“Today is a celebration for my colleagues at RT, Sputnik, and other outlets, because Trump unexpectedly announced that he’s closing down Radio Liberty and Voice of America, and now they’re closed. This is an awesome decision,” said Margarita Simonyan, RT’s chief editor. - NiemanLab
“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
“There could be deep psychological – even evolutionary – factors behind the success of Minecraft and games like it, say experts. Such games tap into an innate instinct within all of us – one that underpins the success of our entire species. The desire to build.” - BBC
There is a sizeable body of research looking at how gender, sexuality and interconnecting identities are represented in video games. - The Conversation
We live in a time of unparalleled interaction, communicating instantly with people across the world, with intimate insight into other people’s lives. Yet we feel increasingly disconnected from ourselves, each other and the world. - Aeon
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
Being based underground enhanced the atmosphere in the clubs. Attendees were simultaneously part of an underground movement and also literally hidden from view from the adult world. - The Conversation
From the banana on the wall to the butt-plug-shaped balloon to the (alleged) vulva in Versailles, here’s a chance to revisit some of the biggest brouhahas of the past quarter-century. - ARTnews
“Picador, the paperback arm of FSG, will embark on ... the trade paperback reissue of all 75 Inspector Maigret novels over a three-year period starting in spring 2025. Reissues of 30 of his standalone psychological noirs — which Simenon himself called romans durs, or ‘hard novels’ — will follow beginning in winter 2026.” - Publishers Weekly
“(He) rose improbably from rural poverty in Costa Rica to the towering heights of the global antiquities market, despite accusations that he trafficked in fake and stolen artifacts — and … fell precipitously when those accusations proved to be true.” - The New York Times
“As the deadline nears for TikTok‘s Chinese parent to cut a deal to divest controlling ownership of the app or face a U.S. ban, new bidders are coming out of the woodwork. Among the interested investors in TikTok is Tim Stokely, founder of OnlyFans. … In addition, Amazon submitted a last-minute offer.” - Variety
“Originally scheduled for July 5-6, the (free) festival, which attracts more than 50,000 attendees annually to San Francisco’s historic Fillmore district, will not take place this summer due to ongoing financial challenges. Tim Omi, president of the association, said in a statement, ‘2025 is not financially viable.’” - San Francisco Chronicle (MSN)
“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
