Since 2021, I’ve been to 123 museums in New York City in an attempt to see every one. (If you’re a Gothamist regular, you may recall my article from last year .) Now, wrapping up my fourth year of this project, I’m starting to wonder if this will ever end. Museums and “museum experiences” keep opening. When I began, I estimated there were about 150 museums in the city. Since then, smaller ones have come to my attention and new ones have opened, bringing the total close to 190. This has me wondering: What, exactly, is a museum? Does it have to have “museum” in the title? Does it have to be in a traditional gallery space? Could it be in someone’s home? Does it have to be permanent? What about for-profit museums? While I have not yet landed on a rigid definition of “museum,” I’ve learned I’m drawn to ones that promote or serve their communities. I’ve had the privilege of visiting museums started by everyday people. The Woodside Heights Art Museum (WHAM!), for example, was created by a curator-artist couple as a way to celebrate the history of their neighborhood. It's located in the front window and side yard of their home in Woodside, and presents exhibitions by local artists and hosts events. So while it's not as big as the Met or MoMA, in a way, it may have a more tangible impact for those it serves. If you’re looking to expand your museum savvy in the city, here are nine of my favorite museums I visited in 2024. The Salvator Mundi Museum of Art asks, “What if the 'Salvator Mundi' [an iconic painting by Leonardo Da Vinci] was a brand?” With that comes "Salvator Mundi" pasta sauce, "Salvator Mundi" coffee and a "Salvator Mundi" museum located in an apartment vestibule. The entire project is a remarkable piece of conceptual art and study of what makes a museum a museum. It has all the components you’d find at a “typical” museum: rotating exhibits (earlier this year it had one about Barbie’s ties to "Salvator Mundi"), a little gift shop and now a museum café (the restaurant next door). The museum is open daily. It also offers private tours and host events. More details can be found on its website . In the center of Staten Island, you’ll find Historic Richmond Town, one of the most unique spaces in the city. It’s a collection of more than 30 historic buildings, many of which were relocated from other parts of the island. Walking through Historic Richmond Town, I learned more about the American experience from the Colonial period to the present. They host so many different tours and events that change throughout the seasons as well as the annual county fair. This place feels like a village of its own, with a visitor center located in a former courthouse at the center of the town. Its existence has me a bit jealous of the Staten Island residents who get to visit often. It seems like the most exciting time to visit is in the warmer months because of their Open Village immersive experience, which includes costumed interpreters and demonstrations in houses across the campus. But my visit in March was quite spectacular. I took the Two Centuries tour, visiting four of the historical buildings on campus. You can learn more about Historic Richmond Town here . The only 24-hour museum I’ve gone to so far, WHAM!, is a charming museum. The main exhibition is in the front window of a Queens house. There are sculptures and art in the side yard. While learning the history of their neighborhood, the founders realized that few, if any, museums in the city were sharing Woodside stories and decided to do it themselves. You can view the museum any time of day or visit exhibition openings (usually Memorial Day and Labor Day), which feature free seltzer, a popcorn bar and the world’s first Dollar Store Museum Gift Shop, which sells little pieces of art and tchotchkes — everything costs $1. This is a charming hidden gem and you can learn more here . I have a fondness for museums that exist in active spaces, like the New York Sign Museum, which is located in Noble Signs’ studio in Brooklyn. Some highlights include the neon sign from Brooklyn’s Queen Italian Restaurant, the main sign from Broadway’s beloved Star Lite Deli and another from the Lower East Side restaurant Bongos, all which have closed. When Noble's crew isn’t making new signs for businesses around the city, they are rescuing old ones to preserve for the collection. The museum doesn't have public hours, and appointments to view the collection are available on a limited basis by emailing [email protected] . You can learn more about the museum’s work on its website . One of the gifts of this project is the opportunity to learn incredible stories I wouldn’t have sought out on my own, like the life story of inventor Lewis H. Latimer, the namesake of the recently remodeled Lewis H. Latimer House Museum. Lewis Howard Latimer, who lived in the house, was the son of self-emancipated enslaved people, as well as an inventor, a self-taught draftsman, a U.S. Navy landsman and a father. He contributed to the invention of the lightbulb and the telephone, arguably some of the most important inventions ever. Through photographs, mementos and interactive installations, the museum tells the stories of his remarkable life and honors him by presenting STEAM programming to visitors of all ages. It is a wonderful intersection of Black history, Queens pride and innovation. Learn more here Like many millennials, I watched hours of TV every day after school, so I think my life changed when I went to the Paley Center for Media for the first time because so much American TV and radio history was suddenly at my fingertips. Formerly the Museum of Television & Radio and the Museum of Broadcasting, the center is dedicated to preserving and celebrating the history of TV, radio and emerging media. It has new exhibitions every month or so, screenings every day, a full gaming center and the goldmine that is the Paley Archive, where the center has digitized thousands of TV and radio programs that you can easily watch with your museum admission. I immediately returned here after my first visit so I could spend hours in their archive. It contains some rare treasures, such as an unaired pilot of “The Muppet Show” and an unaired documentary about the making of “West Side Story.” To learn more, visit the website . Every day I see another video about a new New York City pop-up, typically a big brand trying to get you to buy things. It’s exciting when there is a pop-up that separates itself from capitalism, like the Climate Museum. It has been operating through pop-up exhibitions as it searches for a permanent space, and is the first museum in the country dedicated to climate education. This year, the museum showcased “The End of Fossil Fuel” at a storefront in SoHo, which educated visitors about the dangers of the fossil fuel industry and taught them how they can start making changes. While the museum doesn't have an exhibition open right now, you can learn more about its work here . Two very exciting things I must share about this museum are that this is the oldest building in New York City AND they let me feed chickens here. The Wyckoff House Museum tells the story of the Wyckoff family that lived here over generations, but it’s also a fully operating farm and community space. As such, the museum provides agricultural education and resources to the neighborhoods of East Flatbush and Canarsie. It hosts Free Family Days every month, a farm stand and many events and workshops. Check out all of the great work happening at the Wyckoff House here . This museum had been on and off my list a few times because I did not think it was real. And even after I called the curator to make an appointment, Venmo-ed him a deposit and received an email with the address of an apartment building, I had no clue what to expect. A visit to the Museum of Interesting Things is kind of a show. Founder Denny Daniel takes you on a tour of more than a century of invention and innovation that led us to the technologies we have today. You get to hold and interact with the museum’s unique collection, which includes a camera obscura, a mutoscope and other fun inventions. And to wrap up the visit, I got to unbox a new museum acquisition. What other museum includes a mystery item reveal? Mine was 16mm film reels and glass slides of Central Park. A visit here is so joyous and makes you feel like a kid again. To book a tour, call 212-274-8757 or email [email protected] . The museum also hosts a Secret Speakeasy event every Sunday where it screens 16mm films. Learn more at the website .

New York: The United Nations General Assembly adopted on Tuesday a new convention to prevent and combat cybercrime, concluding a five-year negotiation process. The UN Convention against Cybercrime aims to prevent and combat cybercrime more efficiently and effectively, including by strengthening international cooperation and by providing technical assistance and capacity-building support, particularly for developing countries. UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres welcomed the adoption of the Convention – the first international criminal justice treaty to have been negotiated in over 20 years. “This treaty is a demonstration of multilateralism succeeding during difficult times and reflects the collective will of Member States to promote international cooperation to prevent and combat cybercrime,” his spokesperson said in a statement. The statement added that the Convention “creates an unprecedented platform for collaboration” in the exchange of evidence, protection for victims and prevention, while safeguarding human rights online. Guterres stated that the new treaty will promote a safe cyberspace and called on all States to join the Convention and to implement it in cooperation with relevant stakeholders.President of the UN General Assembly Philemon Yang said, “We live in a digital world, one where information and communications technologies have enormous potential for the development of societies, but also increases the potential threat of cybercrime. With the adoption of this Convention, Member States have at hand the tools and means to strengthen international cooperation in preventing and combating cybercrime, protecting people and their rights online.” The Convention against Cybercrime will open for signature at a formal ceremony to be hosted in Hanoi, Vietnam in 2025. It will enter into force 90 days after being ratified by the 40th signatory.

Home | Editorials | Editorial Adani In Trouble Editorial: Adani in trouble The case raises serious questions over symbiotic relationship between monopolistic business houses and politicians By Telangana Today Published Date - 22 November 2024, 11:55 PM The controversial billionaire industrialist Gautam Adani is in trouble again. A year after Hindenburg Research, an American firm, had accused the Adani Group of engaging in accounting fraud and stock market manipulation, prosecutors in the United States have indicted him, his nephew Sagar Adani and six others in an alleged bribery case. They have been accused of paying about $265 million in bribes to Indian officials and politicians to secure lucrative solar energy supply contracts with the state distribution companies. The matter is said to involve the States of Andhra Pradesh, Tamil Nadu, Odisha, Jammu & Kashmir and Chhattisgarh and the Solar Energy Corporation of India, a government-owned company, with whom these States signed the power sale agreement under the manufacturing linked project. These power contracts were expected to generate more than $2 billion in profit after tax for the Adani Group over the coming two decades. As per the indictment, extensive documentation was maintained on the bribery efforts. The allegations caught the attention of the US Justice Department and Securities and Exchange Commission as Adani’s companies were raising funds from American investors in several transactions starting in 2021. As the scandal triggered political furore with Congress leader Rahul Gandhi demanding Adani’s arrest, there is an urgent need to order a thorough investigation into the business practices of the conglomerate which, according to the opposition parties, enjoys the patronage of the NDA government. Following the shocking indictment by the district court in New York, the shares of the Adani Group companies have tanked. The Group has also scrapped its $600-million bond offering. The indictment levies multiple charges, ranging from conspiracy to violate the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act to securities and wire fraud, and conspiracy to obstruct justice. The case raises serious questions over flaws in corporate governance and the symbiotic relationship between monopolistic business houses and politicians. Though the Adani Group has dismissed the bribery allegations as baseless, the credibility of the company has taken a serious hit and it has to brace for what looks like a prolonged legal battle. The indictment has given the opposition fresh ammunition to attack the Narendra Modi government over crony capitalism, while the saffron party has launched a counter-attack, training its guns on non-BJP parties that were in power in States where government officials allegedly received bribes. A comprehensive probe, preferably monitored by the Supreme Court, is needed to get to the bottom of this murky matter. It would require close cooperation not only between the Centre and States but also between the Indian and US authorities. While the conglomerate managed to weather the Hindenburg storm to a great extent, it is facing far stronger headwinds this time. The indictment has also turned the spotlight on the ongoing probe by the Securities and Exchange Board of India (Sebi) into the allegations of stock manipulation and accounting fraud. Follow Us : Tags bribery allegations Corporate Governance Corruption Foreign Corrupt Practices Act Related News Adani Group domination in solar energy sector leading to hike in equipment prices KTR demands Telangana government to cut ties with Adani Group Majority of Adani Group stocks trade lower for second day on trot TDP reacts cautiously to Adani indictment row, says ‘no comments for now’

NoneOTTAWA — Prime Minister Justin Trudeau is taking some time to reflect after Chrystia Freeland's bombshell resignation, the natural resources minister said on Tuesday. "The prime minister, as I understand it, a number of caucus colleagues have said that the prime minister has said that he will reflect on both the decision that minister Freeland made, but also what he's heard from members of his own caucus," Jonathan Wilkinson said. "I think we all need to give him a little time to reflect, and I respect that fact that he's going to take some time to reflect." Freeland quit as finance minister on Monday morning just hours before she was set to present the government's fall economic statement. That kicked off a day of turmoil on Parliament Hill that began with a morning cabinet meeting and wrapped with an evening meeting of the Liberal caucus, where some members called for Trudeau to step aside as party leader. That includes New Brunswick MP Wayne Long, one of 23 caucus members who signed a letter back in October calling for Trudeau to quit. "We certainly have more MPs than last time. So, if I had to guess how many more right now, I'd say we're probably at 40 to 50 right now," Long said. "But there's a lot more than that. I mean, this is so different than times before." The attempt to oust Trudeau earlier in the fall took up a great deal of oxygen on Parliament Hill, but ultimately failed to garner support from inside the cabinet. This time, Long said, at least five cabinet ministers believe it's time for a change at the top. "I certainly am one to say to my colleagues, to ministers in particular: 'Let's come out of the shadows,'" Long said. "Let's openly, once and for all, state how we feel and let's move forward with what we know has to happen." Before question period, cabinet ministers Anita Anand and Kamal Khera told reporters they support the prime minister. After the failed coup in October, Liberal MPs emerged from a tense caucus meeting saying they believed Trudeau was taking time to reflect. But the very next day, he publicly stated his intention to stay on as leader at a press conference. That is why P.E.I. MP Sean Casey, who called for Trudeau to resign in October, does not think the prime minister will take a walk in the snow now. "There's not a single indicator in anything that he says or does that would tell me otherwise. He seems to be absolutely committed and he has throughout the piece, he's been remarkably consistent," Casey said. "What he says, what he does, how he does it, how he says it, the energy he puts into it, I don't believe for one second it's an act. I think it's real." Whenever Trudeau has been asked if he intends to lead the Liberals in the next election, the response has been an unambiguous "Yes." The Liberals have faced three non-confidence votes in the House of Commons this fall and have struggled to advance legislation because of a filibuster on a Conservative privilege motion related to misspending at a now-defunct green technology fund. On Tuesday, Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre once again called on NDP Leader Jagmeet Singh to topple the government, criticizing him for voting against the latest non-confidence motion last week. Poilievre said Canada needs a new prime minister because U.S. president-elect Donald Trump can smell weakness from a mile away and the Trudeau government is weak. Bloc Québécois Leader Yves-François Blanchet also said a new Parliament is needed "as soon as possible," and he wants to see an election called in January. Blanchet said Trudeau has lost the political, moral and ethical authority to govern. He said the election should happen as soon as possible in the new year because Canadians do not want a campaign over the holiday season. On Monday, Singh called for Trudeau to step down but did not make a firm comment on whether the NDP would declare non-confidence in the Liberal government. Instead, Singh said "all options are on the table." The NDP, which ended a formal supply-and-confidence agreement to support the Liberals in September, has voted with the government on all three non-confidence motions. Singh has repeatedly said a Poilievre-led Conservative government would cut things New Democrats have fought for like dental care, pharmacare and other social programs. The Tories are also calling on the House of Commons trade committee to study the tariff threat between the week of Jan. 6 and Jan. 20, the date of Trump's inauguration. The House of Commons is expected to rise for the holiday break on Tuesday and return on Jan. 27. In her resignation letter, Freeland said she's been at odds with Trudeau in the last few weeks over the government's fiscal priorities. She said the government should do away with costly "political gimmicks" and instead set money aside to deal with a potential tariff war with the U.S. Dominic LeBlanc was sworn in as the new finance minister Monday, minutes after the government's fall economic statement was released. The economic update shows the deficit has grown to nearly $62 billion, far beyond the $40-billion target Freeland set earlier this year. It includes $1.3 billion in new spending on measures to beef up the border in response to Trump's threat to impose 25 per cent tariff threats on Canadian goods. LeBlanc, who is also in charge of intergovernmental affairs and democratic institutions, says his main priority as finance minister will be to address affordability issues. He will also continue to oversee the public safety file, implementing new border measures, until Trudeau holds a broader cabinet shuffle. That's expected to happen soon in order to replace ministers who have announced they won't seek re-election. This report by The Canadian Press was first published Dec. 17, 2024. — With files from Nick Murray and Michel Saba David Baxter, The Canadian PressGlobal Times: China advances foreign trade with higher-quality products exported and more imports from LDCs