A federal judge ruled Trump's appointees exceeded their power, reversing the attempted rename of the John F. [P]Kennedy Center and preserving its identity (report). At the same time, the sector is under strain: The New School is laying off about 15% of staff over a $48M deficit and new federal earnings rules threaten almost half of graduate arts programs' federal aid (layoffs, education rules). Meanwhile, institutions and public events are reinventing access and scale — from Atlanta's Cultural Exchange ahead of the World Cup to Moore College opening admissions to all genders and local disputes over festival permitting (Atlanta, Moore College, Philadelphia festivals).

Martin Scorsese has greenlit generative AI for an upcoming production, signaling a major embrace of new tools by legacy filmmakers (read). [P]Tech-driven spectacle meets local celebration as 500 drones will form Colorado-themed displays above Vail for the state's 150th, while smaller venues and theaters feel the squeeze — a Connecticut company canceled a musical amid financial strain (Vail drones, theater struggles). Meanwhile, artists and oddities keep the conversation lively — from renewed interest in Olga Fröbe-Kapteyn's symbolic work to Vanilla Ice defending a polarizing political gig (Fröbe-Kapteyn, Vanilla Ice).