fully supportive of these tariffs. He’s voted multiple times in support of them instead of in support of the people of Michigan. That is cowardice, and that is not leadership. And Michiganders need a governor–

MARGARET BRENNAN: Yeah.

SEC. BENSON: –who will lower their costs and stand up to the president, as I’ve done as Secretary of State.

MARGARET BRENNAN: Yeah.

SEC. BENSON: So I announced this week my intention as governor to ensure we’re negotiating subnational agreements, partnering with other governors if necessary, to ensure we’re developing ways to, in spite of the federal government’s best efforts to drive up costs–

MARGARET BRENNAN: Yeah.

SEC. BENSON: –with these taxes and tariffs, negotiate subnational agreements that will drive down costs and protect the people of Michigan. That’s what we need the next governor to be able to do, and that’s what I’ve done and will do as governor.

MARGARET BRENNAN: Well, your Republican competitor was on this program last weekend. He said he doesn’t want more trade dispute and will talk to the White House about it. You just said subnational agreements, but practically speaking, how at the state level can you do anything to cancel out the costs coming from the federal government’s dispute?

SEC. BENSON: Well, first, it’s important to note my- my opponent could talk a good game, but the bottom line is he’s either been silent or he’s voted for these tariffs. And that means we call these tariffs in Michigan the John James tax. Because of his actions, because of his inability to stand up to the president as a congressman, we are hit with these taxes, we are hit with these increased prices, and he has to take responsibility for that instead of running away from it. But in addition to that, subnational agreements are things that governors in other states have already talked about and negotiated to drive down costs when the federal government won’t do that. So, as governor, I can meet with officials in Canada and identify specific ways we can ensure trade between–

MARGARET BRENNAN: Yeah.

SEC. BENSON: –Michigan and Canada gets around these tariffs, reduces costs. And in particular, when it comes to our auto industry, we need a governor who’s going to stand up for our auto workers, who’s going to stand up for this critical industry in our state, and ensure that our partners to the north are working with us collectively–

MARGARET BRENNAN: Well–

SEC. BENSON: –to create jobs and drive down costs. That’s what a subnational agreement can help guarantee.

MARGARET BRENNAN: Just quickly, what vote are you talking about? Because most of the tariffs have come from executive action.

SEC. BENSON: There was a vote in February in Congress in which our- my opponent voted in support of these tariffs. And also notably, he’s been consistently asked on the trail if he would stand up and do anything–

MARGARET BRENNAN: Yeah.

SEC. BENSON: –about these, and he’s been silent on them, both as a congressman as a- and as a candidate for governor.

MARGARET BRENNAN: Yeah. Let me ask you about your current job. Two million Michiganders vote by mail. Ballots go out on the 19th, and a federal judge again this past Friday blocked the postal service from enforcing President Trump’s new mail ballot rules. He tried to put those in through executive order. Do you see any impact on voting in your state?

SEC. BENSON: Well, first we have to see this as the latest attempt by this Trump administration to try to create chaos and confusion about our democracy. We’ve been battling this for the better part of six years now since 2020. And what we will do here in Michigan is continue to ensure that states run elections. And that means in Michigan, where citizens have a right to vote by mail, we’ll use every tool in our toolbox to ensure they know the truth about our elections. We’ll follow the law. We’ll protect the right to vote. And that’s why, frankly, state officials who know how to do that and stand up to the president are so important right now. Because this isn’t just about 2026, this is about 2028, when we will need a governor in Michigan who will know how to protect democracy and protect our voters’ voices and votes. I’ve done that–

MARGARET BRENNAN: Yeah.

SEC. BENSON: –as Secretary of State. And notably, when my opponent lost his last statewide race in 2020, he did not stand by the will of the voters. He joined the president in trying to overturn and undermine that election. That is- that makes him unfit to be governor in this moment, and it’s why it’s all the more important that in this race, Michigan is led by a governor who knows how to protect democracy–

MARGARET BRENNAN: Yeah.

SEC. BENSON: –and protect citizens’ right to vote from home.

MARGARET BRENNAN: President Trump has already sort of laid the groundwork, saying that Detroit is corrupt. He already said, “Don’t discount fake mail-in ballots that will show up at the last minute in Michigan.” I know that in the last election, Michigan ended up finding non-citizens who did vote. There were 22 cases under review. Your attorney general has charged six people with those election law violations. Given that this is something the president’s already focused on, how are you verifying the names on your voter rolls?

SEC. BENSON: You know, we’ve done more in Michigan than any other state to ensure that our rolls, our voter rolls, are accurate, and that’s why we see non-citizen voting so rare in this state. With 5.5 million people voting in 2024, the highest turnout election in our state’s history, I’m really proud that our elections have been ranked among the most secure and accessible in the nation. And we, you know, the- the fact that we have identified a handful of individuals who are ineligible to vote, we were able to hold them accountable. That shows the system is working. And I’m proud of the work that our 1,500 local officials do every day to continue to ensure that every eligible vote and only eligible votes are counted in every election.

MARGARET BRENNAN: Well, Secretary Benson, we wish you well with that upcoming vote, but we also will watch your candidacy and some of these platform issues. Thank you for your time today. We’ll be back in a moment.

Sanders pushes ‘death penalty’ for crucial US industry that could give advantage to foreign adversaries

2026-09-06T12:37:21-04:00 / Fox News

The proposed law would create a Cabinet-level agency authorized to physically destroy non-compliant tech systems

By Alec Schemmel Fox News

Published September 6, 2026 12:37pm EDT

Video: China on the AI march: AI giants sound alarm

Bridget Bean, former CISA executive director, warns that China is rapidly closing the A.I. gap, raising concerns about its ‘dystopian’ models and cyber-biological weapon risks. She stresses the importance of U.S. innovation and protecting advanced chip technology to maintain global leadership.

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Sen. Bernie Sanders, I-Vt., and Rep. Greg Casar, D-Texas, introduced legislation Thursday seeking to hit American artificial intelligence developers with a “corporate death penalty” and up to 20 years in prison— a move critics warn will hand a crucial edge in the global AI arms race to Beijing and Moscow.

The Ban Artificial Superintelligence Act would temporarily halt advanced AI development and establish a Cabinet-level federal agency authorized to oversee the physical destruction of non-compliant tech systems, likening advanced AI creation to the unlawful development of nuclear weapons. The measure explicitly targets systems capable of matching or exceeding human cognitive performance—specifically outlawing any AI model that exhibits the capacity to subvert shutdown commands, execute unauthorized cyberattacks, or undermine the U.S. government.

But while progressives frame the measure as an urgent check on “AI oligarchs,” experts are warning that imposing sweeping criminal penalties on U.S. firms will severely handicap domestic innovation, while foreign adversaries will be able to continue expanding their capabilities unchecked.

FETTERMAN ALIGNS WITH TRUMP ON AI PUSH, WARNS CHINA BENEFITS FROM US ‘OVERREACTION’

A newly proposed bill from progressive lawmakers seeks to ban the development of artificial superintelligence, threatening U.S. developers with extreme criminal penalties.(Oliver Berg/picture alliance via Getty Images)

“If the United States stops developing advanced AI, China is unlikely to follow. Surrendering the lead in a potentially transformative technology would carry serious economic and national security costs,” Daniel Castro, president of the Information Technology and Innovation Foundation (ITIF), a leading nonpartisan tech-innovation policy think tank, said in response to Sanders’ proposal.

“A permanent, unilateral ban on all research into superhuman AI is too broad,” added Gary Marcus, an AI expert who has testified on the matter before the U.S. Senate. He added that the proposed law was “a guarantee” the U.S. would be left behind when it comes to artificial intelligence advancements, describing it as “not the right approach,” even though he said there were some aspects of the proposed bill that were “defensible.”

REP. TED LIEU: AI IS ALREADY TOO POWERFUL. WE NEED A KILL SWITCH BEFORE DISASTER STRIKES

Sen. Bernie Sanders, I-Vt., speaks during a news conference on the impact of artificial intelligence on workers at the Hart Senate Office Building on April 16, 2026, in Washington, D.C.(Heather Diehl/Getty Images)

Under the provisions of the legislation, the proposed criminal and corporate penalties are modeled directly after existing federal statutes governing the unlawful development of nuclear weapons.

Tech companies found attempting to circumvent the federal prohibition would face a “corporate death penalty”—an unprecedented enforcement mechanism that strips a firm’s legal authority to conduct business in the United States. Individual software engineers, researchers or executives found in violation could face up to 20 years in federal prison.

DEM SENATOR PRESSES OPENAI, ANTHROPIC FOR ANSWERS IN AI HACKING PROBE

To enforce the ban, the legislation creates a new Cabinet-level federal AI agency tasked with monitoring frontier systems. The agency would be granted sweeping authority to intervene in tech operations, including physically supervising the removal of dangerous code and overseeing the physical destruction of non-compliant superintelligent hardware and infrastructure.

The bill also establishes criteria for what constitutes a banned system, specifically outlawing any AI model capable of planning or executing the “disempowerment of humanity.” That includes software that exhibits the capacity to overthrow the U.S. government, carry out unauthorized cyberattacks or ignore human shutdown commands.

CRACKDOWN ON CRITICAL TECH COULD OPEN AMERICANS TO A NEW NATIONAL SECURITY THREAT

Rep. Greg Casar, D-Texas, speaks during the news conference inside the U.S. Capitol on July 16, 2025.(Bill Clark/CQ-Roll Call, Inc via Getty Images)

Industry advocates, however, argue that resorting to extreme criminal sanctions ignores the practical realities of tech infrastructure and risk management.

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“Knee-jerk policymaking is never a good thing, and I think that’s exactly what this proposal boils down to,” said Aden Hizkias, associate policy director at Chamber of Progress, a tech industry coalition. “AI is an incredible tool that can improve millions of lives, but as AI skepticism grows, it’s on companies to earn trust and prove they are good neighbors. That means transparent construction agreements, bringing their own power generation, and making sure they’re meeting environmental standards.”

Fox News Digital reached out to Sanders’ office for comment regarding concerns that the legislation would hand an AI edge to foreign adversaries like China and Russia, but did not receive a response in time for publication.

Alec Schemmel is a Politics Reporter for Fox News Digital who is originally from Charlotte, North Carolina but now resides in the Washington D.C.-Baltimore Metro Area.

https://www.foxnews.com/video/6401777881112

Transcript: Energy Secretary Chris Wright on “Face the Nation with Margaret Brennan,” Sept. 6, 2026

2026-09-06T12:32:00-0400 / CBS News

The following is the transcript of the interview with Energy Secretary Chris Wright that aired on “Face the Nation with Margaret Brennan” on Sept. 6, 2026.

*

MARGARET BRENNAN: We begin today with the U.S. Secretary of Energy Chris Wright, who joins us from Denver. Mr. Secretary, it is Labor Day, and Secretary Bessent had predicted we’d see three-dollar gas by September 20th, depending on the Iran talks. Do you think we’re going to be back at three bucks in the next two weeks?

SECRETARY OF ENERGY CHRIS WRIGHT: Well, we’ve passed peak demand time with Labor Day tomorrow, the end of the summer driving season, and the Trump administration a couple weeks ago rolled out a change in regulations that’ll allow American refiners to produce more gasoline and diesel with their existing equipment. So, seeing demand likely go down in the next few weeks and supply going up, I think prices headed downward is- is not an unreasonable expectation.

MARGARET BRENNAN: What about the diesel fuel that trucks and trains rely so heavily on? We saw that record high price of $5.89 a gallon this week. Is for example, an export ban off the table?

SEC. WRIGHT: You want to keep as much energy flowing as possible. The diesel situation has been challenging because Russian refineries have suffered significant damage. Russia used to be a meaningful exporter of diesel. Today, today they don’t export any diesel, and in fact, they’ve become a meaningful importer of gasoline. So its global refining capacity is why gasoline and diesel prices are high, even more than oil prices. And this is- for 17 years, Democrat policies have been attack hydrocarbons, get as many refineries and coal plants closed. You could summarize their energy and climate policies in two words, expensive energy.

MARGARET BRENNAN: Well, you could also say Russia shouldn’t have invaded Ukraine, and then they’d still be able to export. But to the point of what you’re going to do about it, are you looking at an export ban?

SEC. WRIGHT: We consider all options of how you can move prices that are favorable for American consumers, but right now we’re leaning in on maximum production, energy addition. Again, in gasoline, in diesel, in the electricity sector, the way to solve a supply shortage is to grow supply.

MARGARET BRENNAN: Okay, I want to ask you about Iran. You were on another network this morning, and you said the U.S. may not reach a nuclear deal with this current Iranian government and may have to wait for a new regime. If that is the current assessment, should the American people prepare themselves that the new normal will be these, for example, strikes like we saw just two days ago on Iranian oil tankers. Are you shutting down diplomatic outreach?

SEC. WRIGHT: No, we are always open for a deal. That’s President Trump’s goal is always to have a negotiated settlement and not use a military solution unless absolutely necessary, but the biggest role of our military in the region right now is to stop the export of any Iranian crude or crude-related products, natural gas, whatever. We are strangling their economy to try to bring either a change in policy from the existing regime or a new regime, their current strategy is- is slowly failing for them. Our exports of oil through the Strait of Hormuz are at the highest they’ve been since the conflict started, but they’re still causing trouble. But what we can do is add supply in Alaska, in the Gulf, in Venezuela, everywhere we can, and continue to grow the rate of exports from the Middle East as well.

MARGARET BRENNAN: but I mean to that point, Secretary Bessent said something like the Strait of Hormuz will be irrelevant in two years. It takes time to build pipelines to avoid the strait. How do you go from $90 a barrel now back to where we were pre-war, like 50 buck range? How quickly?

SEC. WRIGHT: You know that’s that’s as as soon as we can get barriers out of the way to grow production. Venezuelan production is well ahead of schedule. 50% growth in oil exports in the eight months we’ve been involved-that’s pretty tremendous. Alaska has been sanctioned more than Iran by Democratic politicians. We’ve got to unleash Alaska, and that’s happening. The Gulf of America has enormous oil and gas reserves there; those are growing as well. And of course, we’re in constant dialogue with the Canadians, our neighbors to the north. They’ve got huge room to expand oil production capacity. So we’re trying to center the world on bettering people’s lives and economic growth in the long run. Every month, production is growing. Every month, production is growing.

MARGARET BRENNAN: You you mentioned–

SEC. WRIGHT: Refineries is a bigger challenge.

MARGARET BRENNAN: Yeah, you mentioned Venezuela a few times there, sorry, go ahead.

SEC. WRIGHT: Go ahead, Margaret. Go ahead.

MARGARET BRENNAN: This is the problem with remote. We’d love having you in studio, so we don’t step on each other. I apologize there. You mentioned Venezuela a few times. How is U.S. investment in Venezuelan oil production consistent with American energy dominance and independence?

SEC. WRIGHT: Well, first of all, it’s the Western Hemisphere, it’s Americas, and the great thing about this deal, the United States did no cost, zero cost to American taxpayers, but we’re going- to we’re going to get massive amounts of discounted oil price and ownership interest in some production there. But it’s a win for Venezuela as well because it helps the investment climate to draw more and more foreign capital in, mostly American capital, but from elsewhere around the world, to grow their production, lift the incomes and job opportunities for Venezuelans, and lower energy prices for the United States-a classic win-win business deal.

MARGARET BRENNAN: But is it really sustainable if the deal is with an unelected and arguably illegitimate government that has not committed to holding elections, which the U.S. says are a priority. How can you instill confidence when it’s a deal with Delcy Rodríguez?

SEC. WRIGHT: There will be elections, of course. Those are coming, but this is a win-win deal.

MARGARET BRENNAN–When?–

SEC. WRIGHT: Any government that took power in Venezuela would say, “wow, we’re going to draw more capital, grow our production, increase jobs and tax revenues in Venezuela, and tighten our relationship with the United States.” That’s a pretty big win. I don’t think it’s that dependent upon which government is in power on whether that deal is a win. So there’s also a lot of refining capacity in Venezuela that we will see investment to drive that back up. Under President Biden, we had over a dozen refineries closed in the United States, and Gavin Newsom doubled down and strangled two more refineries in California in the last 12 months. Okay, that’s the way to expensive energy in the long term, not just during a conflict.

MARGARET BRENNAN: But just to button that up, you said there will be elections. Do you have a timeline for that? Does this deal with the current government make it impossible, for example, for María Corina Machado, person who won- party won the last election, to actually return for democracy to return?

SEC. WRIGHT: Oh, there are dialogues going on right now between the former leaders of the parliament, the election that was the last sort of fair election in 2015. The opposition leaders that fled the country are back in the country meeting with the existing powers. You need to get secure voter rolls. You need to have rule of law, we need to release the political prisoners and get the conditions for free and fair elections. But those are coming.

MARGARET BRENNAN: Okay, but no time frame on that. Okay, I’m told by the producer that we are going to have to leave it there. Secretary Wright, thank you, and we do hope to have you in person again so that we’re not stepping on each other. Face the Nation will be back in a minute. Stay with us.

Former Cuban President Raúl Castro appears at military event after hospitalization

September 6, 2026 / 2:39 PM EDT / CBS/AP

Former Cuban President Raúl Castro appeared at a military event on Saturday, marking his first public appearance since he was hospitalized for what was reportedly a serious illness. The military event was held to celebrate the anniversary of an army branch responsible for protecting its top leaders.

Cuban state television aired more than 10 minutes of footage Saturday night that showed Castro, 95, in his traditional olive-green military uniform, alongside his bodyguard and grandson, Raúl Guillermo Rodríguez Castro. The former leader’s previous public appearance was on Aug. 13.

The broadcast also reported that Castro’s grandson had participated earlier this year in talks with the United States, which has imposed an oil and financial blockade on the island since January. The talks have since halted, while sanctions have increased in recent months.

Authorities from both nations have acknowledged that talks took place following the energy blockade, but there is neither an agenda nor any leaked details regarding these conversations.

The former president, who no longer holds any formal position in government or in the island’s Communist Party, rarely appears in public. Rumors regarding his health have recently circulated, even more so since his first absence in decades from a July rally marking the anniversary of the Cuban revolution’s biggest celebration.

Last week, reports that Castro had been hospitalized for a grave illness began to surface, drawing strong reactions from Cuban exiles and others in South Florida, CBS Miami reported. The Cuban government didn’t confirm the illness, which was reported by the Miami-based newspaper Diario Las Américas, citing a source close to Castro in Cuba.

In June, the U.S. Department of Justice filed murder charges against the veteran leader in connection with the 1996 downing of light aircraft that belonged to an anti-Castro organization. The planes had entered Cuban airspace as part of a campaign to tighten various sanctions and apply pressure for change in the island’s political system.

Cuban TV on Saturday showed Castro walking alongside high-ranking military officials and taking a seat in the front row of an indoor venue. He stood up on several occasions to receive a commemorative certificate and greet attendees.

“It is an honor to participate alongside Army General (Raúl Castro) in the ceremony marking the 65th anniversary of the Personal Security Directorate. An agency with origins dating back well before September 6, 1961, to the days of the revolutionary struggle led by the Commander-in-Chief (Fidel Castro),” President Miguel Díaz-Canel wrote on X on Sunday morning.

His post included several photos from the event showing him together with Raúl Castro.

The U.S. energy blockade has exacerbated a five-year crisis and had a significant impact on the Caribbean nation’s population and economy, including blackouts lasting over 30 hours.

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