The Oscars happened last night under unprecedented security — federal authorities warned of possible retaliatory threats tied to U.S.-Israel-Iran tensions (Hollywood Reporter). Circling outside the venue: an anti-merger billboard aimed at the Paramount/Warner Bros. deal, its message plain — “The Deal Is Not Done” (The Wrap). And the studio model that produced this year’s probable Best Picture winner may itself be on the way out (Washington Post).
The broader picture is just as fraught. The FCC chair is threatening to revoke broadcast licenses over Iran war coverage he finds disloyal, accusing journalists of wanting the U.S. to lose (The New York Times). At the Boston Symphony, a years-long power struggle finally ousted conductor Andris Nelsons — a battle the Boston Globe calls a fight over the soul of an institution struggling to keep pace with the times (Boston Globe). The Kennedy Center’s renovation renderings leaked. For now, it looks pretty much like the old one (Washington Post).
Also: AI companies are hiring improv actors to train the models that will eventually replace them (The Verge). Eek!
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