George Lucas Reinvents the Art Museum by Putting Star Wars, Comics and Van Gogh on Equal Ground
The long-awaited Lucas Museum of Narrative Art is preparing to open in Los Angeles with an unusually ambitious mission: challenge the traditional hierarchy separating prestigious “fine art” from illustration, comics, cinema, popular culture and other forms of visual storytelling. Founded by filmmaker George Lucas and Mellody Hobson, the roughly $1-billion museum will open September 22 […]
Trump Takes Voter Citizenship Database Fight to Supreme Court Ahead of Midterms
The Trump administration has asked the U.S. Supreme Court to revive a controversial federal system designed to help states verify the citizenship of people on voter rolls, escalating a major election-law dispute less than two months before the November 3 midterm elections. The request could significantly expand the federal government’s role in determining voter eligibility […]
Taiwan Turns Its Chip Dominance Into Diplomatic Power as Allies Seek a Share of the AI Boom
Taiwan is increasingly using its extraordinary dominance of the global semiconductor industry as a form of economic and diplomatic power, presenting itself as an indispensable democratic partner in the artificial-intelligence revolution while responding to growing pressure from the United States and Europe to move more chip production overseas. The strategy was on full display at […]
Andres Florez Builds Culturewise From Medellin With a Vision to Represent Colombian Urban Culture Globally
Andres Florez, founder and CEO of Culturewise, is building a fashion and cultural brand from Medellin with a vision that goes beyond traditional streetwear. Drawing from years of experience in barbering and his connection to the city’s urban movement, Florez is developing Culturewise as an ecosystem that brings together clothing, barbering, sneakers, experiences and community. […]
Social Security’s Looming Shortfall Pushes Some Republicans Toward an Unlikely Solution: Higher Taxes
For decades, raising taxes has been close to political heresy for many Republicans. But the approaching financial crisis facing Social Security is beginning to challenge that orthodoxy, with some Republican lawmakers signaling that additional tax revenue may need to be part of a bipartisan agreement to prevent major benefit reductions. The urgency comes from Social […]
America’s Affordable Housing Paradox: Thousands of Apartments Sit Empty While the Poorest Remain Homeless
Across the United States, a troubling contradiction is emerging in the housing crisis: thousands of apartments officially classified as affordable are sitting vacant while millions of the country’s poorest renters cannot find homes they can afford. The problem exposes a fundamental mismatch between the affordable housing America is building and the people experiencing the most […]
Huawei Faces Landmark U.S. Trial Over Iran Dealings, Bank Fraud and Alleged Technology Theft
Chinese telecommunications giant Huawei is heading to trial in New York in one of the most consequential U.S. criminal cases ever brought against a Chinese technology company. Nearly eight years after American prosecutors first secretly charged the company, a federal jury will consider allegations involving Huawei’s business activities in Iran, bank and wire fraud, money […]
Americans Are Talking Less — and Scientists Warn the Silence Could Be Changing Our Brains
The viral “Gen Z stare”—the blank, silent expression sometimes associated online with awkward interactions involving younger people—may be little more than an exaggerated generational joke. But researchers say the phenomenon points toward a much more significant social change: people are actually speaking less than they used to, and the decline is particularly pronounced among younger […]
Democrats Prepare an Ambitious House Agenda, but Party Divisions Could Complicate Their Return to Power
House Democrats are preparing an aggressive legislative and investigative agenda if they regain control of the U.S. House of Representatives in the 2026 midterm elections, but an emerging challenge could determine whether they can actually deliver on those promises: keeping their ideologically diverse caucus united. House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries, who would be positioned to […]
FDA Opens New Path for Generative AI Medical Tools to Reach Patients Before Full Approval
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration is experimenting with a radically different approach to regulating generative artificial intelligence in medicine, allowing selected AI-powered medical devices to reach patients before receiving traditional marketing authorization. The initiative could provide regulators with valuable real-world experience while accelerating access to rapidly evolving technology, but it also raises important questions […]
