Anastasia Tsioulcas

Fela Kuti: Fear No Man Check out this great listen on Audible.com. In a world that’s on fire, what is the role of art? What can music actually…do? Can a song save a life? Change a law? Topple a president? Get you killed? In...

Unsolicited very strong recommendation of the day for the Jad Abumrad-led podcast on Fela Kuti. An absolute masterclass on how to tell a story — many stories — in audio. (And, of course, I adore Fela, as complicated and problematic as he is.) www.audible.com/pd/B0FRCQHHX...

ICYMI

I suggest reading to get the full statement that DHS gave me today re Bad Bunny. (But also broadcast today on All Things Considered.)

Four Democratic senators urge Smithsonian to resist White House attempts to 'bully the institution' Sen. Alex Padilla (D-Calif.) and three other Democrats are reminding the Smithsonian's secretary that the institution "is the responsibility of Congress."

An @npr.org exclusive: four Democratic senators are urging the Smithsonian to resist White House attempts to “bully” the institution. Our report:

Today is one of those days I am happy to have studied Russian (with the dashed hopes of reading all the greats in their original language).

My favorite letter continues to be Щ, as in the composer Щедрин — Shchedrin — whose name I wrote out in phonetics for our Newscast team as <<sh-cheh-DREEN>>.

Conductor Julian Wachner charged with possession of child sex abuse material Once a prominent musician in New York City, Wachner was working as a grade school teacher in Indiana. Prosecutors have accused him of possessing sexual abuse imagery of young children.

ICYMI: Once a prominent musician in New York City, Julian Wachner was working as a grade school teacher in Indiana. Prosecutors have accused him of possessing abuse imagery of young children.

www.npr.org/2025/08/28/n...

Kennedy Center names new director of dance programming, days after former staff firings Stephen Nakagawa, a former Washington Ballet dancer, will be the new director of dance programming. The announcement comes five days after the Kennedy Center's previous chief was dismissed.

The Kennedy Center has announced its new head of dance programming, Stephen Nakagawa. Per his bio, he does not seem to have any experience as a curator or arts administrator.

His predecessor believes she was fired bc she supported unionization efforts. My reporting:

A small tip to publicists: I’m sure the idea of putting black text against a dark brown background seemed like it would give your pitch a cool, dark academia vibe. But it was unreadable and I do not have time for nonsense

Trump vows to expand his review of U.S. museums. Can he do that? The White House said that after the administration eliminates "woke" culture from the Smithsonian, it would expand to other museums around the country. Would that be possible?

The White House said that after the administration eliminates "woke" culture from the Smithsonian, it would expand to other museums around the country. Would that be possible? By @anastasiat.bsky.social

Recession-era recipes flourish on TikTok Influencers on TikTok and other social media platforms are going back to recession-era recipes for nutritious and filling food — and building new communities online.

At a time when a majority of U.S. adults say that they are concerned about the cost of food, a new generation of home cooks on social media are teaching cheap, easy and filling recipes -- folks like Your Barefoot Neighbor & Kiki, aka the Recession Recipes Lady. More on @npr.org Morning Edition

Best typo (?) or faulty auto-correct (?) or neologism (?) I’ve come across in a long time:

Hors d’oeuvres ➡️ hour-devours

He Put Vivaldi ‘in a Mixmaster’ and Is Serious About Classical Humor

A great pleasure to reconnect with composer Michael Abels to talk about his music-making, from orchestral works to opera to those Jordan Peele scores like “Get Out.” www.nytimes.com/2025/07/24/a...

Adopt A Station - Rescue Public Media Help preserve independent journalism and community programming across America by adopting a public media station. Congress has voted to rescind public media's funding.

Thank you to the many folks who have, especially in recent months and weeks, expressed support for public media in the US.

If you'd like esp to support stations that have lost more than 50% of their revenue due to the federal cuts, please look at this fabulous resource.

adoptastation.org

My kid the completist is now four movies into watching the entire James Bond series. However, he took time out of his busy schedule this morning to try to get his bestie to watch Pride & Prejudice with him during their next sleepover. (His enduring fave adaptation: 2005.)

Defense says Combs led 'swinger's lifestyle,' was not coercive Defense lawyer Marc Agnifilo called the tumultuous relationship between Combs and singer Cassie Ventura "a great modern love story," and sought to dismantle the credibility of key witnesses.

It was another wild day yesterday inside & outside court at the Sean Combs trial. More here & this afternoon on @npr.org Weekend All Things Considered.

www.npr.org/2025/06/27/g...

Defense says Combs led 'swinger's lifestyle,' was not coercive Defense lawyer Marc Agnifilo called the tumultuous relationship between Combs and singer Cassie Ventura "a great modern love story," and sought to dismantle the credibility of key witnesses.

Defense lawyer Marc Agnifilo called the tumultuous relationship between Combs and singer Cassie Ventura "a great modern love story," and sought to dismantle the credibility of key witnesses. By @anastasiat.bsky.social

As Sean Combs' prosecutors rest, here is the case they've made The meandering trial of the hip-hop mogul can be difficult to parse. Here's a broad overview of the charges and the case the government has presented to the jury.

After 29 days of testimony and more than 30 witnesses, the government has rested its case against Sean Combs.

Here's our attempt to suss out where and how the myriad witnesses' statements map out to the federal prosecutors' accusations.

www.npr.org/2025/06/24/g...

A brief history of NPR funding : The Indicator from Planet Money Where does NPR get its funding? Today on the show, we open our books and share a brief history of public radio. And we learn what's at stake with President Trump's executive order to cut off federal f...

How does public funding for NPR actually work? My colleagues over at The Indicator explain. The near-death of NPR and the birth of the public radio funding model : The Indicator from Planet Money

The trial of Sean Combs: What you need to know Prosecutors are scheduled to begin their arguments today against the rap mogul, who is accused of racketeering and sex trafficking. Here is an overview of Combs' career and the charges he faces.

Prosecutors are scheduled to begin their arguments today against the rap mogul, who is accused of racketeering and sex trafficking. Here is an overview of Combs' career and the charges he faces.
By @anastasiat.bsky.social

Meet 2025-2026 Knight-Wallace Journalism Fellows This cohort of 18 journalists will join us in the fall and spend an academic year tackling individual journalism projects and pursuing solutions to help newsrooms respond to today's challenges. Meet t...

SO excited to see the next cohort of Knight-Wallace Journalism Fellows announced today! What an impressive group. I wish them all a year just as professionally and personally transformative as I was blessed to have! wallacehouse.umich.edu/announcing-t...

My weird oven wants to talk to me today about International Jazz Day, so I will count that as a win.

My response to creators who don't like critics is always the same: You're not supposed to. Which doesn't mean you are specifically supposed to not like them, but you're not specifically supposed to like them, and whether you like them is beside the point. Criticism is not advice or correction.

Michigan weather never misses the opportunity for rain. 4% chance in the forecast? 6%? Baby, you better bring that umbrella.

I was not emotionally prepared for the April thundersnow in Michigan

This hearing is scheduled to begin this morning at 10 am ET.

My Friend Michael Podcast Episode · Wind of Change · S1 E1 · 45m

In the grocery store tonight, they’re playing “Wind of Change” by Scorpions. Do you know the amazing Patrick Radden Keefe podcast about this song and its alleged writing by the CIA? You should. Hugely entertaining. podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/w...

Still processing our visit to Srebrenica last week.

US friends: any leads on where I can watch the 2022 Irish documentary " An Buachaill Geal Gáireach/The Laughing Boy"? It looks like my only option is a long clip only (sigh) via RTE.

White House blocks AP from event for using 'Gulf of Mexico' The Associated Press says the White House blocked it from covering an official event on Tuesday because it did not refer to the Gulf of Mexico as the Gulf of America.

The Associated Press says the White House blocked it from covering an official event on Tuesday because it did not refer to the Gulf of Mexico as the Gulf of America. By @davidfolkenflik.bsky.social

I mean, that a minor necklace?