As is true of autocracies everywhere, this Administration demands a mystical view of an imagined past. In late March, Trump issued an executive order called “Restoring Truth and Sanity to American History.” - The New Yorker
Software companies and studios are in a better position than companies that import hardware, provided the tariffs don’t lead to a recession. Publishing video games is better than selling game consoles. Producing TV shows is better than making TVs. - Bloomberg
The Nintendo Switch 2 has been delayed. Why not move production to the US? "Nintendo would need to spend billions to open a factory in the US. … It’d probably take 4-5 years to complete this. Not to mention the time and cost to rebuild supply chain infrastructure.” - 404 Media
Writer and director Paul Schrader "has been accused in a lawsuit of sexually assaulting his former personal assistant, firing her when she wouldn’t acquiesce to advances and reneging on a settlement that was meant to keep the allegations confidential.” - Seattle Times (AP)
“The suit argues that the steep cuts and at two other small agencies violate both the Constitution and other federal laws related to spending, usurping Congress’s power to decide how federal funds are spent.” - The New York Times
The board chairman knows a thing or two about governmental overreach. “‘Our community is based on diversity, equity is guaranteed to us in the Constitution, and inclusion is what we believe in,’ Fujioka said.” - Los Angeles Times (MSN)
“Prior to the Arts Access Fund, there were 31 full-time arts teachers and educators serving K-5 students across Portland schools,” Dawn Isaacs, the City of Portland’s arts education coordinator said in a press release in December. “In the 2023-24 school year, there were 111. That increase is directly related to the Arts Access Fund.” - The Oregonian
The latest economic impact study of arts and culture throughout the United States: Arts and culture sectors contributed $1.2 trillion to the United States economy in 2023. ACPSA is produced jointly by the National Endowment for the Arts’ Office of Research and Analysis and the Bureau of Economic Analysis, U.S. Commerce Department. - Broadway News
The proposed reforms go far beyond universities and hospitals, calling on Congress to use the following means to eviscerate section 501(c) of the federal tax code, which gives tax-exempt status to nonprofits: - Chronicle of Philanthropy
“Underneath this genteel surface are bitter divisions that erupted just as the institution struggled to recover from the worst event ever to happen on its campus, when Salman Rushdie was nearly killed onstage. … Chautauqua’s culture of agreeable disagreement failed. Some wonder if it can be reclaimed.” - The New York Times
Thousands of cultural groups are receiving a “Notice of Grant Termination” which reads, in part, “Your grant no longer effectuates the agency's needs and priorities and conditions of the Grant Agreement and is subject to termination. … Your grant's immediate termination is necessary to safeguard the interests of the federal government." - NPR
“U.S. District Judge William Smith acknowledged that plaintiffs ‘demonstrated a likelihood of success,’ … but because the NEA had rescinded the requirement about a week after the lawsuit was filed, Smith said an ‘injunction is not in the public interest at this time.’” - AP
Like Battersea, Barcelona’s plant is set to undergo a radical transformation into the new Catalunya Media City—a cutting-edge hub for digital arts, technology, and education. - Fast Company
“(He) has served as a museum director, educator and historian — positions in which he has demonstrated a skill for diplomacy. But perhaps no amount of charm or discretion can help him avoid the fight he now faces over the direction of the Smithsonian Institution, the cultural behemoth he stewards.” - The New York Times
“The Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors voted Tuesday to create (the district) to boost the visibility of the arts scene in a corridor of downtown that includes the Broad museum, Center Theatre Group, the Los Angeles Philharmonic, Los Angeles Opera, REDCAT and the Colburn School.” - Los Angeles Times (Yahoo!)
