🎭 Culture & Entertainment
May 25th, 2026
Today's top 5 stories, curated by Daily Direct.
Hollywood Reporter
Stephen Colbert’s Surprise Appearance on Michigan Public-Access Show Erupts in Online Brouhaha
Stephen Colbert made an unexpected guest appearance on a Michigan public-access television show, setting off a wildfire of speculation across social media. Rumors quickly spread that Paramount was attempting to suppress the episode, painting the situation as a corporate censorship scandal. In reality, the controversy appears to be far less sinister — though the episode's unexpected viral moment says plenty about how quickly misinformation takes hold online.
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Variety
Pope Leo Issues AI Manifesto Warning That ‘Opaque Algorithms’ Controlled by a ‘Few’ Companies Can Bring ‘New Forms of Dehumanisation’
Pope Leo XIV has issued a sweeping papal encyclical calling for strict regulation of artificial intelligence, warning that algorithms controlled by a small number of powerful corporations risk dehumanizing society. The document, titled "Magnificent Humanity," marks one of the most significant institutional religious statements on AI to date. With the Catholic Church's global reach of over a billion followers, the Pope's intervention adds considerable moral weight to an already heated debate over who controls the world's most transformative technology.
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Variety
CBS Isn’t Suppressing Stephen Colbert’s ‘Only in Monroe’ Public Access Show, It’s On His New YouTube Channel
Stephen Colbert's "Only in Monroe" public access special is not being buried by CBS — it's streaming on Colbert's official YouTube channel, where the network holds the copyright. Paramount/CBS issued takedown notices against bootleg uploads, a standard rights enforcement move, not an attempt at suppression. The confusion spread faster than the clarification, but the content remains freely available to viewers.
Read article →Rolling Stone
Drake Makes Chart History as New Album Trilogy Lands Top Three Spots
Drake has made chart history after his new album trilogy swept the top three positions simultaneously, an unprecedented feat in chart history. The milestone ties him with Taylor Swift for the most Number One LPs ever achieved by a solo artist. The landmark moment cements Drake's status as one of the defining recording artists of his generation.
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Variety
Boots Riley Says Cannes Didn’t Pick ‘I Love Boosters’ or ‘Sorry to Bother You’ and Chose ‘The Idol’ Over ‘I’m a Virgo’: ‘They Just Don’t Like My Stuff. All Good’
Boots Riley revealed that Cannes has passed on multiple projects throughout his career, including "I Love Boosters" and "Sorry to Bother You," while choosing to screen The Weeknd's widely panned "The Idol" instead. The director took the snubs in stride, quipping that the festival simply doesn't respond to his work. The admission raises pointed questions about taste-making at one of cinema's most influential platforms, particularly as Cannes continues to champion prestige fare over boundary-pushing American independent film.
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