The Washington Times AI News Desk

CNN staffers brace for layoffs as Paramount-Warner Bros. deal clears final hurdle

Anxiety is rippling through CNN's newsroom after Paramount Skydance cleared the last major legal obstacle to its takeover of parent company Warner Bros. Discovery, with staffers describing a mood ranging from dread to outright panic over potential layoffs.

September 23, 2026

Harvey Weinstein sentenced to 15 years in New York sexual assault case

Harvey Weinstein was sentenced Wednesday to 15 years in prison for sexually assaulting former production assistant Miriam Haley in his Manhattan apartment in 2006, closing the New York chapter of a legal saga that helped ignite the Me Too movement.

September 23, 2026

Taylor Swift unveils deluxe ‘Showgirl’ edition with new songs

Taylor Swift announced Wednesday that she is releasing "The Life of a Showgirl: The Encore," a four-track expansion of her 12th studio album.

September 23, 2026

America mines rare earths. The problem has always been what comes next

America mines plenty of rare earth elements, but turning them into usable material means relying on China's complex processing infrastructure. Here's why closing the separation gap will take years.

September 23, 2026

5 questions about Hurricane Polo

Extremely dangerous Hurricane Polo, one of the strongest storms ever recorded in the Pacific, is set to skirt Mexico's coast with life-threatening rain, flooding and mudslides expected even without a direct landfall.

September 23, 2026

Maryland hunter charged after mistaking woman for deer, killing her

A 74-year-old Maryland man is facing manslaughter and related felony charges after Delaware State Police say he shot and killed a woman he mistook for a deer while hunting from a ground blind in a Sussex County field.

September 22, 2026

Ole Miss confirms two student deaths as kratom found in both investigations

The University of Mississippi confirmed Tuesday that two students have died, as investigators disclosed that packaged kratom was recovered during both death investigations.

September 22, 2026

5 questions about California’s wine grape crisis

California wine growers are ripping out vineyards their families have farmed for generations as demand for wine plummets.

September 22, 2026

Stanford used AI to replace Latino student with Black student in promotional photo

Stanford University acknowledged this week that it used artificial intelligence to alter a promotional photo, swapping out a Latino student for an AI-generated Black woman and slimming down two of his classmates.

September 22, 2026

George Lucas says he had three more ‘Star Wars’ films before retiring

George Lucas says he still had three more "Star Wars" movies in mind years after he stopped directing, plans he ultimately gave up when he sold Lucasfilm to Disney in 2012.

September 22, 2026

Taylor Swift announces new single ‘Patient Zero,’ out Friday

Taylor Swift has new music on the way; her latest single, "Patient Zero," arrives Friday.

September 22, 2026

Adam Carolla: Colin Kaepernick grew Afro to look more Black, is ‘race hustler’

ADAM CAROLLA on Colin Kaepernick: "You don't present as Black; the reason you have a 26-foot Afro now is you're trying to present as Black."

September 22, 2026

Mark Ruffalo, Jane Fonda lead Hollywood backlash over Paramount-Warner Bros. deal

Actor MARK RUFFALO on the Paramount-Warner Bros. settlement: "Gavin Newsom hands huge win to Trump and his billionaire cronies."

September 22, 2026

Why federal courts are split on banning guns at the post office

Can you legally carry a handgun into a post office? Depending on where you live, federal district courts now disagree, and a final answer could be years away.

September 22, 2026

Sylvester Stallone says he turned down Trump’s Hollywood ‘ambassador’ role, but got the title anyway

SYLVESTER STALLONE says he never agreed to be one of President Trump's three special envoys to Hollywood and that he found out about the job the same way everyone else did: watching television.

September 22, 2026

Giants QB Dart faces possible season-ending surgery, sources say

New York Giants quarterback Jaxson Dart is believed to have suffered a sprained left MCL and initial X-rays were negative following Monday's loss to the Rams. Here is the latest timeline on his status ahead of Tuesday's scheduled MRI scan.

September 22, 2026

Ella Langley’s ‘Choosin’ Texas’ sets all-time Billboard record, passing Mariah Carey

Ella Langley's country crossover smash "Choosin' Texas" has claimed sole possession of the longest run atop the Billboard Hot 100 in the chart's history, notching a 23rd week at No. 1 and pushing past the 22-week mark long held by Mariah Carey's holiday perennial "All I Want for Christmas Is You,"

September 22, 2026

AOC defends Macklemore, blasts Robert Kraft in fundraising pitch

AOC has inserted herself into the monthlong fight over rapper Macklemore's removal from Ed Sheeran's U.S. tour, using a fundraising memo to accuse New England Patriots owner Robert Kraft of leaning on his wealth to muzzle pro-Palestinian speech.

September 22, 2026

Sunny Hostin says Trump’s press ban is ‘what dictators do’

SUNNY HOSTIN on Trump's news ban from the White House: "Trump loves being on television. Like, I don't understand what is happening inside of the White House that he doesn't want us to know about ... this is what happens with dictators. What is he trying to hide from the American people?"

September 22, 2026

Rosie O’Donnell says ABC nixed Epstein-related segment on ‘Kimmel’

ROSIE O'DONNELL says ABC executives rejected an Epstein-related segment she had proposed for "Jimmy Kimmel Live!" during her August stint as guest host, telling her flatly that it "could not happen."

September 22, 2026