The Full Belmonte, 10/22/2022
A video of then-President Donald Trump is displayed as the House select committee investigating the Jan. 6 Capitol riot held a hearing this month.
PHOTO: ALEX WONG/PRESS POOL
“The House Jan. 6 committee subpoenaed Donald Trump.
It requested that the former president appear Nov. 14 for deposition testimony in Washington or by videoconference and for the production of documents by Nov. 4. Here are the scenarios: He complies and testifies. He appears and asserts his Fifth Amendment right against self-incrimination. He contests the legitimacy of the subpoena in court. He refuses to appear, which could lead to a legal standoff. A Trump lawyer didn’t immediately respond to a request for comment, but the ex-president has denied wrongdoing related to the Capitol riot. The subpoena of a former president is rare but not unprecedented; John Quincy Adams, John Tyler and Harry Truman were issued subpoenas.” Read more at Wall Street Journal
Mar-a-Lago classified papers held U.S. secrets about Iran and China
Iran’s missile program, U.S. intelligence work aimed at China were among the most sensitive material seized by the FBI, people familiar with the matter say
An image of documents seized during an FBI search of former president Donald Trump's Florida Mar-a-Lago estate, contained in a court filing by the Justice Department on Aug. 30. (AP)
“Some of the classified documents recovered by the FBI from Donald Trump’s Mar-a-Lago home and private club included highly sensitive intelligence regarding Iran and China, according to people familiar with the matter. If shared with others, the people said, such information could expose intelligence-gathering methods that the United States wants to keep hidden from the world.
At least one of the documents seized by the FBI describes Iran’s missile program, according to these people, who spoke on the condition of anonymity to describe an ongoing investigation. Other documents described highly sensitive intelligence work aimed at China, they said.
Unauthorized disclosures of specific information in the documents would pose multiple risks, experts say. People aiding U.S. intelligence efforts could be endangered, and collection methods could be compromised. In addition, other countries or U.S. adversaries could retaliate against the United States for actions it has taken in secret.” Read more at Washington Post
Senator Graham Asks Supreme Court to Spare Him From Testifying in Georgia
Mr. Graham has been fighting a subpoena requiring him to appear before a special grand jury examining efforts to overturn former President Donald J. Trump’s election loss.
Oct. 21, 2022
“ATLANTA — Senator Lindsey Graham asked the Supreme Court on Friday to stay a lower court’s order that would force him to testify before a special grand jury investigating efforts to overturn former President Donald J. Trump’s election loss in Georgia.
The appeal by Mr. Graham, the South Carolina Republican and Trump confidant, is the latest in a protracted legal fight that he has been waging to defy a subpoena requiring him to answer questions before the special grand jury in Atlanta. Dozens of witnesses have already testified in the secret proceedings. Some, including Rudolph W. Giuliani and several other lawyers aligned with Mr. Trump, have tried unsuccessfully to avoid traveling to Atlanta to do so.
But none has fought as long or as hard as Mr. Graham, who was subpoenaed in July. Soon after, he had the matter moved to the federal court system, arguing that forcing him to testify would raise constitutional issues. He pointed to the Constitution’s Speech and Debate Clause, which says that members of Congress cannot be questioned on matters pertaining to their legislative duties.
On Thursday, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 11th Circuit in Atlanta rejected the argument that the Speech and Debate Clause fully shielded Mr. Graham from having to testify. Mr. Graham responded with an emergency application on Friday, asking the Supreme Court for a stay while he appeals the ruling, and, if necessary, a ruling enjoining the special grand jury from questioning him until the appeal is resolved. The filing notes that Mr. Graham was issued a fresh subpoena on Friday compelling him to testify on Nov. 17.” Read more at New York Times
Federal appeals court temporarily halts Biden’s student debt relief program
The Biden administration had previously said in court filings it could begin canceling student loans as early as this Sunday.
10/21/2022 06:50 PM EDT
“A federal appeals court has temporarily stopped the Biden administration from moving ahead with a plan to forgive hundreds of billions of dollars of federal student loan debt.
The 8th Circuit Court of Appeals on Friday issued an order that prohibits the Biden administration from ‘discharging any student loan debt’ under the relief program until it rules on an emergency request by Republican-led states to block the policy.” Read more at Politico
Trump lawyer's email warning
Screenshot of email conversation between Eric Herschmann and Cleta Mitchell, obtained and redacted by Axios
“A senior White House lawyer expressed concerns to President Trump's advisers and attorneys about the president signing a sworn court statement verifying inaccurate evidence of voter fraud, Axios' Jonathan Swan and Zachary Basu report.
Why it matters: Emails obtained by Axios shed new light on a federal judge's explosive finding Wednesday that Trump knew specific instances of voter fraud in Georgia had been debunked, but continued to tout them both in public and under oath.
The emails show correspondence between former White House lawyer Eric Herschmann, then-White House Chief of Staff Mark Meadows, and conservative activist and outside attorney Cleta Mitchell.
Herschmann told the outside lawyers he would not allow the president to sign a verification without sound documentation attached, and he challenged the accuracy of the state-level lawsuit that had been filed in Georgia, according to three sources familiar with the matter.
Herschmann complained to multiple people in and out of the White House that it was ‘crazy’ to ask Trump to sign the verification before there was even a final draft of the Georgia lawsuit.
Axios has not yet established how Trump came to sign the verification or who presented him with the document to do so.
The other side: A spokesperson for Trump did not respond to a request for comment.
But in a post on Truth Social yesterday, the former president attacked Judge Carter as a ‘partisan hack’ who ‘shouldn't be making statements about me until he understands the facts, which he doesn’t!’” Read more at Axios
Why Steve Bannon faces four months in prison
Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images
“Friday, former White House strategist Steve Bannon was sentenced to four months in prison and fined $6,500 for ignoring a subpoena from the January 6 committee.” [Vox / Ben Jacobs]
“A jury found Bannon guilty in July for refusing to appear before the panel and failing to turn over documents. It’s the first and most high-profile conviction directly tied to the panel’s work.” (Vox) Read more at Associated Press / Lindsay Whitehurst
“Judge Carl Nichols rejected Bannon’s claim that executive privilege protected him from testifying, and criticized Bannon for not showing remorse for his actions.” (Vox) Read more at New York Times / Glenn Thrush and Alan Feuer
“The House committee sought information from Bannon about his involvement in then-President Donald Trump’s efforts to overturn the results of the 2020 presidential election.” (Vox) Read more at Politico / Kyle Cheney and Josh Gerstein
“Bannon, a right-wing commentator, will be allowed to remain free pending his plans to appeal.” (Vox) Read more at Bloomberg / Sabrina Willmer
“Friday, the House committee subpoenaed Trump for testimony and documents about his multi-step plan to subvert Joe Biden’s win.” (Vox) Read more at CNN / Annie Grayer, Zachary Cohen, and Sara Murray
Teenager to Plead Guilty to Terrorism and Murder in Michigan School Shooting
The student is expected to plead guilty on Monday. The attack at Oxford High School killed four students.
Oct. 21, 2022
“The student accused of waging a deadly attack last year in a Michigan high school, killing four students and injuring seven other people, is expected to plead guilty on Monday to a number of felony charges, including murder and terrorism, the prosecutor in the case said on Friday.
Ethan Crumbley, now 16, is accused of using a 9-millimeter handgun that was purchased for him as an early Christmas present by his parents, who face involuntary manslaughter charges in connection with the Nov. 30 rampage at Oxford High School in Oxford, Mich.
The case is unusual in several ways. If Mr. Crumbley pleads guilty on Monday as expected, he would be the first suspect in a U.S. school shooting to be found guilty of terrorism.
In interviews, Karen D. McDonald, the Oakland County prosecutor, has said that she brought the unusual terrorism charge to address the damage caused to those who were not killed or injured.” Read more at New York Times
In a Race Rife With Antisemitism Concerns, Mastriano Adviser Calls Shapiro ‘At Best a Secular Jew’
Mr. Mastriano, a far-right Republican who promotes Christian power and disdains the separation of church and state, has alarmed a broad swath of Pennsylvania’s Jewish community.
By Katie Glueck
Oct. 21, 2022
“A senior adviser to Doug Mastriano, the Republican nominee for governor in Pennsylvania, on Friday seemed to openly question the faith of Mr. Mastriano’s Democratic opponent, Josh Shapiro, who is Jewish, in a contest that has been shaped more by concerns over antisemitism than perhaps any other major race in the country.
‘Josh Shapiro is at best a secular Jew in the same way Joe Biden is a secular Catholic,’ Jenna Ellis, a former lawyer for the Trump campaign who worked to overturn the 2020 election, wrote on Twitter, commenting on a headline that noted Mr. Shapiro’s faith. Ms. Ellis branded the two Democrats as ‘extremists,’ pointing to gender surgery for minors and distorting their positions on abortion rights.
‘Doug Mastriano is for wholesome family values and freedom,’ wrote Ms. Ellis, who is not Jewish.
Mr. Shapiro, 49, the state’s attorney general, is an observant Jew whose faith is a central part of his public identity. He keeps kosher, prioritizes Sabbath dinner with his family and is a Jewish day school alum.
‘These attacks on Attorney General Shapiro and on all people of faith are another reminder of the stakes of this race,’ said Manuel Bonder, a spokesman for the Shapiro campaign. ‘Our campaign is staying focused on bringing people together to defeat Mastriano’s dangerous extremism.’” Read more at New York Times
Democratic Secretary of State Candidates Struggle Against Election Deniers
Democrats are outspending Republicans 57-to-1 on television ads for their secretary of state candidates. It still may not be enough.
Oct. 21, 2022
“LAS VEGAS — Ted Pappageorge, the head of Culinary Union Local 226, whipped up the crowd of canvassers into a frenzy on a recent Monday morning, earning him ‘sí, se puede!’ chants. But before he sent the canvassers out to knock on doors for Cisco Aguilar, the Democratic candidate of secretary of state, he had a question.
‘Does anybody know what the secretary of state does in the state of Nevada?’ Mr. Pappageorge asked. A few murmured ‘voting’ and a half dozen raised their hands. The buzzing quieted, before Mr. Pappageorge offered his take: The office oversees the election and ‘makes sure it doesn’t get stolen by any of these MAGA extreme Republicans.’ The cheering returned.
Such is the plight of many Democratic candidates for secretary of state, an office that has long lived in political obscurity and rarely inspired great passions among voters. But in 2022, after secretaries of state helped thwart President Donald J. Trump’s attempt to overturn his defeat, races for the post have taken on new urgency. Facing off against Republican candidates who spread lies about the 2020 election, Democrats have poured tens of millions into the contests, casting them as battles for the future of American democracy.
If only they could get voters to see it that way. Instead, voters remain focused on rising inflation, economic woes, education and other issues that are outside the purview of the official duties of a secretary of state. And while a vast majority of Americans view democracy as under threat, a striking few see it as a top issue, according to a recent New York Times/Siena College poll.” Read more at New York Times
GOP voters told to hold onto mail ballots until Election Day
By CHRISTINA A. CASSIDY and ALI SWENSON
“ATLANTA (AP) — Republican activists who believe the 2020 election was stolen from former President Donald Trump have crafted a plan that, in their telling, will thwart cheating in this year’s midterm elections.
The strategy: Vote in person on Election Day or — for voters who receive a mailed ballot — hold onto it and hand it in at a polling place or election office on Nov. 8.
The plan is based on unfounded conspiracy theories that fraudsters will manipulate voting systems to rig results for Democrats once they have seen how many Republican votes have been returned early. There has been no evidence of any such widespread fraud.
If enough voters are dissuaded from casting ballots early, it could lead to long lines on Election Day and would push back processing of those late-arriving mailed ballots. Those ballots likely would not get counted until the next day or later.” Read more at AP News
“An abortion rights network released images of removed tissue to show what pregnancy actually looks like before 10 weeks.” (Vox) Read more at Guardian / Poppy Noor
A New Procedure Could Expand Reproductive Choices for Transgender Women
Retrieving viable sperm from men with low fertility and from people who have used estrogen therapy for years has been a challenge, doctors say. A new, less invasive technique has promise.
By Jacqueline Mroz
Oct. 21, 2022
“Claire always knew that she wanted to start a family. But as a transgender woman who just turned 41, she also knew it could be complicated.
Claire and her partner discussed having a baby together and, if possible, they wanted to use her sperm and her partner’s egg. But Claire, who spoke on the condition of anonymity to protect her family’s privacy, had been on estrogen therapy for 18 years, and the chances that doctors would find any viable sperm were slim.
At the same time, Claire was scheduled to have her gender confirmation surgery, a vaginoplasty. The procedure would remove her penis and testicles and create a functional vagina, permanently ending her body’s sperm production.
Transgender women take medications to suppress testosterone production and increase estrogen, which tend to decrease sperm production and often shut it down entirely. But a new procedure called extended sperm search and microfreeze, or E.S.S.M., makes retrieving that sperm possible, unless sperm production has stopped altogether.” Read more at New York Times
Washington’s ethics officials are struggling to enforce stock-trading laws.
“A Wall Street Journal investigation found that some federal officials received waivers from conflict-of-interest rules because they were considered too important in a particular job. In other cases, officials were permitted to keep holdings because they weren’t large enough to be a problem under the law. Owning $15,000 or less in a stock isn’t considered a conflict. Federal agencies’ ethics czars often don’t have the tools to investigate potential conflicts of interest and instead primarily focus on the consistency and timeliness of required financial disclosure forms.” Read more at Wall Street Journal
The Numbers
“$7.5 billion
The estimated amount candidates and outside groups have spent so far on political ads in local, state and federal elections, the ad-tracking firm AdImpact said. Las Vegas and Philadelphia have seen the biggest spending since Labor Day. That compares with about $4 billion in the 2018 midterm cycle and about $9 billion in the 2020 presidential cycle.
4
The number of container ships waiting to unload this week at the ports of Los Angeles and Long Beach. That’s down from a peak of 109 ships in January, according to the Marine Exchange of Southern California. The backup at the heart of U.S. supply- chain congestion during the Covid-19 pandemic has effectively disappeared.” Read more at Wall Street Journal
“Elon Musk may be the richest person in the world, but he’s arguably a lot less popular than a few years ago when Tesla fanboys hung on every tweet and the quirky South Africa-born billionaire could do no wrong. Recently, he’s found himself accused of carrying water for Vladimir Putin, repeating peace terms proposed by the Kremlin. Then he threatened to cut off Ukrainian access to a SpaceX satellite network critical to its war effort against Russia. At home, the company that made him famous isn’t looking all that great of late as Musk moves to (finally) buy Twitter, where he says he’ll fire 75% of the employees once he gets his hands on it. And in Washington, the combination of Ukraine, SpaceX and Putin with America’s wealthiest citizen has triggered something perhaps even worse for the voluble Musk: a potential national security review of his companies.
Musk has tried to back out of the Twitter deal, so it may be advisable to take what he says about it with a grain of salt. Musk could feasibly still be saved from the buyout given the latest turn of events, Liam Denning writes in Bloomberg Opinion. Viewing him as a little too Kremlin friendly, the White House may consider any of his ventures—SpaceX, Twitter and even Tesla—as deserving of federal scrutiny.” Read more at Bloomberg
Elon Musk Photographer: Carina Johansen/AFP
“The US budget deficit fell by a record in the 2022 financial year, a second straight drop that reflects the drying up of pandemic aid spending alongside a surge in revenues propelled by wages and a level of American employment unseen in a half-century. The headline gap between the government’s spending and revenue figures are a perennial hot-button issue in Congress, often wielded as a key metric as Democrats and Republican push competing agendas. President Joe Biden is arguing that, if the GOP takes power in Congress, they will try to leverage the issue of debt to cut Social Security and Medicare.” Read more at Bloomberg
“The Internal Revenue Service is boosting how much Americans can plow into their 401(k) plans next year by a record amount. The contribution limits for the popular tax-deferred retirement savings accounts will rise by $2,000 to a maximum of $22,500. It’s the biggest dollar increase since the cutoff began being indexed to inflation.” Read more at Bloomberg
“As the US escalates its campaign to undermine the Chinese semiconductor industry, Europe is trying—with some success—to avoid becoming collateral damage. And one of China’s most promising chip designers may have already navigated around the Biden administration’s export restrictions.” Read more at Wall Street Journal
“With the most right-wing government since fascist dictator Benito Mussolini held power and Italy was allied with Nazi Germany and Imperial Japan, Giorgia Meloni is set to become the nation’s first female prime minister. She does so thanks in part to her coalition partner, Silvio Berlusconi, who recently praised Putin and blamed President Volodymyr Zelenskiy for Russia’s eight-month war on Ukraine.” Read more at Bloomberg
Giorgia Meloni, leader of the Brothers of Italy party, right, speaks on Friday alongside Silvio Berlusconi, left, leader of Forza Italia party. Photographer: Alessia Pierdomenico/Bloomberg
China reaffirms Xi’s dominance, removes No. 2 Li Keqiang
By KEN MORITSUGU
“BEIJING (AP) — China’s ruling Communist Party reaffirmed President Xi Jinping’s continued dominance in running the nation Saturday, one day ahead of giving him a widely expected third five-year term as leader.
A party congress effectively removed Premier Li Keqiang from senior leadership. Li, the nation’s No. 2 official, is a proponent of market-oriented reforms, which are in contrast to Xi’s moves to expand state control over the economy.
The weeklong meeting, as it wrapped up Saturday, also wrote Xi’s major policy initiatives on the economy and the military into the party’s constitution, as well as his push to rebuild and strengthen the party’s position by declaring it absolutely central to China’s development and future.
Analysts were watching for signs of any weakening of or challenge to Xi’s position, but none was apparent. The removal of Li, while not unexpected, signaled his continuing tight hold on power in the world’s second-largest economy.” Read more at AP News
Inflation protests across Europe threaten political turmoil
By KELVIN CHAN
“LONDON (AP) — In Romania, protesters blew horns and banged drums to voice their dismay over the rising cost of living. People across France took to the streets to demand pay increases that keep pace with inflation. Czech demonstrators rallied against government handling of the energy crisis. British railway staff and German pilots held strikes to push for better pay as prices rise.
Across Europe, soaring inflation is behind a wave of protests and strikes that underscores growing discontent with the spiraling cost of living and threatens to unleash political turmoil. With British Prime Minister Liz Truss forced to resign less than two months into the job after her economic plans sparked chaos in financial markets and further bruised an ailing economy, the risk to political leaders became clearer as people demand action.
Europeans have seen their energy bills and food prices soar because of Russia’s war in Ukraine. Despite natural gas prices falling from record summer highs and governments allocating a whopping 576 billion euros (over $566 billion) in energy relief to households and businesses since September 2021, according to the Bruegel think tank in Brussels, it’s not enough for some protesters.” Read more at AP News
West Africa floods destroy crops, worsening hunger fears
By CHINEDU ASADU
“ABUJA, Nigeria (AP) — Ocheiga Enoch isn’t expecting much of a rice harvest from north-central Nigeria after floodwaters submerged his fields and those of so many other farmers this season.
Many in Benue state — known as the country’s ‘food basket’ — now find themselves in the unusual position of looking for seedlings in preparation for next year’s farming season at a time when they should be harvesting the current crop.
‘The kind of suffering we are passing through now is terrible,’ Enoch said of the floods, now Nigeria’s worst in more than a decade after killing more than 600 people and forcing 1.3 million to flee their homes.
Above-average rainfall and devastating flooding have affected 5 million people this year in 19 countries across West and Central Africa, according to a new U.N. World Food Program situation report.
In Chad, the nation’s government this week declared a state of emergency after floods affected more than 1 million people there.” Read more at AP News
5 Australian Women Sue Qatar Over Invasive Searches at Airport
The women say that they have suffered lasting trauma from the episode and are pushing for policy changes.
By Yan Zhuang
Oct. 21, 2022
“MELBOURNE, Australia — Five Australian women have sued the Qatari government two years after they were pulled off a plane and subjected to invasive medical procedures as part of an investigation into the abandonment of a newborn in an airport bathroom.
While Qatar has said it will review the protocols, the women say they want the country to enact policy changes to prevent a repeat of what happened to them.
Their lawyer, Damian Sturzaker, said that court papers were filed in Australia last week and served to the state-owned Qatar Airways on Thursday, and that legal papers would also be sent to Qatar’s Civil Aviation Authority. The women are seeking unspecified damages and costs.
Qatar Airways, the aviation authority and the government communications office did not immediately respond to requests for comment.” Read more at New York Times
MLB Playoffs: Cole, Yanks 0-2 vs Astros, Phils lead Pads 2-1
By The Associated Press
“Once again, Gerrit Cole will try to save the season for the New York Yankees.
New York’s $324 million man will start at Yankee Stadium on Saturday with his team trailing Houston 2-0 in the AL Championship Series. Cristian Javier pitches for the Astros.
In the NL Championship Series, Kyle Schwarber and the Philadelphia Phillies lead the San Diego Padres 2-1 going into Game 4.
Cole, who helped lead the Astros into the 2019 World Series, topped the majors with 257 strikeouts this season while going 13-8 with a 3.50 ERA.
The right-handed ace beat the Guardians in the Division Series opener and, with the Yankees trailing 2-1 in the best-of-five series, won Game 4 at Cleveland to force the series back to the Bronx. Cole was warming up in the bullpen in the ninth inning just in case when New York won the deciding Game 5.” Read more at AP News
Chess star Hans Niemann sues over cheating allegations
By MARGARET STAFFORD
FILE - Chess Grandmaster Hans Niemann, 19, studies the board during a match against Grandmaster Christopher Yoo, 15, at the U.S. Chess Championship in St. Louis on Wednesday, Oct. 5, 2022. Niemann alleges in a federal lawsuit that chess world champion Magnus Carlsen and others destroyed his career by falsely accusing him of cheating. He is seeking $100 million in damages in the lawsuit filed Thursday, Oct. 20, 2022, in U.S. District Court in St. Louis. (David Carson/St. Louis Post-Dispatch via AP)
“A 19-year-old chess grandmaster is seeking $100 million in a federal lawsuit alleging a rival chess player and others destroyed his career with false accusations of cheating, elevating a controversy that has roiled the chess world since September.
Hans Niemann filed the lawsuit Thursday in U.S. District Court in St. Louis against chess world champion Magnus Carlsen, who has suggested Niemann cheated during his upset win over Carlsen at the Sinquefield Cup tournament in St. Louis.
Niemann is seeking damages from Carlsen; Carlsen’s company Play Magnus Group; online chess site Chess.com; Hikaru Nakamura, an American grandmaster who is an influential streaming partner on Chess.com; and Chess.com executive Danny Rensch.
It alleges the defendants worked together to defame and libel Niemann after his Sinquefield Cup win.
‘Despite the falsity of the Defendants’ accusations, Defendants’ malicious defamation and unlawful collusion has, by design, destroyed Niemann’s remarkable career in its prime and ruined his life,’ according to the lawsuit.
Niemann says tournaments have banned him, matches have been canceled and reputable chess schools won’t hire him over the false accusations.
The lawsuit contends Carlsen is seeking to preserve his status as the ‘King of Chess’ and to complete a deal with Chess.com to acquire Play Magnus for nearly $83 million.
Carlsen — a 31-year-old world champion who is generally considered one of the greatest chess players ever — has not commented on his social media posts about the the lawsuit. His manager, Henrik Carlsen, did not immediately respond Friday to a request for comment.
Attorneys Nima Mohebbi and Jamie Wine said in a statement posted on Chess.com’s website that Niemann’s lawsuit will hurt the game of chess, its players and its fans.
‘There is no merit to Hans’ allegations, and Chess.com looks forward to setting the record straight on behalf of its team and all honest chess players,’ according to the statement.
After Niemann’s surprise win over Carlsen in the Sinquefield Cup, Carlsen abruptly withdrew from the tournament and a week later stopped playing after making only one move against Niemann at the Julius Baer Generation Cup.
Niemann has previously admitted to cheating when playing online chess when he was 12 and 16, but has denied cheating since then and said he never cheated during in-person matches.
On Sept. 26, Carlsen said in a statement on Twitter that he believed Niemann ‘has cheated more — and more recently — than he has publicly admitted.’
But Carlsen offered no evidence of Niemann cheating. The lawsuit contends several independent sources and experts found no evidence that Niemann cheated in any of his games against Carlsen, including at the Sinquefield Cup.
In a statement published in September, the president of the International Chess Federation, Arkady Dvorkovich, said the governing body shared Carlsen’s ‘deep concerns about the damage that cheating brings to chess’ and is prepared to investigate incidents ‘when the adequate initial proof is provided.’” Read more at AP News
“The singers Lucy Simon and Joanna Simon, sisters of Carly Simon, died within a day of each other at 82 and 85.” Read more at New York Times
“James Corden dismissed a flap stemming from accusations of boorish restaurant behavior.” Read more at New York Times
“The celebrated Danish restaurant Noma will open a pop-up in Kyoto, Japan.” Read more at New York Times
“In New York, masks will no longer be required at the opera or ballet.” Read more at New York Times
“A cast member apologized after criticizing the Broadway revival of “1776”for its handling of race in rehearsals.” Read more at New York Times
“Snapchat’s parent company is struggling after privacy changes on Apple products hurt its advertising business.” Read more at New York Times
“An activist investor with a $150 million stake in News Corp wants the company to split up its media and real estate listings businesses. Read more at New York Times
“A.I.-generated art is already changing how some creative professionals do their jobs.” Read more at New York Times
“Members of BTS, the Korean pop group, will still be able to perform at some national events during their upcoming military service, The Korea Times reported.” Read more at New York Times
“Jonelle Procope, who transformed the Apollo Theater in Harlem from a struggling nonprofit to an internationally recognized cultural center, will step down as the organization’s president.” Read more at New York Times
“The critic Peter Schjeldahl, whose elegant reviews made him an indispensable guide to contemporary art, died at 80.” Read more at New York Times