“Thomas King, … the writer of books including 2003's The Truth About Stories: A Native Narrative and 2012's The Inconvenient Indian: A Curious Account of Native People in North America, says he is reeling from recent news that he has no Cherokee ancestry.” - CBC
Machine intelligence meets or surpasses humanlike abilities in many areas—but being an embodied human is complex, and our grasp of intelligence has grown significantly. - Scientific American
The musical, based on a 2012 documentary about a Florida couple seeking to build a palatial home but stymied by an economic downturn, is yet another high-profile financial failure for Broadway: The show cost up to $22.5 million to capitalize. - The New York Times
The symbol of love is now a flash point in India’s historical antagonism between Hindus and minority Muslims, a battle between historians — a battle over truth, identity and power. - Washington Post
“The unraveling of McGraw’s (Merit Street Media) was a gut punch for the celebrity therapist who has assiduously built a reputation" — and riches — "as one of the most trusted voices on television. But his fortunes faded amid a dying market for syndicated TV and clashes with a distributor and partner.” - Los Angeles Times (MSN)
In place of the bohemian idealism of previous countercultural movements, this counter-counterculture embraced cynicism, scoffing at inclusivity and progress. - The New York Times
“This decision comes as we assess how to best serve the Los Angeles community with recent economic challenges and shifts in funding for the organization,” the LA Phil said in a statement to Boyle Heights Beat on Thursday. - Boyle Heights Beat
Under the terms of the One Big Beautiful Bill, the provision of student loans in the USA will be overhauled starting 1 July, 2026, with borrowing amounts set to be determined by whether a degree is considered professional or not. - Dezeen
KYUK, which broadcasts in English and indigenous language Yugtun to the Yukon-Kuskokwim Delta on Alaska’s west coast, transmitted crucial evacuation and rescue information when the remnants of a typhoon hit the area last month. The station lost 70% of its budget when Congress defunded public radio this past summer. - Reveal
“The two men and two women in custody are from the Paris region and range in age from 31 to 40, said the prosecutor. … Her statement didn’t say what role they’re suspected of having played in the Oct. 19 theft. Police can hold them for questioning for 96 hours.” - AP
“The project involved integrating two neighboring buildings, adding almost 100,000 square feet of public and gallery space, and uniting the structures with a 21,000-square-foot, multilayered glass pavilion named for (Mark) Rothko,” who grew up in Portland. - ARTnews
The musical, starring Kristin Chenoweth (in her return to Broadway after ten years) and featuring Stephen Schwartz’s first Broadway score since Wicked, began previews in October and officially opened two weeks ago. The production was expected to run into next spring but, after negative reviews, will close on Jan. 4. - Entertainment Weekly
Toronto-based Ballet Jörgen had just begun its annual December tour of Ontario with the holiday favorite when the rental truck containing its sets and backdrops was stolen around 3:30 am Monday morning. - CBC
“In addition to a $2.3 million surplus on its (fiscal year 2025) operating budget of $34.6 million, the PSO saw its highest annual ticket sales since the COVID-19 pandemic. Total ticket sales reached $9.48 million, a 17% increase over last fiscal year.” - Pittsburgh Business Times (WPXI)
“A U.S. District Court (in Rhode Island) ruled in favor of 21 state attorneys general suing Donald Trump over the dismantling of the Institute of Museum and Library Services and several other small federal agencies.” - Book Riot
