Thomas, 76, will now embark on a monthslong course of therapy and has canceled all his public appearances through the end of October. - San Francisco Chronicle
"The history of dance in Cuba" — from the Alonsos' national ballet company in 1948 to today's protests — "shows us how artists not only negotiated with the state, but also related to and drew inspiration from their … imagined national community to express themselves." - The Washington Post on MSN
Researchers at University of Notre Dame are developing an artificial neural network to read complex ancient handwriting based on human perception to improve capabilities of deep learning transcription. - Tech Xplore
Starting in the 1950s, small companies would roam the village festival circuit, setting up tents and showing old films with aging projectors cast off from the cities. Yet, as cell phones and internet service reach rural India, the market for traveling talkies is disappearing. - Atlas Obscura
"Seventy percent of India's musicians practice folk, but they earn only 2% of the industry's revenues. … Many listeners today only hear the genre through movies, or adapted by indie bands," something the nonprofit Anahad Foundation is working to change. - The Christian Science Monitor
The survey of 75 leaders also found a need to safely discuss big ideas. "Right now we do not have an ability to have a healthy conversation. … There's fear and apprehension in the field, and we have to figure out how to talk to each other." - Variety
The ceremony honoring independent film "will replace its best actress and best actor categories with a single category for outstanding lead performance. For the first time, there will be a category for supporting roles: outstanding supporting performance." - The New York Times
"Across southern Europe, large wildfires have so far killed eight people and caused mass evacuations while also threatening to damage ancient cultural sites. In Greece, authorities have partially closed the Acropolis and other major archaeological sites while battling with dozens of conflagrations around Athens." - Hyperallergic
The Live Events Reinsurance Scheme, a partnership with Lloyds, sets aside £750 million to offer cancellation insurance that private companies have been unwilling to provide during the pandemic. The plan will open in September and run for a year. - Variety
Residents of Lalibela, a UNESCO World Heritage site that's home to 11 landmark 13th-century churches and a major pilgrimage destination for Ethiopian Orthodox Christians, have fled — along with government troops — as soldiers from the Tigray People's Liberation Front march in. - Yahoo! (AFP)
“Are you really telling the Bay Area that you spent the last year and a half forging diversity, equity and inclusion committees, to then eliminate the three most diverse and accessible programs that foster a sense of connection and support for local artists?” - Los Angeles Times
"The most remarkable feature of Socrates’s approach is his punctilious politeness and sincere enthusiasm. The conversation usually begins with Socrates asking his interlocutor: Since you think you know, can you tell me..." - Boston Review
Paris is not the only city to struggle when trying to create a memorable logo. The history of Olympic logos shows it’s not easy to strike the tricky balance between capturing the spirit of the Games and that of the host city. - The Conversation
Our heroes are the warrior, the entrepreneur, and the activist, not the neutral parties. Neutrality appears cold, lifeless, effeminate, weak, and suspect. - Tablet
The museum is within a marine protected area about 200 metres from Pernera beach and in water between eight and 10 metres deep, so is accessible to snorkellers, scuba divers and free divers. - The Guardian
