Some arts suppliers have been preparing to pass the costs of tariffs on to their consumers. Canal Plastics Center, a plastics fabrication company in SoHo, raised their prices by about 10 to 15% last month, a spokesperson for the store said. - Hyperallergic
Students, parents, staff and former staff at the Philadelphia High School for Creative and Performing Arts say that a toxic atmosphere, worsened by allegedly divisive and unprofessional behavior by an administrator, has led to disorganization, violent behavior without consequences, factionalism, staffing shortages, and plummeting enrollment. - The Philadelphia Inquirer (MSN)
Free-trade agreements radically reshaped the economies and public understandings of the western hemisphere in the late 20th century. Political scientist Guy Poitras argues that North America as a region was invented at this time. - The Conversation
Harvard quickly responded Tuesday evening, filing an amended complaint in its lawsuit against the Trump administration, objecting to numerous actions federal officials have taken in recent days and adding multiple agencies that have cut funding to the university. - Washington Post
Probably the most searing impact of the takeover has been the exclusion of small, local groups for whom the Kennedy Center gig was the pinnacle of success, welcome recognition of the good they’ve done for people who live here. - Washington Post
An amendment to the data bill requiring AI companies to reveal which copyrighted material is used in their models was backed by peers, despite government opposition. - The Guardian
Ben Davis: “I think it’s important for NEA advocates to actually understand the spectrum of arguments ranged against them, and not rely on dated or off-target counter-arguments. So I thought I would put down, here, replies to each of Heritage’s “Ten Good Reasons to Eliminate Funding for the National Endowment for the Arts.” - Artnet
Trump appointed Todd Blanche, his former defense lawyer, as librarian of Congress after abruptly firing Carla Hayden. Library staff resisted, insisting Congress must be involved and barring two other Justice Department officials chosen by Blanche from entering the agency’s headquarters. - The New York Times
For decades, there has been a nationwide artistic and cultural infrastructure receiving bipartisan support, including through the first administration of Donald Trump. Now that is changing — and drastically. - ABC News
The timing was extraordinary: the office had released a report just two days earlier (on Friday, May 9), concluding that many current AI training practices likely exceed the boundaries of fair use. No matter your politics, there are two sides to this story. - Shelly Palmer
“Right now, there are no education goals for the country,” said Arne Duncan, who served as President Barack Obama’s first secretary of education after running Chicago’s public school system. “There are no metrics to measure goals, there are no strategies to achieve those goals and there is no public transparency.” - The New York Times
Shira Perlmutter had been hired by also recently fired Librarian of Congress Carla Hayden. The firing came two days after Perlmutter’s office released a report saying AI training may not be fair use. - Seattle Times (AP)
“The Trump anti-Midas touch is in operation here, and now everything is worse. Not only are ticket sales down, but donations have been paused, artists are pulling out. All of the spigots for money have slowed or have been turned off.” - Slate
“Although some arts organizations appear poised to survive the loss of NEA money, they nonetheless feel existentially frightened by the general turn of the political culture away from diversity and toward authoritarianism.” - The Guardian (UK)
“Several people characterized the reaction among the remaining Kennedy Center staff as a collective eye roll to the fundraiser and subsequent boycott, even as employees continue to fear for their jobs.” - Washington Post (Yahoo)
