Commercial jet maker Airbus is staying humble even as Boeing flounders. There’s a reason for that

FRANKFURT, Germany (AP) — Europe’s Airbus had established a clear sales lead over Boeing even before the American company encountered more fallout from manufacturing troubles and ongoing safety concerns. Airbus has outpaced Boeing for five straight years in plane orders and deliveries. And now Boeing is facing a government-mandated production cap on its best-selling plane. Yet aviation analysts say the European company is unlikely to extend its advantage much further despite having customers clamoring for more commercial aircraft. That’s because Airbus already is making planes as fast as it can and is sold out for the rest of the decade. Manufacturing constraints at both companies are bad news for travelers as well as airlines.

How Rita Moreno uses honors like an upcoming public television award to further her philanthropy

NEW YORK (AP) — Rita Moreno says it was always in her nature to be generous – to hold doors for people and help lighten a mother’s load if she was struggling with shopping bags and children. But Moreno, still the only Latina EGOT — winner of Emmy, Grammy, Oscar and Tony awards — in history, says it took a particularly outspoken roommate to teach her the importance of politics and philanthropy, which she has put to good use over the decades. For her trailblazing career and philanthropic accomplishments, Moreno will be honored at the WNET Group 2024 Gala at the Edison Ballroom in New York City on Tuesday night.

New Liberia forest boss plans to increase exports, denies working with war criminal Charles Taylor

In an interview with The Associated Press, the new head of Liberia’s forest management authority, Rudolph Merab, said he would work to increase timber exports and cut regulations. Those plans are sure to spark worry among environmentalists and international observers who hoped the new administration in Liberia, West Africa’s most forested nation, would confront chronic problems with illegal logging. Merab, recently appointed as head of the Forestry Development Authority, defended his record, which includes two of his companies accused of illegal logging. He also denied that one of his companies worked with Charles Taylor, a former Liberia president who was convicted of war crimes for involvement during the civil war in neighboring country Sierra Leone.

Hungary and Serbia’s autocratic leaders to roll out red carpet for China’s Xi during Europe tour

BUDAPEST, Hungary (AP) — Chinese leader Xi Jinping will spend most of his five-day tour in Europe this week in two small countries at the continent’s eastern half. It’s a region Beijing has used as a foothold for its expanding economic ambitions in Europe. Xi first stops in Paris on Monday and then will travel to Hungary and Serbia. The two nations have autocratic leaders that are seen as China-friendly and close to Russian President Vladimir Putin. Mainstream European leaders have pursued more protectionist policies to limit Beijing and Moscow’s reach on the continent. Hungary and Serbia have courted economic ties with China. Electric vehicles are one example.

Brad Parscale helped Trump win in 2016 using Facebook ads. Now he’s back, and an AI evangelist

FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. (AP) — Brad Parscale was the digital campaign operative who helped engineer Trump’s 2016 presidential victory with the heavy use of Facebook ads. Now Parscale is back working for Trump and is an evangelist for artificial intelligence. Parscale has a company called Campaign Nucleus that is working for Trump’s campaign. He says his suite of AI-powered tools can spin up customized emails, parse oceans of data to gauge voter sentiment and find persuadable voters and amplify the social media posts of “anti-woke” influencers to help conservative candidates, according to an Associated Press review.

What to know about Trump strategist’s embrace of AI to help conservatives

FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. (AP) — Brad Parscale, the digital guru behind Donald Trump’s surprise 2016 presidential victory, has become an evangelist about the power of artificial intelligence to transform how Republicans campaign for office. He says his company, which is working for Trump’s 2024 campaign, can use AI to help generate spin up customized emails, parse oceans of data to gauge voter sentiment and find persuadable voters.

Nervous about falling behind the GOP, Democrats are wrestling with how to use AI

WASHINGTON (AP) — The Biden campaign and top Democrats are wrestling with how best to use artificial intelligence, exposing the party’s anxiety over falling behind Republicans in the race to deploy technology that could transform the future of elections. Democratic strategists say they are nevertheless treading carefully in embracing tools that disinformation experts warn could pose a threat to democracy. So far, they say, AI is primarily helping them find and motivate voters and to better identify and defeat disinformation.

Money isn’t enough to smooth the path for Republican candidates hoping to retake the Senate

WASHINGTON (AP) — Senate Republicans are returning to a strategy they hope could neutralize their Democratic rivals’ financial edge: Find rich people to run. But wealthy candidates running in Montana, Ohio, Pennsylvania and Wisconsin present a fresh set of challenges. One is hoping to recoup his own money before collecting resources for the fall race with well-funded Democrats. Others face questions about their past or where they live and spend most of their time. In each case, the relative unknown GOP contender is in a state critical to the party’s chances to reclaim a Senate majority and is challenging a well-established, robust fundraiser seeking a third or fourth term in the closely divided Senate.