"Is it normal for a French visitor to pay the same price ... as a Brazilian or Chinese visitor?" said Rachida Dati, who wants the proposed €5 surcharge to fund upkeep of national heritage sites. "The French people should not have to pay for everything on their own." - The London Standard
The phenomenon — in which bookstores open at midnight on a title's release date, so readers can get their fix as quickly as possible — started with the Harry Potter and Twilight series. Now publishers of serious literature are picking up the practice for some hotly-anticipated novels. - Publishers Weekly
Serial is, after all, a spinoff of long-running public radio hit This American Life. After Serial's massive success, countless people wanted in on true-crime audio, from individuals with home studios to big commercial outlets. The market got flooded, the corporations started cancelling. Is public radio-style funding the way forward? - Nieman Lab
"I definitely did not know that it was this widespread," she said. "I’ve heard from people all over the world, mostly about sexual abuse and harassment in schools and orchestras, but also psychological and physical harm done to people as children, students, and even employees of classical music institutions." - The Philadelphia Inquirer (MSN)
"While the home is modest in size, researchers say that its decorations — including erotic scenes — are equal to those of much larger nearby residences. Found during recent excavations in the central district of the city, the painted dwelling also exemplifies a shift in Roman building styles." - Smithsonian Magazine
"Gérard Depardieu's trial on charges of sexual assault has been postponed until March because the French actor is in poor health, a court in Paris has said." - BBC
That’s right, tourists (and New Yorkers), there are some ways to find those deals - though not, perhaps, if you want to see Robert Downey Jr or Rachel Zegler. - NPR
Just as Copernicus reimagined the architecture of our solar system five centuries ago, we are once again in a revolution that pivots on planets. A new science called astrobiology has changed the night sky. - Noema
It is a figurative sculpture, rooted in realism, that shows an improbably large pile of human poop on the desk of Nancy Pelosi, then the highest ranking woman in the democratic system, who had to flee for her life while rioters besieged the building. - Washington Post
Rosemary Brown produced approximately 300 musical pieces in a variety of styles, according to a list of manuscripts in the British Library. She claimed they were the creations of the spirits of composers that included Johann Sebastian Bach, Ludwig van Beethoven, Franz Schubert, Johannes Brahms, Robert Schumann, Frédéric Chopin and Franz Liszt. - The Conversation
The importance of audiences gathering for live performances has been and can be a healing balm for this dark era – to unite us, even briefly. - Florida Politics
US Copyright Office to "grant an exemption specifically allowing for repair of retail-level food preparation equipment—including soft serve ice cream machines similar to those available at McDonald's. The change should "spark a flurry of third-party repair activity and enable businesses to better serve their customers." - Ars Technica
The rule bans businesses from creating, buying or selling reviews and testimonials attributed to people who don't exist, including those that are AI generated. False celebrity endorsements aren't allowed and companies can't pay or otherwise incentivize genuine customers to leave positive or negative reviews. - Engadget
What comes through overall is a sense that collectors’ behaviors are are starting to shift, and not just in relation to the current market climate. - Artnet
“More than half of the Conservatory was burned. All the instruments were broken, thrown outside. You start seeing cases of instruments as soon as you get close to the Conservatory on the streets. Violins, we had more than 50, completely smashed. Cellos, more than 40, completely smashed.” - BBC
