Scientists analyzed ancient DNA extracted from skeletal remains and pieced together fragments of five people’s identities, rewriting the romantic stories of who they were and how they were related. - Washington Post
U.S. Archivist Colleen Shogan and her top advisers at the National Archives and Records Administration, which operates a popular museum on the National Mall, have sought to de-emphasize negative parts of U.S. history. She has ordered the removal of prominent references to such landmark events as the government’s displacement of indigenous tribes. The Wall Street Journal
"With the approval of Proposition A, voters in El Paso have formally revoked the city’s authority to issue the remaining $128.5 million in bonds that had been allocated for a multipurpose performing arts and entertainment facility in Downtown El Paso." - El Paso Matters
"(The University of the Arts) filed for Chapter 7 bankruptcy in September, enabling the school to sell off its real estate, spanning 76,000 square feet across (nine buildings), all situated within Philly’s bustling South Broad Street commercial corridor." - Artnet
His work of this period combined a proclamation of the value of microcultures with a commitment to an intellectual cosmopolitanism. He celebrated the “local understanding”, but what bound the members of that salon to one another was the combination of cultural and national diversity with moral sympathy. - Hedgehog Review
"Wikipedia is facing mounting regulatory pressure in India as local authorities question whether the platform should continue to enjoy legal protections as a neutral intermediary rather than being classified as a publisher. … The ministry cited concerns about concentrated editorial control and persistent complaints about bias and inaccuracies on the platform." - TechCrunch
This is a golden age for parks, with cities sprucing up waterfronts, transforming abandoned industrial sites and bringing some green space to neighborhoods where treeless cracked-asphalt sports courts are the rule. - The New York Times
Employers and employees experienced increases in motivation and overall productivity with no drop in revenue. Employees generally report less stress, burnout and work-family conflict. - ArtsHub
"After Florida governor Ron DeSantis cancelled the state’s funding for arts and culture, Miami Beach has stepped up to … provide a one-time contribution of nearly $1 million to help local arts and culture organizations meet the budget gap created by the state for the 2025 fiscal year." - Artnet
Sure, there are the rancorous meetings where people accuse you of peddling porn, and the death threats. But there are also overdoses, physical attacks, and the daily challenges of dealing with people who need a lot more help than you could ever offer. - The New York Times
"The Tech Guild is asking Times readers ‘to honor the digital picket line and not play popular NYT Games such as Wordle and Connections as well as not use the NYT Cooking app.’” - Variety
One letter, signed by 2700 authors and entertainers, calls for a boycott of Israeli cultural institutions that are “complicit in violating Palestinian rights,” while another letter, signed by 1000 authors and entertainers, claims, “boycotts of creatives and creative institutions simply create more divisiveness.” - The New York Times
That’s a rise of 200 percent over 2023, which was already a huge year for organizations that rub their hands in glee as they try to stop kids from reading. - The New York Times
Who cares about the history of film, right? You might think the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences. But hey, it’s time to “streamline” and “restructure.” - Los Angeles Times
