California Today: Inside the Weekend That Cemented Paramount’s Hollywood Coup

September 23, 2026, 6:31 a.m. Pacific time

Today’s Top Story

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Inside the Weekend That Cemented Paramount’s Hollywood Coup

After months of legal and political wrangling, the media mogul David Ellison arrived at a deal with the coalition of states seeking to block his $111 billion acquisition of Warner Bros. Discovery.

Anthropic Releases a New ‘Safest’ A.I. Model Amid Slowdown Debate

The company released a cheaper, faster model that it said was the strongest performer on its most rigorous internal safety tests to date.

Stanford Used A.I. to Swap Black Student for Hispanic Student in a Photo

Universities have been accused of doctoring photos to showcase diversity in the past. In this case, a Black woman replaced a Hispanic young man, who said it was upsetting to be “erased.”

An Army of Paid Creators Is Carpeting the Web With Political Content

Unlike celebrity influencers with large followings, these creators produce a blizzard of videos for a fraction of the cost of traditional online campaigns and, in the process, shift public conversation.

Tropical Sea Turtle Lays Eggs on Southern California Beach

It’s the first time in recorded history that a sea turtle has nested on the West Coast. Scientists say it is the latest sign of warming ocean waters.

At 98, the Composer Thea Musgrave Is Still Learning

Musgrave, whose 1977 opera “Mary, Queen of Scots” is opening at the San Francisco Opera, has spent a long career searching for the “dramatic abstract.”