Female Artists Pen Letter Against Sexual Harassment

Source: NYT

Over 500 female artists, writers, curators and directors have signed an open letter condemning the publisher of Artforum, Knight Landesman, and pledging to fight against sexism and sexual harassment in the art world.

“We have been groped, undermined, harassed, infantilized, scorned, threatened, and intimidated by those in positions of power who control access to resources and opportunities,” the letter reads. “We will be silenced no longer.” Signers include Laurie Anderson, Cindy Sherman, Lynn Nottage, Phyllida Barlow, Dominique Gonzalez-Foerster, and Tania Bruguera. Jenny Holzer, who also signed the letter, gave permission for the group to use the text from her work, “Abuse of Power Comes As No Surprise.”

Mr. Landesman resigned from his longtime post as publisher of the magazine on Wednesday after a lawsuit was filed accusing him of sexually harassing at least nine women. More women have since come forward with stories alleging his misconduct. Michelle Kuo, the magazine’s editor in chief, also resigned, and the magazine’s staff posted a note criticizing its publisher. A spokesperson for the magazine said all contact with Mr. Landesman has been suspended, and that while three advertisers have pulled out of future issues, far more have pledged their continued support to the magazine.

The open letter calls on art institutions to remove offenders and confront inequality and abuse. “Your actions will no longer be a secret, whispered amongst us for fear of ostracization, professional shunning, and recrimination. Where we see the abuse of power, we resolve to speak out.”

Read more: https://www.nytimes.com/2017/10/30/arts/knight-landesman-artforum-laurie-anderson-cindy-sherman.html?smid=tw-nytimes&smtyp=cur

MORE weird stuff happening to the historic art in the White House!

New $400m army to fight human traffickers and terrorists faces UN moment of truth

Source: The Guardian

Unprecedented plans to combat human trafficking and terrorism across the Sahel and into Libya will face a major credibility test on Monday when the UN decides whether to back a new proposed five-nation joint security force across the region.

The 5,000-strong army costing $400m in the first year is designed to end growing insecurity, a driving force of migration, and combat endemic people-smuggling that has since 2014 seen 30,000 killed in the Sahara and an estimated 10,000 drowned in the central Mediterranean.

The joint G5 force, due to be fully operational next spring and working across five Sahel states, has the strong backing of France and Italy, but is suffering a massive shortfall in funds, doubts about its mandate and claims that the Sahel region needs better coordinated development aid, and fewer security responses, to combat migration.

The Trump administration, opposed to multilateral initiatives, has so far refused to let the UN back the G5 Sahel force with cash. The force commanders claim they need €423m in its first year, but so far only €108m has been raised, almost half from the EU. The British say they support the force in principle, but have offered no funds as yet.

Read more: https://www.theguardian.com/world/2017/oct/30/new-400m-army-to-fight-human-traffickers-and-terrorists-faces-un-moment-of-truth?CMP=twt_gu

Jared Kushner traveled unannounced to Saudi Arabia

Source: CNN

Washington (CNN) Jared Kushner and other senior White House advisers traveled to Saudi Arabia last week to continue discussions on Middle East peace, a White House official told CNN.

Deputy national security adviser Dina Powell and Jason Greenblatt, special representative for international negotiations, joined Kushner on the trip.

Kushner, President Donald Trump's son-in-law, traveled commercially, leaving Wednesday and returning Saturday evening. Politico first reported the trip, which was not announced to the public.

The White House official would not say who Kushner and the other officials met with while in Saudi Arabia.

Read more: http://www.cnn.com/2017/10/29/politics/kushner-saudi-arabia-trip/index.html

Counterprotesters play "La Bamba" while "White Lives Matter" rally leader Michael Hill speaks

Ivana Trump: Donald 'did not know how to speak the children's language'

Source: The Hill

Ivana Trump, the first wife of President Donald Trump, said that her ex-husband "did not know how to speak the children's language" while the couple was raising their three children, Ivanka, Donald Jr., and Eric Trump.

"He did not know how to speak the children's language. He was not able to do it until the kids were in university," Ivana told John Catsimatidis on AM970's "The Answer" in an interview that aired Sunday.

Trump recently released the book "Raising Trump," which details her life, raising her children and parts of her marriage to the real estate mogul turned president. Ivana told Catsimatidis that after the end of her 16-year marriage to her husband, she decided that she would be her young children's sole caregiver.

"I told Donald, ‘There can only be one chef in the kitchen,'" she said. "And it was me."

Read more: http://thehill.com/blogs/blog-briefing-room/357660-ivana-trump-donald-did-not-know-how-to-speak-the-childrens-language

Maxine Waters is speaking now at the Women's Convention:

Jordan Spieth Admits Obama Beat Him at Golf

Pssst... #WomensConvention is trending on Twitter.

Twitter Bans Two Kremlin-Backed News Outlets From Advertising

Source: NYT

Twitter will ban Russia Today and Sputnik, the two Kremlin-backed international news outlets, from advertising on its platform, a company official said on Thursday.

The decision marks one of the most aggressive moves by an American social media company against the Russian outlets, which United States intelligence officials have linked to a wide-ranging Kremlin effort, both covert and overt, to disrupt the 2016 presidential election.

Twitter’s ban comes as United States authorities are pressuring Russia Today to register as a foreign agent under a World War II-era law intended to stop Nazi propaganda.

“We did not come to this decision lightly, and are taking this step now as part of our ongoing commitment to help protect the integrity of the user experience on Twitter,” Twitter said in a blog post announcing the ban.

Read more: https://www.nytimes.com/2017/10/26/technology/twitter-russia-today-sputnik.html?smid=tw-nytimes&smtyp=cur