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NPR's Steve Inskeep speaks with Sen. Jeff Merkley, D-Ore., about President Trump's budget bill, his own concerns about the legislation, and some of the changes he hopes to see.

Elizabeth Goitein of the Brennan Center for Justice says presidential emergency powers, which President Trump has used to enact major policies, are the stuff of authoritarian regimes and should be curbed.

NPR's Mary Louise Kelly talks to former Prime Minister of New Zealand Jacinda Ardern about balancing leadership and motherhood.

Tuesdays, 9:30 a.m. –12:30 p.m. January 14–February 11 (5 weeks, 15 total hour of instruction) AAC Print Room Looking at a life organically: Pick a time frame or a theme: a day-in-the-life, the places where you have lived, a special trip, or significant events over a lifetime. We will map the event(s), then utilize words, text-as-image, and actual images to represent those events as a vine that winds its way through the pages of an accordion book. This organic approach uncovers the threads that connect these phenomena, as well as your thoughts about them. For the cover page, we will make a low-tech, ink self-portrait. Then, using folded paper, we will create non-adhesive hardcovers to house the accordion pages. The resulting structure will be an exploration of the twists and turns of self-reflection on our past stories and our potential future stories. Materials: Cutting knife, stylus (for scoring), sharp pencils and a good eraser (Pink Pearl is good), glue (UHU glue stick or PVA & brush or small roller), 12” ruler, scissors. Optional/recommended: 12” centering/beveled ruler, bench hook with cutting mat (9” x 12” cutting mat size is ideal), bone folder. Materials will be provided to create the book and the covers. Max Students: 8 Visit: https://www.ljathenaeum.org/classes/71 Athenaeum Music and Arts Library on Instagram and Facebook

Join us at Southwestern College Art Gallery for the opening of Movidas Razquaches and Other Cheap Thrills, a collection of new work by artist Perry Vásquez. The exhibition is open from February 4 - March 4, 2025. Regular Gallery hours are Monday through Thursday, 10:30 AM -2:30 PM or by appointment. ARTIST STATEMENT“As an artist I try to pay attention to things being created and consumed within my milieu along the San Diego/Tijuana boundary. I find inspiration by reframing and recontextualizing overlooked things I find here and there and on the margins. I chose Movidas Razquaches as the title for my show because I think it captures the spirit and methodology of what I want to accomplish as an artist.” – Perry Vásquez. ABOUT THE LANGUAGEAccording to Tomás Ybarra-Frausto, rasquachismo is a sensibility that gets expressed in Chicano cultural forms and practices. Ybarra-Frausto writes, “It is a sensibility that is not elevated and serious, but playful and elemental. It finds delight and refinement in what many consider banal and projects an alternative aesthetic, a sort of good taste of bad taste.” Like African-American funk, or the improvised inventions of Rube Goldberg, the emphasis is on wit, resourcefulness and working with what is at hand. The add-on word, movida, can be translated as a maneuver, or a play (as in a game). Poet Juan Felipe Herrera interprets movidas rasquaches as “cheap thrills”, linking it to a pleasurable activity open to anyone who cares to partake. While legal scholar Alfredo Mirandé offers the word “hustle,” suggesting an illicit or unethical way to make a living. Sociologist David Spener uses movidas rasquaches to describe the network of the ad hoc work-arounds and tricks employed by migrants to navigate the US/Mexico border. While no single one of these terms perfectly captures the full meaning, taken together they give a reliable framework for interpretation. ABOUT THE WORKOver the last year and a half, Vásquez has created new work that divides into four projects using different media and including collaborative and solo work. Some of the projects are well established while others are being presented to the public for the first time in this exhibition. Blankets Vásquez collects flyers advertising gardening services left on his driveway by workers seeking employment. The no-thrills graphic style and the not-so-subtle way in which they seem to copy each other caught the artist’s eye. The act of weaving the flyers into blanket designs celebrates the DIY approach while reminding us of the workers’ aspirations to provide warmth and shelter for their families. Le Voyage/El Viaje This is an AI imaging project whose goal was to rethink and replace the transactional language used to prompt and generate AI images. “The AI image making process is hyper-focused on the outcome as the only part of the process with artistic merit. The prompt itself is written to be transactional and limiting.” Vásquez turned the process of generating imagery into a Surrealist game by inserting lines from French poet Charles Baudellaire’s poem Le Voyage into the software. The resulting images were used as the basis for a series of oil paintings. Monopalms The presence of cell towers disguised as palm trees (monopalms) has become a common sight in Southern California. This series of paintings implies the link between palm trees and the myth of paradise. The paintings also offer commentary on the telecommunications industry and how it alters our perception of nature and our sense of public and private space. Mexus Nexus Fluxus Inspired by Mexican recording artist Esquivel and the German techno artist Señor Coconut, Vásquez arranged four traditional Mexican songs for the synthesizer. He then worked with visual artists Lianne Mueller-Thompson and Carlos Solorio to create video and animations for the music. The music will be presented as a video installation. RECEPTIONSSaturday February 8, 11 AM -1 PM. (free parking in Lot O for this event) Tuesday, February 11, 11 AM -1 PM.

Kosuke Matsuda will present his solo recital on Monday, January 6th, 2025, at 5 p.m. at the Conrad Prebys Music Center Experimental Theater. This recital marks a significant milestone for Matsuda as it concludes his Doctor of Musical Arts degree and launches his 2025 season as a music performer. The concert showcases works by John Cage, Kaija Saariajo, and Hans Werner Henze, whose compositions integrate Japanese concepts of silence and sound as central musical elements. Through these pieces, Matsuda aims to explore how silence can be shaped by sound and gesture, offering a nuanced interpretation of its depth and meaning. In his doctoral research, Matsuda delved into the conceptual differences of silence in Japanese culture, analyzing its representation in literature and its influence on music. The Japanese language itself offers over seven words to express varying forms of quietness and tranquility, each with unique contextual nuances. This recital invites audiences to experience these dimensions of silence brought to life through music. This recital also serves as the beginning of Matsuda’s 2025 concert season, which will include a solo performance in Tokyo, Japan, on March 12th, 2025, and additional engagements throughout the year. Join Kosuke Matsuda on January 6th for an evening of profound musical exploration, where sound and silence intertwine to create a deeply reflective concert experience. Kosuke Matsuda, originally from Nagasaki, Japan, began his career as a percussionist, deeply inspired by the natural soundscape of his hometown. Matsuda pursued a master’s degree at Aichi University of the Fine Arts. He continued his studies in the United States, earning a second master’s degree and Artist Diploma at the Frost School of Music, University of Miami. Currently based in San Diego, he is completing his Doctor of Musical Arts degree at UC San Diego. Visit: https://music-web.ucsd.edu/concerts/cms_index.php?now=1&query_event_code=20250106-Matsuda Kosuke Matsuda on Facebook

Saturday, 10 a.m. – 2 p.m. January 25 (1 day, 4 hours of instruction) La Jolla Studio Explore making fun, floral, fabric collages embellished with embroidery and hand stitching. These little gems can be turned into wall hangings and pillow embellishments, used as part of a quilt or in a visible mending project. You could embellish a cloth tote or decorate your denim jacket with one. We will focus on color and design using basic stitches and appliqué. Nancy will teach you the techniques and walk you through the step-by-step process to assist you with creating your work of art! Nancy’s approach is all about self-expression. Please feel free to bring any fabrics or swatch of clothing that you like or has a special meaning that you would like to include in your project. All the sewing and embroidery is done by hand. It is a slow stitch process. Prerequisites: Please be able to thread a needle, tie a knot repeatedly, and make a basic running stitch. (A bonus if you can backstitch.) Materials: Students to bring: A needle or two for sewing and embroidery, embroidery thread or floss, sharp fabric scissors, any fabrics, bits of lace or clothing that has a special meaning, beads, or baubles that you would like to include in your project. Please pack a snack! Instructor to bring: The instructor will provide background fabric, fabric scraps, bits and bobs, embroidery floss and threads, basic tools, samples for inspiration, and stitch-sample books. *If you don’t need to use any of the instructor’s supplies—and you have lots of opaque and transparent fabric scraps, embroidery thread, floss, and needles, as well as a background fabric in linen or vintage cotton approximately 18” x 18”—you can bring them and forgo paying instructor for materials. *Please note: The best fabric is linen, cotton, or something used or vintage. If you want to stitch on knit fabrics (T-shirt type), you can. NO heavy fabrics like denim! We will be layering many pieces together. Max students: 12 Visit: https://www.ljathenaeum.org/classes/14 Athenaeum Music & Arts Library on Instagram and Facebook

Join us for our next relaxing Paint and Sip night at Solterra Winery and Kitchen! Enjoy a Sunday evening sipping on your favorite wine and learning how to recreate “The Guitar”, a vibrant acoustic guitar adorned with spring flowers. Local artists will guide you step by step and inspire you and your friends to tap into your creative side! Solterra is a local gem with amazing food and prize-winning wine. Their kitchen offers tapas, flatbreads, burgers, charcuterie boards, and more!! Check out their menu happy hour starts at 3:30 p.m. - 5:30 p.m. daily, so if you want to take advantage of a happy hour make sure to show up early to place your order!! Kids 15 and older may join. Additional Information We encourage artistic freedom! You can alter the painting to fit your style and use any of our colors. Things to know: We require a 48-hour notice for cancellations/rescheduling. Refunds must be requested within 3 days of purchase. After 3 days a credit will be given. Check-in begins 15 minutes before the event start time. Give yourself time to park to avoid arriving late. No outside food or drink is allowed. They are available for purchase. Wine is not included in your ticket purchase. If you have any questions about the event, feel free to contact customer service. Visit: The Guitar Paint and Sip Solterra Winery & Kitchen on Instagram

Join us for our next Paint and Sip at Black Plague Brewery in Oceanside! Sip on tasty beers and munch on juicy burgers as you learn how to paint your own rendition of this fun and vibrant “Sugar Skull”. Local artists will lead you step by step for this beginner friendly project. Expect the skull to be outlined for your guidance and leave the rest to your imagination! Black Plague Brewing is a unique craft brewery in Oceanside, CA!! Their brand represents the misfits, renegades, underdogs, and rebels! You can expect artwork centered around dark aspects of life that people tend to shy away from. You can check out their taproom menu menu before you head over! Additional Information We encourage artistic freedom! You can alter the painting to fit your style and use any of our colors. Things to know: We require a 48-hour notice for cancellations/rescheduling. Refunds must be requested within 3 days of purchase. After 3 days a credit will be given. Check-in begins 15 minutes before the event start time. Give yourself time to park to avoid arriving late. No outside food or drink is allowed. They are available for purchase. Wine is not included in your ticket purchase. If you have any questions about the event, feel free to contact customer service. Visit: Sugar Skull Paint and Sip Black Plague Brewing on Instagram and Facebook

Books Through Bars San Diego fulfills thousands of book requests from incarcerated people nationwide. Volunteers ship books and write letters in response.