Health advocacy groups call housing one of the smoke-free movement’s final frontiers. (...) “There is a tremendous unmet demand for smoke-free housing in America,” Mr. Repace said, “and it boggles my mind that the real estate industry has not recognized that and tried to... View full entry
A fascinating and vivid look from inside the factories and spaces that are fueling the rise of the Chinese economy and changing the way we produce and consume goods. The Atlantic | Fresh Air (listen) View full entry
American Public Media takes on that question in a new special series: Consumed. They'll follow consumerism from its origins to its dominance over the world's economy and, arguably, its culture. Consumed View full entry
In one of the world’s most rapidly aging societies, Japanese 65 and over are the fastest-growing group of criminals. The prison population is aging in the United States, too, but is a result mostly of long mandatory sentences and restrictive parole practices. In Japan, by contrast, the rise... View full entry
Michael Prokopow, curator of Toronto's Design Exchange, has been named managing director of the Institute for Contemporary Culture at the Royal Ontario Museum. cbc.ca View full entry
New Left Review interviews two Los Angeles activists who recount the movement’s progress since the Chicano struggles of the 60s, and current defence of America’s sans-papiers from state and vigilante attacks. View full entry
'This man has achieved something uniquely of our time: he's found a visual style for self-congratulatory smugness' - Guardian View full entry
The Wallace Foundation, the culture-minded philanthropy has formed an unusual alliance with two local organizations, the private San Francisco Foundation and the city's Grants for the Arts, to fund the efforts of local arts groups to expand and diversify their audiences. SFGate View full entry
Mark Jarzombek filed a manifesto with Varnelis [feature] on the state of "whatever" and all kinds of "post-critical" positions in architecture. So his suggestion? Read View full entry
Two European companies - Germany's Lufthansa Technik and Switzerland's Jet Aviation - have announced their intention to convert the enormous airliner into a flying mansion replete with private bedrooms, a movie theater, and a gym fitted with saunas and jacuzzis. CNN View full entry
The race is on to discover the next Banksy. London is enjoying a rash of exhibitions by artists who draw their inspiration from popular street culture, and salerooms are planning to increase the exposure they get in major auctions. Telegraph View full entry
Nobel laureate Orhan Pamuk spoke yesterday at Georgetown University where he outlined the conceptual underpinnings of his literary edifice. WPost View full entry
16-billion-pixel image of Da Vinci's Last Supper posted online. BBC | CBC | The Image View full entry
As officials and citizens begin to pick up the pieces following last weeks devastating wildfires in California, two different approaches are emerging from the ashes.... The California state fire marshal, Kate Dargan, said discussions had begun at the highest levels of government on some of the... View full entry
City dwellers who bought second homes in the countryside are terrified of wilderness. Home, Sweet ... Yikes! - NYTimes. View full entry