A staff strike at the Louvre forced an unexpected closure at the height of summer travel.
The Louvre closed unexpectedly due to a staff strike protesting severe understaffing and overcrowding, leaving thousands of visitors stranded outside without explanation. The museum faces urgent challenges, including deteriorating infrastructure and inadequate visitor facilities, prompting a costly restoration plan backed by government funding and increased ticket prices.
A device developed at MIT can convert water vapor into drinkable water.
MIT engineers created a window-sized panel that pulls moisture from the air using a hydrogel sheet encased in cooled glass, producing potable water without any power source. In tests conducted in Death Valley, the device yielded about 160 milliliters daily. The team is developing faster-absorbing hydrogels to scale production for use in dry and humid regions alike.
Beauty titan, philanthropist, and art collector Leonard A. Lauder has died at the age of 92.
Leonard A. Lauder, who helped transform Estée Lauder into a global beauty empire and later became one of the country’s leading art patrons, has died at 92. Beyond his business legacy, he made landmark cultural contributions—including a $1 billion Cubist collection donated to the Met—and supported major medical and philanthropic causes. His influence shaped both the cosmetics industry and the landscape of American art institutions.
A rare, four-foot-tall Labubu doll sold for more than $150,000 at auction in Beijing.
A towering, mint green Labubu doll by Kasing Lung sold for over $150,000 at a Beijing auction, marking a record for the cult vinyl figure. The one-of-a-kind piece led a 48-lot sale devoted to the wildly popular character, whose sharp-toothed grin and blind-box mystique have fueled a global collector frenzy.
Barington Capital Group is pushing Victoria’s Secret to abandon its “poison pill” strategy.
Barington Capital is pressuring Victoria’s Secret to dismantle its recently adopted “poison pill” defense and overhaul its board, citing steep share losses and weak leadership. The activist-investor organization argues the company needs directors with turnaround expertise and questions the qualifications of CEO Hillary Super, who took the role less than a year ago.
Today’s attractive distractions:
A UAE developer is aiming to replicate Milan in the city of Dubai.
Here’s everything you missed from Pigeon Fest in New York City this weekend.
Summer begs the question: why is sunscreen so “mid” in the U.S.?
The next frontier in air travel is a New York to Paris flight path—in just four hours.
