Sep 30, 2026 · 1h 31m

AI leaders police themselves as war scrutiny intensifies

9/30/26: Trump Sham AI Deal, Nvidia Stock Buyback, Flight To Israel Hijacked, Minab School Bombing Horrors

The episode connects voluntary AI oversight and speculative finance to mounting questions about war, accountability, and US policy in the Middle East.

3 key takeaways

1Trump’s voluntary AI principles leave companies overseeing risks that the hosts argue demand meaningful external accountability.
2Nvidia’s buyback becomes a case study in how subsidies, corporate wealth, and circular investment may inflate the AI boom.
3Reporting on Minab and West Bank settler violence sharpens pressure on US support for Israel and alleged wartime abuses.

Don't miss

Jeremy Scahill describes survivor testimony and the psychological trauma of children after the Minab school bombing.

The brief

Ryan Grim and Emily examine Trump’s voluntary AI safety agreement, asking whether internal reviews, board oversight, and outside audits can restrain companies effectively policing themselves.

The hosts weigh warnings about autonomous systems and escaped AI agents against Trump’s faith in self-regulation, then connect Nvidia’s buyback to subsidies and circular finance.

The discussion turns to Iran’s collapsing currency, an alleged attempted hijacking of a Dubai–Tel Aviv flight, and Senate pressure over West Bank settler violence.

Jeremy Scahill presents Drop Site’s investigation into the Minab school bombing, including survivor testimony and the trauma of children after at least 156 deaths.

The episode’s throughline is accountability: corporations, governments, and military actors all face scrutiny when voluntary promises fail to answer who bears the consequences.

Featuring