From AI chatbots to lifestyle trends, the concept of optimizing one’s life came sharply into focus in 2026. That’s why Dictionary.com picked “maxxing,” a reflection of our increasingly online society, as its latest Word of the Year. “Maxxing (sometimes -maxxing) is short for ‘maximizing,’” says Dictionary.com. “This trendy term can be used on its own…
Washington — The Supreme Court on Monday said it will consider the constitutionality of a nearly 160-year-old federal ban on distilling liquor at home. Arguments in the case, known as Department of Justice v. McNutt, will likely take place next year, with a decision coming by late June or early July. For more than a…
London — World-renowned Irish author Sally Rooney’s books will no longer be supplied to booksellers in the U.K. due to her public support for Palestine Action, a group banned as a terrorist organization in Britain. Rooney, the bestselling novelist behind “Normal People” and “Conversations with Friends,” both of which have been adapted into television shows,…
Julia Donaldson’s stories have been filling children’s heads with wonder for decades. “When I’ve got a pencil in my hand, it’s like an electric current,” she said. “My brain can send the words down my arm onto the page.” Donaldson has sold more than 75 million books worldwide, and more in the U.K. than any…
A 15-year-old student lost a hand on Monday picking up a police grenade as part of nationwide protests in France over classroom conditions that have disrupted lessons at hundreds of schools since last week. Some students returned to classrooms but others maintained actions outside their schools, ahead of a day of larger demonstrations expected on…
Anne Hathaway is reflecting on how she’s changed throughout her career after a busy year starring in five films. Hathaway told “CBS Mornings” co-host Gayle King she “had no idea” she would have five films debuting this year, adding she was worried it would be “a little bit” too much for people. Hathaway’s latest film,…
“Sunday Morning” takes a look at new entertainment offerings in the coming months, from screens to the stage, from music to the page. Movies “Misty Green” (Opens Oct. 9)Comedian Chris Rock directs this comedy-drama starring Rosalind Eleazar (“Slow Horses”) as a once-successful actress trying to regain both employment and dignity in a hostile Hollywood. Rock,…
The 64th New York Film Festival, one of the world’s most prestigious cinema events, opens Friday with the first of more than 70 fiction features and documentaries making their world or U.S. premieres, starring such luminaries as Pedro Pascal, Adam Driver, Scarlett Johansson, Julianne Moore, and Godzilla. This year’s festival, which runs through October 12,…
Magdeburg, Germany — At first glance, Magdeburg may seem an unlikely stage for a political upheaval of international significance. But this weekend, the city of only about 244,000 people will be at the center of an election that could leave a far-right party in control of a German state for the first time since World…
Audience members at a stage performance of “9 to 5: The Musical” in the United Kingdom could be heard gasping aloud upon learning of Dolly Parton’s death before Tuesday’s show. A cast member announced the news to attendees ahead of the performance, and her videotaped speech was shared on social media by the theater in southern…
