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Training AI To Transcribe Cursive (Because So Many Younger Americans Can’t Read It)

It’s a particular issue for historians in and of Philadelphia, since so many 18th- and 19th-century documents are in that hard-to-read script used in the Declaration of Independence. So experts at the American Philosophical Society (founded by Benjamin Franklin) have developed software to transcribe those documents. - The Philadelphia Inquirer (MSN)

Trump Administration Threatens Harvard Accreditation

The notification doesn’t remove Harvard’s accreditation—which would leave the school virtually unable to operate. Education Secretary Linda McMahon urged Harvard’s accreditor to work with the school to “keep the Department fully informed of its efforts to ensure that Harvard is in compliance with federal law and accreditor standards.” - The Wall Street Journal

Withdrawals Of Showings At Film Festivals Raise Questions

Festivals are also answerable to funders and to different stakeholders’ interests. Cancellations of planned films raise questions about festivals’ roles and accountability to community groups who find certain films objectionable, the wider public, politicians, festival sponsors, audiences, filmmakers and the films themselves. - The Conversation

Oscar Wilde’s Forgotten Play About Russian Revolutionaries

The 1879 play Vera; or, The Nihilists is about a young woman and her band of radicals who plan to kill the tsar. Its 1881 London premiere was cancelled after Tsar Alexander II was actually assassinated, and the play has been neglected ever since. - The Guardian

The Next Marketing: Influencing Without The Influencers

The brand’s voice is embedded in the content, as are its products, but there’s no overt pitch, no awkward energy of a sponsored partnership. The videos are seemingly unpolished, even if they may have been meticulously planned. And, in many cases, viewers may not even realize they’re being marketed to. - The New York Times

Music Industry Projections For The Next Seven Years

After something of a boom year in 2023, revenue growth slowed to 4.3% in 2024. In fact, 2024 continued an oscillating growth pattern we have seen all decade, with strong growth years followed by weaker ones. - Music Industry Blog

How Journalism Is Using AI

I’ll upload sections of my book, along with interview transcripts, and ask whether everything I’ve written squares with what my sources have said. I’ll ask it to read long sections of text and flag any material that hasn’t been introduced chronologically. - CJR

Paul Libin, For 67 Years One Of New York Theater’s Leading Producers, Is Dead At 94

“Libin produced more than 250 Broadway, Off-Broadway and touring productions. He led Circle in the Square Theatre for 62 years until his death, serving as Executive Vice President and Producing Director of Jujamcyn Theaters for 28 years until 2017, and was President of Broadway Cares/Equity Fights AIDS for 24 years until 2018.” - Deadline

Peter Sellars And A Life Wrapped In Art

Among his collaborators, Sellars is cherished for this openness with his feelings. He wraps anyone and everyone in a bear hug. He releases sudden honks of laughter. He cries. - The New York Times

Trends In Painting In A Hyper-Imaged Culture

Recent contemporary painting trends suggest a widespread desire to slow down, distort, or even rupture the act of seeing. - Artnet

Universal Music VP On Copyright, Creativity, And AI

The UMG executive emphasized that “tech collaboration with the creative community, respecting the value of artists’ work and harnessing their innovation has produced enormous cultural and economic benefit.” - Music Business Worldwide

How Dr. Phil’s TV Network Fell Apart After Barely More Than A Year

“Phil McGraw‘s Merit Street Media is in bankruptcy court and is simultaneously suing its distribution partner, Trinity Broadcasting, for breach of contract that the company says led to the chapter 11 filing. But signs that the 15-month-old network was struggling were there well before Merit Street began bankruptcy proceedings.” - The Hollywood Reporter

Third Year Of A Slumping Art Market

Amid the geopolitical mayhem of a second Donald Trump presidency, 2025 looks likely to be the third year in a row that sales in the global art market have contracted. “The anticipated ‘Trump bump’ has ultimately given way to a ‘Trump slump’,” says Christine Bourron, the chief executive of Pi-eX. - The Art Newspaper

Missouri Governor Vetos Arts Funding

“We're all kind of left reeling,” Craig said. “It does feel, for many of us involved in nonprofit fields, that we are being hit from all directions.” - KCUR

After Centuries Of Neglect, One Of Fra Angelico’s Earliest Frescoes Has Been Restored

“Hidden high in the chapter house of San Domenico (convent) in Fiesole, the quietly majestic Crucifixion — possibly the artist’s earliest known work — has been painstakingly revived by conservators, offering visitors a rare glimpse into the spiritual and artistic beginnings of one of Italy’s most revered painters.” - Artnet

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