The Obama Presidential Center has begun to install the text of “You Are America” on its facade.
The Obama Presidential Center has begun installing the text of “You Are America” at the top of its museum, drawn from Barack Obama’s 2015 address marking the Selma to Montgomery marches. The passage reflects Obama’s view of civic responsibility as a shared, generational project, a theme the foundation positions at the core of the museum’s mission. The installation marks a new milestone for the Jackson Park complex, which targets a Spring 2026 opening. Construction continues across the 19.3-acre campus, including buildings by Tod Williams and Billie Tsien, an athletics center by Moody Nolan, a water garden by Maya Lin, and a forthcoming commission by Theaster Gates.
Insider Nike stock acquisition by Elliott Hill, Tim Cook, and more has sent shares climbing.
Nike shares rose after senior insiders made large personal stock purchases at the end of a difficult year for the company. CEO Elliott Hill spent about $1 million to increase his stake, while board members including Apple CEO Tim Cook and former Intel chief Robert Swan also added shares, sharply expanding their holdings. The buying followed a prolonged slump, with Nike stock down roughly 15–20 percent in 2025 amid weak China sales and tariff pressures. Investors appeared to read the moves as a vote of confidence in Hill’s turnaround plan, pushing the stock higher.
The art world is mourning late curator and former Venice Biennale commissioner Kathleen Goncharov.
The art world is mourning curator Kathleen Goncharov, who died on December 31 at 73 after a four-decade career shaping contemporary art in the United States and abroad. Goncharov played a central role in New York’s art scene beginning in the 1980s, with positions at Just Above Midtown, Creative Time, and the New School, before later serving as senior curator at the Boca Raton Museum of Art, where she organized more than 30 exhibitions. In 2002, she became U.S. commissioner for the Venice Biennale, selecting Fred Wilson to represent the country in a widely noted pavilion that examined history and power. Artists, colleagues, and institutions credit her with sustained advocacy for women artists and for work that challenged conventional museum narratives.
The New York Times is asking readers to vote on how Mayor Mamdani can improve the city’s infrastructure.
The New York Times has launched a reader vote on 17 proposals aimed at improving New York City’s built environment under Mayor Zohran Mamdani. The list, assembled by architecture critic Michael Kimmelman from input by planners, architects, academics, and community leaders, spans infrastructure repairs, housing, public space, transit, and climate resilience. Readers can rank ideas ranging from fixing the Brooklyn-Queens Expressway and expanding public toilets to pedestrianizing parts of Manhattan and rethinking freight delivery. The poll remains open through January 12, with results scheduled for release the following day.
Global conglomerate Kiss Beauty Group has acquired nail studio and press-on brand Chillhouse.
Kiss Beauty Group has acquired Chillhouse, bringing the New York–based nail studio and press-on brand into its global portfolio. The deal positions Kiss to provide growth capital and operational support as Chillhouse expands across retail and digital channels, while allowing the company to remain founder-led and independently run. Founded by Cyndi Ramirez-Fulton in 2017, Chillhouse built a following through its SoHo salon and gained momentum during the pandemic with its at-home press-on nails. Kiss plans to leverage its international scale and distribution network to support Chillhouse’s next phase of product and market expansion.
Today’s attractive distractions:
Winona Ryder made a cameo in A$AP Rocky’s super-surreal new music video.
Two seemingly identical Rolexes command a nearly $18,000 price gap.
LG brought an A.I.-powered humanoid house robot to CES this year.
A water sommelier gives detailed tasting notes on 13 waters from Eastern Europe.
