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Not Surprisingly, Ukrainian Standup Comedy Was Completely Transformed By Russia’s Invasion And War

Also unsurprisingly, the humor tends to be much darker than before 2022. And there’s a sense of purpose: “We get a lot of feedback, like, ‘You saved me from my mental problems,” says one comedian. “Now we have a mission. It’s to stop people from going crazy.” - The Guardian

Columbia University’s Capitulation To Trump Is A Threat To Universities

Some say the settlement is unlawful, pointing to the quick investigation, vague allegations and unprecedented way federal funds were retracted before Columbia had a chance to appeal. Some went as far as to compare the executive actions to past power grabs by authoritarian leaders in countries like Hungary, Turkey and Brazil. - InsideHigherEd

AI Programs Love To Cite Reuters, Financial Times, Forbes, Axios

The researchers tested two models each from ChatGPT, Gemini, and Claude, and found that journalism was by far the most common source for composing answers to queries (with the four outlets in the headline among the most frequently cited) — and that blocking journalistic sources often led to outdated or inaccurate answers. - Nieman Lab

How Literature Explains The Attraction Of Public Shaming

This spectacle raises a deeper question: why does infidelity, especially among the powerful, provoke such public outcry. Literary tradition offers some insight: intimate betrayal is never truly private. It shatters an implicit social contract, demanding communal scrutiny to restore trust. - The Conversation

What Powers (Almost) Everything We Do

North America’s electric system is a miracle, but also kind of a mess. - The New Atlantis

French Government Creating a Digital Twin Of Notre Dame

The French government has teamed up with tech giant Microsoft to create a “digital twin” of the 862-year-old treasure. This virtual version will be achieved by taking thousands of photographs using cameras, drones, and lasers to capture every inch of the building’s exterior and interior. Specialists will then use A.I. to stitch these back together into a perfect replica....

Race To Preserve Archives Of Now-Defunct San Francisco Art Institute

“When the San Francisco Art Institute shut its doors in 2022, even the turtles in the campus's courtyard pond were evicted. But deep below street level, two archivists are fighting to preserve more than 150 years of radical art history from vanishing into the void.” - San Francisco Chronicle (MSN)

Artist Cancels Smithsonian Show Over Censorship Fears

Amy Sherald, the celebrated painter best known for her official portrait of Michelle Obama, has canceled an upcoming exhibition at the National Portrait Gallery, citing concerns that the museum might remove an artwork that could further provoke the Trump administration as it seeks to exert control over the Smithsonian Institution. - Washington Post

Trump Dismisses Concerns Over Copyright And AI

 “You can't be expected to have a successful AI program when every single article, book, or anything else that you've read or studied, you're supposed to pay for,” Trump said. “We appreciate that, but just can't do it— because it's not doable.” - Wired

Publishers Worry Trump Will Gut Copyright For AI

"You can’t be expected to have a successful AI program when every single article, book, or anything else that you’ve read or studied, you’re supposed to pay for. 'Gee, I read a book,' you're supposed to pay somebody," Trump said. - Publishers Weekly

How AI Is Changing The Art (And Business) Of Acting

“Plenty of actors I’ve worked with have had that moment where they see what’s possible and realize, ‘Oh my God, this is so much better. It frees them up, takes off the pressure and helps them do a better job. Shutting AI out is naive.” - Los Angeles Times

Former Philly Pops Organization Abandons Its Lawsuit Against Philadelphia Orchestra/Kimmel Center

Encore Series, the parent organization of the now-defunct incarnation of the Pops, said it “wants to make clear that POKC did nothing wrong and is not responsible for Encore’s debts or obligations … (and) regrets that the lawsuit and related statements … led to unwarranted accusations directed to POKC and its leadership.” - The Philadelphia Inquirer (MSN)

Will A Wave Of New Online Age-Restriction Laws Chill Free Speech?

 Around the world, a new wave of child protection laws are forcing a profound shift that could normalize rigorous age checks broadly across the web. Some of the measures are designed to specifically block minors from accessing adult material, while others are meant to stop children from using social media platforms or accessing harmful content. - Wired

Paramount’s Big “South Park” Problem After The Trump Penis Episode

 The episode did not hold back on crass jokes aimed at Trump, showing him with a “teeny tiny” penis both in animation and as a deepfake and portraying him as Satan’s lover in a style reminiscent of the gay Saddam Hussein character from the 1999 movie South Park: Bigger, Longer & Uncut. - Wired

Jazz Singer Cleo Laine, 97

“With astonishing green eyes and a mop of frizzy auburn hair, …  a voice that could soar easily from a throaty C below middle C to high-pitched trills on top A, … (she was) the only performer to receive Grammy nominations in the female jazz, popular and classical categories.” - The Telegraph (UK) (Yahoo!)

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