(gentle music) - Welcome to "The Newsfeed".

I'm Paris Jackson.

In today's episode, Washington lawmakers will tackle artificial intelligence.

Will they be able to come to a consensus this year?

We'll also learn what the state has set in motion ahead of President Donald Trump's crackdown on undocumented residents.

And "Cascade PBS" is looking for Pacific Northwest filmmakers for the next origin series.

A handful of bills are before the Washington legislature that aim to regulate artificial intelligence abuse.

Those bills include a requirement that AI developers provide transparency to users about exactly how AI creates images, video, and texts using other material.

Another bill closes a loophole by making 100% AI generated child porn illegal, and there is a bill that would forbid forge digital likenesses in certain situations.

During a recent hearing, state representative Clive Shavers said, "AI will shape the future of technological innovation "in our state.

"We need to move forward in a deliberative manner "and in a collaborative manner."

In 2024, the legislature created a task force to recommend how it and state government should address AI issues.

The task force next preliminary report is due on December 1st, 2025, and their final report is scheduled for July, 2026.

(upbeat music) A new Washington task force is mobilizing preemptively ahead of the Trump administration's plan to deport undocumented residents across the nation.

Late last month, governor Bob Ferguson signed an executive order announcing the Family Separation Rapid Response team that will map out policies and coordinate responses in Washington.

The group will focus on how the state should deal with the splitting of immigrant families, which happened during President Trump's first term.

Trump is called for massive deportations of undocumented residents.

The Migration Policy Institute estimates Washington has about 250,000 undocumented immigrants as of 2019.

The MPI also estimates nearly 40% of those families have at least one US citizen child under 18.

The Trump administration announced immigration enforcement officers could seize undocumented people in churches and healthcare facilities.

(upbeat music) - We have the power to create that change.

- It's a time of year when "Cascade PBS" is looking for Pacific Northwest and Canadian filmmakers.

"Cascade PBS" Origins docuseries is for storytellers who reflect the area and share an insider's perspective about stories grounded in ancestry, culture and influence.

Documentary filmmakers can apply for $40,000 in funding for a five part project.

Filmmakers must be part of the community they're documenting.

The winning project will be announced at Siffs opening night ceremony in May.

The series may be released on "Cascade PBS" in our on-demand platforms in March of next year.

- [Narrator] They got swindled out of their heritage.

- You can see the latest Origins project, "The Last Reefnetters" on February 26th at Siff.

The call for submissions is open now through April 18th.

Head to cascade pbs.org/origins.

(upbeat music) In other news from "Cascade PBS", each year nearly 50,000 boats use the Ballard Lochs connecting Lake Union and Lake Washington to Puget Sound.

The lochs attracts more than two million visitors annually, according to the US Army Corps of Engineers.

To learn more about the popular Seattle attraction head to cascadepbs.org to read the full story.

I'm Paris Jackson.

Thank you for watching "The Newsfeed", your destination for nonprofit Northwest news.

Go to cascadepbs.org for more great local coverage.

(upbeat music)