AJ Four Ways: Text Only (by date) | headlines only
DANCE
IDEAS
- Good Morning
Today’s AJ Highlights: The backlash to AI art is growing. An art student in Alaska was arrested for eating an AI-generated artwork in protest (ArtNews ). And we learn about confronting the “brain-anesthetizing” effects of predictable, LLM-assisted thought (The Atlantic ).
Institutional shifts are taking on a surprisingly resilient tone. The Washington National Opera, following its departure from the Kennedy Center, has seen an influx of donations from more than 500 supporters and has secured a temporary spring home at George Washington University (The New York Times ). Meanwhile, Sundance has tapped a former Universal chair as its new CEO as it prepares for its final Park City run before moving to Boulder (The Hollywood Reporter ).
And we look at the intersection of history, politics, and survival: Disney ignited a brief firestorm with a deleted social media thread of movie quotes that were pointedly anti-fascist (The Verge (Archive Today)), and historians uncover the dark legacy of Nazi-stolen fragments of the Bayeux Tapestry (BBC ).
We also note the passing of pathbreaking opera director Rhoda Levine (The New York Times ) and former Nickelodeon star Kianna Underwood (Los Angeles Times ).
All of our stories below.
- In An Attempt To Beat AI, Matthew McConaughey Trademarks His Phrase
“McConaughey has had eight trademark applications approved over the past few months, and the actor said in an email ..r that he wants to, quote, ‘create a clear perimeter around ownership with consent and attribution the norm in an AI world.’” – NPR
- Rhoda Levine, Pathbreaking Opera Director, Has Died At 93
Perhaps her “most significant contributions to the repertoire were the premieres [of] … Viktor Ullmann’s Der Kaiser von Atlantis, an anti-Hitler allegory composed in the Theresienstadt concentration camp before Mr. Ullmann was murdered at Auschwitz, and Anthony Davis’s X: The Life and Times of Malcolm X.” – The New York Times
- In The US, We Write Essays, And Often Think, Backwards
We think we already know what we want to find, and that enables LLMs to “hElP” with predictable, middling, brain-anesthetizing results. “But a chief delight of being human is witnessing the world’s capacity to surprise.” – The Atlantic
- The Washington National Opera, Which Had A Donor Renewal After Leaving The Kennedy Center, Finds A Temporary Home
The opera, which “received an influx of donations, from more than 500 donors, after its announcement last Friday that it would seek a new home … will host two operas this spring season at George Washington University, where the organization got its start nearly 70 years ago.” – The New York Times
ISSUES
- One Art Student Hung An AI-Generated Show As His Own, And Then Another Art Student Ate Some Of It
The student who ate some of the show was then arrested and charged. One Bluesky post about the event said, “Look for the helpers.” – Art News
- Buildings Of The Past Are Underused Tools For Dealing With Climate Change
During Britain’s “little Ice Age,” builders used common-sense tricks that could still keep houses warmer – or cooler – today. – BBC
- Nazis Stole Fragments Of The Bayeux Tapestry
A textile specialist “is assumed to have stolen the fragments, each only a few centimetres long, when he was sent to Bayeux as part of a research team to study Germany’s ‘ancestral heritage’ – a racist and antisemitic project run by Adolf Hitler’s Nazi SS.” – BBC
- Both The Pompidou And The Grand Palais Appear To Be In Financial Difficulties
“The Centre Pompidou gave up one of its two spaces at the Grand Palais due to what the Paris museum described as ‘financial constraints faced by both institutions,’ according to Le Monde.” – Art News
- After The Big One In An Art City In Japan, Trying To Preserve An Ancient Craft
The massive earthquake on New Year’s Day 2024 washed away the homes and studios of “hundreds of Wajima artisans in this Holy Land of Lacquerware at the tip of the Noto Peninsula, about two hours north of Kanazawa.” – The New York Times
MEDIA
- In An Attempt To Beat AI, Matthew McConaughey Trademarks His Phrase
“McConaughey has had eight trademark applications approved over the past few months, and the actor said in an email ..r that he wants to, quote, ‘create a clear perimeter around ownership with consent and attribution the norm in an AI world.’” – NPR
- Spanish Singer Julio Iglesias Denies Charges That He Sexually Abused Two Women In His Employ
The two former employees “allege they had been sexually assaulted and subjected ‘to inappropriate touching, insults and humiliation … in an atmosphere of control and constant harassment.’” – The Guardian (UK)
- Disney Started A Thread About Movie Quotes But Deleted It With Celerity
“People immediately replied with lines from Star Wars, The Hunchback of Notre Dame, and even Mary Poppins. The throughline between all the quotes: they were pretty pointedly anti-fascist.” Luckily, people screenshot the entire thing. – The Verge (Archive Today)
- Our Attention Is Being ‘Fracked’ By Big Tech
But there are ways to resist. – The Guardian (UK)
- Trump Bought At Least One Million Dollars In Netflix And Warner Bros Bonds Following Their Deal Announcement
“Trump, speaking last month with reporters on the red carpet of the Kennedy Center Honors in Washington, D.C., said Netflix’s deal to acquire Warner Bros. studios and streaming business will require a review, and said, ‘I’ll be involved in that decision.”’ – Variety
MUSIC
- In The US, We Write Essays, And Often Think, Backwards
We think we already know what we want to find, and that enables LLMs to “hElP” with predictable, middling, brain-anesthetizing results. “But a chief delight of being human is witnessing the world’s capacity to surprise.” – The Atlantic
- Wikipedia Makes Licensing Deal With Big AI Companies
Wikipedia’s human traffic dropped 8% year-over-year, according to data the Wikimedia Foundation published in October 2025. Research from Profound analyzing 680 million AI citations found that Wikipedia accounts for 47.9% of ChatGPT’s top-10 most-cited sources. – Shelly Palmer
- Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth Orders Editorial Changes At Military Newspaper Stars And Stripes
“The Pentagon said Thursday that it is changing the independent military newspaper … so it concentrates on ‘reporting for our warfighters’ and no longer includes ‘woke distractions.’ … Applicants for jobs at Stars and Stripes (are reportedly) being asked what they would do to support President Donald Trump’s policies.” – AP
- How Bennett Cerf Got Truman Capote To Start — And Then Finish — “In Cold Blood”
“When people met Capote, Bennett admitted, they often were inclined ‘to laugh,’ but ‘don’t let that first impression fool you.’ Nonetheless, even armed with McCain’s goodwill, Capote was well aware that a tense rural hamlet reeling from multiple murders might not take kindly to a high-pitched elfin outsider … nosing around.” – Literary Hub
- What Harper Lee Really Thought, As Found In A Newly-Released Trove Of Letters
“The letters cover more than two decades and in them (she) discusses growing old, her aversion to public attention, … her opinions of fellow writers like Truman Capote, Tennessee Williams and Eudora Welty, … (and) her take on the Deep South’s transition from Depression-era segregation to the Civil Rights movement.” – The New York Times
PEOPLE
- Good Morning
Today’s AJ Highlights: The backlash to AI art is growing. An art student in Alaska was arrested for eating an AI-generated artwork in protest (ArtNews ). And we learn about confronting the “brain-anesthetizing” effects of predictable, LLM-assisted thought (The Atlantic ).
Institutional shifts are taking on a surprisingly resilient tone. The Washington National Opera, following its departure from the Kennedy Center, has seen an influx of donations from more than 500 supporters and has secured a temporary spring home at George Washington University (The New York Times ). Meanwhile, Sundance has tapped a former Universal chair as its new CEO as it prepares for its final Park City run before moving to Boulder (The Hollywood Reporter ).
And we look at the intersection of history, politics, and survival: Disney ignited a brief firestorm with a deleted social media thread of movie quotes that were pointedly anti-fascist (The Verge (Archive Today)), and historians uncover the dark legacy of Nazi-stolen fragments of the Bayeux Tapestry (BBC ).
We also note the passing of pathbreaking opera director Rhoda Levine (The New York Times ) and former Nickelodeon star Kianna Underwood (Los Angeles Times ).
All of our stories below.
- In An Attempt To Beat AI, Matthew McConaughey Trademarks His Phrase
“McConaughey has had eight trademark applications approved over the past few months, and the actor said in an email ..r that he wants to, quote, ‘create a clear perimeter around ownership with consent and attribution the norm in an AI world.’” – NPR
- Rhoda Levine, Pathbreaking Opera Director, Has Died At 93
Perhaps her “most significant contributions to the repertoire were the premieres [of] … Viktor Ullmann’s Der Kaiser von Atlantis, an anti-Hitler allegory composed in the Theresienstadt concentration camp before Mr. Ullmann was murdered at Auschwitz, and Anthony Davis’s X: The Life and Times of Malcolm X.” – The New York Times
- In The US, We Write Essays, And Often Think, Backwards
We think we already know what we want to find, and that enables LLMs to “hElP” with predictable, middling, brain-anesthetizing results. “But a chief delight of being human is witnessing the world’s capacity to surprise.” – The Atlantic
- The Washington National Opera, Which Had A Donor Renewal After Leaving The Kennedy Center, Finds A Temporary Home
The opera, which “received an influx of donations, from more than 500 donors, after its announcement last Friday that it would seek a new home … will host two operas this spring season at George Washington University, where the organization got its start nearly 70 years ago.” – The New York Times
PEOPLE
- Good Morning
Today’s AJ Highlights: The backlash to AI art is growing. An art student in Alaska was arrested for eating an AI-generated artwork in protest (ArtNews ). And we learn about confronting the “brain-anesthetizing” effects of predictable, LLM-assisted thought (The Atlantic ).
Institutional shifts are taking on a surprisingly resilient tone. The Washington National Opera, following its departure from the Kennedy Center, has seen an influx of donations from more than 500 supporters and has secured a temporary spring home at George Washington University (The New York Times ). Meanwhile, Sundance has tapped a former Universal chair as its new CEO as it prepares for its final Park City run before moving to Boulder (The Hollywood Reporter ).
And we look at the intersection of history, politics, and survival: Disney ignited a brief firestorm with a deleted social media thread of movie quotes that were pointedly anti-fascist (The Verge (Archive Today)), and historians uncover the dark legacy of Nazi-stolen fragments of the Bayeux Tapestry (BBC ).
We also note the passing of pathbreaking opera director Rhoda Levine (The New York Times ) and former Nickelodeon star Kianna Underwood (Los Angeles Times ).
All of our stories below.
- In An Attempt To Beat AI, Matthew McConaughey Trademarks His Phrase
“McConaughey has had eight trademark applications approved over the past few months, and the actor said in an email ..r that he wants to, quote, ‘create a clear perimeter around ownership with consent and attribution the norm in an AI world.’” – NPR
- Rhoda Levine, Pathbreaking Opera Director, Has Died At 93
Perhaps her “most significant contributions to the repertoire were the premieres [of] … Viktor Ullmann’s Der Kaiser von Atlantis, an anti-Hitler allegory composed in the Theresienstadt concentration camp before Mr. Ullmann was murdered at Auschwitz, and Anthony Davis’s X: The Life and Times of Malcolm X.” – The New York Times
- In The US, We Write Essays, And Often Think, Backwards
We think we already know what we want to find, and that enables LLMs to “hElP” with predictable, middling, brain-anesthetizing results. “But a chief delight of being human is witnessing the world’s capacity to surprise.” – The Atlantic
- The Washington National Opera, Which Had A Donor Renewal After Leaving The Kennedy Center, Finds A Temporary Home
The opera, which “received an influx of donations, from more than 500 donors, after its announcement last Friday that it would seek a new home … will host two operas this spring season at George Washington University, where the organization got its start nearly 70 years ago.” – The New York Times
THEATRE
VISUAL
- The Physics Of Plur1bus
For real: How does “The Joining” work? Science has thoughts. – Wired
- Time Didn’t Used To Be Linear
Seriously: We decided it was in the 18th century. “In 1765, the scientist-philosopher Joseph Priestley, best known for co-discovering oxygen, invented what was arguably the world’s first modern timeline.” – Aeon
- Ghosts In The Machine: How Some Artists Are Playing With AI
Artists have always excelled at coaxing mysteries out of their materials, whether pushing paint, film, or code until it reveals something unexpected. AI is no different. – Fast Company
- The Real Revolution Of AI Is The Return Of Human Meaning
The real revolution isn’t AI itself but the space it exposes: a world where meaning, not management, becomes the organizing principle. – Big Think
- Will Google Ever Have To Pay For Breaking Things?
Big Tech platforms didn’t just out-compete media organizations for the bulk of the advertising-revenue pie. They also cheated them out of much of what was left over, and got away with it. – The Atlantic
