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☆ Opinion | If You’re Reading This, You’re Probably ‘WEIRD’
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-26 | by ( The Ezra Klein Show | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +83 min

You’re probably very weird, and not just for all the obvious reasons you’re thinking of. Because, obviously, there’s going to be some overlap in the curve here. How you’re going to behave with your professor is quite different than how you’re going to behave with your friends. But it’s really kind of faceless, and you’re not really helping anybody you know. I think things are dynamic, and directions are changing, and that sort of thing.

☆ Karakorum: Mongolia’s ancient capital is a cultural delight
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-16 | by ( Breanna Wilson | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +8 min

Karakorum, Mongolia CNN —Karakorum is known by many names and even more reputations. Where to Stay in KarakorumThe new Silver Tree Guest House offers a variety of sleeping options including traditional yurts. Silver Tree Guest HouseWhile Karakorum is often considered a stop along the route to somewhere else, this culturally rich city deserves closer attention. The hotel is within walking distance to Erdene Zuu Monastery, Karakorum Museum, and the Erdenesiin Khuree Calligraphy Center. While Silver Tree Guest House is still in its opening phases, staying here feels like you’ve been invited into someone’s home.

The Hollywood writers’ strike has shut down production and writing for a number of hit TV shows. Many creators and directors tweeted support for the Writers Guild of America, with some joining picket lines. The union is pushing for contractual changes to reflect the new world of streaming. The two sides aren’t close to a deal, so the strike could drag on. Here’s a look at the shows where work is paused, for now.

☆ Review: After 55 Years, the Helsinki Philharmonic Returns to Carnegie Hall
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-10 | by ( Joshua Barone | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

Until Tuesday, the Helsinki Philharmonic Orchestra hadn’t been to Carnegie Hall since 1968. Its chief conductor at the time was Jorma Panula, who was at the podium for that visit. Now, 55 years later, the group is led by one of his former students: Susanna Mälkki. Her tenure in Helsinki, where she has been the chief conductor since 2016, ends this season. In Los Angeles, Mälkki’s repertoire has been varied: a lot of well-shepherded contemporary music, but also insightfully transparent interpretations of the classics.

☆ Google Cloud boss Kurian's rocky path to profit: 'We were not in a very good situation'
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-29 | by ( Jordan Novet | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +10 min

Google Cloud CEO Thomas Kurian, right, arrives on stage as Alphabet CEO Sundar Pichai exits during the Google Cloud Next event in San Francisco on April 9, 2019. Earlier this week, Alphabet said Google's cloud unit generated $191 million in operating profit, after losing a total of $4 billion in 2021 and 2022. Under Kurian's predecessor, VMware co-founder Diane Greene, critics said Google's cloud business hadn't matured enough to handle enterprises even as it was investing heavily to do so. The cloud division includes the Google Cloud Platform, which competes with Amazon Web Services and Microsoft Azure, and the Google Workspace productivity software bundle that goes head-to-head with Microsoft Office. Google Cloud technology chief Will Grannis said Kurian's commitment to improving the division's offerings was evident right away.

☆ Universal Music Group calls AI music a ‘fraud,’ wants it banned from streaming platforms. Experts say it’s not that easy
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-18 | by ( Vanessa Yurkevich | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +5 min

New York CNN —Universal Music Group — the music company representing superstars including Sting, The Weeknd, Nicki Minaj and Ariana Grande — has a new Goliath to contend with: artificial intelligence. Artificial intelligence, and specifically AI music, learns by either training on existing works on the internet or through a library of music given to the AI by humans. That could possibly threaten UMG’s deep library of music and artists that generate billions of dollars in revenue. “However, the training of generative AI using our artists’ music … begs the question as to which side of history all stakeholders in the music ecosystem want to be on.”The company said AI that uses artists’ music violates UMG’s agreements and copyright law. Grammy-winning DJ and producer David Guetta proved in February just how easy it is to create new music using AI.

☆ Contractors Face Homicide Charges After Worker Crushed by Cinder Blocks
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-12 | by ( Liset Cruz | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

Nearly four years after a Bronx building collapse killed an Ecuadorean construction worker crushed under 1000 pounds of debris, three contractors have been charged in his death, one of a series of worksite fatalities that have raised alarms about a perilous industry. The contractors, Augustine Adesanmi, 67, Akhlak Choudhary, 54, and Abazi Okoro, 66, were all accused of criminally negligent homicide, among other charges, in the death of Segundo Huerta, a laborer at the building site on East 208th Street in Norwood, the Bronx district attorney said on Wednesday. “The horrendous death of Segundo Manuel Huerta Mayancela, who was buried under cinder blocks and metal sheets, was entirely preventable,” Darcel D. Clark, the district attorney, told reporters after the arraignments on Wednesday. “The construction site at 94 E. 208th St. was a death trap waiting to happen,” she added. Two of the contractors were arraigned on Tuesday in the Bronx Supreme Court; both were put on supervised release.

☆ Russia's biggest airline reportedly sends first plane to Iran for repairs as sanctions cut off access to new replacement parts
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-11 | by ( Britney Nguyen | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

Russia's biggest airline reportedly sent a plane to Iran for the first time for maintenance. Boeing and Airbus both stopped supplying Russian airlines with spare parts as part of the sanctions last spring. Aircraft lessors in the European Union were required to end contracts with Russian airlines last March. Analysts predicted Russia could start "cannibalizing" its fleet of planes for parts as Western sanctions blocked suppliers from sending parts and providing repairs for Russian airplanes. Russia reportedly signed an agreement with Iran last July to supply Russian airlines with Iranian airplane parts, and for Iran to provide maintenance and repairs for Russian aircraft.

☆ Google got a pandemic boost for its Workspace software but blew it, insiders say. Now it plans to attack Microsoft with a new push in AI.
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-14 | by ( Rosalie Chan | Hugh Langley | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +14 min

Google Cloud CEO Thomas Kurian spent much of his time at a partner meeting talking about Workspace, tweeted Tony Safoian, CEO of Google Cloud partner SADA Systems. "Around the globe, more than nine million paying organizations, and more than three billion users rely on Google Workspace for communication and collaboration. Other major customers like Deutsche Bank use Google Cloud for cloud infrastructure, but Microsoft Office for collaboration software. Forty-four percent of software procurers whose organization plans to or currently uses Microsoft's collaboration software also use Google Workspace, according to the 2022 Forrester study. While Google Cloud is still unprofitable, it has decreased losses to $480 million, down from $890 million last year.

☆ Google is bringing AI chat to Gmail and Docs
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-14 | by ( Jordan Novet | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +3 min

Google is deepening its push into generative artificial intelligence, introducing features Tuesday that will let users create text in Gmail and Docs using the company's AI technology. The company is testing the AI products and making them accessible for a limited number of users of Workspace, which includes Gmail and Google's productivity tools. Microsoft, a major investor in OpenAI, will discuss AI and productivity software at an online event hosted on LinkedIn on Thursday. Google said that later this year it plans to bring out additional AI features to Workspace, including formula generation in Sheets, automatically generated images in Slides and note-taking in Meet. Last month, Google said it will add AI features to its dominant internet search engine.

☆ These cofounders are giving parents-to-be an alternative option to traditional hospital care by addressing the system inadequacies for people of color
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-22 | by ( Alexandra York | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +5 min

Allegra Hill and Kimberly Durdin launched Kindred Space LA, a birth-support center, in 2018. They shared their experiences launching Kindred Space LA and their hopes for the future. Today, Kindred Space LA offers in-clinic births, home births, support groups, sessions with mental-health professionals, and collaborative care with ob-gyns and midwives who work in hospitals. Insider spoke with Hill and Durdin about their experiences launching Kindred Space LA and their hopes for the future. Kindred Space LA ultimately raised around $50,000, enough to open the birth clinic that year.

☆ Wolfgang and Helene Beltracchi fooled the art market — and made millions
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-07 | by ( Oscar Holland | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +12 min

“The forgery was almost incidental,” Wolfgang told Fischer. “They are storytellers, together, which is why they did a lot of research,” Fischer told CNN in a video call. Wolfgang told her that he only produced pictures he considered beautiful, and he believed the owners enjoyed them as much as the art market profited from them. In 2014, Wolfgang told CBS’ “60 Minutes” that in addition to the court-imposed damages, he had settled lawsuits worth $27 million. From her conversations with Wolfgang, Fischer concluded that both of his parents were “severely traumatized” by their experiences during World War II.

Persons: Wolfgang Beltracchi, Heinrich Campendonk —, Steve Martin, Wolfgang, Helene, Heinrich Campendonk, Peter Endig, Max Ernst, Fernand Léger, Kees van Dongen, Derain, Jeannette Fischer, Fischer, ” Wolfgang, “, ”, ’, ” Fischer, Paul Hahn, Hendrick Avercamp, Christie’s, Robin Hood, hadn’t, CNN Fischer, Picasso, —, aren’t, Leonardo da Vinci’s, Salvador Mundi, Andy Warhol, Vincent van Gogh Organizations: CNN, New York Times, Der, Art, CBS, Scheidegger Locations: Halle, Germany, Hitler’s Germany, Switzerland, France, Cologne, ”, Stalingrad

☆ Largest ever exhibition of Vermeer paintings to open in Amsterdam
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-07 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

[1/2] A man looks at Vermeer's painting 'The Milkmaid' at an exhibition bringing together 28 works by Dutch painter Johannes Vermeer at the Rijksmusuem in Amsterdam, Netherlands February 6, 2023. REUTERS/Piroschka van de WouwAMSTERDAM, Feb 7 (Reuters) - Twenty eight paintings by Johannes Vermeer go on display at the Rijksmuseum in Amsterdam this week, the largest ever exhibition of works of the 17th-century Dutch master, known for his expertise at rendering light and intimate household scenes. "What's quite striking when you look at Vermeer is that in his paintings, it's mostly women who are the protagonists," said curator Pieter Roelofs, noting Vermeer had seven daughters. Artists and scholars dispute whether Vermeer may have made use of a 'camera obscura', a forerunner of the modern photocamera. Roelofs said Vermeer's works are more than something a good eye and skilled hand can create.

☆ ‘Robert Motherwell Drawing: As Fast as the Mind Itself’ Review: Paper Explorations
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-21 | by ( Karen Wilkin | ) www.wsj.com time to read: +1 min

HoustonEither Robert Motherwell (1915-1991) never produced a drawing that wasn’t compelling or never allowed one to leave his studio. That conviction is borne out by “Robert Motherwell Drawing: As Fast as the Mind Itself” at the Menil Drawing Institute here. Organized by Edouard Kopp , the Institute’s chief curator, to coincide with the publication of “Robert Motherwell Drawings: A Catalogue Raisonné,” it is the most comprehensive survey to date of works on paper by the youngest and, it can be argued, most sophisticated and intellectual of the Abstract Expressionists. More than 100 works from the 1940s to the late 1980s, from public and private collections, including the artist’s foundation, trace Motherwell’s exploration of different mediums and papers, as well as varied gestures and marks, in major series such as “Elegies to the Spanish Republic,” “Beside the Sea,” “Lyric Suite” and “Opens.”

☆ Sex, art theft, and privacy: Lensa exploded overnight — and now the avatar app is dealing with public backlash. Here's what you should know.
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-16 | by ( Bethany Biron | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +6 min

Lensa is facing criticism since the AI app exploded in popularity at the end of 2022. The Lensa app is behind those avatars. LensaAllegations of stealing from artistsJust as quickly as Lensa avatars became ubiquitous online, allegations of theft and warnings from artists also emerged. The law community "would welcome additional guidance from policymakers and courts when it comes to protecting consumers in connection with AI," Torres said. "The flood of Lensa avatars feel cheap and overwhelming," Pilat said in a statement shared with Insider.

☆ Everyone's elite, but not for long. Airlines make travel perks harder to earn this year
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-08 | by ( Leslie Josephs | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +8 min

And now it's a small army," said Cohen, who leads a digital entertainment consulting firm and has lifetime elite status on United and American Airlines . Travelers willing to shell out more for tickets and popular rewards credit cards are swelling ranks in front cabins and airport lounges. Osorio frequents airport lounges on trips booked with rewards points that she earned through strategic credit card use and sign-up bonuses. Bigger space for big spendersDelta, American, United and American Express have been opening bigger airport lounges to fit more travelers. A new American Airlines and British Airways lounge at John F. Kennedy International Airport, November 29, 2022.

☆ This 28-year-old ex-stock trader became a self-made millionaire this year—her best money lessons for 2023
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-30 | by ( Jennifer Liu | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +4 min

Looking ahead to 2023, Simmons says she's reassessing her risk tolerance and urging caution against uncertainty. It comes down to being intentional with how you spend your money, she says. For example, she's looked to Treasury securities, which are backed by the government, as a safer vehicle to park cash. And continue to work on your side hustles, whether to supplement your income or replace it if need be. And at the end of the day, you have to understand where you are willing to compromise on things."

PARIS, Dec 9 (Reuters) - Antoine Arnault, LVMH chairman Bernard Arnault's eldest son, was on Friday named chief executive of family holding company Christian Dior SE, replacing veteran executive Sidney Toledano and stirring speculations of succession at the group. Christian Dior is a listed company that owns the bulk of the Arnault family's stake in LVMH (LVMH.PA) , the world's largest luxury group. At LVMH, Antoine Arnault, a business school graduate and a board member since 2006, oversees the group's communications and environmental issues, driving efforts to shore up its reputation. [1/4] Antoine Arnault, CEO of Berluti, attends the Fall/Winter 2019-2020 collection show for fashion house Berluti during Men's Fashion Week in Paris, France, January 18, 2019. Alexandre Arnault, 30, is an executive at Tiffany & Co. while Frederic Arnault, 27, is chief executive of TAG Heuer.

REUTERS/Gonzalo Fuentes/File PhotoPARIS, Dec 9 (Reuters) - Antoine Arnault, the eldest son of LVMH (LVMH.PA) chairman and chief executive officer Bernard Arnault, has been named chief executive of family holding company Christian Dior SE, replacing veteran LVMH executive Sidney Toledano. Christian Dior SE is a listed company that owns the bulk of the Arnault family's stake in LVMH, the world's largest luxury group. The most visible of the five, Antoine Arnault, 45, oversees the group’s communications and environmental issues, driving efforts to shore up its reputation. The fashion label was folded into the LVMH group in 2017, and Christian Dior SE now holds 41% of LVMH, corresponding to 56% of the voting rights in the group. Alexandre Arnault, 30, is an executive at Tiffany & Co. while Frederic Arnault, 27, is chief executive officer of TAG Heuer.

☆ Salesforce shares tumble after surprise exit of co-CEO Taylor
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-01 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

[1/2] Bret Taylor, Co-CEO of Salesforce, speaks at the Viva Technology conference dedicated to innovation and startups at Porte de Versailles exhibition center in Paris, France June 15, 2022. Jefferies analysts said the surprise exit indicated that the "co-CEO model is not working with two departures in three years." Benioff tapped Taylor as co-CEO in 2021, to replace Oracle (ORCL.N) executive Keith Block who stepped down from the role just before the pandemic began. He was previously chief operating officer and chief product officer of the company. "We view this leadership change as a significant blow given his leadership role on product," Needham analysts said in a note.

☆ An auction of 60 works from the late Microsoft co-founder Paul Allen's art collection smashes records by raising $1.5 billion
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-10 | by ( Stephanie Stacey | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

An auction of late Microsoft co-founder Paul Allen's art collection raised just over $1.5 billion. The Christie's auction has set a new record as the biggest art sale in history. The most expensive work was Georges Seurat's "Les Poseuses, Ensemble (Petite version)", which fetched $149.2 million. This painting, which depicts three nude women, is considered a pioneering work of Seurat's signature style of Pointillism. A total of five pieces went for more than $100 million each at the auction in New York on Wednesday night.

☆ French 'Beyond Black' painter Pierre Soulages dies at 102
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-26 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: 1 min

PARIS, Oct 26 (Reuters) - Pierre Soulages, the French abstract painter best known for experimenting with different shades of black, has died aged 102, the museum dedicated to his life and work in his southwestern hometown of Rodez said on Wednesday. Soulages, who museum head Benoît Decron said died on Tuesday evening in hospital, had worked exclusively with black since 1979, notably in a series of works he called "Outrenoir", or "Beyond Black". Born on Christmas Eve 1919, he also created the 104 stained glass windows that adorn Conques Abbey in southwestern France. Soulages is survived by his wife Colette, who is 101. Reporting by Elizabeth Pineau, Dominique Vidalon, editing by Tassilo Hummel and John StonestreetOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

☆ These artists found out their work was used to train AI. Now they’re furious
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-21 | by ( Rachel Metz | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +13 min

AI Image/Stable DiffusionHanson, who’s based in McMinnville, Oregon, is one of many professional artists whose work was included in the data set used to train Stable Diffusion, which was released in August by London-based Stability AI. Once available only to a select group of tech insiders, text-to-image AI systems are becoming increasingly popular and powerful. A piece by illustrator Daniel Danger that was included in the training data behind the Stable Diffusion AI image generator. But removing pictures of an artist’s work from a dataset wouldn’t stop Stable Diffusion from being able to generate images in that artist’s style. Hanson, for her part, has no problem with her art being used for training AI, but she wants to be paid.

☆ Madrid exhibition shines a light on the scars of breast cancer
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-19 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

MADRID, Oct 19 (Reuters) - An art exhibition in Madrid seeks to shine a spotlight on breast cancer and the physical and psychological scars left by mastectomies. 1/5 A woman stands in front of a replica of Peter Paul Rubens' "Venus and Cupid" showing a mastectomized breast, as part of a project between the Cultura en Vena Foundation and Thyssen-Bornemisza Museum on International Breast Cancer Awareness Day in Madrid, Spain, October 19, 2022. REUTERS/Susana Vera Read More"With this intervention we're calling attention to the process of the illness," said Juan Alberto Garcia de Cubas, president of the Fundacion Cultura en Vena (Culture in Your Veins Foundation), which organised the exhibition. Gema Salas, a 44-year-old architect who underwent a mastectomy to treat breast cancer, said the exhibition had a profound effect on her. Register now for FREE unlimited access to Reuters.com RegisterReporting by Charlie Devereux Editing by Peter GraffOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

☆ This Italian icon suddenly looks different
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-14 | by ( Julia Buckley | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +6 min

Plus, we’ll get you in the mood before you go with movie suggestions, reading lists and recipes from Stanley Tucci. A new lighting system has revolutionized how the famous statue looks, with small details visible for the first time in its history. “A few days ago, I noticed muscles on the body that I’d never seen before,” says Lucia Lazic, a guide who visits the Accademia Gallery most days. Michelangelo's David in the Accademia Gallery. Now they’re the same color,” Hollberg told CNN.

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