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In CES’ ‘Worst in Show,’ AI products center stage

The promise of artificial intelligence was front and center at this year’s CES gadget show. But spicing up a simple machine like a refrigerator with unnecessary AI was also a surefire way to win the “Worst in Show.” The annual contest that no tech company wants to win announced its decisions Thursday. Among those getting the notorious “anti-awards” for invasive, wasteful or fragile products were an eye-tracking AI “soulmate” companion for combating loneliness, a musical lollipop and new AI features for Amazon’s widely used doorbell cameras. Samsung’s “Bespoke AI ...

Early birds can begin filing their taxes Jan. 26

The IRS will start accepting 2025 tax returns on Jan. 26, marking the official start of the 2026 tax filing season. The filing deadline is April 15. The IRS has faced challenges, including losing tens of thousands of workers through planned layoffs and buyouts spurred by Elon Musk’s Department of Government Efficiency. It also needs to implement major provisions from President Trump and Congressional Republicans’ tax package. The IRS expects to receive about 164 million individual tax returns this year, roughly on par with last year. Most of Street drifts as defense companies ...

Giant’s Feeding School Kids initiative returns

CARLISLE The Giant Co., known locally as Giant and Martin’s, has announced the return of its annual Feeding School Kids initiative. Marking its sixth year, customers at Giant, Martin’s and Giant Heirloom Market stores can round up their purchases to the nearest dollar or convert their choice points into a donation for their local public school districts’ food programs now through March 31. To launch the program, The Giant Co. will donate $100,000. Through Feeding School Kids, public school districts have been able to support meal programs and address food insecurity from ...

Trump proposes 2027 defense spending increase

President Donald Trump is proposing setting U.S. military spending at $1.5 trillion in 2027, citing “troubled and dangerous times.” Trump called for the massive surge in spending days after he ordered a U.S. military operation to capture Venezuelan leader Nicolas Maduro and spirit him out of the country to face drug trafficking charges in the United States. U.S. forces continue to mass in the Caribbean Sea. The 2026 military budget is set at $901 billion. Trump in recent days has also called for taking over the Danish territory of Greenland for national security reasons and has ...

Warner Bros again rejects Paramount takeover bid

NEW YORK — Warner Bros. again rejected a takeover bid from Paramount and told shareholders Wednesday to stick with a rival offer from Netflix. Warner’s leadership has repeatedly rebuffed Skydance-owned Paramount’s overtures — and urged shareholders just weeks ago to back the sale of its streaming and studio business to Netflix for $72 billion. Paramount, meanwhile, has made efforts to sweeten its $77.9 billion hostile offer for the entire company. Warner Bros. Discovery said Wednesday that its board determined Paramount’s offer is not in the best interests of the company or ...

Pittsburgh Post-Gazette to close

PITTSBURGH — The Pittsburgh Post-Gazette’s owners announced Wednesday the paper will be shutting down in a few months, citing financial losses. Block Communications Inc. announced it will cease publication on May 3. The paper is printed on Thursdays and Sundays and says on its website the average paid circulation is 83,000. A couple dozen union members returned to work at the Post-Gazette in November after a three-year strike. More than five years ago, the newspaper declared it had reached a bargaining impasse with the Newspaper Guild of Pittsburgh and unilaterally imposed ...