“The Ghiblification of OpenAI’s image generation launch was likely a calculated move to ensure that people viewed the new feature in a good light.” - Gabriel Burrow
It was the first starring performance at the theater for Maria Shuvalova, daughter of former official Igor Shuvalov, who now heads a Kremlin-backed bank. Several reviews were harsh, and the ones that weren’t may have been paid for; one critic says she was offered money for a favorable report. - The Times (UK)
Four of the Big Five publishers—Hachette Book Group, Macmillan Publishers, Penguin Random House, and Simon & Schuster—and Sourcebooks sent a letter to Congress on April 3 expressing “deep concern” over the state of the nation’s libraries following a week of unprecedented turmoil at the Institute of Museum and Library Services. - Publishers Weekly
Until we hear more about any potential deal that actually could be used to delay the law as it’s written, it’s probably a good idea to keep your TikTok app updated just in case its listings disappear again. - The Verge
The Temple Anthropology Lab and Museum (TALM) officially opened this week. “The space was languishing and something needed to happen — either it was going to be shut down or someone was going to be having to take care of them.” - Philadelphia Inquirer (MSN)
Opera Carolina and its business director are embroiled in a lawsuit with the former production director amid a leadership shakeup that’s as dramatic and intense as an opera performance itself. - Charlotte Observer
“For decades, the Compton’s Cafeteria Riot, in which gender nonconforming patrons of a late-night Tenderloin eatery stood up to chronic police harassment — smashing the diner’s windows, destroying a patrol car, setting a newsstand aflame — went untold.” - San Francisco Chronicle (MSN)
“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
