Arts & Culture

– Manuscript – For the first time in about 30 years, Americans have a new favorite kind of dog, the American Kennel Club (AKC) says. The organization announced this week that the French bulldog became the most popular purebred dog in the United States last year. The powerful dog with the sleepy expression on its face edged out the Labrador retriever breed for the top … [Read more...] about French Bulldog Becomes US Top Dog

– Manuscript – Researchers who examined DNA from famous German composer Ludwig van Beethoven have learned new details about his health. The DNA – which came from Beethoven’s hair – did not provide a cause for his deafness. But the samples did find that he had a genetic risk for liver disease. The DNA also showed evidence that Beethoven was infected with the virus … [Read more...] about DNA from Beethoven Provides Details about His Health

– Manuscript – An Italian project on the social media service Instagram is aiming to bring attention to women who do not look like usual fashion models. Carlotta Giancane started L’Imperfetta modeling agency in 2020. The name means “imperfect” in the Italian language. And the agency aims to redefine ideas about beauty in Italy. The agency works with models who are … [Read more...] about ‘Imperfect’ Models in Italy Redefine Beauty

– Manuscript – Viktor Mikhalev is a blacksmith, someone who creates and repairs things made of metal. He lives in the Russian-controlled city of Donetsk in eastern Ukraine. Mikhalev uses his skills as a welder to turn metal from weapons and ammunition into beautiful representations of flowers. He calls his pieces the flowers of war. The project began when a friend gave … [Read more...] about Ukrainian Man Turns Guns into Art

– Manuscript – The American Library Association (ALA) released a new report Thursday about book banning in the country. It found attempted book bans and information restrictions at school and public libraries continue to increase, setting a record in 2022. The report says there were 1,200 known challenges in 2022. That is almost double the number from the year before, and … [Read more...] about Library Organization: Book Ban Attempts Hit Record High in 2022