Table of contents for January 23, 2026 in Newsweek

1965 “If America can adjust to this change, it will indeed become a place where livin’ is easy,” Newsweek said of automation’s promise, predicting an era of “space-age gadgetry”—from “portable translators” to home computer systems that would let people shop, bank and pay bills without leaving home. Today, those once-futuristic ideas have materialized through innovations like internet and the iPhone, which debuted in 2007. According to Pew Research, 91 percent of Americans now own a smartphone—placing a camera, GPS, digital wallet and even translation software on a single, readily available portable device. 1975 “It’s the blue-collar workers who are bearing the brunt of the slump,” Newsweek wrote, citing a 16 percent unemployment rate in construction. With nearly 300,000 tech sector layoffs since January 2024, blue-collar work has proved more resilient;…

FOR YEARS, HOLLYWOOD AND MANY CELEB-rities have sought to distance themselves from President Donald Trump and past associations with him. But Netflix’s newest reality show, Members Only: Palm Beach, has women jockeying to establish their closeness to him and his exclusive club, Mar-a-Lago. The show’s release comes as Netflix is trying to finalize a merger with Warner Bros. Discovery that would give it control of its streaming service, HBO Max. Given that Netflix could end up with over 50 percent of U.S. mobile app monthly streaming users, the merger needs regulatory approval from the Trump administration. Meanwhile, Amazon is set to release a reported $40 million documentary about first lady Melania Trump at the end of January, signaling a shift in Hollywood’s approach to the Trump family. From the first…

“Normalizing people in spaces [in TV]…makes the world a safer place for everybody.” How would you describe the central premise of The Copenhagen Test? MELISSA BARRERA: It’s like a spy show about a guy whose brain gets hacked. So he’s broadcasting his eyes and his ears [to] the hacker. Then they have to Truman Show his life so that they control what he sees and hears. SIMU LIU: I just loved the hook. It’s all the traditional spy stuff with the guns and the fighting, which is all super cool and sexy, but then just this added element of that psychological torture in a lot of ways. It’s really cool. How does the show approach diversity without it feeling like tokenism? LIU: I really enjoyed the way that it’s presented…

WITH ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE DOMINATING global business news, we wanted to gain insight into how corporate executives are thinking about AI implementation. Is AI a good or bad thing? How much are they using AI, and what benefits are they seeing? How are they adjusting organizational processes and structures in light of AI? In conjunction with The Official Board, we sent a survey to corporate executives in June 2025. We received 240 responses, well diversified by industry and region. What we learned is that there is a disconnect between the splashy AI news headlines and what executives are seeing in practice. According to these executives, the AI myths do not reflect the AI reality. MYTH _ AI is a threat. “Experts predict ‘superintelligent’ AI could build a robot army to wipe…

AFTER FIVE SEASONS PLAYING GREGORY ON ABC’S ABBOTT ELEMENTARY, Tyler James Williams is adding a new title: director. “I have been wanting to get my hands dirty in another aspect of the process.” With his acting background, “My brain thinks in act breaks and pacing, and I guess finding the funniest way to see and show something.” This evolution is just another notch in an already impressive career, with his breakout lead role as a child actor on Everybody Hates Chris and in the film Dear White People. “There’s definitely a consistent thread...a guy who’s trying to find his way ultimately, who may be a bit more awkward and outside of the norm than most people, but who’s sincerely trying.” With multiple Emmy nominations for Abbott, Williams said of his…