The New York Times Wednesday December 17, 2025
President Trump signed an executive order last week that aims to neuter state laws that limit the artificial intelligence industry, a win for tech companies that have lobbied against regulation of the booming technology, notes The New York Times. The order grants broad authority to the attorney general to sue states and overturn laws that do not support the “United States’ global A.I. dominance,” putting dozens of A.I. safety and consumer protection laws at risk. This year, all 50 states and territories introduced A.I. legislation and 38 states adopted about 100 laws putting guardrails around the way the technology can be used, adds The Times. Read the full Story >>
The Atlantic Wednesday December 17, 2025
The Atlantic always does a thorough job of looking back at the year in pictures, including a roundup of the top news photos of 2025. Among the selections: Reuters photographer Tyrone Siu’s image of a 71-year-old retiree reacting to the deadly fire that swept through the Wang Fuk Court apartment building in Hong Kong in November. (See Siu’s account.) The roundup also includes AP photographer Yuki Iwamura’s shot of Zohran Mamdani speaking to a crowd of supporters after winning the New York City mayoral election on November 4. Read the full Story >>
ICA Wednesday December 17, 2025
Photographer and multimedia artist Lorna Simpson is the recipient of the 2025 Meraki Artist Award from Boston’s Institute of Contemporary Art, a $100,000 prize created to recognize women artists. “Known for her pioneering approach to conceptual photography in the 1980s and 1990s, Simpson has expanded the boundaries and possibilities of representation for more than 40 years,” notes the ICA. “Her text and image works undermine widely held assumptions about race and gender within American culture, encouraging audiences to re-examine these ideas and unconscious classifications.” Read the full Story >>
By
David Schonauer Wednesday December 17, 2025
It's late at night and you're searching for something to watch on TV, switching between streaming services until you settle on a new movie or series you've heard about. But you may find that the
entertainment you've chosen looks rather bland. "If you walk outside on a warm day, you'll find infinitely more color than you would in a contemporary blockbuster," film critic and … Read the full Story >>
