Talk of the Town
Caesars Virginia reported a record revenue month in May, bringing in just under $38 million, up nearly $4.5 million from April. Slots accounted for almost $27 million, while table games generated more than $11 million. The Danville casino again led the state, topping Rivers Casino Portsmouth, Hard Rock Bristol, and Live! Virginia. The City of Danville is set to receive just under $2.3 million from Caesars’ May revenue.
The Henry County School Board approved employee bonuses, budget cuts, and major instructional and facilities spending during Thursday’s meeting. After…
(WASHINGTON) — Republican Sen. Ron Johnson said Sunday he was not surprised that peace talks between the U.S. and Iran stalled over the weekend, and that securing U.S. goals in Iran could be a “long-term project.”
“I’m not surprised at all,” Johnson told ABC News’ “This Week” co-anchor Martha Raddatz. “The ayatollahs, even though they have been so degraded in terms of their capabilities, nobody thought this would be easy. They’ve been preparing for this for 47 years.”
Peace talks between the U.S. and Iran in Islamabad ended over the weekend after Vice President JD Vance said Iran would not agree not to seek a nuclear weapon, a key sticking point for President Donald Trump and his administration.
But just before the peace efforts failed, Trump told reporters that he did not care if the U.S. made a deal with Iran, saying that the U.S. would win either way. But as the fate of the war remained uncertain Sunday, Johnson said that the job was not finished in Iran.
“We will not have won until we have completely defanged the Iranian regime,” Johnson said. “There’s multiple ways of potentially doing it. Short-term, long-term there are multiple avenues we can approach here. But we have not yet finished the job.”
Johnson later added that he did not think preventing Iran from having a nuclear weapon would require ground troops, but he also emphasized the need to remove Iran’s enriched uranium stockpile, which others have speculated would require ground troops.
Another sticking point for both countries was control over the Strait of Hormuz, critical to the world’s oil traffic. Iran’s blockade of the strait has sent global oil prices skyrocketing, leading to higher gas prices in the U.S.
Johnson raised the possibility Sunday that the U.S. could block oil coming from the strait from going to China or Russia, as reports have emerged saying the two countries may be helping Iran in the war.
On Sunday morning, Trump announced on his social media platform a blockade of all traffic in the Strait of Hormuz.
“Effective immediately, the United States Navy, the Finest in the World, will begin the process of BLOCKADING any and all Ships trying to enter, or leave, the Strait of Hormuz,” Trump wrote.
Copyright © 2026, ABC Audio. All rights reserved.
(NEW YORK) — Ted Turner, the television and media mogul who launched CNN — the first 24-hour cable news network — and a roster of successful TV and entertainment brands, died on Wednesday, according to the network. He was 87.
“Ted was an intensely involved and committed leader, intrepid, fearless and always willing to back a hunch and trust his own judgement,” according to a statement from Mark Thompson, the chairman and CEO of CNN Worldwide. “He was and always will be the presiding spirit of CNN. Ted is the giant on whose shoulders we stand, and we will all take a moment today to recognize him and his impact on our lives and our world.”
“On behalf of the Turner family, it is with great sadness that we announce the passing of philanthropist, environmentalist and cable pioneer Ted Turner who died peacefully today at age 87, surrounded by his family,” a statement from Turner Enterprises said.
The company added, “He charmed people he met with his warmth and general lack of conceit, despite his many successes and celebrity – an attribute made apparent in his response to anyone who addressed him as “Mr. Turner” – he’d always reply, “Call me Ted!”
A private family service is planned and a public memorial will be held at a later date, Turner Enterprises said.
Turner announced in 2018 he was battling the progressive brain disorder Lewy body dementia, acknowledging issues with his memory.
Born in Cincinnati, Robert Edward Turner III was raised in Savannah, Georgia. He attended Brown University briefly before leaving the university and joining the U.S. Coastal Guard Reserve during the Vietnam War.
Turner began his career as an executive at his father’s advertising business, Turner Advertising Company. Following the death of his father, he became president and chief executive of the company and turned the firm into a global enterprise.
He entered the television business in the early 1970’s when he acquired an Atlanta UHF station, WJRJ, and renamed it WTCG. The station originated the “superstation” concept, transmitting via satellite to cable systems across the country. Later renamed TBS, the station became a precedent for the modern basic cable station.
On June 1, 1980, Turner Broadcasting System launched CNN, the first 24-hour cable news network. In his launch speech at the network’s Atlanta headquarters in June 1980, he expressed hope that CNN’s national and international coverage would “bring together in brotherhood and kindness and friendship and in peace the people of this nation and this world.”
CNN quickly made its mark covering major news events such as the 1982 Lebanon War and the 1986 Challenger explosion as they happened.
A chain of successful cable television brands followed for Turner, including CNN International, Cartoon Network, TNT and Turner Classic Movies. Turner Broadcasting later acquired the film studios Castle Rock Entertainment and New Line Cinema.
Turner’s company also expanded into sports starting in the late 1970s, acquiring the MLB’s Atlanta Braves and the NBA’s Atlanta Hawks. The Hawks won three division titles under the company’s ownership. The Braves won the 1995 World Series.
In 1988, Turner ventured into the professional wrestling business, purchasing Jim Crockett Promotions and renaming it as World Championship Wrestling (WCW). The company served as the main competitor to Vince McMahon’s World Wrestling Federation (WWF) over the next decade. WCW was purchased by McMahon’s company in 2001.
In October 1996, Turner Broadcasting merged with Time Warner Inc., and in 2001, Time Warner merged with AOL to create AOL Time Warner.
Turner also made his mark as a philanthropist. In 1990, he founded Turner Foundation which supports efforts for improving air and water quality, developing initiatives to protect the climate and maintaining wildlife habitat protection, among other initiatives. The Turner Foundation says it has given more than $380 million to hundreds of organizations since its founding.
In 1997, Turner announced a historic pledge of up to $1 billion to the United Nations and the following year, he created the United Nations Foundation (UNF). The organization supports the goals and objectives of the United Nations to promote “a more peaceful, prosperous and just world.”
Speaking to ABC’s “This Week” in 2012, he described his interest in supporting U.N. efforts.
“Everybody needs help sometime, no matter how rich and powerful you are,” he said. “I did not know for sure when I started that it was going to work…there were a lot of things that weren’t getting done, that are getting done now, done a lot more quickly.”
He added, “Saving the world is a hard job.”
Turner also launched the Nuclear Threat Initiative (NTI), a think tank he co-chaired with former Sen. Sam Nunn of Georgia that seeks to reduce “nuclear and biological threats imperiling humanity.”
He was the recipient of numerous awards, including Time Magazine’s 1991 “Man of the Year,” the National Academy of Television Arts and Sciences’ Lifetime Achievement Award, the Audubon Medal from the Audubon Society, and the Edward R. Murrow Award for Lifetime Achievement in Communication. He received a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame in 2004.
Turner was married three times, including to actress Jane Fonda from 1991 to 2001. He is survived by five children, fourteen grandchildren and two great-grandchildren.
Copyright © 2026, ABC Audio. All rights reserved.