This week, Bloomberg Philanthropies announced the launch of a $30 millionDigital Accelerator Program to help cultural non-profit organizations stabilize and thrive in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic through strategic improvements to their technology infrastructure.
“When the pandemic hit, cultural organizations everywhere got creative and adapted quickly to keep their virtual doors open,” said Patti Harris, CEO of Bloomberg Philanthropies.
The Acceleratorprogram will help cultural organizations build audiences, increase fundraising, drive revenue, and continue to deliver dynamic programming virtually and in person. It will create a network of non-profit cultural organizations with an initial cohort of 46, expanding further in the coming year.
One of the organizations receiving support is Harlem Stage, which selected Deirdre May, senior director of digital content and marketing, as its tech fellow as part of the program.
The New York-based performing arts center — which largely focuses on artists of color — aims to use the assistance in part to increase accessibility, Patricia Cruz, its chief executive and artistic director, said in an interview with the New York Times.
“People who cannot leave their homes, for example, would be able to see some of the finest artistic performances that could be made,” Cruz told the Times, because “that’s the core of what we do.”
Participating US organizationsinclude The Apollo Theater Foundation, Harlem Stage, Museum of Design Atlanta (MODA), Oakland Museum of California, St. Ann’s Warehouse, Tenement Museum, the 92nd Street Y and others.
Selected UK organizations include The Almeida Theatre, Battersea Arts Centre, Kiln Theatre, the Serpentine, The Royal Court Theatre, The Yard Theatre, the Royal Academy of Arts, The National Gallery, and The Old Vic, among others.
Read morehereand click here for a full list of participating U.S. and UK organizations.
Click hereto watch a short video on the new program.
With about a third of adults in the U.S. still completely unvaccinated, and cases of COVID-19 on the rise, the U.S. surgeon general is calling for a war against "health misinformation."
On Thursday, Dr. Vivek Murthy released the first surgeon general's advisory of his time serving in the Biden administration, describing the "urgent threat" posed by the rise of false information around COVID-19 — one that continues to put "lives at risk" and prolong the pandemic.
Dr. Francis Collins, director of the National Institutes of Health told CNN Wednesday that 99% of people currently hospitalized with Covid-19 in the U.S. are unvaccinated. That means those who are vaccinated have enough protection that they aren't getting severely ill.
And the vaccines are still showing signs of being very effective against the Delta variant, Collins said, which is one of the greatest concerns for health experts currently.
Collins said he hopes the American public will pay attention to the data and decide that getting vaccinated is the safe and smart thing to do.
"If you are on the fence about whether vaccination is going to help you, listen to those numbers. Why are we waiting folks? Let's roll up our sleeves if we haven't already done so," he said.
Customers in shops, pubs and restaurants will not be required to wear face coverings on 'Freedom Day,' Monday, across the UK.
However, official advice issued on Wednesday by the government told businesses that “the Government expects and recommends that people continue to wear a face covering in crowded, enclosed spaces,” which would include shops and other businesses.
Some European central banks are already running climate stress scenario exercises for their banks to undergo. They are designed to ascertain the banks’ readiness and resiliency to extreme weather events and other long-term effects of a warming climate.
Chairman of the Joint Chiefs Gen. Mark Milley, was so shaken that then-President Donald Trump and his allies might attempt a coup or take other dangerous or illegal measures after the November election that Milley and other top officials informally planned for different ways to stop Trump.
According to 'I Alone Can Fix It' by Washington Post reporters Carol Leonnig and Philip Rucker, General Milley and the other Joint Chiefs discussed a plan to resign, one-by-one, rather than carry out orders from Trump that they considered to be illegal, dangerous or ill-advised.
For the estimated 83% of the U.S. population that lives within cities and urbanized areas, the higher temperatures mean more heat-related illnesses and increased energy demand and associated costs. Higher temperatures can also reduce water quality and increase air pollution.
The 18-year-old son of a Dutch financier will fly to space with the Amazon founder on the company’s first crewed mission on July 20, also joining Wally Funk, 82, a former astronaut trainee, on the flight. The flight will have two records broken as Funk will be the oldest person to fly to space.
The NYC creamery Van Leeuwen's entire 2,000 pint inventory reportedly sold out within an hour on the company's website this week on "National Mac & Cheese Day."
In Questlove's acclaimed debut as a filmmaker, 'Summer of Soul' presents a powerful and transporting documentary that's part music film, part historical record of the 1969 Harlem Cultural Festival that celebrated Black history, culture and fashion. Stream the moviehere.
A new generation of New Yorkers are introduced to ruthless social surveillance eight years after the original blogger’s website went dark. Stream the newly released Gossip Girl reboothere.
Comedian and actor Hannah Einbinder scored her first Emmy nomination on Tuesday for her breakout role in Hacks. The show follows the mentorship between Deborah Vance, a legendary Las Vegas comedian, and an 'entitled, outcast 25-year-old comedy writer.' Stream the serieshere.
Best of Late Night.
On news that Olympians will have to take their medals off of a tray and place them around their own neck at the Tokyo Olympics starting next week:
"Just like your neighbors house on Halloween, the tray will have a giant sign that says, 'Please take one.'
-- Jimmy Fallon
On the Biden administration looking to set up 'red phone' to China for emergency communications:
"Trump actually had the same emergency phone, it was just set up to a KFC. 'Three buckets. All the sides. Stat!'"
-- Jimmy Fallon
On over 1 million French residents making vaccine appointments in a single day after President Emmanuel Macron says proof of vaccination will be necessary to go to cafes:
"Smart move by Macron, targeting what the French care about. No vaccine, no cuisine. No Pfi-zeur, no Croque Mon-sieur."
-- Stephen Colbert
On Tennessee halting the promotion of vaccines for kids for any diseases, including COVID:
"It's pretty surprising, and it might explain some of their new state mottos like, 'Come for the music, stay for the polio.' Here's another one: 'Tennessee: Nine letters, just like hepititis.' And finally, 'Tennessee: the only medicine kids need is Jack Daniels.'"
-- Jimmy Fallon
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