Shawn Lent

Ziad Rahbani, Lebanese composer and son of iconic singer Fayrouz, dies at 69 Ziad Rahbani, the Lebanese composer and playwright, has died at 69, according to the National News Agency.

What a legacy.

War is an awful birthday present.

The US Department of State have put out the highest travel warning "Do Not Travel" Level 4 Advisory for Venezuela. Their reasons include the following...
wrongful detention,
arbitrary enforcement of local laws,
torture in detention,
and poor health infrastructure.

The Administration’s FY26 budget request BBB proposes a 93% cut to international exchange programs, effectively eliminating the Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs, which administers the Fulbright program.

Live updates: Administration bars Harvard from enrolling foreign students, says thousands must transfer President Donald Trump's administration revoked Harvard University's ability to enroll international students in its escalating battle with the Ivy League school.

As someone who was a national coordinator for EducationUSA (a program of the US Department of State), I can say the repercussions of this go far and will cut deep.

I feel like what I consider to be "my sector" to be relatively broad. But I feel the sector collapsing. We are at three (so far) of the organizations I have applied to for a job (and to have health insurance again) either announcing to sunset the org, cancel the program, or eliminate the position.

“I don’t understand how that is remotely consistent with the rule of law.” Justice Brown Jackson

“Your argument seems to turn our justice system, in my view at least, into a catch me if you can kind of regime … where everybody has to have a lawyer and file a lawsuit in order for the government to stop violating people’s rights.” Justice Brown Jackson

If we are taking this gifted Air Force One, we the people should keep it. Perhaps each citizen gets one free flight.

I'm a little glad it isn't Pizzaballa, because that name change would have been sad.

Email Congress and Tell Them to Save the NEA President Trump had revoked grants and has proposed zero dollars nexst year for the NEA's budget

PROVIDED BY AFTA: PROTECT THE NEA -
Connect with Your Elected Officials
Personalized outreach is critical at this moment. Remind them of the irreplaceable value of the arts in your community.
> Email: americansthearts.quorum.us/campaign/121...
> Phone: americansthearts.quorum.us/campaign/121...

NEA GRANT TERMINATION TRACKER

Terminated Grants - National Endowment for the Arts - Running list is at $7.4 million and growing of awarded grants (selected through a rigorous process) that were rescinded by late night emails.

"We will remain at the agency through the end of May. After May 30, 2025, you may email NEA staff at dance@arts.gov with any questions. It has been a privilege to serve the dance field these many years. We look forward to connecting with you down the road."

"We have been a small but mighty team who did our best to support and uplift artists, administrators, companies, and organizations in our incredible dance field. It has been an honor to serve the dance field and to do so in partnership with incredible colleagues."

"After a lot of reflection, we accepted the Deferred Resignation Program and we have each decided to step down from our positions at the National Endowment for the Arts. This was a very difficult decision to make, but it was the best option for each of us."

The entire dance team at the National Endowment for the Arts have resigned.
"Dear Friends and Colleagues,
We are writing to share some personal news with all of you. NEA staff were recently given an offer to leave the agency through the Deferred Resignation Program or, if eligible, retirement."

Who Will Be the Next Arts Revolutionary? The story of how the nonprofit arts sector got started offers would-be changemakers some clues.

My colleagues and I wrote this some years ago, but it (esp the "Three Arts Presidents and a Nancy" section) serves now as a reminder of the early days of the National Endowment for the Arts: createquity.com/2016/03/who-...

Today is World Press Freedom Day.

So the president who calls for "restoring truth and sanity to American history" says that the Declaration of Independence is about "unity, love, and respect." Just want to note this for my own archives.

“The President’s Budget Request is simply one step in the annual budget process. Based on my initial review, I have serious objections to ... the proposed funding cuts... Ultimately, it is Congress that holds the power of the purse." U.S. Senator Susan Collins

We have come to the point of needing a website to find out if the Fulbright program still exists. fulbright.org/status

This is appreciated.

HHS plans to cut the national suicide hotline’s program for LGBTQ youth In February, the program received an average of 2,100 contacts per day.

The federal government plans to eliminate services for LGBTQ youth who call 988, the national suicide and crisis hotline, according to a Health and Human Services budget draft leaked last week.

Mahmoud Khalil became a father and was not allowed to attend the birth of his first child, even if monitored by law enforcement. Mr. Khalil is a green card holder and has not been accused, charged, or convicted of any crime.

This beautiful hug between two fathers is everything right now. Two masculine men overwhelmed by a shared pride of their queer sons who spread joy as talented #dragqueens.

"If [Schedule F] government workers refuse to advance the policy interests of the President, they should no longer have a job."

RFK Jr. says there aren't autistic poets. We asked an autistic poet. "I will challenge RFK Jr. to write a poem as good as me any day of the week."

RFK Jr. says there are no autistic poets, so we interviewed one.

Hear from Elizabeth McClellan, @popelizbet.bsky.social, an award-winning poet, attorney, and legal educator based in Memphis, Tennessee.

Is AmeriCorps being dismantled?! How did I miss this?

Lab Leak: The True Origins of Covid-19 THE ORIGIN “The Proximal Origin of SARS-CoV-2” publication — which was used repeatedly by public health officials and the media to discredit the lab leak

covid.gov
!!!!!!!!!!!! The branding of distorted story telling.

I recently had the honor of helping a loved one navigating the lengthy, complex process and I attended both part of their final interview and the moving Oath Ceremony. I cannot imagine getting to that final part of the process and being arrested for no crime.