Four hooded thieves broke into an Italian villa near Parma, grabbed works by Renoir, Cézanne, and Picasso, and were out in under three minutes (CNN). The Magnani Rocca Foundation kept the whole thing quiet for a week. Why?
On TikTok, AI-generated ads are proliferating faster than anyone can label them, and the labels that do exist aren’t working (The Verge). Meanwhile, a confessional from an online copywriter reveals just how much shoddy, unverified content is becoming the raw material for AI “recommendations” — a feedback loop that’s quietly corroding trust in the entire internet (Slate).
Architects are warning that Trump’s new White House ballroom is being rushed past the kind of design review that has governed Washington construction for decades — cranes already swiveling before the plans are finished (The New York Times). And at the Met, the new Tristan und Isolde is gorgeous to look at — but from the balcony, the singers disappear into the orchestra (The New York Times).
On a brighter note, two Canadian sisters are making ballet cool on YouTube, winning over scholars and ballerinas alike (Los Angeles Times). All of our stories below.
