Stories

ABC Campaigns Against FCC Review Of Its Licenses

ABC argued in a filing to the FCC in May that “The View” airs under an exemption to the equal-time rule “granted to it more than twenty years ago.” - NBC News

Benjamin Franklin’s Library Given 1,500 Rare Books About Sex

The collection is the latest donation to the Library Company of Philadelphia, founded by Franklin in 1731, by Charles Rosenberg, a now-retired historian of science at Harvard University. He described this collection, including volumes dating to the late 1600s, as largely “how-to-run-your-sex-life books.” - The New York Times

With Book Reviews Disappearing From Newspapers, This Bookstore Decided To Start Doing Its Own

“The Porter Square Review of Books launched this month. The (Cambridge, Mass.) store’s booksellers and writers-in-residence have begun publishing weekly(ish) book reviews on its website, on Thursdays; at about 500 words, these are deeper looks at books than the couple of sentences you’ll find describing ‘staff picks’ in-store.” - Nieman Lab

New Chief Conductor At BBC Scottish Symphony Orchestra

Antony Hermus, a 53-year-old Dutchman who is just finishing his tenure as chief conductor of the Belgian National Orchestra, will succeed Ryan Wigglesworth at the Glasgow-based BBC SSO as of the 2027-28 season. - The Scotsman

Google Invests $75 Million In A24 Studios To Develop AI Filmmaking Tools

“Google’s DeepMind AI unit and A24 are aiming to create new tools for movie production and distribution. … Though Alphabet unit Google is a major player in online entertainment through YouTube, the deal marks the first time it has taken a stake in a studio.” - The Wall Street Journal (MSN)

Lonnie Bunch Works To Keep Smithsonian Independent And Functional Amid Trumpist Turmoil

“Bunch has been cast by many of his admirers as something of a resistance figure — one of the only high-profile leaders standing up to Trump by single-handedly preventing the president from rewriting American history itself.” - The Atlantic

Stolen Picasso Discovered During Drug Trafficking Raid Near Paris

“Officers in the Brigade des Stupéfiants discovered the artwork on 15 June while carrying out a routine search of a house owned by the aunt of a suspected drug dealer. … The artwork has not been publicly named by France’s Alliance Police Nationale, who said it is worth ‘tens of millions’ of euros.” - The Independent (UK)

Germany And The Netherlands Will Return 2,000 Artifacts To Ghana

The repatriation was announced by Ghana’s foreign minister during a conference in Accra, but no information on the types of artifacts or the timeline for their return was released. - ARTnews

Hit-maker Clive David, 94

One of the few nonperformers in music to become a household name, Mr. Davis maintained a visible role as a starmaker for half a century. In the late 1960s he propelled a reluctant Columbia headlong into the rock era with acts like Janis Joplin and Blood, Sweat & Tears.  - The New York Times

Who Is America’s Great Poet?

Do we have a great poet who captures the American spirit, the American story, the American identity? We asked a posse of authors and poets to send us their votes. - Plough

Is The First AI Museum Really Art?

The sensory splash, co-founded by artists Refik Anadol and Efsun Erkılıç, showcases four more reality-bending galleries to explore — like the classic “Alice in Wonderland” meets “Avatar” or the trippy, new horror film “Backrooms.”  - New York Post

The Philosophers Attempting To Explain This Baffling Time

That must have been revelatory at a time when most people seemed to believe that science was infallible. But expertise has been downgraded—and more people are getting their information from podcasters and influencers. Who could help us understand this shift? - The Atlantic

How Billionaires Visit Museums

As exhibitions become more spectacular, donors expect engagement that goes beyond acknowledgment plaques. Exclusive access has therefore evolved into a sophisticated currency and is increasingly a luxury experience in its own right. - The Times

A Monolith Built To Record The End Of Planet Earth

“The purpose of the device is to provide an unbiased account of the events that lead to the demise of the planet, hold accountability for future generations, and inspire urgent action,” the Earth’s Black Box website states. “How the story ends is completely up to us.” - Gizmodo

Major Copyright Update: Japan Now Requires Performers Be Paid When Recordings Are Played In Public

Japan has created a music right that will, for the first time, require performers and record companies to be paid when their recordings are played in public spaces such as cafes, shops, hotels, and gyms. - Music Business Worldwide

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