Senators Whitehouse and Schumer Call for ‘Proactive Measures’ to Protect Philip Guston and Ben Shahn Murals

Senators Whitehouse and Schumer Call for ‘Proactive Measures’ to Protect Philip Guston and Ben Shahn Murals

Senators Sheldon Whitehouse and Chuck Schumer have publicly called on the General Services Administration (GSA) to take immediate steps to protect significant New Deal-era murals by artists Philip Guston and Ben Shahn. Their letter expresses urgent concern over the potential sale or demolition of the Wilbur J. Cohen Federal Building in Washington, D.C., which houses these artworks, and questions the GSA's ability to safeguard the pieces once the building transfers to private ownership.

Difficult search for new culture senator in Berlin

Schwierige Suche nach neuem Kultursenator in Berlin

Berlin's culture senator Sarah Wedl-Wilson resigned on Friday after a state audit found that her allocation of anti-Semitism prevention funds was unlawful. The CDU politician is being succeeded by former justice senator and Bundestag member Thomas Heilmann (CDU), who is reportedly the favorite for the post. Heilmann, 61, studied law, ran a successful advertising firm, and served as Berlin's justice senator from 2012 to 2016 before sitting in the Bundestag from 2017 to 2025. Governing Mayor Kai Wegner has not yet made a final decision, but transport senator Ute Bonde publicly endorsed Heilmann, citing his experience with Berlin's administration.

joe chialo resigns as berlins culture senator creative australia funding questioned napoleon sword heading to auction 1234740443

Berlin's culture senator, Joe Chialo, has resigned due to a dispute over deep budget cuts to the city's arts sector. He stated that the planned cuts would force the closure of nationally renowned cultural institutions, and he stepped down to allow for new perspectives. Meanwhile, Australia's center-right Liberal-National Coalition has proposed cutting over 10 percent of funding to Creative Australia, the body that organizes the country's Venice Biennale pavilion, redirecting the money to support Jewish arts and broadcasting in Melbourne. This follows controversy over Creative Australia's decision to drop artist Khaled Sabsabi as Australia's Venice Biennale representative.

trump big beautiful bill space shuttle discovery museum houston 1234748545

President Donald Trump signed the "One Big Beautiful Bill Act" on July 4, which includes a provision requiring the Smithsonian Institution to transfer a space vehicle—widely understood to be the space shuttle Discovery—to NASA. The shuttle has been displayed at the Steven F. Udvar-Hazy Center in Chantilly, Virginia, since 2012. The move must be completed by January 4, 2027, and $85 million has been allocated for planning, transportation, and a new exhibition facility in Houston. The provision originated from the "Bring the Space Shuttle Home Act" introduced by Texas senators John Cornyn and Ted Cruz, after their state lost the original competition to host Discovery.

"Wir wollen Rücknahme von Kürzungen"

Berlin's cultural senator Sarah Wedl-Wilson resigned on Friday after the Berlin Court of Auditors ruled that millions in funding for antisemitism prevention projects were illegal. The resignation has sparked a political debate, with CDU general secretary Ottilie Klein defending governing mayor Kai Wegner against opposition criticism, while Franziska Stoff of the Berlin Culture Conference demands stability and a reversal of budget cuts. Thomas Fehrle, director of the Deutsche Oper Berlin, expressed personal regret over Wedl-Wilson's departure, praising her competence and engagement.

senator john fetterman proposes bill to apply anti money laundering protections to us art market 1234748148

On July 23, U.S. Senator John Fetterman introduced the Art Market Integrity Act, a bill that would apply anti-money laundering (AML) and counter-terrorism financing regulations to art dealers, auction houses, galleries, advisers, consultants, custodians, museums, collectors, and other intermediaries in the art market. The legislation amends the Bank Secrecy Act, requiring these entities to conduct client due diligence, maintain records, and report suspicious transactions. It exempts artists selling their own work, nonprofits, and businesses with under $50,000 in annual art transactions. The bill is co-sponsored by Senators Chuck Grassley, Sheldon Whitehouse, Bill Cassidy, Andy Kim, and David McCormick.

Statue Removed from Delaware During Black Lives Matter Protests to Be Reinstated in Washington D.C.

A statue of Caesar Rodney, a signer of the Declaration of Independence who enslaved over 200 people, is set to be reinstated in Washington D.C.'s Freedom Plaza. The National Park Service plans to place the statue as part of the nation's 250th birthday celebrations, six years after it was removed from Wilmington, Delaware, during Black Lives Matter protests.

Berliner Finanzsenator Evers übernimmt Leitung von Kulturverwaltung

Berlin's finance senator Stefan Evers (CDU) has been appointed to temporarily lead the city's cultural administration, marking the third change in leadership within a year. This follows the resignation of Joe Chialo in May 2025 and the departure of his successor Sarah Wedl-Wilson on the previous Friday, after months of controversy over the approval of funding grants. Evers will hold both finance and culture portfolios until the Berlin state election on September 20, 2025. The decision was made by CDU district chairpersons after initial talks with former justice senator Thomas Heilmann fell through.

Berliner Kulturverwaltung arbeitet an Reformen

Berlin's cultural administration is pressing ahead with reforms to make funding for projects against antisemitism legally secure, following the resignation of Culture Senator Sarah Wedl-Wilson. Cultural State Secretary Cerstin Richter-Kotowski told the culture committee that a working group established under Wedl-Wilson is now implementing recommendations from the state audit office report, which had found serious legal violations and omissions in the allocation of funds for antisemitism prevention projects. Richter-Kotowski emphasized that the administration continues its normal operations despite the leadership change, and she publicly thanked both Wedl-Wilson and the recently dismissed State Secretary Oliver Friederici for their service.

Berlin's Next Crash Landing

Berlins nächste Bruchlandung

Berlin's culture senator, Sarah Wedl-Wilson, resigned on Friday after being pressured by Mayor Kai Wegner amid a funding scandal. She approved 13 project applications totaling €2.6 million intended for combating antisemitism, bypassing mandatory co-payment rules and ignoring objections from her state secretary. Leaked chat logs revealed that CDU parliamentarians Christian Goiny and faction leader Dirk Stettner pushed her to fast-track approvals, leading to violations of budget law. The state audit office had flagged irregularities, and Wegner withdrew his support, prompting her resignation.

Berlins Kultursenatorin tritt ab

Berlin's Senator for Culture, Sarah Wedl-Wilson, has resigned after less than a year in office, following a damning report from the Berlin Court of Audit. The report found that the allocation of €2.6 million in funding for 13 projects aimed at combating antisemitism was 'evidently unlawful,' citing a lack of proper criteria, arbitrary project selection, and violations of budget regulations. Wedl-Wilson stated she stepped down to prevent damage to the fight against antisemitism, and Governing Mayor Kai Wegner accepted her resignation, vowing to reform the funding system. The opposition has accused CDU politicians of exerting improper influence to push through the projects.

Culture Senator under pressure due to Court of Audit report

Kultursenatorin wegen Rechnungshofberichts unter Druck

Berlin's Court of Audit has issued a scathing report accusing Culture Senator Sarah Wedl-Wilson (independent) of serious legal violations in the allocation of €2.6 million in anti-Semitism prevention grants for 2025. The audit found that the selection process was arbitrary, lacked transparent criteria, and violated state budget regulations. Six of the 13 funded projects—receiving €2 million—were deemed ineligible for the specific budget line, and some recipients were newly founded entities that were not properly vetted. The report warns that the grants may need to be repaid.

In Berlin, a controversy over subsidies sweeps away the culture official

À Berlin, une polémique sur des subventions emporte l’élue à la Culture

Sarah Wedl-Wilson, Berlin's senator for culture, resigned after the Berlin Court of Auditors ruled that €2.6 million in public subsidies for 13 antisemitism-fighting projects were awarded illegally, bypassing regulatory checks and violating budget law. The controversy intensified when a parliamentary inquiry revealed that CDU politicians, including Christian Goiny and Dirk Stettner, pressured her to approve the funds immediately, coordinating with the Israeli embassy, despite warnings from state secretary Oliver Friederici, whom she later dismissed. Stefan Evers, the finance senator, has been appointed interim successor until Berlin's parliamentary elections in September.