Today's Headlines: How A.I. Risks Are Splitting Silicon Valley and Washington
Kennedy Center Closes Its Doors Despite a Judge’s Order
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The New York Times
Today's Headlines
September 16, 2026, 4:30 a.m. Eastern time

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How A.I. Risks Are Splitting Silicon Valley and Washington

What began as a philosophical question — how dangerous might artificial intelligence become? — has hardened into increasingly entrenched rival camps.

Kennedy Center Closes Its Doors Despite a Judge’s Order

The announcement came after President Trump said he would cancel a $257 million renovation of the venue if his name is not returned to the building.

In Fits and Starts, the Supreme Court Stands Up to Trump

The justices take their time and pick their spots, but they have rejected presidential initiatives on tariffs, citizenship, the National Guard — and now the coming election.

World

In the Age of A.I., Some in China Wonder if Learning English Is Worth the Trouble

A math teacher’s viral post prompted a debate over the language, which some see as an optional skill — and a symbol of Western dominance.

Rising Fuel Prices Set Off Anger and Protests Around the World

From Indonesia to Guatemala to Syria, shortages and price increases are leading to protests and blackouts.

Trump Approves $2.8 Billion Arms Sale to Israel, Including 40,000 One-Ton Bombs

The package would be among the largest deliveries of U.S. munitions to Israel.

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U.S.

News Helicopter Crashes in Los Angeles, Killing at Least 3

NBC4 Los Angeles said the helicopter belonged to the station and its reporter and pilot had been killed.

Scrutiny of Jury May Complicate Future of Lindsay Clancy Case

The intense public focus on the jurors whose deadlock led to a mistrial could complicate any attempt to retry the case, and to seat jurors in other high-profile cases.

Event at Berkeley Mocking Charlie Kirk Draws Federal Criticism

A State Department official said he would look into an event where U.C. Berkeley students were said to have mocked Mr. Kirk, the conservative activist who was killed last year.

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Politics

Rising Fuel Prices Set Off Anger and Protests Around the World

From Indonesia to Guatemala to Syria, shortages and price increases are leading to protests and blackouts.

Trump Plans Blitz of $138 Million and Counting to Save Midterm Republicans

His powerful super PAC is suddenly spending heavily on some races, after drawing fire from some Republicans that the group might not throw its weight behind the party’s candidates.

House Kills Bid to Impeach Trump as Democrats Split

Dozens of Democrats declined to register a position on articles of impeachment by one of their own members, Representative Al Green, that cited President Trump’s immigration crackdown.

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Business

OpenAI Considers New Financing at a $1.5 Trillion Valuation

The funding round would double the value of the start-up behind ChatGPT and establish it as the world’s most valuable private company.

Debut of Bari Weiss’s ‘60 Minutes’ Sees Dip in the Ratings

Just under 8 million people watched Sunday’s season premiere, down 21 percent from last year. Viewership for the N.F.L. lead-in fell by about the same.

Poverty Rate Was Stable Before Trump’s Safety Net Cuts Gained Force

Median household income rose to a record $87,460 in 2025, according to annual Census Bureau data on the financial well-being of Americans.

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Technology

Mark Zuckerberg Takes Aim at Anthropic in Debate Over A.I. Slowdown

On social media, Meta’s chief executive appeared to jab at Anthropic by saying that leading A.I. labs should be focused on safety rather than improving their own technology.

Senate Votes to Block Crypto Bill in Major Blow to the Industry

The landmark legislation, known as the Clarity Act, stalled in the Senate as Democrats raised concerns about President Trump’s personal investments in crypto.

Is There Anything a Fruit Fly Brain Can’t Do?

Models of the insect’s nervous system have been trained to solve a Rubik’s Cube, play video games and even parallel park a car.

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New York

N.Y.C. Council Members Call for More Restrictions on Tech in Schools

Their demands came soon after the New York City school system banned A.I. for most students and limited screen time.

Data Center’s Spill of 5,000 Gallons of Diesel Forces N.J. River Cleanup

The fuel poured from a storage tank at a large data center in Secaucus, N.J., into a tributary of the Hackensack River.

Mamdani Unveils Street Safety Plan in Move to Curb Pedestrian Deaths

The plan, Vision Zero Reimagined, is a set of goals that includes speed-capping devices in some cars and reduced speed limits near hundreds more schools.

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Arts

Pro-Palestinian Remarks Roil Sheeran Tour, Leading Finneas to Drop Out

Three other acts are also leaving the tour, citing the right to free speech after the rapper Macklemore was removed over comments he had made onstage.

No ‘Heated Rivalry’? Canada Still Has a Big Night at the Emmys.

An outpouring of warmth for the U.S. neighbor to the north seemed like a pointed response to the Trump administration’s imposition of tariffs and bans on Canadian goods.