The Florida Grand Opera’s staging of The Magic Flute is a truly astonishing update on the classic Mozart opera. The FGO and director Jeffery Marc Buchman have gone beyond the usual expectations for this lavish fantasy of an opera, and have rooted it in reality by framing with dream sequences of an actual, contemporary child....
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One Election Victory Does Not Make a New Era in American Politics − Here’s What History Shows
According to The New York Times, “… a newly triumphant Republican president” is “once again in the headlines.” What will it take to break “the present national divide, between the narrow but solid Republican majority and a Democratic party seemingly trapped in second place,” asks the Times. That pattern “may be hardening” into one “that...
Asking ChatGPT vs Googling: Can AI Chatbots Boost Human Creativity?
Think back to a time when you needed a quick answer, maybe for a recipe or a DIY project. A few years ago, most people’s first instinct was to “Google it.” Today, however, many people are more likely to reach for ChatGPT, OpenAI’s conversational AI, which is changing the way people look for information. Rather...
Can Trump Save TikTok?
Trump will have to convince companies like Apple and Oracle that he can protect them from the law. Although former president (and now president-elect) Donald Trump tried to ban TikTok during his first term in office, he came out against a ban during the 2024 campaign. The reasons for his flip-flop are unclear: Possibly it was a...
DNA Evidence Rewrites Histories for People Buried in Volcanic Eruption in Ancient Pompeii
In 79 CE, the active volcanic system in southern Italy known as Somma-Vesuvius erupted, burying the small Roman town of Pompeii and everyone in it. The “Pompeii eruption” covered everything in a layer of ash that preserved many of the bodies. Now, ancient DNA collected from the famed body casts alters the history that’s been...
Does More Virtual Care Mean More Low-Value Care? Study Suggests No
An analysis of 2022 data shows that despite worries, use of unneeded scans and tests didn’t rise at primary care practices that embraced virtual care most Before 2024 ends, Congress will decide whether to keep or change rules about telehealth, or let them expire. And even though the decision will focus on Medicare’s payment for...
‘Yellowstone’ Highlights Montana’s Long-Forgotten Connection to the Confederacy
The popular “Yellowstone” TV series, set and filmed in Montana, taps into a lesser-known chapter of the state’s history: its settlement by Confederates and ex-Confederates during and after the Civil War. I come to this story with a unique perspective. I’m a fourth-generation Montanan. I’m also a scholar of U.S. Western literary and cultural studies...
Quincy Jones Mastered the Art of Arrangement, Transforming Simple Tunes into Epic Soundscapes
On the sleeve notes of some of the most memorable and best-selling albums of all time, you’ll find the words “Produced and arranged by Quincy Jones.” It was a hallmark of quality. Jones, who died on Nov. 3, 2024, at the age of 91, transformed our understanding of musical arrangement. His work spanned decades and...
ARTE EN RETROSPECTIVA- Miami Art Week 2024
U.S. Government Tries to Rein in an Out-Of-Control Subscription Economy
Signing up for a subscription to a streaming service or newspaper has never been easier. Canceling it, on the other hand, can be a cumbersome journey involving phone calls, letters or finding the option to cancel buried in a remote menu on an app. And that’s if you remember to cancel in the first place....