Geoffrey Mason, aged only 30, was a producer helping run coverage of the Munich Olympics when terrorists from the Black September group took hostage, and eventually murdered, 11 Israeli athletes. - The Hollywood Reporter
"My problem with AI is the ownership. Once you have taken some music from Ghana or Nigeria, who owns that music? How would you find out where the original creators are and ensure they are credited? It’s theft for me through the backroom." - BBC
Airbnb and the Colosseum Archaeological Park have signed a $1.5 million deal to offer 16 tourists a chance to "unleash their inner gladiator." Colosseum officials say it will pay for site maintenance; many Romans object to both the bad taste of the idea and the company's contributions to overtourism. - CNN
The kinds of speech that strike us as authentic, satisfying, and desirable change with time, and depend on our position in the world and on the conversations happening around us. - The New Yorker
To invoke language when talking about LLMs is to misunderstand the nature of language and miss its fundamentally lived and embodied character. LLMs may get better and better at sourcing certain kinds of information or completing certain kinds of tasks, but they are finders, not creators. - The Dial
More than half a dozen nonprofit arts and cultural institutions reviewed by the Chronicle have experienced significant revenue decreases, most say attendance remains below pre-pandemic levels and some have had issues with fundraising in recent years. - San Francisco Chronicle (MSN)
You get a film titled About a Hero, interspersing an AI-written narrative starring Herzog (as a character) investigating a mysterious death with interviews with artists, philosophers, and scientists on AI issues. Yes, Herzog is (in a way) involved, and no, he doesn't like the film. - The Hollywood Reporter
Since last year, the Prado has been bringing novelists to live in an apartment overlooking the museum. They stay for periods ranging from three to six weeks, but they are not expected to write there. All they have to do is look at the art — and draw inspiration from what they see. - The New York Times
Multiple Vladimir Putin adversaries have died after falling from windows. The term “Sudden Russian Death Syndrome” was born after many notable Russian figureheads who have spoken out against Putin’s reign died in puzzling ways. One of the most common causes of the deaths are window falls. - The Daily Beast
"The bankruptcy judge overseeing the Chapter 7 liquidation of Infowars and Jones’ assets on Thursday temporarily halted the transfer of Infowars to The Onion and ordered an evidentiary hearing to review the auction — in which bids were submitted secretly." - Variety
School district officials cancelled Santa Rosa High School's production of Dog Sees God, which depicts the characters of the comic strip Peanuts in high school and deals with themes of bullying, gun violence, and homophobia. A privately-owned theater nearby hosted the production instead. - San Francisco Chronicle (MSN)
Stephanie Stebich raised more than $100 million for the museum in her seven years there and maintained good relations with the board and senior Smithsonian officials. But former and current staffers describe her decision-making as confused and her management style as anger and recrimination. - The Washington Post (MSN)
Beginning in 1957 with "Europe on $5 a Day," Frommer’s philosophy changed the way Americans traveled abroad. His advice became so standard that it’s hard to remember how radical it seemed in the days before discount flights and backpacks. - AP
