The CEOs of two leading AI companies are publicly calling for a slowdown in the race to build more powerful AI systems, adding to a week of warnings from researchers developing the technology.

Dario Amodei, the CEO of Anthropic, the company behind Claude, argued in an essay published Saturday that AI firms should deliberately “slow the pace” of model development because advances are outstripping researchers’ ability to understand and control them.

Hours later, OpenAI CEO Sam Altman endorsed the idea and said his company would adopt one of Amodei’s proposed safeguards.

“I agree with Dario that we need to pace the frontier,” Altman wrote on X, adding that the issue had been a major topic of discussion at OpenAI in recent weeks.

Saudi shutdown of key pipeline limits oil flow

Saudi Arabia has shut down a critical oil pipeline after it was struck by drones launched from Iraq, raising fresh concerns about regional stability as attacks by Iran-backed Houthi rebels threaten to deepen the global energy crisis.

The 745-mile pipeline allowed Saudi Arabia, the world’s largest crude exporter, to bypass the Strait of Hormuz, which carried about 20% of the world’s oil before the U.S. and Israel went to war with Iran in late February.

Saudi Arabia said it would not retaliate for now at the request of Iraq’s prime minister, but reserved the right to take all necessary measures to protect its sovereignty, security and critical infrastructure, according to a statement. An umbrella group of Iran-backed militias in Iraq denied their involvement.

The strikes came as rebel Houthi forces in Yemen captured Perim, an island in the middle of the vital Bab el Mandeb strait that serves as a gateway to the Red Sea trade route that links Europe and Asia.

‘Meet the Press’

House Speaker Mike Johnson told NBC News’ “Meet the Press” that Congress would “work through” President Donald Trump’s promise to give $5,000 to American adults if Republicans keep the House and Senate after the midterm elections, but he did not commit to ensuring the president’s proposal was executed.

“I commit that Congress will work through it and find consensus on that, like I have to do everything else,” Johnson said, when asked whether he would commit to carrying out Trump’s promise.

Johnson said “it takes some time,” pointing to Republicans’ slim majorities.

Former Anthropic AI researcher Jacob Coxon called on Congress to allow the nation’s leading AI labs to regulate themselves while lawmakers come up with a long-term regulatory framework for slowing the pace of AI development.

He added that current legislation that’s been introduced in Congress, including the framework for a national “kill switch” if AI starts to exceed the bounds of human control, will quickly be outpaced.

“Like [Anthropic CEO Dario Amodei] said, very soon there’s the possibility that the kill switch just wouldn’t work because a swarm might have gone on an internetwide hacking run,” Coxon told “Meet the Press.”

Politics in Brief

• James Blair, a top Trump political adviser, told NBC News’ “Here’s the Scoop: Election Edition” podcast that he still believes Republicans can hang on to their majorities in Congress.

• Rep. Tom Tiffany, the Republican nominee for Wisconsin governor, says he sustained minor injuries late Saturday when a plane he was traveling in was forced to make an emergency water landing.

Third measles-associated death in Pennsylvania

A 40-year-old woman has died from measles complications in Pennsylvania, marking the state’s third measles-associated death this year as the U.S. experiences its worst resurgence of the highly contagious disease in 35 years.

The woman, a Jefferson County resident, died on Saturday, county Coroner Greg Furlong said on Facebook.

At least 676 measles cases have been confirmed in 37 counties in Pennsylvania so far this year, the state’s health officials reported Friday. The outbreak has hospitalized 124 people in the state. Of the confirmed cases, fewer than 1% had been fully vaccinated, Pennsylvania health officials said.

The two other measles-related deaths involved infants, according to the Lancaster County coroner, Dr. Stephen Diamantoni.

Celine Dion makes triumphant return after six years sidelined by rare diagnosis

If there were any doubts about whether the “Queen of Ballads” could still hit the high notes, they were put to rest on Saturday night when she belted out “All by Myself,” one of her most difficult songs, in front of 30,000 adoring fans in Paris.

It was a poignant comeback for the Quebec-born singer, 58, who was forced to stop touring six years ago after being diagnosed with a rare neurological disorder, stiff-person syndrome.

Having spent the years since largely out of the spotlight, Dion was overcome with emotion, breaking down in tears during the first few minutes of her show at Plenitude Arena.

After the show, fans emerged in disbelief. “It was a victory lap,” said Francesca Pezzulo, 31, from Los Angeles. “I think her belief is renewed. I think her spirit is renewed.”

Your health insurance bills are about to go up

Most Americans are likely to pay significantly more for health insurance next year, whether they get coverage through an employer, the Affordable Care Act marketplace or Medicare.

In some cases, premium hikes could be the largest in decades, driven by a range of economic pressures. Others may feel the impact through higher copays, deductibles and other out-of-pocket costs.

The increase is being driven in part by higher hospital and medical-care costs, as well as growing use of expensive prescription drugs, including GLP-1 weight-loss medications, which are boosting spending by insurers and employers.

Notable quote

Trump said Saturday he would “love” ⁠to see Ireland unify with the U.K.’s Northern Ireland, remarks that received immediate pushback from unionists in the region.

In case you missed it

• Why are so many Americans so tired? A new CDC report highlighted what’s behind the rise in fatigue, and who is feeling it the most.
• Thousands of Yemeni families displaced by the Houthis described a “hysterical panic” as they fled the Iran-backed rebels’ advance this week.

• Elena Rybakina won her first U.S. Open title on Saturday, beating Aryna Sabalenka in three sets to cement her place among women’s tennis elite. On Sunday, German star Alexander Zverev overtook Ben Shelton, securing his second Grand Slam title and extending a 23-year drought for American men.

• Kimi Antonelli won the Formula 1 Spanish Grand Prix at an all-new street track in Madrid, expanding his lead in the championship to 81 points with nine more races to go this season.