A law passed in November not only widened an existing prohibition on material considered to promote an LGBTQ+ lifestyle but also restricts the “demonstration” of LGBTQ+ behaviour. - The Guardian
"But if you weren’t lucky enough to know somebody who knew the real story," she asks, "why would you know that? I didn't know that, until I was an adult. And that shifts your whole view of what we've been told about American music." - Variety
Ballet is a particularly stark example of a broader system that conditions women to be obedient, to suffer for perfection, and never complain about any of it. - The New Republic
Most critics are impressed, the public likes it, but some observers have complaints: it looks like a mall, the gallery spaces are cramped, the big harbor-view windows distract from the art, the building will be expensive to operate … and the place doesn't even have a proper name yet. - The Guardian
"The American Prison Writing Archive … plans to increase the number of (its) digitized first-person accounts to more than 10,000, start a book series, launch exhibitions and create a kind of digital umbrella linking to kindred open-access efforts like the PEN America Prison and Justice Writing program." - The New York Times
"The opening and closing nights will be led by Dalia Stasevska and Marin Alsop respectively. … Meanwhile, 11 of this year's 21 premieres are by female composers, … and a third of the festival's 84 concerts include works by women." - The Guardian
"All this makes clear what Fox News really is. It's a service provider. That service is the maintenance of a reality bubble and the deference to beliefs that Fox's hosts helped shape. … Fox’s ... actions said: The customer is always right. In fact, the customer is boss." - The New York Times
"Filming on the Western movie Rust could resume this week in Montana, the production company said Wednesday, in the aftermath of the fatal shooting of a cinematographer during a rehearsal with actor Alec Baldwin on the original production in New Mexico." - AP
"Certain 'state governments,' the bill reads, 'have recently begun to prioritize 'culture war' politics over economic development.' It also quotes Walt Disney CEO Bob Iger calling Gov. Ron DeSantis 'anti-business.'" As one state senator tweeted, "In NC, y'all still means all." - Orlando Sentinel
"Research (has) found that a third of librarians had been asked by members of the public to censor or remove books, indicating that such incidences 'had increased significantly in recent years'. … The most targeted books involve empire, race and LGBTQ+ themes." - The Guardian
Universal Music sent letters to Spotify, Apple Music, and other streaming platforms asking them to block AI platforms from sifting through their copyrighted material in order to train itself to compose. - Ludwig Van
Thinking for yourself has never been easy, but the question of whether it is still possible at all is of some moment. The key ideals of liberal democracy—moral independence and intellectual autonomy—depend on it. - The Walrus
There are currently around three to four million podcasts internationally, but just over half of those have more than three episodes, with only 720,000 podcasts comprising more than 10 episodes. - BBC
