Sarasota’s New College, the once liberal arts school subjected to a “hostile takeover” by well-rewarded, ultra-conservative DeSantis allies, was exposed by the city’s Herald-Tribune for dumping thousands of library books, including a clear-out of its gender and diversity center. - The Guardian
When its movies don’t do well, Apple’s psychology suffers. “Apple’s brand is quality, cutting-edge, sleek, refined, forward-looking, and so now you’re tarnishing that brand with what seems like an old-fashioned, not-relevant, not-part-of-the-zeitgeist slate.” - The New York Times
“'I prefer a thousand crying Arab mothers to one Jewish mother because these are my people,’ Kalimian wrote in Hebrew in response to a commenter in the once-public Facebook post, referring to Arabs as ‘the sons of death,’ an expression for people who deserve to die.” - Hyperallergic
Chappell Roan is the latest to call out her so-called fans. She recently posted, “It's weird how people think that you know a person just 'cause you see them online or you listen to the art they make. ... I'm allowed to say no to creepy behaviour.” - CBC
Last year, freak rains left the place a wreck, the year before that saw a severe heatwave, and the two Burns prior were cancelled due to COVID. Many now say the gathering's too big, ticket prices are much too high, and superrich attendees have ruined the cash-free "gift economy" ethos. - BBC
Many of Scotland’s best known arts organisations, including the Edinburgh fringe and national jazz orchestra, are in uproar over plans for deep cuts in culture funding. - The Guardian
"Since (CEO Mena Mark) Hanna took over, nearly all of the nonprofit’s established artistic and business leaders have been replaced. And in recent months the board has seen an exodus, especially since chairwoman Alicia Mullen Gregory was ousted from her leadership position in July." - The Post and Courier (Charleston)
The opera and ballet mecca has seen two big price increases this year alone; admission now costs well over double what it did in 2023. Many angry patrons blame new general director Valery Gergiev, with some noting that prices at St. Petersburg's Mariinsky Theater, which Gergiev has run for decades, remain reasonable. - Gramilano
“In an exhibit that was supposed to be about coming together to confront hate, hate has won. And, our community feels more alone as a result.” - Seattle Times
After a visitor died of anaphylactic shock from being fed allergens (the servers had been warned) at a Disney World restaurant, Disney attorneys tried to dismiss her widower's lawsuit because, they argued, he agreed to private arbitration when signing up for Disney+ and again when purchasing theme park tickets. - New York Magazine (MSN)
Disney and Universal are engaging in one-upmanship as their theme parks bring in more revenue than their sputtering entertainment divisions. (This is despite the fact that visitor numbers have started to fall.) Yet the studios' rivalry in the live-attractions business goes back decades. - TheWrap
"Those pining for a cultured culture minister should be careful what they wish for – especially when looking romantically to counterparts in Europe who take a ‘personal’ interest in their brief. … We need political steel, an understanding of the technical and administrative problems we face and belief in what we do." - Classical Music (UK)
For anyone hoping to understand the complicated contours of overtourism in Barcelona, the Carmel Bunkers is a good place to start. - The New York Times
After a century of ignoring the very arteries that allowed them to grow in the first place, cities are learning to love their rivers again. - The Guardian
Generative AI has “pretty much ruined the integrity of online classes,” which are increasingly common as schools such as ASU attempt to scale up access. No matter how small the assignments, many students will complete them using ChatGPT. - The Atlantic
