A Meta spokesperson described StoryKit as a creative storytelling app used to craft personalized, imaginative storybooks for children and noted that it uses AI safety filters with no social features and is only available to users over the age of 18. - TechCrunch
The figure is a 20% increase over the second quarter last year. There were slightly under 1.5 million visitors in that period, and foot traffic in the Loop on weekdays is still below pre-pandemic levels. - Chicago Sun-Times
For decades, theater fans have flocked to Broadway hoping to catch their favorite performers onstage. But what if, instead of seeing one show, they could spend an entire weekend surrounded by stage stars — watching concerts under the stars, singing show tunes around a campfire, dancing at a Broadway rave? - People
Whether “love” is really the metric by which one should assess a historian’s credibility seemed outside the scope of the discussion. Nuance was treated like a threat. - The Atlantic
Each year the number of words spoken daily seemed to decline by about three hundred and thirty-eight. That translates into around a hundred and twenty thousand words a year—about the length of “Sense and Sensibility.” And Mehl noticed that the decline was even steeper for people under twenty-five. - The New Yorker
“São Paulo’s Teatro B32 has announced the creation of the ECO Orchestra, a new professional ensemble that will present its inaugural season between September 2026 and June 2027. American conductor Ira Levin has been appointed Artistic Director.” - Moto Perpetuo
“Because every competition’s scoring rubric is slightly different, dancers may not always understand why they received a certain score or ranking. ... What do competitors and coaches need to know about the competitive-dance world’s many judging systems, and how can they glean useful information from the often-mysterious numerical scores?” - Dance Magazine
After very disappointing finishes in California’s Democratic primary races for Senate in 2024 and governor in 2025, Porter says “I am closing the door on being a candidate.” She will turn one of her social media accounts into a book-oriented channel called Katie Porter Turns the Page. - The Sacramento Bee
“The cultural institution announced it will no longer employ 23 custodial workers on June 29. ... The employees’ last day is Aug. 14, but a museum spokesperson said they will have the opportunity to re-apply for their positions with the new company, GDI Integrated Facility Services, based in Canada.” - Chicago Sun-Times
The Apollo Gallery had been closed to the public ever since last October’s broad-daylight theft of the French crown jewels on display there. Now it’s open again, with nothing on display. Fortunately, the room itself is pretty spectacular. - AFP (MSN)
“The European Commission … said that even with a Paramount-Warner combo, enough competitors would exist across markets like film production and streaming in its 27-nation bloc. Still, when it comes to distributing movies to theaters, the Commission warned of high concentration,” leading to worse terms for cinema operators. - AP
“Hadi Matar, the man who stabbed Salman Rushdie in the eye on stage in 2022, is standing trial for a second time – this time facing (federal) terrorism charges after being found guilty (in New York state court) of attempted murder and sentenced to 25 years in prison last year.” - The Guardian
They’re divided into such categories as “Big Fish in Small Ponds,” “The Old Guard,” “Masters of Genre,” “Solid Commercial Filmmakers,” “Middle-Class Auteurs,” “Animation Specialists,” “IP Guys,” “A24 Boys on the Rise,” “The Haute Bourgeoisie,” “Wunderkinds,” “Trusted Hands,” The New Hotness,” and “The Most Wanted.” - New York Magazine
“The Jen-Hsun and Lori Huang College of Art, Architecture and Design will be ‘a cornerstone’ of Vanderbilt's planned campus on the ... site it is purchasing from California College of the Arts.” Huang College, backed by $75 million from a co-founder of Nvidia, will emphasize how the arts intersect with engineering and technology. - San Francisco Chronicle (MSN)
