More than 4,000 items were destroyed and only about 150 pieces survived in the blaze that broke out early Sunday morning. Abkhazia broke away from the Republic of Georgia during the post-Soviet civil war of 1992-93 and is propped up by Russia, which maintains thousands of troops there. - CNN
"In a varied career spanning more than a half-century, … (he) spent 22 years anchoring the CBS-TV staple “Sunday Morning” and decades as a radio commentator, and carved a distinct place for himself in broadcasting by occasionally presenting the news in wry doggerel." - The Washington Post (MSN)
In contrast to the prominent dictionaries that designated as their word of the year “rizz,” “hallucinate” and “authentic,” the American Dialect Society celebrates linguistic variation to an almost absurd degree.
Architecture has been hit by a new sobriety. Tradition, apparently, is back. The reaction against ultramodern architecture arrived slowly at first, but accelerated with the financial crash of 2008, as the world economy and many political systems became increasingly unsteady. - Aeon
The device has no way of knowing what its words refer to, as humans would, or even what it means for words to refer to something. Strictly speaking, it doesn’t know anything. For an AI chatbot, one can truly say, there is nothing outside the text. - Liberties Journal
For 50 years, Maxine Mahon was San Diego’s doyenne of dance as the founder and director of California Ballet Co., which despite its closure in 2020 still holds the record as the oldest professional ballet company in San Diego history. - San Diego Union-Tribune
I find that the less I say about my music, the better. If I say anything, it tends to be oblique or oracular: words meant to jar the listener out of the complacency of expectation. Then it’s on you to come to the sound curious and open-eared to hear what you find. - LitHub
The decision marks a further legal blow to the new government’s efforts to regain control of public media from the former ruling Law and Justice (PiS) party. - Notes From Poland
"The incident might appear to be a familiar case of dancers being treated poorly and fighting to have their voices heard. Yet there is more to understand about this story (regarding) issues facing ballet, including financial strain, diversity, the role of the board, and what qualifies someone to lead." - Pointe Magazine
Most social media algorithms are programmed to optimise the spread of inflammatory content, “fuelling the maelstrom of online political debate and, despite what the dominant companies like Meta say, it’s not to champion freedom of speech, it’s all to encourage people to post more, create more content to keep making money out of people’s data”. - The Guardian
In November, school officials in Sherman, Texas objected to the casting of trans student Max Hightower in a male role and ordered that actors' birth gender must match that of their roles. Here's how parents, students, and, ultimately, allies all over the US fought back and won. - The Dallas Morning News
As an activist-thinker, Diane understood the ecologies of culture. She mapped them at the intersection of aesthetics, economics, and ethics, circling versions of the question of how, in each of these ecosystems, we value what we value. - American Theatre
"The change is part of a greater effort to separate tourists and worshippers, who will now access the structure through separate entrances. Additionally, instead of listening to live tour guides, tourists will now learn about the site through a new headset system … (in order) to preserve the worship environment." - Smithsonian Magazine
Rather than cajole or badger, campaigns now invite consumers to join the conversation. They’ve recognized that anyone can amplify their message, whether through social media, traditional media or brand partnerships. It’s the ultimate soft sell. - The New York Times
"(Her) darkly molten, three-octave-plus voice and commanding presence made her … something of a cult figure, one of the singers that fans make a point of traveling to hear." - The New York Times
