Calling out lawyers for requesting more than $320 million in legal fees when each author only expects a $3,000 payout, some objectors asked the court to delay approving the settlement until a more reasonable plaintiff compensation plan is constructed. - Ars Technica
NPR President and CEO Katherine Maher says the network has to fill a gap of $8 million in its $300-million annual budget because of the elimination of federal subsidies for its member stations, which pay NPR to air programs such as Morning Edition and All Things Considered. - NPR
In 1962, a programmer at Librascope, a California-based defense contractor, announced that “a computer can be programmed to write meaningful and relevant sentences in proper English.” - The New Yorker
“If you want a deep dive into Chicago arts and culture, check your phone at the door: The ‘unplugged’ trend is growing locally among arts groups responding to a collective desire for more phone-free experiences.” - WBEZ (Chicago)
“If my art isn’t in your budget right now, I’ll accept the following as payment…” the viral posts on Instagram and TikTok read. The caption includes a list of items or services that the artist will trade the work for, ranging from handmade clothes, jewellery and tattoos to accommodation, meals and beauty services. - The Art Newspaper
So why are celebrities suddenly registering trademarks in a bid to protect their identity? The answer, unsurprisingly, lies with generative artificial intelligence (AI). - The Conversation
Yes, the maybe-it’s-really-a-Leonardo Salvator Mundi is still number one, more than $200 million ahead of the runner-up, which made the list just last year. Meanwhile, the fourth-ranking piece set its record on Monday night. Fully half the artworks on this list were auctioned since 2020. - ARTnews
Following the months-long awards campaign for It Was Just an Accident, which won the Golden Palm at Cannes last year and was nominated for two Oscars, Panahi returned to his homeland, as he said he would. Now the Islamic Revolutionary Court has ordered him retried for “propaganda against the regime.” - The Hollywood Reporter
“Here, midsize theater companies help anchor the scene and bridge the gap between big playhouses such as the Guthrie and Children’s theaters and smaller companies. But as corporate, civic and private funding has dried up or shifted to other areas, they are feeling the heat.” - The Minnesota Star Tribune (MSN)
The Paris office of STUDIOS Architecture will lead the project, which includes the creation of new galleries and a new lobby. … (The firm’s) recent portfolio includes the well-received renovations of the Frick Collection in New York and the Sainsbury Wing of the National Gallery in London.” - ARTnews
This was the third time the disgraced producer was prosecuted in Manhattan for his alleged assault of Jessica Mann in 2013. (The initial verdict, a conviction, was overturned on appeal.) This time, the jury deadlocked, with 9 of the 12 jurors reportedly leaning toward acquittal. - AP
Although he had gotten through the dress rehearsal well enough, the San Francisco Symphony’s Music Director Laureate had to be wheeled onstage for Friday’s performance of Mahler’s 9th Symphony. He slumped ever farther to the right during the music, which was finally stopped during the third movement. - San Francisco Chronicle (Yahoo!)
The much-loved singer, admired equally for opera and concerts, passed away two days after she publicly revealed her terminal cancer diagnosis. - The Guardian
“I should leave when I cannot do the job properly or when the board doesn’t want me to be here. I’m a workaholic, I’ve always worked. I don’t enjoy free time. I wake up in the middle of the night thinking about work. I need work. My life would be empty without work.” - OperaWire
