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France’s Culture Minister To Go On Trial For Corruption

Rachida Dati, 59, who has publicly outlined her ambition to become mayor of Paris in 2026, was charged in 2019 on suspicions she lobbied for the car-making group, Renault-Nissan, while an MEP, which is the only directly elected body of the European Union. Dati has denied the allegations. - ARTnews

“Math For Musicians” And “Exercise For Engineers”: Change Ringing In North America

People in chilly church towers pulling on ropes attached to sets of thousand-pound bells — that's usually considered (by those who even know the practice exists) a pastime for geeky Brits. But there are some 50 towers in the U.S. and Canada where devoted change ringers keep the "mathy-musical sport" alive. - Early Music America

US Senator Proposes Anti Money-Laundering Bill For Art

The bill—titled the Art Market Integrity Act—would amend the Bank Secrecy Act to require art dealers and auction houses to comply with anti-money-laundering (AML) and counter-terrorism financing regulations. - ARTnews

One Of LACMA’s Greatest Assets Has Finally Been Pulled Out Of Storage And Put On Display

The museum’s collection of Buddhist painting and sculptures includes some of the greatest work in all of its holdings, writes Christopher Knight. It hasn’t been on view for the people of Los Angeles County for going on a decade, and right now it’s only there for a year. - Los Angeles Times (Yahoo!)

Benedict Cumberbatch: Hollywood’s Epic Waste Problem

“It’s a grossly wasteful industry. Think about set builds that aren’t recycled, think about transport, think about food, think about housing, but also light and energy. The amount of wattage you need to create daylight and consistent light in a studio environment. It’s a lot of energy.” - The Guardian

Arvo Part At 90

Unlike many of his contemporaries, Pärt has found a way to speak across boundaries of culture, creed and generation. In the world of contemporary classical music, where complexity and empty virtuosity often dominate, Pärt stands apart. - The Guardian

Are We Now Defining Ourselves By Who/What We Hate?

Descartes had a famous dictum about the constitutive powers of the thinking self: I think therefore I am. Could it be that, today, I hate, therefore I am? - The New York Times

Late-Night TV Talk Shows Are Probably Doomed — And US Networks Will Lose A Lot When They’re Gone

As linear TV viewership plummets and online ad rates remain low, the economics of late-night talk shows no longer works. But there are consequences, both obvious and impalpable, to the disappearance of these franchises. - TheWrap (MSN)

New AI Tool Helps Researchers Fill In Missing Letters And Words In Ancient Roman Tablets

Named Aeneas after the mythical Trojan hero, the program predicts where and when inscriptions were made and makes suggestions where words are missing. - The Guardian

Can Burning Man Survive Financial Hardship?

Despite its explosive popularity over the years, in 2024 Burning Man fell short of its fundraising goals and saw a reduction in ticket sales. The organization does not have corporate sponsorships to support its operations, and the sale of tickets, which cost anywhere from $550 to $3,000, do not alone cover those expense. - The Guardian

Maybe AI Slop Will Cure Us Of Our Internet Addiction?

Where going online once evoked a wide-eyed sense that the world was at our fingertips, now it requires wading into the slop like weary, hardened detectives, attempting to parse the real from the fake. - The Atlantic

In Putin’s Russia, Even Internet Searches Could Be Crimes

“Russian lawmakers on Tuesday approved a bill that punishes online searches for information that is deemed ‘extremist.’ … The official definition of extremist activity is extremely broad and includes opposition groups like (Navalny’s) Anti-Corruption Foundation … and the ‘international LGBT movement’.” - AP

Nearly Half Of Freelance Workers In British Theatre Earn Less Than Living Wage

“The report shows 44% of freelancers earn less than the UK National Living Wage, up from 34% last year. ... The survey reveals high levels of unpaid work, rising expenses and falling incomes, with 32% of respondents saying over half of their working hours are unpaid and 75% reporting higher work-related costs.” - WhatsOnStage (UK)

Joffrey Ballet Will Remain At Chicago’s Lyric Opera House For (At Least) Seven More Years

“The Joffrey’s current lease was slated to end following the 2027 season, but this extension will keep the city’s top ballet company at the massive downtown opera house through 2034. Joffrey first began performing under Lyric’s roof in October 2021, after a delay caused by the COVID-19 pandemic.” - WBEZ (Chicago)

Is What Most Historians Have Believed About Sacagawea For A Century Actually Wrong?

Her tribe, birthplace, date of death — all those and much else from the journals and later testimony of Lewis and Clark had been considered definitive. But Native American oral history about Sacagawea is quite different, and there are good reasons to believe that Lewis and Clark were misinformed. - The New York Times Magazine

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