It is by far the largest and most important strike in the history of American higher education, with the potential to transform both the status and income of those who work in an “industry” that now employs more workers than the federal government. - The Guardian
"For a long time, the Sackler name was a byword for almost unparalleled philanthropy and largesse towards the arts; it is now synonymous with shame and misery on an even grander scale." That's because the photographer decided to transform her life. - The Guardian (UK)
There's also a fair amount of Taylor Swift fandom, but "these posts from fans essentially serve as a denouncement of West’s praise of Hitler in the Infowars interview and his denial of the Holocaust, further highlighting the artist’s loss of support." - Variety
"There are whole nations whose political discourse occurs mainly on Twitter. The amount of reputational and social wealth that stands to be lost if Twitter collapses is astounding. Twitter currently functions as perhaps the world's biggest status bank." - Wired
The question of where to draw the line between what is and what is not a city—not to mention where one ends and another begins—is getting harder to answer. Settlements are spreading out by merging into one another to create what urban experts term “megalopolises.” - Fast Company
The equilateral cross with arms bent at right angles has been a symbol of good fortune for Hindus, Buddhists, and Jains for millennia, and it's ubiquitous in India to this day. South Asians in the U.S. see no reason to abandon it just because the Nazis perverted it. - AP
Boundaries between “traditional” culture and online culture have been breaking down. Television audiences have shrunk. Newspaper circulations are in terminal decline. Meanwhile, people have been hooked to Twitter, Instagram, TikTok and all manner of alternative platforms on the Internet. - The Critic
We also pushed to have Mr. Chapek fired because he didn’t believe in Disney magic. Disney is so much more than just another big business. Understanding that is crucial to its success. - The New York Times
"Professors of art, workers at museums, and assistants at a publishing house have all gone on strike or staged public protests during contract negotiations. Call this a black-turtleneck-worker uprising rather than a white-collar one." - The New Republic
Leisure travel has roared back since the pandemic, with the Greek capital a destination rather than a transit point to the islands; the Acropolis is now getting 16,000 visitors a day. The mayor of Athens is arguing for a tourist tax to cover the ballooning cost of services. - The Guardian
When unusually high tides hit last week, the $6 billion MOSE system of barriers in the lagoon was raised and a repeat of the catastrophic 2019 floods was avoided. Yet, as sea levels continue to rise, so do fears that, within a few decades, MOSE won't be enough. - MSN (The Washington Post)
The Russian Federation and its envoy had been chairing UNESCO's World Heritage Committee this year, throwing a wrench in the organization's attempts to save Ukraine's heritage sites and leading 46 countries, including large donor nations, to threaten a boycott. The Russian ambassador's resignation has ended that impasse. - Artnet
Since AIDS was identified in the early 1980s, the World Health Organization estimates that over 40 million people have died of HIV or AIDS-related illness and that today there are an estimated 38 million people carrying the virus. - Barre-Montpelier Times-Argus
In a word, sales. "Some much-heralded device innovations, like the ability to place Amazon orders via Alexa, have failed to win over a dedicated audience. In other words, Alexa does not appear to be driving incremental retail sales in any meaningful way." - Fast Company
