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'The Bean' Sculptor Kapoor Blasts America's 'Politics Of Hate' And 'Warmongering'

Kapoor last year threatened to sue the Trump administration after a group of border patrol agents posed for a photo in front of his Chicago sculpture.

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May 4 • 11:03 AM EDT • Politics • forbes.com
Jonty Hurwitz brings mind-bending science, art, and optical illusions to Jerusalem

Jonty Hurwitz’s works are sculptures smaller than atoms and images created by cylindrical mirrors.

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Jul 19 • 10:07 AM EDT • Science • jpost.com
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Trump wants a sculpture garden for America’s 250th birthday. Sources say it’s unlikely even one statue will be ready.

It was envisioned as an expansive sculpture garden to honor America’s 250th birthday, with 250 statues of figures like Kobe Bryant, Elvis Pressley and Rosa Parks.

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Apr 19 • 5:00 AM EDT • Politics • cnn.com
Turning science into art: Undergraduate course encourages creativity, risk-taking

From anatomical portraits to water lilies, science has been brought to life through paintings, sketches and sculptures for centuries. Leonardo Da Vinci wasn’t only an artist, he was also a botanist and an engineer. And before cameras, scientists relied on their own sketches to communicate their observations. University of Maine…

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Mar 26 • 12:05 PM EDT • Science • umaine.edu
AI & Science: What Is the Future of Discovery?

Continued progress in artificial intelligence, its expanding usefulness in science, and its contributions to landmark advances suggest that we may have entered a new era of AI for science.The breakthroughs so far—such as predicting the structure of practically every known protein, with profound implications for our understanding of biology, health, and the treatment of disease—are notable not only for what was achieved but also how it was achieved and what that suggests for scientific progress. This special double issue of Dædalus poses the question: What is the future of scientific discovery in this new age of AI? Thirty-three scientists responded. Bringing perspectives from life sciences and medicine, cognitive science and neuroscience, the physical and earth sciences, chemistry and materials science, computer science, mathematics and the social sciences—they draw on their work at the frontier of AI and science. The authors write with an eye to the future, not just the present. They explore what is being achieved and what possibilities lie ahead; examine AI’s limitations and efforts to move forward; and investigate the larger implications of AI-assisted science—on how science is done, the role of the scientist, and the scientific method, as well as the challenges and complexities involved.The authors together exemplify a long-standing bidirectional relationship: AI advancing science, while science advances AI. Where that relationship will take us—a golden age of discovery? New scientist-machine collaborations? Autonomous labs? Discoveries without human understanding?—is a future we are only beginning to imagine, and one we must also shape if the beneficial possibilities are to be realized.Image: UMAP sculptures visualizing three Dædalus volumes on artificial intelligence. © 2026 by Refik Anadol.

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May 21 • 8:00 AM EDT • Science • amacad.org
Brooklyn-based artists display revamped 65-foot hot dog sculpture in Times Square

Times Square Arts unveiled “Hot Dog: The Second Serving,” a revamped 65-foot hot dog sculpture by Brooklyn artists Jen Catron and Paul Outlaw, on Wednesday,

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Jul 29 • 10:00 AM EDT • Entertainment • amny.com
At the annual Pyramid Hill Art Fair, food and entertainment accompany more than 60 artisan booths

Creators and art lovers from across the southwest Ohio region are gearing up for Art Fair, Pyramid Hill Sculpture Park & Museum’s annual signature event.

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Sep 7 • 2:00 AM EDT • Entertainment • journal-news.com
The story behind UT Health San Antonio’s ‘Double Helix’

For more than 40 years, the landmark sculpture has reflected discovery, innovation and advances in healthcare in South Texas.

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Aug 11 • 3:00 AM EDT • Health • news.utsa.edu
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University Health moves 14,000-pound ‘Flor de Esperanza’ from Medical Center to new South Side hospital

The 23-foot-tall steel sculpture, designed by artist Sebastián and painted bright yellow, was previously displayed at University Hospital in the South Texas Medical Center.

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Aug 2 • 11:27 PM EDT • Health • tpr.org
Sixth annual Brookgreen Gardens Spring Wine Festival deemed a success

Proceeds from the sold-out event benefit the mission and programs of Brookgreen Gardens, providing support for garden enhancement and renovation, educational offerings, preservation and conservation of sculpture and protection and care for native plants and endangered animals.

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Apr 29 • 6:30 AM EDT • Entertainment • myhorrynews.com
The best, boldest and most ‘wait, what?’ Met Gala outfits, from Bad Bunny’s old-man look to Heidi Klum's marble sculpture costume

Check out the most showstopping — and headscratching — looks from the 2026 Met Gala.

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May 4 • 11:02 PM EDT • Entertainment • yahoo.com
LEGO exhibit coming to Mississippi Museum of Natural Science

JACKSON, Miss. (WJTV) – The Mississippi Museum of Natural Science (MMNS) will host a new exhibition of life-size animal sculptures created entirely of LEGO bricks. The exhibition “Sean …

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Sep 11 • 4:21 PM EDT • Science • wjtv.com
MSCHF bends and twists LEXUS cars into surreal full-scale sculptures in new york

two vehicles are stretched into impossible geometries, translating squash-and-stretch animation into full-scale automotive sculpture.

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Sep 22 • 10:07 AM EDT • Technology • designboom.com
Biannual sculpture exhibition opens May 28

Wilson Arts’ biannual sculpture exhibition opens May 28, featuring works by 10 local and regional artists in a free show running through June 30.

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May 25 • 8:08 AM EDT • Entertainment • wilsontimes.com
'Double Helix’ artwork illuminates the beauty of science in motion

Near the main entrance of The University of Texas at San Antonio’s Health Science Center campus, a striking metallic “Double Helix” sculpture greets thousands of drivers each day as they make their way through the South Texas Medical Center — a metropolis of discovery, education, research and innovation. Rising skyward, the angled aluminum sculpture […]

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Jul 21 • 1:08 PM EDT • Science • news.uthscsa.edu
Record-Breaking One-Off Bugatti Brouillard Could Become the Most Expensive Bugatti Ever

A one-off aimed at a historic record Bugatti’s latest one-off, the Brouillard, steps onto the hypercar stage with the quiet confidence of a record-breaker. The brand’s tradition of bespoke excellence meets a bold new aesthetic, positioning this unique commission to potentially become the marque’s most expensive creation. Built on the proven underpinnings of the Chiron/Mistral architecture, yet transformed by distinctive craft, the Brouillard is both homage and innovation. A name born from equestrian legend More than a century ago, a striking white horse captivated Ettore Bugatti in Molsheim. That equine myth now informs the car’s name and its sensory identity. The result is an automotive portrait of athletic grace—surfaces that read like muscle, curves that suggest motion, and details that quietly speak of discipline and heritage. Embroidered horse motifs on door panels and seat backs echo the story, while a miniature glass sculpture of the steed crowns the shifter. Sculptural design with purpose The Brouillard’s silhouette favors sinuous surfaces over hard creases, allowing light to glide over its form like a tendon under skin. Aerodynamics inform elegance: an integrated ducktail replaces a deployable wing, cleansing the airflow and boosting stability at speed. Its stance is athletic, its volumes taut, and its visual language unmistakably Bugatti. “Sculptural, organic forms—like a tendon beneath the skin—hide immense power behind noble simplicity,” said design chief Frank Heyl, capturing the car’s philosophy in a single stroke. Craft elevated to an art The cabin embraces craftsmanship at an uncommon level. Custom-woven textiles from Paris introduce a discreet tartan pattern, while green-tinted carbon fiber nods to the exterior’s hue. A glazed roof creates a cathedral atmosphere, bathing the cockpit in natural light. A central spine appears to flow from exterior to interior, emphasizing continuity and structure. Highlights include: Custom textiles with subtle tartan motifs Green-tinted carbon fiber matched to the exterior finish A “cathedral” glass roof that elevates cabin ambience A sculptural centerline linking outside to inside Bespoke embroidery and glass equine detail W16 power at its absolute apex Under the sculpted skin, the final evolution of Bugatti’s 8.0‑liter, quad‑turbo W16 delivers a thunderous 1,600 hp at 7,050 rpm and 1,600 Nm of torque. This represents the pinnacle of nearly two decades of Bugatti engineering, honed to an ultimate state. The lightweight monocoque blends carbon fiber with aluminum, holding mass to around 1,900 kg for poise and control. Experts suggest the Brouillard could surpass the 282 mph (454 km/h) achieved by the Mistral, aided by more aerodynamic bodywork and the fixed ducktail. Whether or not it sets a new benchmark, its intent is clear: relentless speed paired with refinement. Exclusivity with an exacting timeline The commissioning process is intensive, with roughly 18 months of development leading to a 2027 delivery. Bugatti’s program limits itself to no more than two creations per year, ensuring focus and rarity. Each example leaves the atelier as a singular vision, shaped to the client’s collection and the brand’s ethos. An unveiling is planned for Monterey Car Week 2025, placing the Brouillard amid the world’s most discerning enthusiasts. Its patron is a European collector deeply invested in the Bugatti universe, from historic and modern cars to Carlo Bugatti furniture and Rembrandt Bugatti bronzes. A valuation poised to make history While Bugatti has not disclosed an official price, informed estimates place the Brouillard between €10 million and €30 million. Context matters: a series Mistral begins near €5 million, while the Brouillard adds profound personalization, sculptural changes, and a pace of production that keeps scarcity front and center. In an arena where uniqueness drives value, the path to a brand record is unmistakably open. What it signals for the marque The Brouillard crystallizes Bugatti’s dual identity: traditional savoir‑faire intertwined with boundary-pushing performance. It exhibits a narrative soul—the white horse of Molsheim—woven into modern materials and world-class aerodynamics. As a rolling statement, it reaffirms that the Bugatti idea is larger than speed alone; it is about story, craft, and the courage to pursue an ideal to its logical limit.

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Feb 7 • 6:12 PM EST • Technology • iowaparkleader.com
Stunning Moon sculpture unveiled at Royal Observatory Greenwich

'Mirror Moon' has been created by the British artist Luke Jerram

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Jun 12 • 7:15 AM EDT • Science • physicsworld.com
Ancient Roman bone penis discovered in forgotten museum box

Phallic sculptures often guarded against the 'Evil Eye.'

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Apr 2 • 2:47 PM EDT • Science • popsci.com
Neat Techniques To Make Interactive Light Sculptures

[Voria Labs] has created a whole bunch of artworks referred to as Lumanoi Interactive Light Sculptures. A new video explains the hardware behind these beautiful glowing pieces, as well as the magic…

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Dec 7, 2025 • 1:00 PM EST • Technology • hackaday.com
ARTSwork announces new Invitational Art Fair

ARTSwork, the sister organization of the Des Moines Arts Festival, will launch a new fall event, the Invitational Art Fair, Nov. 6-7 at the Val Air Ballroom in West Des Moines. The two-day event will feature 50 professional Iowa visual artists showcasing and selling original works, including ceramics, glass, jewelry, photography, printmaking and sculpture. The…

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Sep 24 • 5:41 PM EDT • Business • businessrecord.com
Tool sparking creativity or hindrance for artists?

To create a beautiful sculpture, one needs wood extracted from a strong, solid trunk. To forge a fine blade, one needs high-quality steel. The Latin adage “Ex nihilo nihil fit,”

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May 11 • 1:00 AM EDT • Entertainment • valpotorch.com
Sculpture will be a key feature of Madison’s new Imagination Center

“The Passage of Being” by artist Nate Page will sit just outside the Imagination Center in Reindahl Park on Madison’s north side.

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Jun 17 • 6:00 AM EDT • Entertainment • captimes.com
Kennedy Center begins removal of outdoor ‘Blue’ sculpture

The Kennedy Center has started taking down a stick figure sculpture on the grounds as President Donald Trump has aimed to reshape the performing arts institution, including with new art.

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Sep 2 • 11:08 AM EDT • Politics • cnn.com
Bronze Siskel & Ebert statue, with their theater seats, coming to Prudential Plaza

The sculpture will invite fans of Chicago's most celebrated film critics to sit in their iconic theater balcony seats.

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Oct 22 • 9:15 AM EDT • Business • chicagobusiness.com
Red Dot Gallery welcoming clay artist Claudia Jeffers

The Red Dot Gallery is happy to welcome the clay works of Claudia Jeffers beginning this week. She will display a unique array of sculptures. Claudia Jeffers is a Narrative

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Sep 17 • 4:30 AM EDT • Entertainment • theunion.com
2025-26 Record Fundraising Year for Life Sciences at UC Davis

The University of California, Davis, raised more than $676 million in philanthropic support during fiscal year 2025–26, more than doubling the university's previous giving record and marking the strongest fundraising year in its history.Donors’ unprecedented level of investment in UC Davis will expand opportunities for students, strengthen faculty excellence, accelerate discoveries that improve lives, and support new facilities and programs that elevate the university’s impact across California and beyond.

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Sep 10 • 7:13 PM EDT • Science • biology.ucdavis.edu
Port Townsend kinetic sculpture race emphasizes art, absurdity

In The Great Port Townsend Bay Kinetic Sculpture Race, human-powered handmade sculptures attempt to cross pavement, water, sand and mud on an 8-mile course.

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Sep 30 • 8:56 AM EDT • Entertainment • yakimaherald.com
Marble, ice sculptures and optics: Trump’s remote presidency draws scrutiny

At Mar-a-Lago, official governance, private business and personal relationships converge.

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Jan 3 • 5:00 AM EST • Business • washingtonpost.com
LEGO exhibit coming to Mississippi Museum of Natural Science

JACKSON, Miss. (WJTV) – The Mississippi Museum of Natural Science (MMNS) will host a new exhibition of life-size animal sculptures created entirely of LEGO bricks. The exhibition “Sean Kenney’s Animal...

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Sep 11 • 4:21 PM EDT • Science • yahoo.com
Connecting climate science and storytelling at Mission Hill Middle School

Working with seventh grade science teachers Sallie Corbin and Christy Fairbairn, Lookout developed a science communication workshop to support students’ climate change research projects and help students think about how complex scientific ideas can be communicated clearly and meaningfully. The visit introduced students to the basics of journalism, storytelling and audience engagement, with support from UC Santa Cruz science communication graduate student and Lookout intern Cassidy Beach. Students later presented their climate change projects at Mission Hill’s Climate Change Symposium through creative formats including videos, games, comics, sculptures and interactive activities. The partnership marks one of Lookout’s first middle school classroom visits as part of its growing educational initiative focused on media literacy, civic engagement and local journalism.

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May 7 • 4:16 PM EDT • Science • lookout.co
Annual Sugar Sand Festival brings massive hand-sculpted art and entertainment to Clearwater Beach

The annual event's theme this year features sports and American 250 sculptures, running through April 12, with the help of over 400 volunteers.

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Mar 29 • 3:39 PM EDT • Entertainment • tampabay28.com
Pre-Columbian Archaeology Meets Science Fiction in Max Lehman's Quirky Sculptures

Max Lehman delves into a kind of future past inspired by science fiction, where modern tech and prehistoric visual culture merge.

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Oct 5 • 2:56 PM EDT • Science • thisiscolossal.com
How the 800-Pound Butter Sculpture From the State Fair Is Being Recycled

It took 11 days to sculpt and 70 minutes to deconstruct.

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Sep 8 • 3:33 PM EDT • Entertainment • wktv.com
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Newly Identified Frog-like Creature Named by Student Scientists After Their Moms

A newly identified frog-like creature that lived before dinosaurs has been named—by 2 student scientists who discovered it— after their moms.

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Sep 27 • 11:00 PM EDT • Science • goodnewsnetwork.org
Denison business flourishing, 7 years after downtown fire

Seven years after a destructive fire on Main Street in downtown Denison, Texas, the area has been revitalized with a new visitor center and a Phoenix sculpture created from the remains of the buildings that burned. This transformation honors the past while embracing the revitalization of the once-devastated block.

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Oct 9 • 5:40 PM EDT • Business • kten.com
Kennedy Center disassembles 'Blue' sculpture from its grounds

The Kennedy Center removed a sculpture known as “Blue,” a tall, blue stick figure designed by Joel Shapiro and installed in 2019. This change follows ongoing efforts by the center's

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Sep 2 • 12:29 PM EDT • Entertainment • idahostatejournal.com
New Stompers Project sculpture, 'HAVEN,' unveiled at Student Health Center

"HAVEN," a collaborative sculpture with the Jana Marie Foundation built from recycled sneakers, has been unveiled by Counseling and Psychological Services and University Health Services in the Student Health Center at University Park. Unveiled Sept. 9 as part of the Stompers Project, the sculpture is intended to help “stomp out” the stigma surrounding mental health.

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Sep 14 • 9:00 AM EDT • Health • psu.edu
UNMC’s Saxena Health Center to Display Chihuly Sculpture Formerly at Joslyn

Crews will install a recognizable sculpture by world-renowned glass artist Dale Chihuly inside the Nebraska Medicine Saxena Health Center, currently under construction on the southeast corner of 42nd & Farnam street. The piece, “Dale Chihuly: Inside & Out,” will be visible through the 3-story glass-enclosed lobby on the building’s northwest corner. It was previously on […]

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Sep 13 • 12:55 PM EDT • Health • growomaha.com
Map of LACMA's David Geffen Galleries: the cafe, wine bar, Koons art

A colorful map to help guide visitors around LACMA's new David Geffen Galleries, including the best way to the wine bar and how to get a great view of Jeff Koons' 'Split-Rocker' topiary sculpture.

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Apr 8 • 9:00 AM EDT • Entertainment • latimes.com
Seeing double? How Norwegian Luna is different from its sister ships.

Norwegian Luna offers new entertainment, upper-deck attractions and Caribbean itineraries from Miami.

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Mar 31 • 3:41 PM EDT • Entertainment • usatoday.com
Ancient Chinese cosmology comes alive in Jackson Park

Audience members cooled themselves with handmade fans as Amanda Maraist danced through the sultry air among the stainless steel lotus petals of Yoko Ono's “Sky Landing” sculpture in Jackson Park

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Jul 29 • 6:00 PM EDT • Entertainment • hpherald.com
Seven's first entertainment destination to open in Abha

Seven is investing SAR 50 billion ($13bn) in the development of 21 entertainment destinations

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Jul 8 • 7:14 AM EDT • Entertainment • blooloop.com
What’s the deal with that sculpture at Porter?

It catches your eye if you’re shopping at the nearby Target. From up Mass. Ave., it looks like a futuristic beacon. You can see rust all the way up, before you take the escalators all the way down.

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Feb 19 • 7:04 AM EST • Technology • bostonglobe.com
10 things to do around the Seattle area this weekend

From wacky pizza combos to a handmade sculpture race, here are the latest local things to do around the Seattle area.

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Oct 1 • 4:00 PM EDT • Entertainment • yakimaherald.com
Liverpool install new Jota memorial

Liverpool have installed a permanent memorial outside Anfield in tribute to Diogo Jota and his brother Andre Silva to mark the first anniversary of their death. The 'Forever 20' memorial, created by renowned sculptor Emma Rodgers, is centrally a flowing heart sculpture, an acknowledgement of the forward's goal celebration. From different angles it also shows the numbers 20 and 30, the brothers' shirt numbers, and includes the lyrics to Jota's song, which has been sung in the 20th minute of every match since his death in a car crash on 3 July 2025.

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Jul 3 • 4:21 AM EDT • Sports • sports.yahoo.com
Marble, ice sculptures and optics: Trump’s remote presidency draws scrutiny

At Mar-a-Lago, official governance, private business and personal relationships converge.

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Jan 3 • 5:00 AM EST • Politics • washingtonpost.com
800 Pounds of Butter Arrives for New York State Fair Sculpture

The Great New York State Fair is gearing up for one of its most popular attractions.

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Aug 17 • 12:13 PM EDT • Entertainment • wktv.com
Kennedy Center has dismantled ‘Blue’ sculpture
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Sep 2 • 1:53 PM EDT • Politics • cnn.com
Ring in the Moment: WSU Health Sciences launches bell ringing tradition for students

With generous support from STCU, the Spokane campus features a new landmark honoring the transition from student to health professional.

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May 19 • 9:00 AM EDT • Health • news.wsu.edu
Zendaya goes full Greek goddess on 'The Odyssey' press tour: An otherworldly winged gown, a gilded Zuhair Murad look and more

Zendaya's recent dresses, with their ethereal silhouettes, shield-like details and nods to classic Greek sculpture, have been nothing short of divine.

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Jul 16 • 6:16 PM EDT • Entertainment • yahoo.com
Kennedy Center renews call for Trump-backed shutdown after part of a ceiling collapses

A spokesperson for the Kennedy Center is blaming “decades of neglect” for causing part of the ceiling to collapse in the performing arts venue's grand foyer.

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Sep 5 • 1:11 PM EDT • Entertainment • seattletimes.com
Harvard Business School announces new pieces of public art supported by the C. Ludens Ringnes Sculpture Collection

HBS has added sculptures by Woody De Othello and Erika Verzutti to the C. Ludens Ringnes Sculpture Collection for a two-year exhibition on its Boston campus.

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Sep 16 • 4:30 PM EDT • Business • news.harvard.edu
Trump says sculpture garden honoring prominent Americans is planned for park along Potomac River

President Donald Trump plans to build an exhibit of statues featuring prominent Americans in a tightly regulated park along the Potomac River, potentially opening a new legal fight over whether his administration is ignoring the approvals process that typically governs Washington's monumental core.

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May 15 • 11:43 AM EDT • Politics • pbs.org
Fruitcake, Savory Soups, and Entertainment

SUNDAY December 7, 2025 {READ IN BROWSER} FEATURE Corsicana: Your Adventure Awaits One of the Corsicana’s most intriguing aspects is its bronze statue tour, a life-sized art exhibit telling stories about the unique individuals who shaped its history. Created by different artists, most of the lifelike sculptures interact with the cityscape: an oil field worker…

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Dec 7, 2025 • 9:09 AM EST • Entertainment • gilmermirror.com
The Quintessential Trump-era Politician

In 2020, I wrote an article about collaboration and collaborators. The title was History Will Judge the Complicit, and it started with the story of two famous East Germans, Markus Wolf and Wolfgang Leonhard, who both landed in East Berlin just after the end of the war. Although they came from very similar backgrounds, the former stuck with the regime, eventually becoming its spy boss; the latter, horrified by the brutal reality of Soviet-style communism, escaped. By way of juxtaposition, I also wrote about Lyndsey Graham and Mitt Romney. These two men also made very different decisions when confronted by Donald Trump’s assault on the ideals that they had both grown up believing: A glance at their biographies would not have led many to predict what happened next. On paper, Graham would have seemed, in 2016, like the man with deeper ties to the military, to the rule of law, and to an old-fashioned idea of American patriotism and American responsibility in the world. Romney, by contrast, with his shifts between the center and the right, with his multiple careers in business and politics, would have seemed less deeply attached to those same old-fashioned patriotic ideals. Most of us register soldiers as loyal patriots, and management consultants as self-interested. We assume people from small towns in South Carolina are more likely to resist political pressure than people who have lived in many places. Intuitively, we think that loyalty to a particular place implies loyalty to a set of values. But in this case the clichés were wrong. It was Graham who made excuses for Trump’s abuse of power. It was Graham—a JAG Corps lawyer—who downplayed the evidence that the president had attempted to manipulate foreign courts and blackmail a foreign leader into launching a phony investigation into a political rival. It was Graham who abandoned his own stated support for bipartisanship and instead pushed for a hyperpartisan Senate Judiciary Committee investigation into former Vice President Joe Biden’s son. It was Graham who played golf with Trump, who made excuses for him on television, who supported the president even as he slowly destroyed the American alliances—with Europeans, with the Kurds—that Graham had defended all his life. By contrast, it was Romney who, in February, became the only Republican senator to break ranks with his colleagues, voting to impeach the president. “Corrupting an election to keep oneself in office,” he said, is “perhaps the most abusive and destructive violation of one’s oath of office that I can imagine.” In the wake of Graham’s unexpected death on Saturday, I wrote about him again. He was, in many ways, the quintessential politician of Trump’s Washington, a man who shifted 180 degrees. Graham had been a fervent American patriot, proud reserve officer and military lawyer; he became one of the most important defenders of a president who believes soldiers are “suckers and losers” and shows no respect for law of any kind. As his politics changed, his language grew coarser and his behavior grew worse: He urged Israel to “level the place” in Gaza, and insulted the Danish prime minister in Munich, prompting a colleague, Senator Elissa Slotkin, to issue an apology. Here’s an excerpt from the article, which you can read in The Atlantic (gift link here) Like his close friend John McCain, Graham believed that America should stand at the center of a broad democratic alliance. The few times I met him were in that context, at the Munich Security Conference or at other European-American gatherings, which he once attended with great regularity. He also took seriously the practice of American democracy at home. In a 2014 conversation with The Atlantic, he described himself as a pragmatic politician who eschewed populist slogans. “I know Washington is broken, but what’s broken about it is everybody yelling and nobody trying to fix it,” he said. “I’m trying.” When Donald Trump first appeared in U.S. politics, Graham recognized him immediately for what he was: the spokesman for an alien ideology, one radically different from the idealistic patriotism that Graham had practiced and preached since childhood. Trump privately mocked the military that Graham loved as nothing but “suckers and losers.” He put falsehoods, cynicism, and personal greed at the center of his politics, while expressing disdain for transparency, accountability, and democracy itself. In 2015, Graham described Trump as a “race-baiting, xenophobic, religious bigot” who should “go to hell.” Also as a “nutjob.” When Trump won, Graham understood, as did so many others, that he would have to make some important choices. For a while, he went silent. In the spring of 2016, I saw him at one of those conferences in Europe. He seemed too depressed to speak. But then, like many other Republicans—and, more important, like many other people who have lived under political occupation or experienced radical regime change—he made the decision to abandon his previous ideals, to bury the patriotism that was once so important to him, and to become, instead, a loud, opportunistic collaborator. As I wrote in 2020, it’s very hard to look in to anyone’s heart and to understand their motivations from the outside. But it does seem that Graham had a deep need to be relevant, to be in the game, to be a player, at any cost. And that, rather than any particular achievement, is what he will be remembered for. Continuing to monitor conflicts of interest, ostentatious emoluments, outright corruption and policy changes that will facilitate outright corruption. (Read my original article, Kleptocracy Inc and check out the SNF Agora Institute chart) June 27 Trump diverted funds from more than 900 projects nationwide—including safety upgrades at national parks—to finance beautification projects around Washington, including $700,000 used to fix a White House walkway. June 28 After a years-long Department of Justice investigation into Abbott Laboratories over its management of a baby formula facility where potentially deadly bacteria turned up enough evidence to criminally charge the firm, top department officials instead opted for a financial penalty—illustrating the department’s move away from strict corporate enforcement under the Trump administration. June 29 Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth stacked the Defense Policy Board—which is charged with providing independent national security recommendations to the Office of the Secretary of Defense—with Trump allies, including tech billionaire Marc Andreessen, who has invested in defense contractors like OpenAI and SpaceX, after purging the panel last year. Trump purchased between $1 million and $5 million worth of stock in Axon—which makes about 90% of US tasers—two weeks before ICE solicited bids for a $220 million taser contract. The White House unveiled limited-edition US passports for America’s 250th birthday, featuring a portrait of Trump overlaid on the Declaration of Independence. June 30 Trump made around $1.2 billion from his various crypto companies last year, including more than $500 million from World Liberty Financial and $600 million from sales of his meme coin. Trump is considering issuing 250 pardons to commemorate America’s 250th birthday. These are expected to be largely doled out through the Office of the Pardon Attorney’s informal network of intermediaries. White-collar defense attorneys say they can typically win pardons for clients for $2 million. Last year, Trump administration officials awarded a no-bid contract worth up to $500 million to Clark Construction for the White House ballroom—negotiations in which the president was directly involved. July 1 The Amazon MGM Studios documentary about Melania Trump earned the First Lady more than $10 million. Trump made hundreds of individual stock purchases worth as much as $12.8 million the day before his announcement pausing “Liberation Day” tariffs for 90 days sent the S&P 500 soaring nearly 10%—one of the largest single-day gains ever. Mar-a-Lago and Trump National Doral saw record surges in revenue during Trump’s first year in office, earning $77.5 million and $121.9 million respectively, compared to average annual revenues of $25 million and $75 million during Trump’s first term. Entities across the Persian Gulf paid more than $300 million to Trump’s businesses last year, including $263 million from the sale of half his stake in World Liberty Financial to a firm backed by Sheikh Tahnoon bin Zayed Al Nahyan, a top UAE royal and brother of the country’s president. Kash Patel failed to properly disclose his stock purchase of a Department of Justice contractor, MicroStrategy, worth up to $250,000 last year, despite laws requiring disclosure within 45 days of the trade. July 2 Trump has been directing administration officials to steer more government contracts—so far worth more than $2.4 billion—to Jeff Bezos’s Blue Origin aerospace firm, after Amazon gave $1 million to Trump’s inaugural fund, donated to the White House ballroom project, and reached a $40 million deal to license a Melania Trump documentary. Alongside the billions he made from cryptocurrency last year, Trump earned millions of dollars from real estate licensing fees, including $21 million from organizations in the UAE and $9.2 million in Saudi Arabia, along with smaller sums from merchandise sales, including $4.7 million from Trump Watches and $35,920 from 45 Guitar, a guitar brand endorsed by the president. House Democrats accused consultants tied to the Trump administration of financial fraud, alleging they gave prospective donors to America250—the bipartisan committee created by Congress to celebrate the nation’s semiquincentennial—the banking and routing numbers for Freedom 250, the White House’s fund for events like the UFC cage fight. Democrats also allege that Freedom 250’s CEO traveled to the World Economic Forum in Davos to solicit donations from foreign government officials and business leaders. The Trump administration’s proposed rollback of gun regulations would lift the prohibition on mailing handguns to individuals, a significant win for GrabAGun—the direct-to-consumer firearm retailer on whose board Donald Trump Jr. sits and in which he holds a 1.1% ownership stake. GrabAGun currently must rely on a middleman to transfer firearms to customers. Trump’s financial disclosure revealed that he made more than 21,000 securities trades during his first year back in office, growing his investment account to at least $858 million across stakes in around 1,600 companies, compared to the 13 total trades Joe Biden made during his entire presidency. July 4 Nearly 1 million people who bought the president’s meme coin—Trump Coin—collectively lost $3.8 billion on the token, while he walked away with $636 million. July 6 Shares of Dell closed up 4.4% after Trump recommended people buy the firm’s computers during a speech announcing the launch of Trump investment accounts for children, boosting the more than $1 million worth of shares the president owns in the company. July 9 Federal Reserve Chair Kevin Warsh named crypto investor and Trump ally Marc Andreessen to a task force aimed at modernizing the Federal Reserve, including rethinking its approach to inflation—a key factor keeping interest rates elevated. Palm Beach International Airport has officially changed its name to Trump International Airport—a move that will require Florida to pay royalties to the president’s family for licensing his name. I was there a few months ago, during a trip to Barcelona. The sculptures were a revelation, I’d never seen so many together before. Each one has its own personality. Enjoy the good weather, if you are lucky enough to have it. History Will Judge the Complicit The Quintessential Politician Autocracy Inc Open Letters, from Anne Applebaum is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber. Subscribe

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Jul 13 • 4:19 PM EDT • Politics • anneapplebaum.substack.com
'Iran War Participation Trophy' for Trump is on tour, joins Instagram

A 10-foot sculpture of a golden trophy made for President Trump by the anonymous arts activist group Secret Handshake is officially on tour, with an Instagram page and appearances in D.C., New York and Minneapolis.

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Aug 5 • 6:45 AM EDT • Entertainment • latimes.com