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But What Exactly Is Banksy Doing In London?

When’s the big reveal after the surprise five animal appearances this week? Is the artist protesting far-right rioters, climate change, or … what? - The Guardian (UK)

You’ve Heard Of Slow Food And Slow TV. Now A “Slow Living” Movement Is Arising.

"(There's currently) a wave of writers encouraging active resistance to the relentless 'goal-oriented' expectation that, 'in a world where our value is determined by our productivity', every hour and minute of our time should be put to good use." Note the spread of the word "niksen," the Dutch term for doing nothing. - BBC

The Message Of Recent Broadway Successes

“At a time when costs for Broadway shows continue to rise … the necessity is producers so committed to projects and their potential to find audience favour that they will fight conventional wisdom to give shows the opportunity for recognition and financial success.” - The Stage (UK)

The Four Children of Frank Zappa And Their Frustrations, Finances, And Fights

"Moon has spent decades reassessing the family dynamic. Dweezil no longer speaks to his siblings. Ahmet and Diva, meanwhile, seem dazed by the force of their siblings’ anger — siblings with whom they share not just a fraught business partnership but also a one-of-a-kind childhood." - The Washington Post

Banksy Confirms A Fifth London Piece This Week

This one, hungry pelicans playing with fish, is appropriately located above one of London’s famous chip shops. - Euro News

What Does A State-Level Version Of The Atlantic Magazine Look Like? In North Carolina, It Looks Like This

"With a mission of publishing 'deep reporting about power and place in North Carolina,' the publication (called The Assembly) has an ambitious vision of curiosity-driven reporting that holds power to account. … (It) takes inspiration from other statewide magazines like California Sunday and Texas Monthly." - Nieman Lab

Slovakia’s Culture Minister Is On A Firing Spree

This week, Martina Šimkovičová — who only just moved from across the border in Austria into Slovakia though she's been minister since last October — abruptly dismissed the directors of the Slovak National Theatre and Slovak National Gallery. She reportedly plans to sack others who protested these firings. - The Slovak Spectator

Two Cultural Institutions Were Set On Fire During Bangladesh Riots

"Several locations across the capital, (Dhaka,) including Bangabandhu Memorial Museum and the Indira Gandhi Cultural Centre, were set on fire as part of a wider uprising against prime minister Sheikh Hasina, who has been forced to resign after 15 years in power and has fled to India." - Artnet

Breaking At The Olympics: Inside The Scoring System

"The judges will score on five criteria: vocabulary, technique, execution, originality and musicality. … Judges will use digital sliders ... to represent each scoring criterion, moving a slider toward the breaker they believe is ahead in, say, originality at that moment. There are penalties for crashes, wipeouts and falls." - The New York Times

Audit Finds More Misuse Of Funds And Possible Embezzlement At Sacramento’s Capital Public Radio

The forensic examination of finances at the long-troubled outlet revealed conflicts of interest, misspent funds, and more than $700,000 in expenditures ($400,000 of which was to one unnamed individual) that weren't backed up by expense reports or receipts. - Capital Public Radio (Sacramento)

Paramount To Cut 15% Of Its US Workforce

The layoffs, which follow the elimination of 800 jobs in February, are part of a plan for $500 million in annual cost-savings (part of $2 billion in "cost efficiencies") adopted for the coming merger of Paramount Global and Skydance. - The Hollywood Reporter

This Guy Poured Water On 6,000-Year-Old Cave Art So He Could Get A Better Pic For Facebook

"The cave paintings (in the Sierra Sur de Jaén mountain range) were made on limestone, which contains water-soluble salts. When water is poured on the paintings, these salts dissolve and then come to the surface when the water evaporates, leaving a crust that causes 'irreparable damage' to the paintings." - CNN

The Salzburgians Who Hate Sound Of Music On Its 60th Anniversary

“The story was too romantic. It was tears cutting out of your eyes. And the von Trapp, they left their home. For the others, it was not possible to go away, only for the noble family. And then all the other people in the film seemed to be Nazis.” - NPR

Warner Bros-Discovery Takes A Huge Financial Writedown

Shares of the merged company dropped to their lowest point since they began trading in 2022. CEO David Zaslav said, “This better aligns our carrying values with our future outlook.” - Bloomberg (MSN)

Art For Change Partners With Michelle Obama To Increase Voter Participation

Artists are “constantly engaging with these ideas around family, community and relationships, so I think that we look to artists, not necessarily on how to rebuild society, but to tell us what’s wrong with it. Where does it hurt?” - The Guardian (UK)

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