I started writing my own film scripts when I was ten, and I basically wanted to be Indiana Jones. Well, I wanted to be Indy, the director and the guy who did the stunts and the storyboards after seeing Temple of Doom with my dad at the Harrogate Odeon. He'd bought me the Official Souvenir Magazine – I knew it was important – which was full of colourful costume sketches, storyboards detailing some of the action I'd just seen, and glossy pictures of cast and crew in glamorous locations. I think that was the first time I had an inkling of what I wanted to do with my life, but growing up in a small Yorkshire town wasn't exactly conducive to being Indiana Jones: the most useful film locations there were my buddy Richard's back garden and the local woods, but we endeavoured and made a three-minute epic where I, as Indy, swung across imagined alligator-infested swamps and ran through not-so-dense forests pursued by invisible tribesmen. Growing up in the Eighties was a fertile time for the imagination of anyone, particularly anyone who wanted to follow in the footsteps of Lucas and Spielberg. By the time I'd left school prematurely at sixteen and worked as a film assistant (when TV used to be shot on film) before returning to higher education, my friend Derek had already worked on the new Star Wars film, rubbed shoulders with Robert Altman and Tim Burton, and slept on a lot of mates' sofas. That, I thought, was my next goal. Not the sofas part – the working on big movies part. World History Archive / Alamy Stock Photo But again, there's this persistent myth that one has to "break into" the film industry, as Spielberg himself did; all one has to do is occupy an empty office at a film studio and pretend one works there until one does. The sad truth is that the film industry doesn't want you. I mean, it might do – but it just doesn't know it yet. Either way, you hear all kinds of motivational and anti-motivational stories in the press: everything from "Just pick up a phone and make a film" to "You can't just pick up a phone and make a film." Or "don't ask permission: be a rebel and just do what you want" but then also "make friends with producers and nurture working relationships" to get your films made. So which is it? I'm here to tell you it's both. I had years of making my own feature films (four to date) where I didn't ask permission to do so, just found private investors and gathered a cast and crew each time, to different levels of ambition and difficulty. There's a Spielberg quote in the Official Souvenir Magazine of Temple of Doom that I always remember, and it's something like: "You look at the script and think, how are we going to do all this? But somehow or other, it gets done." That's been the driving force of every movie I've made to date: we found the money, we gathered the crew, we did everything. Sure, some of them played in cinemas and then didn't do anything else (my first was deemed "too cheap" for a home release), but some won awards, and one even made it to Blu-ray. Score! But then came the pandemic, and I'd be lying if I didn't say it punctured the ambitions of just about everyone. It was not just the personal crises, loss, and fear it faced us with, but also the seemingly insurmountable heights to scale to get films made – which was already a challenge. In 2020, you might have thought things were picking up speed: we released our latest lo-fi feature film – the zombie comedy Zomblogalypse, which ended up on the aforementioned Blu-ray – in cinemas and film festivals, and I met with producers to sign a script deal for my ambitious action-horror. And then came about two years of "the market is dead" and "no one's making anything at the moment" and a hundred times the usual cliched setback talk of "it's not a good time right now…" except it was painfully, abundantly clear that this was in fact true. Zomblogalypse So during this time, all the while trying in earnest to get any movie off the ground (and we're talking baby budgets here), somewhere during the process, I decided to stop thinking of myself as a producer and director and just be a writer for a while. This was partly due to the amount of times I was told in producer meetings – both in TV and film – that they'd find a director for my script. And a co-writer. And a development executive. Now, I knew who all these people were because I'd read my Indiana Jones Official Souvenir Magazine, but the key point was that I needed to stop trying to do everything and focus on the scripts. A director, unless they're Mr Spielberg, can only direct every few years, while a writer can always write on a notepad by the bed, on the Notes app on their phone (which is how I'm writing this), on their laptop with half an hour to spare, and so forth. And yes, you're saying, but what if a writer doesn't have half an hour to spare because of their job or their family? And to that, I say yes, noted, but… you have to write. Find the time. In every minimum wage job I ever had, I wrote scripts. Sorry, former employers: you were all funding my screenwriting habit. I actually left secure and (under)paid employment fifteen years ago this very week and haven't looked back – but that's another story... Steven Spielberg (around 1995) – Pictorial Press Ltd / Alamy Stock Photo The point (finally) is that I decided to double down as a writer and pen a movie trilogy. Why, you ask? As if it isn't hard enough getting one screenplay written and submitted to a producer. And it is hard: I submitted my action-horror to my producer five years ago, after five years of scribbling and re-drafting and working with a co-writer and trying to get the damn thing self-financed and finally getting an industry producer to read it… why would I now, while I wait for that one to bear fruit – through strikes and fires and other Hollywood nonsense – go and do something stupid like write a trilogy? It comes down to that rebellious notion of not asking permission. I've got a trilogy in me (after years of working out several individual scripts and realising they're all linked thematically), so why not go for broke and write all three? Advice from my peers so far is a mix of "just write one and sell that first" because that's hard enough, and "f^&k yeah, go for it! No one else is writing a trilogy!" So, having written what has now evidently become the middle chapter, I've set to work on writing the first and drafting out the third. They're a mix of genres, but each one does stand alone, just in case I'm only able to get one into production (they're action thriller, sci-fi romcom, and action horror, in case you wondered). I don't know how wise it's going to prove to write three films at once, but so far, I'm enjoying the challenge. Pictorial Press Ltd / Alamy Stock Photo I'm a huge fan of the Back to the Future trilogy (who isn't) and how Bobs Zemeckis and Gale wrote the second and third as back-to-back projects, so I'm inspired by that and other well-made trilogies like Ginger Snaps and the more recent Fear Street. I like the format, and I've never written this way before. But after five years of stalled production and juggling one-off ideas (there are currently about twenty in my In Development folder), I'm doubling down for what, at age fifty, is my most ambitious project to date: writing a trilogy that may never get made, but which I'll do everything to try and get made. I'd rather make up for lost time than not make anything again. And as a writer, it's the ultimate project. Who doesn't love a trilogy? Hopefully, one day, a producer will agree with me that being this insanely ambitious is the way forward. Because I've been hiding in the shadows for too long as a struggling director, it's time to be a writer!

The Trump administration is working to limit access to covid booster shots by creating more regulatory hoops for companies developing vaccines for “healthy persons.” The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) says it’s only prioritizing covid vaccine approvals for adults older than 65 and others over the age of 6 months who have at least one “risk factor” for a severe case of covid-19. “The FDA will approve vaccines for high-risk persons and, at the same time, demand robust, gold-standard data on persons at low risk,” FDA officials write in commentary laying out their plans in the New England Journal of Medicine (NEJM). The move comes as notorious antivax crusader Robert F. Kennedy reshapes the US Department of Health and Human Services, recently pushing out the FDA’s top vaccine official and thousands of other federal health workers. Some public health experts are already voicing skepticism over whether the FDA’s new guidance for covid boosters will reap any benefits. “This is overly restrictive and will deny many people who want to be vaccinated a vaccine.”“This is overly restrictive and will deny many people who want to be vaccinated a vaccine,” Anna Durbin, director of the Center for Immunization Research at Johns Hopkins University, said in an email to the New York Times.“The only thing that can come of this will make vaccines less insurable and less available,” Paul Offit, a vaccine scientist, virologist, and professor of pediatrics at the Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia, told The Associated Press.The FDA says it will require more data from additional clinical trials before approvals can be granted for covid-19 vaccines being developed for people not considered to be at heightened risk from severe sickness. It says 100 to 200 million Americans will still have annual access to covid vaccines after its policy change. That would be less than 60 percent of the US population. Last week, the agency approved the Novavax covid-19 vaccine for only older adults and people at higher risk from the disease.“We simply don’t know whether a healthy 52-year-old woman with a normal BMI who has had Covid-19 three times and has received six previous doses of a Covid-19 vaccine will benefit from the seventh dose,” the NEJM commentary says. But previous CDC studies have shown that getting a booster can help prevent mild to moderate cases of covid up to six months after getting the shot regardless of whether a person is at higher risk or not, Offit tells The Associated Press. And even if someone does get sick, being vaccinated can make the illness shorter and less severe and reduce the risk of developing long covid, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.The rate of covid-19-associated hospitalizations was 71.2 per 100,000 people during the 2024–25 season, according to the CDC — although hospitals haven’t been required to report covid-related hospital admissions to HHS since May of last year. Vaccines are an important safeguard for people with a weakened immune system. The FDA’s new directive raises questions about whether people considered healthy will be able to get vaccinated if they want to protect someone close to them who’s at greater risk.In the NEJM article, the FDA notes that covid booster uptake has been low in the US, with less than a quarter of people getting the shot each year. “There may even be a ripple effect: public trust in vaccination in general has declined,” it says.RelatedDeath is the policyKennedy, meanwhile, has a long history of spreading disinformation about vaccines, advocacy for which he has been paid hundreds of thousands of dollars and profited from during the covid pandemic. “It has become clear that truth and transparency are not desired by the Secretary, but rather he wishes subservient confirmation of his misinformation and lies,” Peter Marks, former director of the FDA’s Center for Biologics Evaluation and Research (CBER) that regulates vaccines, wrote in a resignation letter in March.See More:

The Food and Drug Administration plans major changes for how Covid vaccines are rolled out and who will be able to get the updated shots this fall. In a paper published Tuesday in the New England Journal of Medicine, the FDA commissioner, Dr. Marty Makary, and Dr. Vinay Prasad, the FDA’s new vaccine chief, wrote that any new Covid vaccine now must undergo placebo-controlled clinical trials — meaning some people would get the actual vaccine while others would get an inactive substance like a saline shot, to compare results. At a planned FDA vaccine panel meeting Thursday, agency advisers are expected to advise the vaccine makers about which strains to target for new shots. The new clinical trial requirement isn't expected to affect the fall rollout for older adults and other people at high risk for severe illness because drugmakers are exempt from additional testing for those groups. Makary and Prasad said in a question-and-answer session later Tuesday that annual shots for healthy children and adults would no longer be routinely approved. They also suggested that the vaccines may not be updated every year.“Instead of having a Covid strategy that’s year to year, why don’t we let the science tell us when we should change?” Prasad said. “The virus doesn’t have a calendar.”Previously, updated Covid vaccines had been cleared by the FDA similar to flu vaccines. The original Covid shots, from Pfizer and Moderna, approved in late 2020, went through placebo-controlled trials. Then, the drugmakers transitioned to smaller studies to test how well the updated shots triggered immune responses against the current variants circulating in the U.S.In the journal article, Makary and Prasad cast doubt on the flu vaccine model, noting that only a quarter of people in the U.S. get the updated shots each year, including less than a third of health care workers. In comparison, about 75% of health care workers get seasonal flu shots, according to data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The Covid shot policy, the officials wrote, “has sometimes been justified by arguing that the American people are not sophisticated enough to understand age- and risk-based recommendations.” “We reject this view,” they added. Dr. Jesse Goodman, a professor of medicine and infectious disease at Georgetown University and a former chief scientist at the FDA, agreed that people can understand their own health risks but was skeptical of the agency’s new approach, saying it limits people’s “freedom to choose.”“What about people with elderly or high risk relatives/housemates?” he wrote in an email. “What about people who are not at increased risk of severe disease who want to reduce their risk of infection or time off from work?”During the webcast, Prasad claimed that “there is no high-quality evidence that you getting a booster to visit your grandma protects your grandma.”Who will be able to get the Covid shots?Under the FDA’s new guidance, the drugmakers will need to run new trials that track participants for at least six months. The main goal of the trials should be to show that the shots help prevent symptomatic Covid, the officials wrote, with data showing at least 30% effectiveness. People who’ve had Covid in the past should still be included in the trial to better reflect the general population, they said. Drugmakers can still use smaller studies, known as immunogenicity studies, to get approval for adults 65 and up, as well as children and adults with at least one medical condition that puts them at higher risk for Covid. The FDA said many people are considered at high risk, including pregnant women and those with obesity or who have mental health conditions such as depression. Other conditions linked to severe Covid illness include diabetes, heart disease and asthma. “Ultimately, these studies alone can provide reassurance that the American repeat-boosters-in-perpetuity strategy is evidence-based,” the officials wrote.Estimates, they said, suggest that 100 million to 200 million people in the U.S. will have access to the updated vaccines.The FDA’s mandate comes ahead of Thursday’s vaccine advisory committee meeting, where outside experts will discuss which strains should be included in the next round of Covid shots. In briefing documents published earlier Tuesday, FDA staff members wrote that updating the vaccines to more closely match currently circulating strains may “provide added benefit” in anticipation of an uptick in cases during the fall and winter.The change means it will be near impossible for Pfizer and Moderna to complete the new trials in time for the fall season. Aside from running the trials, the drugmakers will still need to design the trials and enroll participants, which can also take several weeks or months.A medical professional prepares a Pfizer Covid-19 vaccine booster shot in Freeport, NY., on Nov. 30, 2021.Steve Pfost / Newsday via Getty Images fileThe data would then need to be analyzed and signed off on by the FDA. It’s also unclear what the change will mean for healthy children and adults who want to get the updated shots. Dr. Paul Offit, the director of the Vaccine Education Center at Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia and a member of the FDA’s vaccine advisory committee, said people considered at “low risk” can still be harmed by the virus.“Low risk doesn’t mean no risk,” he said. “I mean, anybody can be hospitalized and killed by the virus.”Goodman questioned why the FDA was making the change instead of the CDC’s independent vaccine advisory committee, known as the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices, which typically makes recommendations on who should get the Covid shots. “It is not clear why there was a compelling reason for FDA to step in and preempt that usual and publicly transparent consultative process,” he said. Kennedy's influence on vaccine rulesA change to the way Covid vaccines are updated was expected. Earlier this month, Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. mandated that all new vaccines must undergo placebo-controlled clinical trials. Until Tuesday, it wasn’t clear whether HHS considered Pfizer’s and Moderna’s updated shots “new vaccines,” requiring new clinical trials.Former government health officials feared that the FDA, under Kennedy, was moving to slow-walk vaccine approvals.Over the weekend, the FDA approved Novovax’s vaccine after weeks of delay. In an unexpected turn, however, the agency limited the use of the shot to people 65 and up and teens and adults with at least one medical condition that puts them at risk of severe illness. Typically, it’s the CDC that makes recommendations about who should get the vaccines. Makary had warned about changes to the way vaccines are tested and approved, saying last week that the agency would soon “unleash a massive framework.” Kennedy has long opposed vaccines, including the Covid shot. In 2021, he submitted a citizens’ petition requesting that the FDA revoke the authorization of the Covid vaccines. The same year, he called the Covid shots “the deadliest vaccine ever made,” citing rare cases of myocarditis in young men. Studies find that the risk of myocarditis is higher — and typically more severe — in people with a Covid infection than after the vaccine. Last week, at a Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee hearing, Kennedy also falsely claimed that the only vaccines tested against a placebo were the Covid shots. The move prompted committee chair Bill Cassidy, R-La., to later pause the hearing to correct Kennedy.“For the record, that’s not true. Rotavirus, measles and HPV vaccines have been [evaluated against a placebo], and some vaccines are tested against previous versions. So just for the record, to set that straight,” said Cassidy, who is a physician.Kennedy isn’t the only health official who has been critical of the Covid vaccines. Makary; Prasad; Dr. Tracy Beth Hoeg, a special advisor to Makary; and Dr. Jay Bhattacharya, the head of the National Institutes of Health, have, as well.

George Wendt, best known for his portrayal of barfly Norm Peterson on the hit sitcom Cheers, has died at the age of 76.Wendt’s passing was confirmed by his publicist, who released the following statement: “George was a doting family man, a well-loved friend and confidant to all of those lucky enough to have known him. He will be missed forever. The family has requested privacy during this time.”Born and raised in Chicago, Wendt honed his comedy chops as part of Second City in the 1970s. After six years with the improv troupe, he transitioned into an acting career, initially getting small parts in films and TV shows.When Wendt landed the role of Norm on Cheers, which debuted in September 1982, he was able to call upon the skills he’d acquired at Second City. The key, he’d later explain, came from his character’s authenticity. “You make it sound real. If people stop believing you, you’re just telling jokes,” Wendt remarked in a 1983 interview. “That’s the way I do Norm. I don’t try to punch it up or joke it up.”READ MORE: When 'Cheers' Debuted With a Perfect Pilot EpisodeWhile Cheers was a little slow to catch on with viewers, it eventually became a ratings juggernaut. The series was regularly one of the most watched comedies on television, racking up awards along the way. Wendt was nominated for an Emmy six years in a row for his portrayal of Norm, though he never took home an award.Still, even in an ensemble cast that featured such heavyweights as Ted Danson, Kelsey Grammar and Woody Harrelson, Wendt managed to shine. His embodiment of Norm – gruff and brutish at times, sweet and supportive at others – endeared him to generations of TV watchers. In each episode, yells of “Norm!” would welcome the character whenever he entered the show’s namesake bar. That exuberance was shared by viewers at home, happy to welcome one of their favorite characters to the screen.What Did George Wendt Do After 'Cheers'?Over the years, Wendt remained humble about his time on Cheers. “Norm is just me with better writing," he told Chicago Magazine in 2021. "There were hundreds, if not thousands, of actors who could have delivered on the absolute gems that I was handed on a silver platter every Wednesday morning.”READ MORE: Remembering the Final Cheers EpisodeAfter Cheers ended in 1993, Wendt continued to land plenty of work. He made guest appearances on everything from Columbo to Seinfeld, lent his voice to episodes of The Simpsons and Family Guy and even had his own short-lived series, The George Wendt Show.The actor also cemented his place in Saturday Night Live history thanks to his appearances in the recurring sketch, Bill Swerski's Superfans. Famous for the “Da Bears” catchphrase, as well as a boundless loyalty to coach Mike Ditka, Wendt, Mike Myers, Chris Farley and Robert Smigel embodied a quartet of Chicago sports fans that left viewers at home in stitches.Watch George Wendt on Saturday Night LiveIn Memoriam: 2025 DeathsA look at those we've lost.Gallery Credit: Ultimate Classic Rock Staff

Not every client has a firm grasp on their priorities when starting a project, but the marching orders from one Central Texas couple were abundantly clear: They wanted to convert a classic car garage on their estate into a dance hall and speakeasy, creating their own social sanctuary. After enlisting designer Sarah Stacey to bring their vision to life, that “simple” project quickly catapulted into a four-year, all-encompassing design journey when the pair added the renovation of their 4,900-square-foot primary home into the scope. It was during this time that Stacey, an avid auction enthusiast, shared her passion and expertise with her clients. “Walking through auction previews is thrilling—you wonder who owned the items and how they were used. You can feel the history,” she explains. “New homes need stories; we can design an entire room around a piece. Plus, you can save a lot of money at these events.”But before the bidding wars came planning. Stacey reimagined the space that once housed the former owner’s car collection as a moody billiards club, replete with plenty of lounge seating, a full bar salvaged from a Ruth’s Chris Steak House, and vintage collectibles, including an original Jimi Hendrix guitar. To separate the dance hall from the speakeasy, she cleverly utilized an iconic British telephone booth as the secret entrance from one area to the other. A simple push of the back wall gets you in—if you know there’s a door, that is. This is a dopamine interior.... It’s immersive and just makes you happy.For the main house, the objective was to embrace the home’s original Mediterranean style, but amplify it with a series of thoughtful selections. Stacey meticulously evaluated “every single Sherwin-Williams white” to find the ideal buttery color for the main living areas (Casa Blanca, Sherwin-Williams), incorporated 200-year-old salvaged wood beams, and designed the laundry room in the spirit of a French garden, complete with an undercounter striped sink skirt worthy of a Parisian café.She then set out to blend old-world charm—like the lavishly draped canopy bed in the primary suite—with contemporary pieces, such as large-scale pendants and multitiered chandeliers. The overall design is enhanced by colorful carpets, including a striking snake pattern in the living room and a hand-tufted graphic rug in the dining area. Auction house wins, antique treasures, and Parisian flea-market finds complete this unexpected and unconventional Texas haven.FAST FACTSDesigner: Sarah Stacey Interior DesignLocation: Central TexasThe Space: A garage-turned-speakeasy with a dance hall and a 4,900 sq ft main house with 3 bedrooms, 2 living rooms, a dressing room, sauna, and wet bar. SPEAKEASYThe former garage transformed into a go-to party hub.Stephen KarlischWallpaper: Phillip Jeffries. Sconces: Visual Comfort. Bar Stools: Nior. Armchairs: Hickory Chair. Coffee table: Sunpan. Drink Tables: Robert James. The bar is from a Ruth’s Chris restaurant and has become the heart of the space. It’s where friends and family naturally gather, often ending the night belting out karaoke songs, tipsy and totally in the moment.Stephen KarlischStephen KarlischThe husband won the six Orgy lithographs by Picasso at an online auction and Stacey hired artist Elisa Gomez to paint the frames. One of the standout features above the bar table is an original Jimi Hendrix guitar—a striking tribute to the rock 'n' roll legend. A custom tufted banquette in Schumacher fabric sits alongside Robert James café tables and under Hinkley pendants for the ultimate lounge experience.Stephen KarlischSeating: Hickory Chair. Coffee table: vintage. Rug: vintage, EtsyA cozy corner of the room is designed for dance breaks, providing plentiful options where guests can sit and take five. A framed archival photograph of Jimi Hendrix features a guitar that the couple purchased for their own collection. Stephen KarlischA British telephone booth gets recast as the secret entrance between the speakeasy and dance hall. See Stacey's go-to formula for a memorable entrance below. Create your own one-of-a-kind entrance like designer Sarah StaceyFind something that resonates with you. Stacey’s clients considered a Coca-Cola machine but fell in love with this phone booth.In this case, the designer brought on a contractor to remove the back of the booth and then cleverly recreate it as a hidden door.Keep it simple with a wall panel that pushes open, or go elaborate with an engineer-approved coded release—just type in the numbers and voilà!Always make sure there’s a manual way in and out!LIVING ROOMA warm white by Sherwin-Williams complements the original stone floors.Stephen KarlischSofas: custom, in Vervain fabric. Seating: Alfonso Marina, in Pierre Frey (chairs) and Fox Linton (bench) fabrics.Vivid and bold, the living room design comes alive through a colorful carpet, highlighted by a striking snake-patterned centerpiece designed by a tattoo artist. The Picasso to the right of the fireplace went missing, but was thankfully found and now has a place of prominence.KITCHENClever storage solutions are packed in this European-inspired kitchen.Stephen KarlischRange: La Cornue. Backsplash and Countertops: Aria Stone Gallery. Runner: vintage, Black Sheep Unique. Island Pendants: Urban Electric. Island: DeVOL.  Stephen KarlischLight fixture: Vintage. Dining table: Vintage. Dining chairs: Gregorius Pineo with Pierre Frey fabric.  A prep island by Devol provides easy access to dinnerware stored behind glass doors. It’s finished with an aged copper countertop that sets off the beveled white oak herringbone floor. New herringbone wood floors add a built-in patina to this newly created kitchen. The breakfast room chairs are upholstered in Pierre Frey fabric that Stacey treated with a wipeable vinyl coating. Pendants: The Urban Electric Co.WET BARA convenient bar for entertaining in the main living space. Stephen KarlischSconces: Allied Maker. Stools: Paul Ferrante, in Kelly Wearstler fabric. Table Lamp: Sunday Shop. Wanting an option to entertain in the main house, the homeowners asked Stacey for a bar with seating and room for their collection of cocktail glasses. A mirrored backdrop adds shine and glamour while bouncing light around the room. DINING ROOMContemporary and vintage pieces make this dining room memorable.Stephen Karlisch Dining chairs: Gregorius Pineo, in Moore & Giles leather. Chandelier: custom, Apparatus Studio. Rug: Christopher Farr.In the dining room, an eclectic mix of furniture and accessories meld into a one-of-a-kind entertaining scene. The mismatched Venetian mirrors were won at an auction, the bust of David originally sat outside in the flower beds, and the painting was found online. OWNER'S SUITEA bedroom bathed in rich green sets the scene for a luxurious, serene escape.Stephen KarlischPaint color: Chimichurri by Benjamin Moore. Wallcovering: Porter Teleo. Bedframe and fabric: Alfonso Marina.Stephen KarlischLight fixture: Fortuny. Sofa: Vintage, recovered in House of Hackney fabric. Trunk: Vintage, Louis Vuitton. Inspired by kintsugi, the Japanese art of repairing broken pottery with metallic lacquer, the Porter Teleo wallcovering sets the palette for this room. Yards of Fortuny fabric give the Alfonso Marina bed a regal air. The vintage sofa is reupholstered in a luxurious House of Hackney textile, featuring a bold, substantial trim detail.BATHROOMLavish stone and custom flooring create a one-of-a-kind en-suite.Stephen KarlischStone: Aria Stone Gallery. Vanity: Custom. Fixtures: Watermark. Sconces: Apparatus Studio.A custom terrazzo floor by Marble Buro grounds this space. Its unique coloration and less organic structure allow the marble backsplash and elaborate custom wood-carved mirrors, meant to mimic Black Forest-style design, to take center stage.Stephen KarlischStacey originally wanted the marble book-matched, but when her fabricator said the slabs weren’t symmetrical, they decided to rotate each one 180°, creating a consistently random design with even veining. Bench: custom.LAUNDRY ROOMThis utilitarian space is full of natural light. Stephen KarlischPaint: Stone Blue, Farrow & Ball. Wallpaper: Botanica Claustra by Papier Francais. Backsplash: Zia Tile. Curtain fabric: Clarence House.Papier Français partnered with Bibliothèque Nationale de France to bring back more than 60 archival prints, including this Bon factory flowering-trellis wallpaper, which turns this utilitarian space into a year-round spring jewel box. THE DRESSING ROOM The "closet" was quickly expanded to feel more like a boutique retail space.Stephen KarlischCeiling wallpaper: Gracie. Light fixture: Visual Comfort. Sofas: Mr. Brown in De la Cuona fabric and Samuel & Sons trim. Carpet: Nourison. Pillows: Dedar. Library ladder: Alaco. Hardware: Armac Martin.Stephen KarlischPaint color: Brinjal by Farrow & Ball. Hardware: Armac Martin.The entire main house and garage renovation began with a closet redesign. Stacey came to assess the closet, cataloging everything from long- and short-hang sections to shoes and bags, and it quickly became clear the space was too small. This discovery sparked the decision to expand and elevate the closet...and set the stage for a full home transformation.SAUNAThe ultimate in-home spa experience. Stephen KarlischA discreet sauna is the preferred spot to recover after a night of dancing. About the DesignerSarah Stacey is known for her artful approach to layering, creating spaces that balance timeless elegance with a fresh, eclectic edge. Raised in Louisiana and influenced by antique auctions, Southern cities, and global travel, her style embraces bold contrasts and personal storytelling. With a background in studio art and interior design from LSU, she brings a vibrant, collected sensibility to both residential and commercial projects. Now based in Texas with her musician husband and their son, Sarah’s work is infused with the same energy and joy that defines her life.SHOP THE SPACEFarrow & Ball Stone Blue Paint Color$143 at Farrow & BallItalian Venetian Murano Blue Glass Chandelier$8,250 at 1stDibsLa Cornue Cornu Fé 110 Range Matte Black$13,275 at Williams SonomaCredit: Williams SonomaPablo Picasso LithographNow 20% Off$3,000 $2,400 at 1stDibs

For one week in May, New York City is a scheduling race for contemporary art lovers, with multimillion dollar auction previews at both Christie’s & Sotheby’s, over eight major art fairs, and over a 100 peak gallery openings. In the scheduling competition to see it all, it’s no small feat for an artwork to pull you back for a second view or a longer pause. Below are the two most “paused” artworks from my visits to the four biggest fairs in New York this spring. FRIEZE NEW YORK Frieze New York, the fair at the center of it all, was again located at The Shed in Hudson Yards, bringing more than 65 leading galleries from over 25 countries across three floors. Frieze New York has a wonderful crowd energy and this year was a great reminder that the most famous contemporary artists working today continue to dream and produce the unbelievable. Jeff Koons at Gagosian Gallery Jeff Koons. Frieze New York, 2025, installation view. Artwork © Jeff Koons, Incredible Hulk , and © Marvel. All rights reserved. Photo: Maris Hutchinson. Courtesy Gagosian Jeff Koons. Hulk (Tubas), 2004-2018. © Jeff Koons, Incredible Hulk , and © Marvel. All rights reserved. Photo: Ela Bialkowska, OKNOstudio. Courtesy Palazzo Strozzi and Gagosian This year, Gagosian Gallery presented a crowd-gathering trio of Jeff Koons’ “Hulk” sculptures in a booth fully designed and conceived by the artist. Though each appears to be store-bought vinyl inflatables, all are made from heavy polychromed bronze. “Hulk (Tubas), 2004-2018” (above) includes a functional brass multi-belled tuba, while another was imbedded with real organ parts. Read more about the works and the history of the Hulk Elvis series on the gallery’s page or watch a performance on the functional instruments on Jeff Koons’ Instagram. Jeff Koons. Hulk (Tubas), 2004-2018. Photo: David Behringer   Lorna Simpson at Hauser & Wirth Gallery Hauser & Wirth Gallery presented an incredible selection of gallery artists, including these brand new works on paper by Lorna Simpson. Continuing her series of small collages that combine images cut from advertisements in vintage Ebony and Jet magazines with surreal expressive ink washes – each is a celebration and questioning of representation, history, and culture. Lorna Simpson. Walking Glare, 2025. © Lorna Simpson, Courtesy the artist & Hauser & Wirth. Photo: James Wang Lorna Simpson. Amplified. 2025. © Lorna Simpson, Courtesy the artist & Hauser & Wirth. Photo: James Wang   TEFAF Art Fair TEFAF (The European Fine Art Foundation) occupied the entirety of the historic Park Avenue Armory. The fair is known for its museum-quality presentation with works that span from ancient Rome, Contemporary Art and world-class design – a unique and must-visit experience all its own. View of art fair from above with visitors and booths.   George Condo at Gladstone Gallery The mixing of historical weight and contemporary art at TEFAF is the perfect setting for an amazing collection of George Condo drawings. Presented by Gladstone Gallery in a deep red “salon-style” hanging, the early works all range from 1984-1986, a critical moment of Condo’s artistic development. Each gives the sense that we’re watching an idea being born – images and individuals being pulled between representation and abstraction. Installation view, TEFAF New York 2025, New York, May 9 – 13, 2025. Courtesy of Gladstone. Photo: David Regen George Condo. Untitled (NYC 38th St.), 1986. © George Condo / Artists Rights Society (ARS), NY. Courtesy of the artist and Gladstone. Photo: David Regen George Condo. Untitled, 1985. © George Condo / Artists Rights Society (ARS), NY. Courtesy of the artist and Gladstone. Photo: David Regen   Yeesookyung at Massimo De Carlo Gallery One of the best exhibitions at The Metropolitan Museum of Art this summer is Monstrous Beauty – a must-see show that features these massive sculptures in a sunlit atrium by South Korean artist Yeesookyung. So it was such a gift at TEFAF to see several smaller works by the artist at two different gallery booths. Works were spotted at The Page Gallery from South Korea and at Massimo De Carlo Gallery (below). Continuing her use of broken pottery shards to build organic forms using the Japanese technique of kintsugi, the new forms and combinations are most surprising as you circle them – always beautiful but never predictable. Yeesookyung, Translated Vase 2020 TVG 13, 2020. Presented by Massimo De Carlo Yeesookyung, Translated Vase 2020 TVG 13, 2020. Presented by Massimo De Carlo   INDEPENDENT Art Fair INDEPENDENT was hosted again this year at the super modern and sunlight-filled “Spring Studios” in Tribeca where over 118 artists were presented by 82 international galleries and nonprofit organizations. My personal favorites this year celebrated process and material with a joyful wonder and high level of craft. Maximilian Schubert at Off Paradise Off Paradise installation at INDEPENDENT art fair. Photo: Marc Tatti Presented by Off Paradise, Maximilian Schubert’s ethereal “paintings” are not what they appear to be – created from solid pigmented urethane resin that has been cast from a mold of a real painting (also created by the artist) and painted only on the sides to mimic canvas and tacks/staples. The object is heavy and solid, allowing Schubert to create ethereal color transitions with multiple layers of resin pours. Even from close examination, everything about them looks like paint on canvas and yet they emit something psychically different – a sustained aura of intrigue that never expires. Maximilian Schubert, Untitled (Over New York), 2024. Photo: Marc Tatti Maximilian Schubert, Untitled 2025, Photo:  Marc Tatti Maximilian Schubert, Untitled 2025 (detail)   Terran Last Gun at Diane Rosenstein Gallery This was my first time seeing Terran Last Gun’s incredible work that uses antique ledger paper (most over 100 years old) with the addition of colorful geometric forms in ink and colored pencil. Presented by Diane Rosenstein Gallery, the artist is based in Santa Fe, and an enrolled citizen of the Piikani Nation (Blackfeet) of Montana. The work feels like a dance across time – a complex conversation with material and traditions, past and present. Learn more about his work and its history on the gallery webpage. Terran Last Gun, Stop For A Moment And Appreciate, 2025. Courtesy the artist and Diane Rosenstein Gallery, Los Angeles. Photo: Robert Wedemeyer Terran Last Gun, Gathering Of Distinguished Knowledge Holders, 2025. Courtesy the artist and Diane Rosenstein Gallery, Los Angeles. Photo: Robert Wedemeyer   NADA ART FAIR The NADA Art Fair (New Art Dealers Alliance) was hosted for the first time at The Starrett-Lehigh Building in the very heart of the Chelsea gallery district. My favorite works were an intelligent mix of whimsy and grit that resulted in many great conversations and new revelations on how to see the world. Jaime Pitarch at Spencer Brownstone Gallery Jaime Pitarch. Calderilla, 2025. Courtesy of the artist & Spencer Brownstone Gallery After seeing an number of great Calder works up for auction this season, Jaime Pitarch’s whimsical reference to Calder was both joyous and profound. Presented by Spencer Brownstone Gallery, this 7-foot hanging work is titled “Calderilla” – a reference to both the Spanish word for “pocket change” AND the name Alexander Calder. Made from the real coins found in the artist’s pocket, it continues the artist’s long practice of re-presenting everyday objects to create sustained curiosities and beautiful artworks. Here metal currency is literally elevated – both in gravity and function, questioning ideas of value, craft, art, and perhaps the future of physical money itself. Jaime Pitarch. Calderilla, 2025. Courtesy of the artist & Spencer Brownstone Gallery   Alexandria Tarver at Et al. Gallery The most time was spent with these quietly mysterious pairings by Alexandria Tarver, presented by San Francisco-based gallery Et al. Each frame holds two works on paper: a larger colorful painting and a small sketch on a ripped out page of note paper. The pencil sketches were produced on a visit to Baja California where the artist used the only “drawing materials” available to capture seascapes and landscapes. They each feel as if they are recording enough information for the artist to remember a precise moment – a necessary speed of transcription that perhaps captures a particular ocean wave or an ephemeral breeze. That tiny notepad was then used as a reference to create the larger colorful paintings – a second translation into something different but still emotionally connected. Here too we play witness to the evolution of a memory and idea, sharing a feeling of a place and time. Alexandria Tarver. questions, TS 2, 2025. Courtesy the artist & Ed al. Gallery Alexandria Tarver. questions, TS 5, 2025. Courtesy the artist & Ed al. Gallery I highly recommend signing up on any/all art fair newsletters or creating a login for any of the below. The emails they send out are not too much, and are perfect reminders when the next fair/events will take place. See you there! FRIEZE NEW YORK TEFAF NEW YORK INDEPENDENT NADA 

Manage Backgrounds with the Free Blueprints Add-on By Robert Rioux on May 20, 2025 Add-ons Robert Rioux offers a free Blender add-on to easily manage background images for modeling. It will automatically set up all views and gives you the possibility to "swap axis" so the the X axis becomes the front view. Itm allows you to adjust all images at the same time too.Link Github: Blueprints add-on

Click here to read this story in English.SONORA, México — Este paisaje no parecía ser un lugar donde encontrar jaguares, el felino de la selva más famoso del mundo. El suelo estaba reseco, rocoso y casi en su totalidad de color café, a excepción del ocasional cactus o palmera. Hacía tanto calor que incluso algunos de los espinosos nopales se estaban marchitando.Sin embargo, ahí estaba — en la pantalla de una cámara con sensor de movimiento amarrada a un roble cerca del lecho de un arroyo seco. Al menos una semana antes, un gran jaguar había caminado exactamente por donde yo me había parado. Incluso desde la pequeña pantalla de la cámara, el felino se veía imponente, con sus grandes patas y una amplia mandíbula que podría destruir cráneos. La Reserva del Jaguar del Norte está situada en la Sierra Madre Occidental, en Sonora, un estado mexicano del norte. Durante nuestra visita en abril, en temporada de sequía, apenas había vegetación que no sean plantas desérticas como cactus y agaves. Ash Ponders para VoxEra una tarde calurosa de abril y me encontraba en la Reserva del Jaguar del Norte, un área protegida en Sonora, aproximadamente a 200 km al sur de la frontera con Arizona en los Estados Unidos. La reserva y la región a su alrededor albergan a la población de jaguares más septentrional del mundo, los felinos más grandes del hemisferio occidental, así como otras tres especies de felinos salvajes: ocelotes, linces y pumas.El de la pantalla se llamaba El Guapo. Es el más grande de los cinco o seis jaguares que habitan en la reserva y probablemente haya engendrado a varios cachorros, me comenta Miguel Gómez Ramírez, el gerente de la reserva.El Guapo tiene una personalidad audaz: mientras algunos de los jaguares del parque se asustan con el flash o el sonido de las cámaras con sensores de movimiento esparcidas por la reserva, saltando como gatos de casa sorprendidos, al Guapo no parece importarle. Es como si supiera que está en la cima de la cadena alimenticia.1/4El Guapo. Northern Jaguar ProjectMientras los jaguares son a menudo asociados con las zonas tropicales, alguna vez se extendieron tan al norte como al Sur de California, el Gran Cañón y posiblemente incluso Luisiana. ¡Estados Unidos tenía jaguares! Y después, no fue así. A mediados de 1900, los ganaderos y cazadores habían exterminado a estos felinos — como muchos otros depredadores salvajes — en gran parte porque eran vistos como una amenaza para el ganado. Los jaguares ocasionalmente matan vacas, aunque muy pocos casos de ataques a ganado se han verificado en los Estados Unidos. En las últimas décadas, varios jaguares machos han regresado a su hábitat histórico en el suroeste de los Estados Unidos– más recientemente, en diciembre de 2023. Los extraordinarios avistamientos dan a los defensores del medio ambiente la esperanza de que algún día los jaguares puedan regresar a los Estados Unidos, reparando así una cadena alimenticia rota y recuperando una importante pieza faltante de la cultura indígena en la frontera.Una piel de jaguar se exhibe en el Centro Ecológico de Sonora, un zoológico en Hermosillo, la capital del estado. Ash Ponders para VoxTodos los jaguares que han aparecido en Estados Unidos vinieron del norte de México — de la región donde ahora me encontraba — deslizándose a través de algunas de las secciones del muro fronterizo que aún están abiertas. Cualquier posibilidad que ahora tengan los jaguares de regresar a los Estados Unidos depende de mantener aperturas en el muro fronterizo y una amplia reserva de felinos por el norte de México. Los jaguares sólo pueden restablecerse en su rango de distribución al norte si son lo suficientemente abundantes en México, donde están en peligro de extinción. Como en los Estados Unidos, los ganaderos de Sonora tienen una larga historia matando felinos por su percibida, y en ocasiones real amenaza para su ganado. Si bien la Reserva del Jaguar del Norte ayuda a proteger a los felinos salvajes en Sonora, lo que realmente me trajo a México fue un proyecto para conservar jaguares que se extiende mucho más allá de los límites del parque. Durante muchos años, un pequeño grupo de científicos y defensores han estado trabajando para presentar a los jaguares de Sonora bajo una perspectiva diferente — para convertirlos de villanos hambrientos a importantes actores dentro de un ecosistema, brindando recompensas financieras a los ganaderos. Esta apuesta parece estar dando frutos: la población de jaguares en la reserva y en la región de rancherías a su alrededor parece estable, o hasta parece estar creciendo, brindando esperanza de que la gente pueda vivir en armonía con los depredadores que alguna vez odiaron.Ponte en contacto con nosotros. ¿Tienes noticias o comentarios sobre esta historia? Queremos escucharte. Escribe a Benji Jones a benji.jones@vox.com o en Signal a Benji.90.Se puede decir que la Reserva del Jaguar del Norte está en medio de la nada.Viajé allí el mes pasado con Roberto Wolf, un veterinario que lidera el Northern Jaguar Project (NJP), una organización sin fines de lucro que supervisa el refugio. Después de cruzar la frontera al sur de Tucson, manejamos alrededor de otras cuatro horas hasta un encantador pueblo ganadero llamado Sahuaripa, donde las estrechas calles estaban bordeadas de casas coloridas y llenas de perros callejeros.Las casas de la ciudad de Sahuaripa están pintadas de colores llamativos y suelen tener cruces en sus puertas. Ash Ponders para VoxUn nombre llamado Don Francisco vende tortillas calientes al atardecer en Sahuaripa. Ash Ponders para VoxUna estatua de Jesús con un solo brazo mira al pueblo de Sahuaripa. Me dijeron que el otro brazo se cayó durante una tormenta. Ash Ponders para VoxDesde allí, fueron un par de horas más hasta la reserva, en gran parte por caminos de tierra accidentados. (Me sentí como si estuviéramos en uno de esos comerciales de automóviles todoterreno que solo son útiles en este preciso escenario).Un rato después de entrar a la reserva nos detuvimos junto a un tronco al costado del camino. Estaba cubierto de marcas de arañazos, como el brazo de un sofá en una casa llena de gatos. Eso fue obra de un puma marcando su territorio, dijo Gómez Ramírez, quien nos recibió en el parque. Señaló hacia una cámara con sensores de movimiento que previamente había capturado el comportamiento. Justo antes de llegar a nuestro campamento, un zorrillo cruzó frente al coche, se paró en sus dos patas delanteras, y luego desapareció entre los matorrales. La mañana siguiente, sin nubes y fresca, caminamos hasta La Hielería, el lugar donde la cámara de rastreo había detectado recientemente al Guapo. Sombras de alas se cruzaron en nuestro camino, proyectadas por buitres que buscaban un cadáver.En el camino de Arizona a Sahuaripa cruzamos el Río Yaqui, al oeste de la Reserva del Jaguar del Norte. Atraviesa las faldas de las montañas de la Sierra Madre Occidental. Ash Ponders para VoxDocenas de cámaras de rastreo con sensores de movimiento están repartidas por la reserva. Aquí, la pantalla muestra a un puma que caminó por ahí algunos días antes. Ash Ponders para VoxLa Hielería solía ser parte de un rancho de ganado, y tiene un lugar importante en la conservación de felinos. A finales de 1990, cuando los jaguares estaban reapareciendo en los Estados Unidos, un equipo de investigadores comenzó a explorar el norte de México para averiguar de dónde venían. Como parte de ese trabajo, el biólogo Gustavo Lorenzana Piña instaló una cámara con sensores de movimiento junto al lecho de un arroyo en La Hielería. La cámara capturó, como era de esperar, vaca tras vaca tras vaca. Pero Lorenzana siguió haciendo clic y lo vio: un jaguar, “el amo y señor de las selvas neotropicales, en una hermosa postal con matorrales y cactus de fondo”, dijo. La imagen, tomada a principios del 2000, fue la primera fotografía de un jaguar vivo en Sonora. Era una hembra a quien después llamarían Gus, en honor a Gustavo.La primera foto de un jaguar vivo tomada en Sonora. GP Lorenzana/CA López-GonzálezSu historia terminó — como la mayoría de los cuentos sobre jaguares — en manos de los humanos. El animal fue perseguido y asesinado por supuestamente haber lastimado al ganado, me dijo Lorenzana. Aunque es técnicamente ilegal matar jaguares en México, cazarlos por causar daño real o imaginado al ganado fue una práctica común en el pasado. Y sigue siendo una amenaza hoy en día. A finales del siglo XX, se mataban en promedio al menos cinco animales al año en el estado, según el libro Tigres de la Frontera de David Brown y el co-fundador de NJP, Carlos López González.Un hombre que conocí de unos 70 años me dijo que había matado a seis jaguares en un rancho que ahora forma parte de la reserva. (Generalmente usaba perros para rastrear a los felinos y perseguirlos hasta una cueva o un árbol. Luego les disparaba.) Los propietarios de ranchos pagaban alrededor de 5.000 pesos por cada jaguar sacrificado. Heraclio “Laco” Duarte Robles mató a varios jaguares cuando trabajaba para un rancho que ahora es parte de la reserva. Ahora Laco es empleado del Northern Jaguar Project, donde ayuda a mantener a los felinos en vida. Ash Ponders para VoxLos jaguares ocasionalmente matan becerros, aunque prefieren alimentarse de presas salvajes, como venados o pecaríes, un pequeño y feroz animal que se parece a un cerdo. En Sonora, cada jaguar o puma podría matar algunos becerros al año, lo que normalmente equivale a sólo una fracción de la producción de un ganadero.Aunque Gus estuvo del lado perdedor de los encuentros entre ganaderos y felinos, dejó un legado de conservación duradero. Después de aparecer en una cámara de rastreo en La Hielería, ayudó a demostrar que Sonora era el hogar de una población reproductora de jaguares. Esto impulsó un esfuerzo por comprar ranchos, incluyendo a La Hielería, para convertirlos en una reserva. NJP compró su primer rancho en 2003 y desde entonces ha agregado varios más. En conjunto, cubren más de 22.900 hectáreas.Hoy la Reserva del Jaguar del Norte tiene una población pequeña pero saludable de cinco o seis jaguares, según Carmina Gutiérrez González, bióloga del NJP. Las cámaras con sensores de movimiento han detectado alrededor de 10 jaguares pasando por la región, dijo Gutiérrez González, quien identifica a los individuos por sus patrones de manchas únicos.Nuestro único encuentro con un jaguar fue en el Centro Ecológico de Sonora, un zoológico a día y medio manejando desde la reserva. Ash Ponders para VoxDespués de ver al Guapo en la cámara de La Hielería deambulé por el arroyo seco y tropecé con un montón de heces. Heces de jaguar, sospechaba Gómez Ramírez. Nunca en mi vida me había emocionado tanto encontrar un montón de caca. Personas como Gómez Ramírez, quienes han pasado más de una década en la reserva, nunca han visto jaguares cara a cara. Mi probabilidad era casi nula. Entonces me conformé con ver caca.La reserva es esencial aunque insuficiente — es relativamente pequeña y cubre menos del 3 por ciento del área de Yellowstone, por ejemplo. Mientras tanto, los jaguares en Sonora tienen áreas de distribución increíblemente grandes y pueden viajar hasta 16 km por día, dijo Gómez Ramírez.Protegerlos en un área pequeña no es suficiente en una región donde todavía hay caza. Así que el Proyecto Jaguar del Norte tuvo que encontrar otra solución.Una mañana después de algunas noches en la reserva, manejamos a un rancho ganadero un poco más allá del límite. Estacionamos nuestra polvorienta 4Runner junto a un puñado de vacas y sus becerros, quienes se congelaron y nos miraron como si nunca antes hubieran visto humanos.Uriel Villarreal Peña en su rancho, Saucito, cerca de la Northern Jaguar Reserve. Ash Ponders para VoxUn ganadero llamado Uriel Villarreal Peña, dueño de la propiedad, salió a recibirnos, seguido por dos perros. Mientras nos sentábamos alrededor de su mesa al aire libre bajo la sombra de un techo de lámina, nos dijo que tiene un poco más de 100 animales de ganado. Cada uno tiene un valor de varios cientos de dólares y los vende en Sahuaripa para exportarlos a Estados Unidos.Durante más de una década, Villarreal Peña, quien vestía con gorra de béisbol, jeans y camisa con botones, ha sido parte de un programa llamado Viviendo con Felinos. El programa, lanzado por NJP en 2007, trabaja con ganaderos para colocar cámaras con sensores de movimiento en sus terrenos. Cuando esas cámaras detectan a un felino salvaje — un jaguar, un puma, un ocelote o un gato montés — la ONG le paga al ganadero con un fondo común de recursos que ha recaudado a través de donantes. La idea, me dijo Wolf, es “hacer que los animales salvajes vivos sean más valiosos que los muertos”.Las fotos de jaguares valen 5.000 pesos cada una — similar a lo que los cazadores podrían ganar matándolos. Las fotos de ocelotes generan alrededor de 1.500, las de pumas 1.000 y las de gato montés 500 pesos. Cada ganadero puede ganar un máximo de aproximadamente 20.000 pesos al mes por sus fotos — más del doble del salario mínimo mensual en México. Al unirse a Viviendo con Felinos, los ganaderos también se comprometen a no matar ningún animal salvaje en su rancho, incluyendo venados y jabalíes. Roberto Wolf descansa por un momento durante nuestra caminata en La Hielería. Ash Ponders para Vox(México tiene otro programa, no relacionado, dirigido por la Confederación Nacional de Organizaciones Ganaderas que reembolsa parcialmente a los ganaderos por ganado que haya sido matado por depredadores salvajes. Los ganaderos se quejan de que estos fondos, que también están destinados a reducir la caza, son de difícil acceso e inadecuados).Villarreal Peña me dijo que se unió al programa NJP en parte por el dinero. Las fotografías de felinos tomadas en su rancho le hacen ganar unos cuantos miles de dólares cada año, dijo, lo que representa entre el 10 y el 15 por ciento de sus ingresos anuales. Pero también le gustan los jaguares. “Me interesa ver animales, conservarlos porque se ven bonitos”, dijo. El hecho de que los jaguares no le hayan causado muchos problemas ayuda. Cuando era joven, Villarreal Peña pensaba que los felinos salvajes eran malos porque comían ganado, el medio de vida de los ganaderos. Pero con el tiempo aprendió que los depredadores evitarán a los becerros siempre que tengan suficientes venados y jabalíes para comer. Después de probar un poco de la bacanora casera de Villarreal Peña, un licor a base de agave similar al mezcal —¡Mi trabajo es duro, lo juro! — Villarreal Peña nos llevó a ver una de sus cámaras con sensores de movimiento. Estaba “cerca”, aunque llegar allí implicaba un corto viaje en auto, una caminata de media hora bajo el sol y un encuentro con un correcaminos, un pájaro terrestre de aspecto maníaco que siempre parece tener prisa.Wolf y Heraclio “Laqui” Duarte López, técnico de campo de NJP, nos muestran un mapa en un mirador camino a la reserva. Ash Ponders para VoxLa caminata a la reserva te lleva por piedras volcánicas y matorrales, típicamente bajo extremo calor. Ash Ponders para VoxEl cráneo de un ganado en las afueras del rancho de Villarreal Peña. Ash Ponders para VoxUn papamoscas bermellón cruza el Aros River en la reserva. Ash Ponders para VoxAtada a un poste de madera, la cámara era de plástico, pintada de camuflaje y aproximadamente del tamaño de un ladrillo. La abrimos y vimos las fotos más recientes. Yo acercándome. Conejo. Venado. Zorro. Una criatura parecida a un mapache llamada cacomixtle. Coatí. Ocelote. Pecarí. Pecarí. Pecarí. Pecarí. Pecarí.Y más pecaríes. Le pregunté a Villarreal Peña qué piensa cuando ve un felino salvaje en la cámara. “¡1,500!”, bromeó, refiriéndose al dinero en pesos mexicanos que gana con cada fotografía de un ocelote. Luego añadió, más seriamente: “Se siente bonito poder decir que sí hay.”Hasta la fecha, 21 ganaderos cerca de la reserva se han unido a Viviendo con Felinos. Y en conjunto, su terreno comprende 50.990 hectáreas, un área de más del doble del tamaño de la reserva. De hecho, el programa ha ampliado el área de protección de los jaguares y sus presas. Además, es tan popular entre los ganaderos que en realidad hay una lista de espera informal para unirse, dijo Wolf.NJP ha estado ampliando lentamente el programa, pero agregar más ranchos — y todas las fotografías que puedan tomar— es costoso, señaló Wolf. Entre el otoño de 2023 y el otoño de 2024, NJP gastó más de 2 millones de pesos (alrededor de $107.000) sólo en premios de fotografía. Eso no incluye el tiempo del personal ni el costo de las cámaras de alrededor de 2.900 pesos (o $150) cada una. Y esas cámaras necesitan ser reemplazadas frecuentemente porque, entre todas las cosas, los pájaros carpinteros ocasionalmente destrozan los lentes y los sensores, me dijo Gómez Ramírez.Viviendo con Felinos has ha dado más espacio a los jaguares para moverse en Sonora, y eso por sí solo es algo enorme. Pero estos animales icónicos también se están beneficiando de un cambio más fundamental en la región — un cambio de cultura y de costumbres. Después de nuestra visita con Villarreal Peña, nos detuvimos en la propiedad de su vecino, un gran rancho que le pertenece a Agustín Hurtado Aguayo. Hurtado Aguayo, ahora de unos 80 años, es el ex-presidente de la asociación ganadera del estado y una figura importante en la comunidad ganadera de Sonora. Hace varios años “detestaba a los felinos”, me dijo Hurtado Aguayo en su casa de la ciudad de Hermosillo, capital de Sonora, a unas horas al oeste de Sahuaripa. En la pared colgaban sombreros de vaquero y un par de cuernos de toro. “Tenía muy mala imagen de ellos”, dijo.Agustín Hurtado Aguayo en su casa de Hermosillo. Ash Ponders para VoxFotos sobre la vida del rancho y un cuerno largo de toro de cuelgan en la pared de la casa de Hurtado Aguayo. Ash Ponders para VoxCazar felinos salvajes era una práctica que las antiguas generaciones transmitían, dijo, y surgía de la creencia de que los felinos dañaban a la producción. “Esa es la formación que teníamos”, me dijo. También era normal que los ganaderos cazaran y comieran venados, dijo, lo que disminuía una importante fuente de alimento para los depredadores.Tras unirse a Viviendo con Felinos, Hurtado sintió curiosidad por el programa porque le gustaban las fotos de felinos del rancho de su vecino. “Al comenzar a ver las fotos que tomaban las cámaras comencé a apreciar los animales”, dijo, mostrándome a un puma de fondo de pantalla en su iPhone. “Poco a poco comenzó a cambiar mi visión del felino”.Hurtado Aguayo, quien luego también se sumó al programa, se dio cuenta de que al limitar el número de ganado en su rancho, sus vacas estarían más sanas y sobraría más pasto para los venados. Si tenía más venados —y sus trabajadores se abstenían de cazarlos—, los felinos salvajes matarían menos animales. Estas ideas son cada vez más comunes entre los ganaderos que se han sumado al programa en Sonora. “Si nosotros como ganaderos o como dueños de un predio conservamos la cadena alimenticia normal, no tenemos problema”, dijo José de la Cruz Coronado Aguayo, otro ganadero de Viviendo con Felinos. Existen otras maneras de proteger al ganado de los depredadores, como asegurarse de que los becerros no anden solos por las montañas. En otras regiones del mundo, la instalación de elementos disuasorios como cercas eléctricas, alarmas y luces intermitentes, también son una opción eficaz para prevenir la depredación.“Realmente los felinos pueden convivir con el ganado”, me dijo Hurtado Aguayo.La reserva está rodeada de ranchos de ganado que en su mayoría venden becerros de carne. Ash Ponders para VoxEstá claro que las fotografías de jaguares pueden hacer que alguien se enamore de los felinos. Esto no explica cómo ganaderos como Hurtado Aguayo aprendieron a criar ganado de tal manera que protegen tanto a los felinos como al ganado. Wolf, de NJP, dice que a menudo todo se reduce a las experiencias individuales. Los ganaderos aprenden con el tiempo que al dejar a los venados o al crear nuevas fuentes de agua para los animales, se pierde menos ganado. Lo que también es crucial, dijo, es que al ganar dinero con fotografías de felinos, las personas en el programa se vuelven más tolerantes con su presencia — y más abiertas a comprometerse y encontrar formas de vivir con ellos.Antes de salir de su casa, Hurtado Aguayo sacó su laptop y nos mostró fotos de las cámaras de vigilancia de su rancho. Eran espectaculares: un puma, cerca de la cámara y con cara de sorpresa. Un ocelote con lo que parece un ratón en su boca. Y varios jaguares, incluyendo la imagen de abajo, tomada en 2023, que tenía guardada en su fondo de escritorio. 1/3Fotos tomadas por cámaras trampa en el rancho de Hurtado Aguayo. Northern Jaguar ProjectNo todos en Sonora aman de repente a los felinos. Los ganaderos todavía culpan a los jaguares cuando sus becerros desaparecen o aparecen muertos. Y es probable que todavía maten a jaguares discretamente. Un ganadero que no forma parte de Viviendo con Felinos me dijo que desde noviembre ha perdido más de una docena de sus becerros y sospecha que los felinos están detrás del daño. Él dice que la reserva debería estar cercada para beneficio de los ganaderos. (No hay evidencia de que los pumas o los jaguares mataran a sus becerros, dijo Wolf).La tensión en la región se desbordó a principios de este año, cuando aparentemente un puma entró a una casa donde un trabajador de rancho se estaba quedando y atacó a su perro. El trabajador, un hombre llamado Ricardo Vázquez Paredes, dice que golpeó al felino con un tubo y el puma se escapó, no sin antes herir a su perro, Blaki. Si bien Wolf y algunos de los otros ganaderos con los que hablé sospechan que su relato podría ser exagerado —es raro que los pumas se acerquen a viviendas humanas— la historia generó preocupaciones en Sahuaripa sobre los jaguares y los esfuerzos para protegerlos.El cambio climático también podría empeorar los conflictos en la región. Los ganaderos con los que hablé dicen que Sonora está cada vez más seco, lo que significa que habrá cada vez menos pastizal para el ganado y para animales como los venados que son el alimento de los felinos salvajes. Esto podría hacer que las vacas sean más débiles y más propensas a morir de hambre y los jaguares estén más hambrientos y más propensos a atacar. La investigación sugiere que los jaguares matan más becerros cuando está seco. En 2023, un ganadero de Viviendo con Felinos llamado Diego Ezrre Romero perdió un becerro a manos de un jaguar. “Lo más crítico en el rancho que tengo es el agua”, me dijo Ezrre Romero. “Hay poco venado por las condiciones”.Diego Ezrre Romero, un ranchero del programa de Viviendo con Felinos, en el verdoso patio de su casa en Sahuaripa. Ash Ponders para VoxEl conflicto en Sonora no está a punto de resolverse del todo. Sin embargo, está claro que Viviendo con Felinos está ayudando. Junto con otros esfuerzos de NJP para involucrar a la comunidad — programas educativos, por ejemplo, y pinturas de murales que representan a los felinos icónicos en Sahuaripa y otras ciudades — el grupo está haciendo que los ganaderos en el territorio de los jaguares sean más tolerantes con los felinos. Y gracias a los pagos, está ayudando a que se vuelvan más tolerantes a las pérdidas que estos puedan ocasionar. “Sin ellos [NJP] ahorita no hubiera ni un jaguar aquí”, dijo Fausto Lorenzo, un ganadero cerca de Sahuaripa que no está afiliado a la reserva. “Ya se lo hubieran matado todos los rancheros porque esa era la costumbre”.Desde la casa de Hurtado Aguayo en Hermosillo, manejamos de regreso a Arizona. La carretera atravesaba campos de cactus saguaro. Los remolinos de polvo giraban a la distancia, moviéndose a través del matorral.El sol se acuesta detrás de las montañas de la Sierra Madre Occidental cerca de la reserva. Ash Ponders para VoxEl éxito que el NJP ha tenido en México es a fin de cuentas un buen augurio para los esfuerzos por restaurar los jaguares en Estados Unidos. El número de jaguares en la reserva es estable, dice Gutiérrez, pero las cámaras con sensores de movimiento sugieren que año tras año más individuos pasan por la región. Se trata de más individuos que potencialmente podrían llegar a los Estados Unidos.Pero persiste un gran problema. A medida que nos acercábamos a la frontera, el muro apareció ante nosotros. Era de metal y de color café y se elevaba 5 metros sobre el desierto. Extendiéndose cientos de kilómetros a través de la frontera de Arizona y Nuevo México, el muro ha hecho que la frontera sea en gran medida impasable para la vida silvestre, incluidos los jaguares. Y continúa expandiéndose. Actualmente, la administración de Trump está planeando completar una de las últimas secciones no amuralladas de la frontera, una brecha de 40 km en San Rafael Valley, alrededor de 240 km al noroeste del refugio, donde los jaguares han cruzado a los Estados Unidos.El futuro de los jaguares de Sonora parece prometedor independientemente de si Trump termina su muro. NJP y otras organizaciones han dado más espacio a estos animales y han erosionado las amenazas más severas.La verdadera pérdida se sentirá en los Estados Unidos, y no sólo entre los ambientalistas. Los jaguares han vivido en Estados Unidos desde mucho antes que nosotros. Son parte del patrimonio natural del país — de ecosistemas verdaderamente estadounidenses — y su ausencia perjudicaría nuestros paisajes. Los ganaderos en Sonora nos enseñan que podemos convivir con los grandes depredadores del continente. Sólo tenemos que elegir hacerlo.See More:

Limited access Under anti-vaccine advocate RFK Jr, FDA to limit access to COVID-19 shots FDA will require big, pricy trials for approvals for healthy kids and adults >65. Beth Mole – May 20, 2025 3:18 pm | 16 U.S. Secretary of Health and Human Services Robert F. Kennedy Jr. testifies before the Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions on Capitol Hill on May 20, 2025 in Washington, DC. Credit: Getty | Tasos Katopodis U.S. Secretary of Health and Human Services Robert F. Kennedy Jr. testifies before the Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions on Capitol Hill on May 20, 2025 in Washington, DC. Credit: Getty | Tasos Katopodis Story text Size Small Standard Large Width * Standard Wide Links Standard Orange * Subscribers only   Learn more Under the control of anti-vaccine advocate Robert F. Kennedy Jr., the Food and Drug Administration is unilaterally terminating universal access to seasonal COVID-19 vaccines; Instead, only people who are age 65 years and older and people with underlying conditions that put them at risk of severe COVID-19 will have access to seasonal boosters moving forward. The move was laid out in a commentary article published today in the New England Journal of Medicine, written by Trump administration FDA Commissioner Martin Makary and the agency's new top vaccine regulator, Vinay Prasad. The article lays out a new framework for approving seasonal COVID-19 vaccines, as well as a rationale for the change—which was made without input from independent advisory committees for the Food and Drug Administration and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Normally, the FDA's VRBPAC (Vaccines and Related Biological Products Advisory Committee) and the CDC's ACIP (Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices) would publicly review, evaluate, and discuss vaccine approvals and recommendations. Typically, the FDA's scope focuses on licensure decisions, made with strong influence from VRBPAC, while the CDC's ACIP is principally responsible for influencing the CDC's more nuanced recommendations on usage, such as for specific age or risk groups. These recommendations shape clinical practice and, importantly, health insurance coverage. Makary and Prasad appear to have foregone those norms, even though VRBPAC is set to meet this Thursday to discuss COVID-19 vaccines for the upcoming season. Restrictions In the commentary, Markary and Prasad puzzlingly argue that the previous universal access to COVID-19 vaccines was patronizing to Americans. They describe the country's approach to COVID boosters as a "one-size-fits-all" and write that "the US policy has sometimes been justified by arguing that the American people are not sophisticated enough to understand age- and risk-based recommendations. We reject this view." Previously, the seasonally updated vaccines were available to anyone age 6-months and up. Further, people age 65 and older and those at high risk were able to get two or more shots, based on their risk. So, while Makary and Prasad ostensibly reject the view of Americans as being too unsophisticated to understand risk-based usage, the pair are installing restrictions to force their own idea of risk-based usage. Even more puzzlingly, in an April meeting of ACIP, the expert advisors expressed clear support for shifting from universal recommendations for COVID-19 boosters to recommendations based on risk. Specifically, advisors were supportive of urging boosters for people age 65 and older and people who are at risk of severe COVID-19—the same restrictions that Makary and Prasad are forcing. The two regulators do not mention this in their NEJM commentary. ACIP would also likely recommend a primary series of seasonally matched COVID-19 vaccines for very young children who have not been previously exposed to the virus or vaccinated. ACIP will meet again in June, but without a permissive license from the FDA, ACIP's recommendations for risk-based usage of this season's COVID-19 shots are virtually irrelevant. And they cannot recommend usage in groups the FDA licensure does not cover. It's unclear if a primary series for young children will be available and, if so, how that will be handled moving forward. New vaccine framework Under Makary and Prasad's new framework, seasonally updated COVID-19 vaccines can continue to be approved annually using only immunology studies—but the approvals will only be for people age 65 and over and people who are at high risk. These immunology studies look at antibody responses to boosters, which offer a shorthand for efficacy in updated vaccines that have already been through rigorous safety and efficacy trials. This is how seasonal flu shots are approved each year and how COVID boosters have been approved for all people age 6 months and up—until now. Moving forward, if a vaccine maker wants to have their COVID-19 vaccine also approved for use in healthy children and healthy adults under age 65, they will have to conduct large, randomized placebo-controlled studies. These may need to include tens of thousands of participants, especially with high levels of immunity in the population now. These trials can easily cost hundreds of millions of dollars, and they can take many months to complete. The requirement for such trials will make it difficult if not impossible for drug makers to conduct them each year and within a timeframe that will allow for seasonal shots to complete the trial, get regulatory approval, and be produced at scale in time for the start of respiratory virus season. Makary and Prasad did not provide any data analysis or evidence-based reasoning for why additional trials would be needed to continue seasonal approvals. In fact, the commentary had a total of only eight references, including an opinion piece Makary published in Newsweek and a New York Times article. "We simply don’t know whether a healthy 52-year-old woman with a normal BMI who has had COVID-19 three times and has received six previous doses of a COVID-19 vaccine will benefit from the seventh dose," they argue in their commentary. Their new framework does not make any mention of what will happen if a more dangerous SARS-CoV-2 variant emerges. It also made no mention of vaccine usage in people who are in close contact with high-risk groups, such as ICU nurses or family members of immunocompromised people. Context Another lingering question from the framework is how easy it will be for people dubbed at high risk to get access to seasonal shots. Makary and Prasad lay out a long list of conditions that would put people at risk of severe COVID-19 and therefore make them eligible for a seasonal booster. The list includes: obesity; asthma, lung diseases; HIV; diabetes; pregnancy; gestational diabetes; heart conditions; use of corticosteroids; dementia; physical inactivity; mental health conditions, including depression; and smoking, current or former. The FDA leaders estimate that between 100 million and 200 million Americans will fit into the category of being at high risk. It's unclear what such a large group of Americans will need to do to establish eligibility every year. In all, the FDA's move to restrict and hinder access to seasonal COVID-19 vaccines is in line with Kennedy's influential anti-vaccine advocacy work. In 2021, prior to taking the role of the country's top health official, Kennedy and the anti-vaccine organization he founded, Children's Health Defense, petitioned the FDA to revoke authorizations for COVID-19 vaccines and refrain from issuing any approvals. Ironically, Makary and Prasad blame the country's COVID-19 policies for helping to erode Americans' trust in vaccines broadly. "There may even be a ripple effect: public trust in vaccination in general has declined, resulting in a reluctance to vaccinate that is affecting even vital immunization programs such as that for measles–mumps–rubella (MMR) vaccination, which has been clearly established as safe and highly effective," the two write, including the most full-throated endorsement of the MMR vaccine the Trump administration has issued yet. Kennedy continues to spread misinformation about the vaccine, including the false and debunked idea that it causes autism. "Against this context, the Food and Drug Administration seeks to provide guidance and foster evidence generation," Makary and Prasad write. Beth Mole Senior Health Reporter Beth Mole Senior Health Reporter Beth is Ars Technica’s Senior Health Reporter. Beth has a Ph.D. in microbiology from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and attended the Science Communication program at the University of California, Santa Cruz. She specializes in covering infectious diseases, public health, and microbes. 16 Comments

The Voice of America (VOA) Building in Washington, D.C. could be up for sale, White House senior adviser Kari Lake recently told reporters. The stripped classicist ensemble from 1939 by Charles Zeller Klauder—formerly called the Wilbur J. Cohen Federal Building—is “obscenely expensive” to lease, Lake said. The VOA Building is 1 million square feet and located just off the National Mall. It hosts media entities that played important roles in the Cold War like Radio Free Europe, Radio Free Asia, and the Office of Cuba Broadcasting. It’s also historically had the Agency for Global Media, and the Department of Health and Human Services. The Trump administration has proposed closing the VOA, but that shutdown was temporarily stopped by a federal judge. Instead of leaning upon the VOA and Agency for Global Media, Lake said, the White House will filter media through the One America News Network. U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development in Washington, D.C. (F. Delventhal/Flickr/CC BY 2.0) The announcement comes not long after U.S. Housing and Urban Development (HUD) secretary Scott Turner said he wants to sell HUD headquarters, the Robert C. Weaver Building designed by Marcel Breuer, another famous Brutalist complex. HUD has also drastically downsized staff and support for social programs. Turner recently told Fox News that HUD headquarters is the “ugliest building in D.C.” The FBI also recently shared its plans to vacate its headquarters in the J. Edgar Hoover Building. FBI Director Kash Patel said in an interview with Fox Business, “This FBI is leaving the Hoover Building because this building is unsafe for our workforce.” The Hoover Building, a behemoth Brutalist structure, was designed by Charles F. Murphy and Associates in the 1960s. The General Services Administration (GSA) was ordered to sell off approximately 500 “non-core” buildings it owns and/or leases last February. GSA subsequently scaled back its plans, but is still trying to downsize its property portfolio. On its website, GSA lists several of the properties it wants to get rid of, and counting. A federal courthouse in Los Angeles, the U.S. Custom House in Philadelphia, Goodfellow Federal Center in St. Louis, and others are on the list. To raise awareness and appreciation for the architectural style, the National Building Museum extended its exhibition Capital Brutalism through June 30. Aileen Fuchs, National Building Museum president and executive director, said the exhibition’s aim is to provide “additional historical context for Brutalist architecture,” and it’s meant to inspire “visitors to rethink their perceptions of beauty and equity as we consider the future of these Brutalist buildings.”