Stories

The Bacteria That Causes Legionnaire’s Disease Has Been Found In The Guggenheim’s Cooling Tower

But, er, don’t freak out, New York. “The building remains safe for employees and visitors, according to both the museum and the union that represents its workers.” - The Art Newspaper

The Groundbreaking Dance Trio A Turns Sixty

“By eschewing music and narrative in favor of seemingly pedestrian motions—toe taps, limbs folding and unrolling—that don’t repeat, challenged dance tradition when it premiered in 1966. It requires performers to maintain what Rainer describes as an ‘uninflected continuity.’”- Dance Magazine

Dinaw Mengestu Resigns As President Of PEN America After Only Seven Months

“Mengestu declined to provide further details. PEN America confirmed that he had resigned and also declined to say more. The organization has been on shaky ground in recent years because of backlash from writers and activists over its response to the war in Gaza.” - The New York Times

Why So Many US English-Speakers Are Watching World Cup Matches In Spanish

“The math is simple. Census figures show that about 20% of the U.S. is Hispanic, yet Telemundo points to Nielsen ratings to show that roughly half the World Cup viewers in the U.S. have watched at least some portion of some matches in Spanish.” There are a number of reasons for this. - AP

Pianist Who Made Gaza Speech Onstage Loses Lawsuit Against Melbourne Symphony

After Jayson Gillham made a controversial speech about the Gaza War during a 2024 recital presented by the orchestra, the MSO cancelled his concerto engagement four days later. Gillham sued the organization in Australian federal court, claiming his rights as an employee were violated. The judge has now ruled against him. - The Guardian

New York Times, Ziff Davis, The Intercept, Others Accuse OpenAI Of Possible Obstruction Of Justice

As part of their broader lawsuits against OpenAI for copyright infringement for training its software on their media products without consent or compensation, the plaintiffs filed a motion accusing the company of lying during discovery by deliberately hiding evidence that its training datasets and output logs are searchable. - Variety

Ravinia Festival’s Concert Pavilion Reopens After $70 Million Overhaul

The open-sided Hunter Pavilion, where the Chicago Symphony performs every summer, has had changes made both for the audience (fewer but wider, ADA-compliant seats) and the orchestra players (LED lights and new ventilation to reduce onstage temperatures, improved onstage acoustics). - AP

Anthony Hopkins (Yes, The Actor) Releases First Recording Of His Classical Music — Conducted By Dudamel, No Less

The 88-year-old two-time Oscar-winner and acting legend says music was his first love, and Decca will release his first album, Life Is a Dream, on August 21. The disc, performed by London’s Philharmonia Orchestra under Gustavo Dudamel, includes pieces composed over the entire course of Hopkins’s adult life. - The Hollywood Reporter

Bayeux Tapestry Arrives Safely At British Museum

“The secretive operation was the result of years of negotiations, tricky logistical planning and multiple technical studies to ensure the integrity of the 70-metre-long (230ft) medieval artwork.” - The Guardian

What’s The Deal With The Second Season Audience Drop On Netflix?

“Between confusing release schedules, binge releases, long gaps between seasons and the regular flood of new content making it difficult for any new release to stand out, Netflix’s scale is quickly becoming its own worst enemy.” - The Wrap (MSN)

Does Worldwide Modernization Lead To Reduction In Cultural Differences? Not Necessarily

“When researchers have actually tried to document the size of cultural differences over time, the picture is far more complicated – and more interesting.” - Psyche

Have Two English Preservation Societies Been Exaggerating About ‘Witch Marks’ On Old Buildings?

One architectural historian might go even farther: “Anything on a stone building that looks like a design gets picked up as these damn things now. There’s absolutely no evidence they were ever used like that.” - The Guardian (UK)

Time For The ‘Emmy Snubs And Surprises’ Round-Up

For instance: “The third and long-delayed final season of Euphoria didn’t make much of an impact on voters, as the once-celebrated drug-addled soap scored nods for Zendaya and Domingo, but not many of the other big stars.” - Variety

How Many Parody “Heated Rivalry” Musicals Can The World Handle?

There are already at least four this summer, with more in production. "With the show’s success – all perky keisters, swanky hotel shags, a secret sex cottage and just a smidgeon of hockey – reckons it was inevitable.” - The Guardian (UK)

Nina Ananiashvili On Dancing And Choreographing Odette And Odile In “Swan Lake”

“For me, the key has always been to make Odette the embodiment of pure femininity, sorrow, refinement, and forgiveness — but never weakness. ... Odile, by contrast, should be explosive, feminine, bold, daring and wicked — but never vulgar. You know, without steam coming out of her nostrils.” - Gramilano (Milan)

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