News & Brews May 6, 2026
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Shapiro sues AI company over chatbots
Gov. Josh Shapiro has sued Character Technologies, Inc.—which is behind Character.AI—in an effort to prevent its chatbots “from engaging in the unlawful practice of medicine and surgery.” The AP reports that “the lawsuit could raise the question as to whether artificial intelligence can be accused of practicing medicine, as opposed to regurgitating material on the internet.” Yet, Character.AI said that “it posts disclaimers to inform users that characters on its website are not real people and that everything they say ‘should be treated as fiction.’”
Shapiro backing Garrity in ‘24 is story that won’t die
The news that Gov. Shapiro worked to help elect Stacy Garrity treasurer in 2024 in retaliation against a fellow Democrat for criticizing him isn’t going away just yet. PennLive reports that a Garrity spokesman has weighed in, saying in part “Josh Shapiro has gone from pushing organized labor to endorse Stacy Garrity and complementing her service at her 2025 swearing-in to using his political henchmen to” attack her. “As each day goes by, Josh Shapiro is only exposing himself to be the craven, political demagogue we’ve always known him to be.” Meanwhile, you can tell Shapiro’s team is concerned, as his campaign spokesperson “told PennLive on Tuesday that looking back two years is pointless.” When you have the old, “let’s not look behind us” response, it’s a sure sign that what’s “behind us” poses significant risk to your political future.
Pa. civil rights agency gets new interim chair
As the Pennsylvania Human Relations Commission is embroiled in an investigation over its use of tax dollars and has faced several high-level resignations recently, the agency now has a new interim chair. Gov. Shapiro has appointed Philly Council Member Curtis Jones, Jr. as the interim head of the agency. Jones has been a member of the agency since 2017. Broad + Liberty recently reported that since Shapiro took office in 2023, “he has declined to fill any of the vacancies on the eleven-member commission,” leaving the commission with just 5 members.
Editorial: Making public unions more accountable
The Wall Street Journal Editorial Board writes, “The single biggest problem in state governance is the political dominance of public unions…. Public unions count on the ability to mobilize members for political causes while still on the public payroll.” And of course public unions use public payroll systems to collect political contributions as well as dues used for political purposes. But some states are fighting back. Idaho, for example, recently enacted a bill that “will prevent school districts from collecting dues directly from teachers’ paychecks and limit unions’ ability to recruit members during school hours.” Arizona is pursuing similar legislation. Pennsylvania has tried similar efforts in the past—and should continue to pursue these commonsense reforms.
Stelson avoids primary debates
Democrat congressional candidate Janelle Stelson is all-in on taking on Republican U.S. Rep. Scott Perry. But when it comes to debating her primary opponent? Not so fast. PennLive reports that Stelson is skipping primary debates, much to the “frustration” of her opponent. Of course, common political wisdom says if you’re holding a decisive lead, there’s no reason to debate your opponent. Yet one debate organizer said Stelson’s refusal “sends a message to people that ‘you’re not worth our time.’”