Hunter College has agreed to reschedule a screening of a documentary critical of Israel, following an outcry from faculty members and students who claimed that the administration’s earlier decision to cancel it violated academic freedom. - The New York Times
A new book argues that the invention of states and corporations has something to teach us about A.I. But perhaps it’s the other way around. - The New Yorker
The artwork was originally displayed in a small church in the Italian town of Santa Maria la Arita before being given to a local family who safekept it in their private residence for several generations. - ARTnews
It set the stage for the rise of empowering culturally rich narratives in the decade that followed. Subsequent hits included the strongly female-centric Moana (2016), Encanto (2021), and Turning Red (2022), marking a new era in animated storytelling celebrating different kinds of voices and perspectives. - The Conversation
"(He) somehow managed to know nearly every significant cultural figure of the past half-century. Mickey Mantle confided in him. … Martin Scorsese taught him film directing at NYU. He (did) surprise cameos with Robin Williams." Billie Holiday took him to the movies. Tiffany Haddish calls him her godfather. - MSN (The Washington Post)
The law, which passed earlier this year via a majority Republican Legislature, forbids "any program, curriculum, test, survey, questionnaire, promotion, or instruction relating to gender identity or sexual orientation" in grades K-6. - Axios
"Under the name @seanalator, Sean Bankhead built a YouTube channel to showcase his unique style; a routine set to Beyoncé’s 'Run The World (Girls)' went viral and reached 8.4 million views, and soon Bankhead was working with the likes of Missy Elliott and Katy Perry." - GQ
"That’s not a matter of preference, such as not caring for sports or pets; it’s a pathological condition. Accordingly, it’s been given one of those Greek-derived diagnostic labels that allow us to imagine we’ve established a scientific truth rather than merely invented a term: 'musical anhedonia.'" - Literary Hub
All these movies are awards contenders, and each of them, in a different way, is enthralling. What they add up to is the glorious resurgence of a form that never went away but is reaching a new peak of influence. Yet you might well ask: Why the biopic, and why now? - Variety
"Étienne Cabet's fictional 1840 travelogue, Voyage en Icarie (Travels in Icaria), … was so popular and affecting that it led hundreds of French citizens to leave their homes and journey to the United States to realize the egalitarian paradise he had described." - Smithsonian Magazine
The federal government had estimated earlier this year that Google's compensation should amount to about $172 million. Google estimated the value at $100 million. - CBC
The average top-end ticket outside of London comes in at £49.19, compared with £141.37 for West End shows, while the average cheapest ticket in theatres outside of London was £21.27 – 16% less than in the West End in 2023. - The Stage
The French-Canadian company ... opened its first permanent show, Mystère, at Treasure Island three decades ago. … Cirque has since grown into a billion-dollar entertainment juggernaut with six shows running twice a night up and down the 4.2-mile Strip, not to mention its worldwide tours." - Yahoo! (Los Angeles Times)
As the CEO of the San Diego-based nonprofit newsroom inewsource says, "People want to ‘see’ more in the news, as is evidenced by the growing audiences on social media sites like Instagram. The allure — and mandate — of visuals inspired us to hire (two-time Pulitzer winner) Steve (Breen)." - Nieman Lab
