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On November 26, a water leak at Paris Louvre Museum damaged between 300 and 400 historical books in the Egyptology and scientific documentation section. Then, on December 8, workers at the museum voted to initiate a strike over poor working conditions. And thats only a drop in the bucket compared to the Louvres overall woes so far this year. For years, the Louvre has been struggling with a combination of old, weathered infrastructure and increased foot traffic brought about by mass tourism. But in 2025, the museum has been hit by the full consequences of operating out of a relatively un-updated building to house some of the worlds most influential (and valuable) art. Heres everything you need to know about the Louvres horrible, no good, very bad year. A leaked memo reveals the extent of the problem The year began with a letter that foreshadowed what was to come for the Louvre. Near the end of January, a private document, written by museum director Laurence des Cars for the French culture minister Rachida Dati, was leaked to the media. In it, des Cars described a museum struggling to accommodate its daily influx of visitors and protect its artwork due to deteriorating spaces, lack of crowd flow measures, and poor environmental controls. Visiting the Louvre is a physical ordeal; accessing the artworks takes time and is not always easy, des Cars wrote. Visitors have no space to take a break. Around the same time, the Louvre announced plans for a massive renovation designed to address these challenges. French President Emmanuel Macron said that the overhaul would include a new entrance on the Seine river, a stand-alone room to house the Mona Lisa, and several new underground rooms to control foot traffic. Changes to the museum were slated to begin in 2026 and take around a decade to completebut, as later months would prove, the situation at the museum had already reached a boiling point. The Louvre shuts down in June The first major disturbance at the Louvre took place on June 16, when the institutions own staff members rallied to shut it down. That day, thousands of ticketed patrons waited outside the museums iconic glass pyramid, to no avail. It was a rare occurrence for the Louvre, which has only closed a few other times during war, the COVID-19 pandemic, and a few brief walkouts. The strike came due to staffs concerns around mass tourism and overcrowding. A crown jewel heist fit for the big screen Perhaps the most memorable calamity at the museum came in October. In a stunt that flummoxed the public (and is likely destined for Netflix adaptation), a group of thieves broke into the Louvre in broad daylight via a basket lift, cut its window panes with a glass cutter, stole nine pieces of priceless jewelry in less than seven minutes, and escaped on motorbikes. Since the stunning scene, at least eight people have been arrested in connection with the heist, but none of the jewelryworth more than $100 millionhas been found. For obvious reasons, the event has resulted in widespread criticisms of the museums security measures. Water damage and yet another strike Now, the Louvre has taken two more blows just before the end of the year. On November 26, a water leak damaged between 300 and 400 books that date from the end of the 19th century to the beginning of the 20th century, in the museums Egyptology and scientific documentation section. A spokesperson for the museum told CNN that the leak happened when a valve, which forms part of a now defunct plumbing system, was opened by accident. The system was shut off earlier this year in anticipation of the coming renovations. The spokesperson added that while the books in question are used regularly by readers, they arent the only copies in the world. And this morning, workers at the Louvre announced that theyre planning this years second strike to hold the museum accountable for difficult work conditions and security weaknesses. In a letter announcing the action, addressed to Dati and viewed by the AP, the unions involved said the museum was in crisis, noting that visiting the Louvre has become a real obstacle course for millions of visitors. Fast Company has reached out to representatives from the Louvre for comment on the issue. The strike is scheduled to begin next Monday, December 15.
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President Donald Trump on Sunday hosted the Kennedy Center Honors and praised Sylvester Stallone, Kiss, Gloria Gaynor, Michael Crawford, and George Strait, the slate of honorees he helped choose, as being legendary in so many ways. Billions and billions of people have watched them over the years, Trump, the first president to command the stage, said to open the show. The Republican president said the artists, recognized with tribute performances during the show, are among the greatest artists and actors, performers, musicians, singers, songwriters ever to walk the face of the Earth. Since returning to office in January, Trump has made the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts, which is named after a Democratic predecessor, a touchstone in a broader attack against what he has lambasted as woke anti-American culture. Trump said Saturday that he was hosting at the request of a certain television network. He predicted the broadcast scheduled for Dec. 23 on CBS and Paramount+, would have its best ratings ever. Before Trump, presidents watched the show alongside the honorees. Trump skipped the honors altogether during his first term. Asked how he got ready for the gig, Trump said as he moved along the red carpet with his wife, first lady Melania Trump, that he didnt really prepare very much. I have a good memory, so I can remember things, which is very fortunate, the president said. But just, I wanted to just be myself. You have to be yourself.” Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick, one of several Cabinet secretaries attending the ceremony, said his boss “is so relaxed in front of these cameras, as you know, and so funny, I cant wait for tonight. Lutnick arrived with his wife, a member of the Kennedy Center’s board. Trump appeared on stage three times to open and close the show, and after intermission. He also talked up each artist in prerecorded videos that played before their tributes. Trump was both gracious and critical in the comments he delivered from the stage, lavishing the honorees with effusive praise but at times showing a mean streak. After returning from intermission, he said hed toured some of the construction projects he has launched to renovate the performing arts center. And he said it was a fantastic night. Well, were really having a good time tonight, Trump said. So many people I know in this audience. Some good. Some bad. Some I truly love and respect. Some I just hate. Since 1978, the honors have recognized stars for their influence on American culture and the arts. Members of this year’s class are pop-culture standouts, including Stallone for his Rocky and Rambo movies, Gaynor for her I Will Survive feminist anthem and Kiss for its flashy, cartoonish makeup and onstage displays of smoke and pyrotechnics. Strait is a leader in the world of country music and Crawford, a Tony Award-winning actor, is best known for starring in Phantom of the Opera, the longest-running show in Broadway history. Trump said persistence is a trait shared by the honorees, several of whom had humble beginnings. Some of them have had legendary setbacks, setbacks that you have to read in the papers because of their level of fame, he said from the stage. But in the words of Rocky Balboa, they showed us that you keep moving forward, just keep moving forward. He said many of the politicians, celebrities, and others in the audience shared the trait, too. I know so many of you are persistent, Trump said in his opening. Many of you are miserable, horrible people. You are persistent. You never give up. Sometimes I wish youd give up, but you dont. The ceremony was expected to be emotional for the members of Kiss. The bands original lead guitarist, Ace Frehley, died in October after he was injured during a fall. During the tribute to Kiss, a lone red guitar that emitted smoke was placed on stage in remembrance of Frehley, who was known for having a smoke bomb in his instrument. The program closed with a rousing performance by Cheap Trick of Kiss’ Rock and Roll All Nite” that brought the audience to its feet. Stallone said receiving the honor was like being in the eye of a hurricane. This is an amazing event, he said on the red carpet. But youre caught up in the middle of it. Its hard to take it in until the next day. ..: but Im incredibly humbled by it. Crawford also said it was humbling, especially at the end of a career. Gaynor said it feels like a dream to be honored. “To be recognized in this way is the pinnacle,” she said after arriving. Mike Farris, an award-winning gospel singer who performed for Gaynor, called her a dear friend. She truly did survive, Farris said. “What an iconic song. Trump has taken over the Kennedy Center Trump upended decades of bipartisan support for the center by ousting its leadership and stacking the board of trustees with Republican supporters, who elected him chair. He has criticized the centers programming and the buildings appearance and has said, perhaps jokingly, that he would rename it as the Trump Kennedy Center. He secured more than $250 million from Congress for renovations of the building. Asked Sunday night about a possible renaming, Trump said it would be up to the board. Still, he joked at one point about the Trump Kennedy Center. Presidents of each political party have at times found themselves face to face with artists of opposing political views. Republican Ronald Reagan was there for honoree Arthur Miller, a playwright who championed liberal causes. Democrat Bill Clinton, who had signed an assault weapons ban into law, marked the honors for Charlton Heston, an actor and gun rights advocate. During Trumps first term, multiple honorees were openly critical of the president. In 2017, Trumps first year in office, honors recipient and film producer Norman Lear threatened to boycott his own ceremony if Trump attended. Trump stayed away during that entire term. Trump has said he was deeply involved in choosing the 2025 honorees and turned down some recommendations because they were too woke.” He said Sunday that about 50 names were whittled down to five. While Stallone is one of Trump’s Hollywood special ambassadors” and has likened Trump to George Washington, the political views of Sunday’s other guests are less clear. Honorees’ views about Trump Strait and Gaynor have said little about their politics, although Federal Election Commission records show that Gaynor has given money to Republican organizations in recent years. Simmons spoke favorably of Trump when Trump ran for president in 2016. But in 2022, Simmons told Spin magazine that Trump was out for himself and criticized Trump for encouraging conspiracy theories and public expressions of racism. Fellow Kiss member Paul Stanley denounced Trump’s effort to overturn his 2020 election defeat to Democrat Joe Biden, and said Trump supporters who stormed the Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021, were terrorists. But after Trump won in 2024, Stanley urged unity. If your candidate lost, its time to learn from it, accept it and try to understand why, Stanley wrote on X. “If your candidate won, its time to understand that those who dont share your views also believe they are right and love this country as much as you do. Darlene Superville and Hillel Italie, Associated Press
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E-Commerce
President Donald Trump said Sunday that a deal struck by Netflix to buy Warner Bros. Discovery could be a problem because of the size of the combined market share. There’s no question about it, Trump said, answering questions about the deal and various other topics as he walked the red carpet at the Kennedy Center Honors. The Republican president said he will be involved in the decision about whether the federal government should approve the $72 billion deal. If approved by regulators, the merger would put two of the worlds biggest streaming services under the same ownership and join Warners television and motion picture division, including DC Studios, with Netflixs vast library and its production arm. The deal, which could reshape the entertainment industry, has to go through a process and we’ll see what happens,” Trump said. Netflix is a great company. Theyve done a phenomenal job. Ted is a fantastic man, he said of Netflix CEO Ted Sarandos, noting that they met in the Oval Office last week before the deal was announced Dec. 5. “I have a lot of respect for him but its a lot of market share, so well have to see what happens. Asked if Netflix should be allowed to buy the Hollywood giant behind Harry Potter and HBO Max, the president said, Well that’s the question. They have a very big market share and when they have Warner Bros., you know, that share goes up a lot so, I dont know, he said. “I’ll be involved in that decision, too. But they have a very big market share Sarandos made no guarantees at their meeting about the merger if it is approved, Trump said, adding that the CEO is a great person who has done one of the greatest jobs in the history of movies and other things. He repeated that a merger would create a big market share for the company. Theres no question about it. It could be a problem, Trump said. Darlene Superville, Associated Press Associated Press writer John Carucci contributed to this report.
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