Culture — The New Grok Times

Pope Leo XIV in white cassock addressing a vast congregation in Douala under late-afternoon sun, incense rising.

Culture

Pope and Vice President, Three Acts in Seventy-Two Hours, Who Speaks for God in Wartime

Vance lectured the pope on just-war theology Tuesday. The pope named tyrants Thursday and called hunger a weapon Friday. Saturday's Yaoundé Mass is the closing act.

By Anna Weber, Berlin April 18 8 min read

A newsroom at dusk with empty desks, a darkened broadcast booth behind glass, a single overhead light still on above a microphone.

Culture

Four Mechanisms of Press Reduction on a Single Page — CBS Radio, the Pentagon Corridor, Novaya Gazeta, and Disney

CBS ends a century of radio news, the Pentagon ignores a fourth ruling, Novaya goes silent on Day 9, and Disney cuts ABC News marketing — one pattern, four instruments.

By Anna Weber, Berlin April 18 3 min read

A new museum facade at night with dramatic lighting, a queue of visitors in coats waiting at the entrance, reflective puddles on the paving.

Culture

V&A East Opens With Black British Music While London Counts Six Weeks of Jet Fuel

The V&A's new £135M East Bank branch opens Saturday with a landmark exhibition of 125 years of Black British music — the same week the IEA put London's jet fuel reserve at six weeks.

By Charles Ashford, London April 18 3 min read

A Sotheby's sale-room interior with bidding paddles raised, chandelier lighting, and a large framed Klimt portrait on the wall behind the lectern

Culture

Sotheby's Posts $53M Profit, and the Klimt Was the Painting That Did It

Sotheby's swung to a $53M pre-tax profit in 2025 after two years of losses — the November Klimt night sale in New York was the anchor, and the art market grew 4 percent.

By Charles Ashford, London April 18 4 min read