Live Nation CEO Michael Rapino and Smith Entertainment Group CEO Ryan Smith said this week live events are more central than ever to culture and commerce in a post-pandemic world.
The executives spoke at CNBC Sport and Boardroom’s Game Plan conference on Tuesday, saying the demand for in-person events has been unmistakable.
“No matter what you bring to that table that day, you unite around that one shared experience,” Rapino said. “For those two hours, I tend to drop whatever baggage I have and have a shared moment.”
According to Goldman Sachs, the live music industry is expected to grow at a 7.2% compounded annual rate through 2030, fueled by millennials and Gen Z.
Smith bought the Utah Jazz in 2020 and launched a new NHL franchise in the state in 2024.
“In sports, we’re really media companies,” Smith said. “We’ve got talent, we’ve got distribution. We’re putting on a show or a wedding or something every night.”
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Rapino also emphasized how the economics of music have shifted. With streaming revenue dwarfed by touring income, live shows have become one of artists’ primary sources of revenue.
“The artist is going to make 98% of their money from the show,” he said. “We just did Beyonce’s tour. She’s got 62 transport trucks outside. That’s a Super Bowl she’s putting on every night.”
Despite headlines about rising ticket prices, Rapino argued that concerts are still underpriced compared to sporting events.
“In sports, I joke it’s like a badge of honor to spend 70 grand for Knicks courtside,” Rapino said. “When you read about the ticket prices going up, it’s still an average concert price [of] $72. Try going to a Laker game for that, and there’s 80 of them [in a season].”
The cost of admission to movies, theaters and concerts rose 3.4% in August from a year earlier, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics’ consumer price index data, outpacing the full index’s increase of 2.9%. Meanwhile the cost of admission to sporting events fell 0.5% compared to the same time last year.
Ryan Smith attends a media opportunity prior to the premier game for the Utah Hockey Club at Delta Center in Salt Lake City on Oct. 8, 2024.
Bruce Bennett | Getty Images Sport | Getty Images
Looking ahead, both executives are betting heavily on Salt Lake City as a growth market. Smith and Rapino are partnering on a new downtown entertainment district anchored by sports and music venues.
The plan is to eventually host 100 to 200 nights of events a year, from NBA and NHL games to major concerts.
“If we do our job, that’s probably a million people coming downtown,” Smith said. “The impact it has on a city and businesses is almost indescribable.”
Rapino also said technology, including AI-driven ticketing, could make buying tickets smoother.
“Most websites are going to be challenged in the future, as you’re going to use that chatbot,” Rapino said. “We think ticketing, and how you find that ticket and how you can get that ticket, needs to be improved.”
Research measured fetal movements in 51 pregnant women and found that higher frequencies were strongly linked to greater maternal attachment. Paying conscious attention to these signals may be a non-invasive and effective strategy for strengthening prenatal attachment and promoting more attentive and sensitive caregiving after birth.
One of the earliest and most evident forms of fetal interaction with the environment is fetal movement, which gives the pregnant woman a sense of reassurance about the fetus’s health and development. At the same time, these movements contribute to the emotional attachment formed during pregnancy, known as maternal-fetal attachment (MFA), which helps create mental images of the baby and prepares for parenthood on an emotional level.
Previous studies have shown that counting fetal movements significantly enhances MFA scores and that mothers who perceive greater fetal movements tend to have higher MFA scores compared to those who perceive fewer. However, it is not yet clear whether this association results solely from the pregnant woman’s subjective perception or whether there is indeed a measurable relationship between actual fetal activity and the emotional bond formed during pregnancy.
To address this question, researchers Kathy Ayala and Helena Rutherford led a study supported by the Bial Foundation, in which fetal movements of 51 pregnant women in their third trimester were recorded using an actocardiograph. MFA was assessed using the Prenatal Attachment Inventory-Revised questionnaire.
The study was presented in the article Associations between fetal movement and maternal-fetal attachment in late pregnancy, published in the scientific journal Early Human Development, which involved researchers from Yale University, Yale New Haven Hospital, and Weill Cornell Medical College (USA). The results showed that the more active the fetus is, the stronger the emotional bond tends to be between mother and baby. This relationship remained significant even when other factors that could influence bonding were considered, such as the mother’s mood, gestational age, parity, or knowledge of the baby’s sex.
These findings reinforce the importance of fetal movements during pregnancy, not only as indicators of health but also as a form of communication that helps strengthen the emotional attachment between mother and child. Even when not consciously perceived, fetal movements appear to play an active role in creating this emotional connection. Paying attention to and interacting with the baby’s movements (for example, through observation or simple emotional responses) can be a simple, natural, and non-invasive way to promote stronger bonding before birth. This attachment may positively impact postnatal caregiving, making it more attentive, sensitive, and emotionally attuned to the baby.
Although our findings align with previous research, our work goes further by using objective measurements of fetal movements rather than relying solely on maternal perception. By using a fetal actocardiograph, we were able to capture movements not perceived by the mother, allowing for a more rigorous and unbiased examination of the link between fetal activity and prenatal attachment”.
Helena Rutherford, researcher
“Considering that MFA is associated with more engaged and stimulating mother-infant interactions after birth, understanding these prenatal associations offers valuable insights into how early psychological and relational processes shape development throughout the perinatal period”, elucidates the researcher.
Source:
Journal reference:
Ayala, K., et al. (2025). Associations between fetal movement and maternal-fetal attachment in late pregnancy. Early Human Development. doi.org/10.1016/j.earlhumdev.2025.106351
JERUSALEM, Sept. 17 (Xinhua) — An international team of researchers has found that radio wave measurements from the moon could advance scientific understanding of dark matter, which makes up most of the matter in the universe yet remains largely unknown, according to a statement issued by Israel’s Tel Aviv University (TAU) on Wednesday.
In the new study published in Nature Astronomy, scientists from TAU, along with colleagues from Japan, India, and Britain, focused on the Cosmic Dark Ages, about 100 million years after the Big Bang, before the first stars were formed.
They found that dark matter likely formed dense clumps during this period, which caused hydrogen gas to emit stronger radio waves.
The study suggested that by measuring these radio waves from space, scientists could uncover key details about dark matter.
Since Earth’s atmosphere blocks radio waves from the early universe, the researchers stated that the best place to observe them is from the moon, which provides a quiet and stable environment without interference from Earth’s atmosphere or human-made signals.
While placing telescopes on the moon is a significant challenge, global space agencies are already planning lunar missions and seeking scientific objectives.
The researchers hope their study will guide these efforts, explaining that these radio signals could reveal how dark matter influenced the early universe.
Although weak, the signals from before the first stars formed are clearer because they are not affected by starlight.
The researchers noted that with advanced antennas, especially on the moon, scientists could map these signals and study the patterns created by dark matter clumps. Enditem
Eva Longoria returns to U.S. to promote major new project
Eva Longoria is back in the United States this week to promote her new docuseries Necaxa, which spotlights her role as co-owner of Mexican soccer club Club Necaxa.
The Desperate Housewives alum, who has been splitting her time between Mexico and Spain with husband José Bastón and their son Santiago, appeared on Good Morning America on Wednesday to discuss the project.
The series documents her efforts to revitalize the team, drawing comparisons to Ryan Reynolds and Rob McElhenney’s high-profile takeover of Wrexham AFC.
Reynolds and McElhenney are also investors in Necaxa, and Longoria revealed the advice they gave her before taking on the challenge.
“They said prepare for heartbreak,” she recalled. “Sports is so emotional, with all the ups and the downs. It is an emotional roller coaster.”
During her appearance, Longoria also reflected on her Desperate Housewives character Gaby Solis, joking that today she “would be an influencer… probably the original fashion influencer.”
She also quipped that co-star Marcia Cross’s character Bree Van de Kamp would have become “the first Martha Stewart.”
The actress, who continues to juggle acting, producing, and philanthropic work, said she looks back fondly on the hit series that made her a household name.
“It was one of the best times in my life and I have such fond memories of the show,” she said.
Newswise — NEW YORK (September 17, 2025) – The Mount Sinai Health System has received an $8 million grant from DataPhilanthropy to fuel urgently needed research into CADASIL, a genetic disease associated with changes to small blood vessels causing migraines, strokes, cognitive decline, and dementia. The funding, administered by DataPhilanthropy, will establish a first-of-its-kind translational center dedicated to development of treatments for cerebral small vessel diseases for successful aging across the lifespan. The effort will be led by Dr. Fanny Elahi, MD, PhD, a renowned physician-scientist and one of the world’s foremost experts on neurovascular degenerative disorders and CADASIL.
“With no existing treatments for CADASIL, this generous grant gives us the freedom to move quickly, ask bold scientific questions, and pursue multiple promising paths toward treatments,” said Dr. Elahi.
CADASIL (Cerebral Autosomal Dominant Arteriopathy with Subcortical Infarcts and Leukoencephalopathy) is often overlooked and underdiagnosed. This disease offers a powerful window into the biology of vascular aging and dementia. Unlike Alzheimer’s disease and other age-related neurodegenerative conditions, CADASIL is caused by a single gene mutation in NOTCH3, making it easier to study across human cohorts and model systems in order to potentiate drug discovery. Further, its slow progression over the course of several decades is also advantageous because it provides a larger window for therapeutic intervention.
“This grant is deeply personal. In 2018, my dear friend and industry colleague was diagnosed with CADASIL, a disease that I’ve since learned a lot about and that deserves far more attention and investment,” said Mr. Green. “I’m a big believer that using data in the right way can improve people’s lives. And it was motivating to see Dr. Elahi’s fearless commitment to progress the research of this disease. Her patient-centered approach, scientific rigor, and bold vision for finding treatments for CADASIL and translating discoveries into broader breakthroughs inspire optimism. I’m eager to play a part in this work that has the potential to yield profound impact on patients.”
To read more about Jeff and Steve’s friendship and commitment to CADASIL research, click here.
The vision of this new center is to become a leading hub for research and clinical care dedicated to neurovascular degenerative disorders, with a strong emphasis on advancing innovative clinical trials for CADASIL, brain vascular aging, and dementia. The center’s multidisciplinary teams will focus on extending brain healthspan and preventing dementia in individuals with genetic risk for cerebrovascular disease and in aging populations. Its discovery science will remain firmly patient-centered, bridging clinical and bench research to address a singular, urgent goal: extending the brain’s healthspan in those most vulnerable to vascular contributions to cognitive decline and dementia. The center’s integrative approach will combine clinical data, molecular profiling, and experimental modeling to identify biologically actionable targets—beyond the primary disease-causing genes—as well as associated biomarkers to accelerate the path from scientific discovery to effective treatment.
“This extraordinary grant from the DataPhilanthropy accelerates the mission of the Friedman Brain Institute to turn scientific discoveries into new therapies that improve patients’ lives,” said Paul J. Kenny, PhD, Ward-Coleman Professor and Chair of the Department of Neuroscience at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai and Interim Director of the Friedman Brain Institute at Mount Sinai. “Dr. Fanny Elahi is a world-leading expert on CADASIL, whose pioneering work at the intersection of vascular biology, clinical neurology, and biomarker development uniquely positions her to lead transformative advances against this devastating genetic disorder. Under Dr. Elahi’s leadership, this new center will harness the full translational power of our neuroscience enterprise to address CADASIL and other devastating neurovascular conditions.”
The center will be guided by an international advisory board of experts from academia and industry and serve as a hub for breakthrough innovation in vascular neurodegeneration. Dr. Elahi believes that blood vessels and their breakdown may be the earliest and most treatable roots of dementia.
Dr. Elahi’s career reflects a deep commitment to patient-centered science. In 2019, she began working with cureCADASIL, a patient advocacy group, to build the first U.S.-based therapeutic discovery program for CADASIL—earning a 2022 Chan Zuckerberg Initiative grant to close key knowledge gaps and engage patients in the research process. Mount Sinai recruited her earlier that year to build a full translational pipeline for vascular contributions to neurodegenerative disease. The center will also leverage Mount Sinai’s wealth of expertise and knowledge in both vascular disorders and drug development and have affiliated faculty across departments, existing centers and institutes.
“This is a watershed moment for not only the CADASIL community but neurovascular research as a whole,” emphasized Dr. Elahi. “With this support, we have the opportunity to transform years of scientific discovery into tangible progress for patients and their families. Mount Sinai is uniquely positioned to lead this effort through the creation of a dedicated center focused on advancing translational research and developing novel therapeutics for neurovascular disease. Importantly, the insights generated here will extend far beyond CADASIL, advancing our broader understanding of vascular brain aging and neurodegenerative disorders.”
About the Mount Sinai Health System Mount Sinai Health System is one of the largest academic medical systems in the New York metro area, with 48,000 employees working across seven hospitals, more than 400 outpatient practices, more than 600 research and clinical labs, a school of nursing, and a leading school of medicine and graduate education. Mount Sinai advances health for all people, everywhere, by taking on the most complex health care challenges of our time—discovering and applying new scientific learning and knowledge; developing safer, more effective treatments; educating the next generation of medical leaders and innovators; and supporting local communities by delivering high-quality care to all who need it.
Through the integration of its hospitals, labs, and schools, Mount Sinai offers comprehensive health care solutions from birth through geriatrics, leveraging innovative approaches such as artificial intelligence and informatics while keeping patients’ medical and emotional needs at the center of all treatment. The Health System includes approximately 9,000 primary and specialty care physicians and 11 free-standing joint-venture centers throughout the five boroughs of New York City, Westchester, Long Island, and Florida. Hospitals within the System are consistently ranked by Newsweek’s® “The World’s Best Smart Hospitals, Best in State Hospitals, World Best Hospitals and Best Specialty Hospitals” and by U.S. News & World Report’s® “Best Hospitals” and “Best Children’s Hospitals.” The Mount Sinai Hospital is on the U.S. News & World Report® “Best Hospitals” Honor Roll for 2024-2025.
For more information, visit https://www.mountsinai.org or find Mount Sinai on Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, X, and YouTube.
About DataPhilanthropy DataPhilanthropy is a nonprofit organization committed to data-driven giving, strategically funding initiatives that create measurable, scalable impact in communities nationwide. By aligning philanthropy with analytics and outcomes, DataPhilanthropy ensures resources are deployed effectively to generate lasting social change.
For more information, visit https://dataphilanthropy.org/ or find DataPhilanthropy on LinkedIn
Newswise — People with more than one tattoo session may have a decreased risk of the skin cancer melanoma—with one key caveat, according to research from Huntsman Cancer Institute at the University of Utah (the U).
A team led by Jennifer Doherty, PhD, MS, Huntsman Cancer Institute investigator, co-leader of the Cancer Control and Population Sciences Program, and professor of population health sciences at the U, evaluated 7,000 Utahns and found that having 2 or more tattoo sessions decreased the risk of both invasive and in situ melanoma. In situ melanoma means the cancer cells remain on the skin’s surface and are more easily removed.
But the researchers also found that participants with only one tattoo session were more likely to have melanoma, especially in situ. The reasons why that may be the case are speculative, and more research is needed to understand this disparate pattern.
“Tattoos are increasingly common, and it’s an understudied form of environmental exposure, especially in young people. We really need to understand how tattoos could impact risk for different types of cancer,” says Doherty. “For melanoma, the results seem to be mixed. But we see people with two, three, and four tattoo sessions having decreasing risk, and that’s a stronger pattern than the increased risk with just one session.”
According to Pew Research Center, a third of American adults have tattoos. Around 41% of Americans under 30 have at least 1, as do 46% of people between the ages of 30 to 49.
Doherty says that her research team originally hypothesized that having more tattoos would increase melanoma risk due to the carcinogens—like metals and other chemicals—found in tattoo ink. Additionally, the ink in a person’s skin can break down over time and create new carcinogens that weren’t originally in the tattoo. Tattoos can also cause inflammatory responses, and inflammation is often associated with cancer risk.
“The results that tattoos could decrease melanoma risk surprised us. But this isn’t a black and white case of ‘get more tattoos, and you could lower your risk of melanoma,’” says Rachel McCarty, PhD, former doctoral student at Huntsman Cancer Institute, current post-doctoral scientist at the International Agency for Research on Cancer, and first author of the study. “Instead, we need to do more research to understand what we are seeing and if this decreased risk is simply due to behavioral or physical factors, or if there could be beneficial immune responses associated with tattooing which lower melanoma risk.”
It may be that those with several tattoo sessions are more cautious with sun safety and take better care of their skin. Tattoos could also form a physical barrier that blocks ultraviolet radiation or cause an immune response against precancerous cells, the researchers say.
McCarty says those with tattoos should continue making informed decisions about skin protection.
“Tattoo artists already advise their clients to wear sunscreen and sun protection to prevent tattoos from fading,” says McCarty. “We know wearing sunscreen is an important safety step for everyone, even without tattoos. But it’s also important for those with tattoos to take extra precautions to prevent any additional harmful components from forming in the skin when pigments break down from UV exposure.”
While this study revealed a decreased melanoma risk for those with tattoos, that may not be true for other types of cancer. An earlier project from Doherty’s team and a Swedish study both suggest that tattooing could be connected to an increased risk of certain blood cancers.
Still, the melanoma study—whose results were published in the Journal of the National Cancer Institute—is a promising step forward in understanding how tattoos can impact skin cancer risk.
“The Mountain West and the area we serve have some of the highest melanoma rates in the country,” says Douglas Grossman, MD, PhD, co-leader of the Melanoma Center at Huntsman Cancer Institute, professor of dermatology at the U, and co-author of the paper. “Better understanding risk factors for melanoma will help us improve prevention strategies across the region, advise our patients about risks more accurately, and ultimately save lives.”
About Huntsman Cancer Institute at the University of Utah Huntsman Cancer Institute at the University of Utah (the U) is the National Cancer Institute-designated Comprehensive Cancer Center for Utah, Idaho, Montana, Nevada, and Wyoming. With a legacy of innovative cancer research, groundbreaking discoveries, and world-class patient care, we are transforming the way cancer is understood, prevented, diagnosed, treated, and survived. Huntsman Cancer Institute focuses on delivering a cancer-free frontier to all communities in the area we serve. We have more than 300 open clinical trials and 250 research teams studying cancer at any given time. More genes for inherited cancers have been discovered at Huntsman Cancer Institute than at any other cancer center. Our scientists are world-renowned for understanding how cancer begins and using that knowledge to develop innovative approaches to treat each patient’s unique disease. Huntsman Cancer Institute was founded by Jon M. and Karen Huntsman.
2025/2026Snowboard FIS World Cup halfpipe, slopestyle & big air –athletes and storylines to look out for
In men’s slopestyle, the field is wide open. Among the frontrunners is American Red Gerard, the PyeongChang 2018 gold medallist, who closed out the 2024/25 season ranked second in the world— a placing that secured a quota spot for Team USA for Milano Cortina 2026. Standing just ahead of him is Canada’s Liam Brearley, who ended the 2024/25 season with a world title, and rising talent Cameron Spalding, who claimed the snowboard slopestyle Crystal Globe, and the legendary Mark McMorris, among the stacked Canadian team. A three-time Olympic bronze medallist, McMorris will be chasing a fourth Olympic Games selection.
The women’s slopestyle field has some clear leaders, starting with reigning Olympic Champ Zoi Sadowski-Synnott who is in stellar form, finishing the 2024/25 season off with the slopestyle Crystal Globe win. Sadowski Synnott’s main competition will come from Great Britain’s Mia Brookes, who finished her season off winning the overall World Cup snowboard park & pipe title after claiming seven World Cup podiums. Also in the forefront is two-time Olympic gold medallist Anna Gasser, who has announced that this will be her final Olympic bid. Expect the Austrian to throw everything she has into closing out her competitive career at the top. Japan’s powerhouse trio— Beijing 2020 bronze medallist, Murase Kokomo, two-time Olympian Iwabuchi Reira, and Fukada Mari, who won her first World Cup slopestyle competition in Calgary in February, adding to her pair of past big air wins. All will be major podium threats, as will Germany’s Annika Morgan.
Adding even more intrigue, two-time Olympic slopestyle gold medallist Jamie Anderson has revealed plans to make a run at her fourth Olympic Winter Games.
In the women’s halfpipe, two-time Olympic gold medallist Chloe Kim remains the rider to beat with her sights set on Milano Cortina 2026, for which she already secured a quota on Team USA. A third Olympic title would put her level with Shaun White as the only snowboarders to win a trio of Olympic halfpipe golds.
Hot on her heels is compatriot Maddie Mastro, fresh off a winning 2024/25 season that earned her the Crystal Globe. Armed with new tricks and fresh confidence, Mastro looks poised to challenge Kim on the sport’s biggest stage. Japan will once again field a formidable squad, led by Beijing 2022 bronze medallist Tomita Sena alongside Ono Mitsuki and the youngster Shimizu Sara—all of whom make frequent podium appearances.
The men’s halfpipe will see a battle for the ages with so many dominant riders swapping the top spot throughout the 2024/25 campaign. Japan’s Hirano Ayumu enters the season as the defending Olympic champion. His fourth-place World Cup ranking doesn’t capture the full picture of his electrifying, high-risk approach to the halfpipe. Australia’s Scotty James, the two-time Olympic medallist (silver at Beijing 2020 and bronze at PyeongChang 2018), remains one of the sport’s most consistent and stylish riders. His technical mastery was on full display with a standout victory at X Games Aspen 2025, proving he’ll be a major threat once again.
Hirano Ruka enters the 2024/25 season as a three-time Crystal Globe winner, having once again edged out his teammate Totsuka Yuto. Both Totsuka and James also boast three Crystal Globes each, underscoring just how deep the talent runs at the top of the men’s halfpipe.
In big air, the sky is literally the limit. With new dry slope /airbag training facilities popping up from New Zealand to Oregon, and back-to-back on-snow training camps throughout the off-season, riders have reportedly been pushing progression.
Big names from slopestyle tend to dominate, with some exceptions. Canadian teen Eli Bouchard stunned last season with a never-before-seen backside 1980, finishing second overall behind Japan’s Hasegawa Taiga. Italy’s Ian Matteoli, known for landing the world’s first frontside 2160, is also among the top contenders who will be aiming to make his mark in the lead-up to what would be a home Winter Games.
In the women’s field, look for Brookes, Sadowski-Synnot, Gasser,Iwabuchi, and Murase to take their slopestyle battle into big air one-upmanship.
And we’ll look forward to seeing Republic of Korea’s Chaeun Lee back in top form for this World Cup season—a rare competitor competing across all three disciplines.
Deborah Willis Photograph: Courtesy of Dario Calmese / Trunk Archive
When Dr Deborah Willis was an undergrad student at the Philadelphia College of Art, she asked the question that informed her work for years to follow: “Where are all the Black photographers?”
From photos by Gordon Parks in Time magazine to Black image-makers capturing daily life in Ebony and Jet magazines – she knew that Black photographers, like her father, were making their impact on the world. Growing up, her father was an amateur photographer, and her father’s cousin owned a photo studio, and seeing them photograph people as a child created a desire in her to become an image-maker.
At seven years old, she discovered the book The Sweet Flypaper of LifebyLangston Hughes and Roy DeCarava; upon seeing its cover image, she had a revolution. “Fast forward, I wanted to be a photographer,” she says.
Ultimately, her passion for photography would result in pioneering research for her in-depth undergrad paper, which included about 300 names and works by Black photographers. Publisher Richard Newman would recognize the importance of her findings, and together in 2000 they would create Reflections in Black: A History of Black Photographers: 1840 to the Present – the first comprehensive history of Black photographers.
Their book reshaped the narrative of America through showcasing to the nation images that centered the point of view and life of the everyday Black person in the moments in which they were facing discrimination and subjected to subhuman treatment.
A Harlem newsboy in New York, New York. Photograph: Gordon Parks/Library of Congress
On 18 November, a new edition of the book will be released; in coordination she has curated an exhibit titled Reflections in Black: A Reframing on view in New York City. Willis is now a professor and chair of the photography and imaging department at New York University and its Center for Black Visual Culture Institute for African American Affairs. She has also published many other books and held several teaching positions and, in a full circle moment, she was curator of photographs and prints at the New York Public Library’s Schomburg Center for Research in Black Culture which served as her guiding light as she did her undergrad research.
She hopes Reflections in Black allows people to rethink their stereotypes of Blackness. “I want people to see that this work that the artists are making is about freedom, freedom to express that voice that James Baldwin always talked about,” she says. “Freedom to think of progress and to see the new narratives that are not based on others who only see Black people as othered and demeaning … and see it as an intervention.”
Throughout the book, she guides the audience through pivotal moments that informed the image-making process of Black photographers. First, daguerreotypes invented by Louis Daguerre were the first successful photographic process introduced to the public in 1839. This new image-making technique that shaped photography from 1840 to 1900 allowed Black photographers such as James P Ball, Glenalvin Goodridge, and Augustus Washington to make portraits of the everyday African American.
From 1900 to 1940, Black photographers started to have their own studios, allowing photography to become more accessible during a time in which Black people were facing segregation and discrimination.
“One need only peruse the visual representations of Black people commonly produced on postcards and sheet music to realize that the exaggerated features and demeaning situations depicted there left an enduring negative impact, one that has endured to this day,” Willis writes in Reflections in Black. “Most of their African American clients wanted to celebrate their achievements and establish a counter-image that conveyed a sense of self and self-worth.”
From 1930 to 1940, Black photographers such as Gordon Parks, Vera Jackson, and Arthur Eddie Williamson began working as photojournalists for local newspapers and magazines, such as Our World, Ebony, Sepia and Flash, which were marketed to Black readers. Their photographs became a more comprehensive coverage of political events and protests, with the help of smaller handheld cameras in the 1930s.
Portrait of a couple, circa 1899. Photograph: Daniel Freeman/Courtesy of the Estate of Dr James K Hill
Black image-makers in the 1950s to 1960s, such as Doug Harris, Elaine Tomlin, and Bobo Fletcher, began to study photography in workshops, art schools, and community centers. “Many of these photographers were determined to awaken social consciousness,” Willis notes in the first edition of Reflections in Black. “Their work is a testimony to the depth of understanding and love these photographers have for humanity.”
From the 1980s to the 1990s, work by photographers such as Coreen Simpson began to be viewed as fine art, combining graphic abstraction and conceptual photography. Many of these images were “informed by their families and explored how they dealt with social issues like racism, unemployment, and child and sexual abuse”, Willis writes. Photographers ask their viewers to “contextualize his or her own experience within the visual referents offered by the photographer, and in doing so to find her or his own historical perspective, interpretation, or meaning in these works”, Willis writes.
Currently, she is intrigued by photographers who are asking difficult questions about their personal and family lives while creating abstract photographs and using colors to photograph their environment. “Photographers are documenting, but they’re also making and asking questions about the future,” she says. “At the same time, they’re finding ways to celebrate the lives that have been lived and using new technologies to make three-dimensional images, making them monumental.”
All American Family Portrait, 2018. Photograph: Courtesy of Tyler Mitchell
The Black New Vanguard, a term coined by Antwaun Sargen, a writer, editor and curator, recognizes the current decision by photographers like Tyler Mitchell and Adama Delphine Fawundu to move photography forward by adding film-making, memory studies and historical references to their process. Willis says in this movement, “you just find pleasure, you just find passion, and so I see that in some other ways that the new vanguard, that they are looking at ways to find pleasure and joy in their experiences, as they experience the difficult moments”.
As the photographers adapted and changed their style, for Willis the concept of beauty has an everlasting presence in the work of Black image-makers. She began to notice the presence of everyday beauty in her mother’s salon growing up. “I learned beauty matters for women of all ages and all disciplines,” she says. But her experiences in 2001, transformed how she defined beauty. That year was a “shocking, awful, and surprising experience”, as she describes it.
After winning the MacArthur award that year, her 27-year-old nephew was killed during an altercation at a nightclub in Philadelphia when he was on his way to help her install an art exhibit she curated in DC. The first thing she said to herself upon hearing about his death was, “These kids did not know love. How could you not know love? How could they not see his beauty? How could that happen?”
Ntozake Shange in October 1977. Photograph: Anthony Barboza
Months later, she was diagnosed with breast cancer, and as a result she began to lose her hair, and noticed how uncomfortable people became with her bald head and lack of eyebrows. “Even in illness, beauty is important, because people would say some horrible things, and be insensitive to the fact that I’m dealing with my mortality,” she notes.
“I thought about Toni Morrison and her work, and she said, ‘Beauty is,’ and then just those two words meant so much to me,” she says. “I started thinking about images from the 19th century, how Black women who were enslaved, how they began to adorn themselves, and why it was important for them to see themselves as human.”
In the new edition of Reflections in Black, she continues her mission by not portraying beauty as a performance, but by illuminating the quiet everyday moments of Black life that are full of hope, struggle, resilience and joy
“I’m hoping people will see that [Black] people are not performing” Willis says. “[and] that we are human.”
Saturn makes its triumphant return to the dusk sky.
It seems like most of the planets have fled the evening scene. 2025 sees a decided lack of planetary action after sunset, just when many observers are out skywatching. Jupiter hangs high at dawn, and the crescent Moon is making its sunward dive this week, towards a rare triple conjunction with Regulus and Venus on Friday the 19th. Mars is currently the sole planet in the evening sky, although it’s now receding from us, lost low in the murk of dusk. At least it has newly discovered comet C/2025 R2 SWAN and distant interstellar Comet 3I/ATLAS (passing 0.2 Astronomical Units from Mars on October 3rd) to keep it company.
But that’s about to change this week. Saturn reaches opposition on Sunday, September 21st, passing closest to the Earth at just over 8.5 Astronomical Units (AU) or 1.3 million kilometers distant, and rising opposite to the setting Sun. This marks the best time to view the ringed world, as it dominates the night sky from sunset until sunrise.
Saturn rising to the east at opposition. Credit: Stellarium.
Saturn in 2025
Opposition 2025 also occurs just 37 hours before the southward equinox on September 22nd. You can see the result as Saturn loiters near the March equinoctial point known as the First Point of Aries, now located in the astronomical constellation of Pisces the Fishes. This is where the Sun sits in March.
Shining at magnitude +0.6, Stately Saturn takes 29 years to orbit the Sun. In the pre-telescopic era, Saturn actually represented the edge of the solar system, a frontier beyond which lay the vault of the heavens.
Saturn’s Wobbling Rings
Seeing the rings of Saturn are always the highlight of any evening star party. Even a small 60mm refractor at low power will reveal the ring system. 2025 is also a special year, as the rings appeared mainly edge on as seen from the Earth. This cycle happens once every 14 years, and the rings are headed towards their widest tilt of 27 degrees open once again in 2032.
There’s also an annual wobble, due mainly to the orbit of the Earth. For example, even though the rings crossed edge-on on March 23rd 2025, they actually widened by about 5 degrees again this summer, and are near edge-on again at opposition before finally widening once more in to 2026. The southern hemisphere is now tipping towards us through the next 14 year cycle, before the rings are once again edge-on in 2039.
The changing tilt of Saturn’s rings as seen from the Earth. Image credit: Roger Hutchison.
At the eyepiece, the shadow of the planet on the rings disappears around opposition, as it’s cast straight back from our point of view. You may, however, still notice the thin ribbon of the ring system’s shadow cast back on the planet itself.
An enviable view of Saturn as captured by NASA’s Cassini mission. Credit: NASA/JPL-Caltech/SSI reprocessing by Kevin M. Gill/Thomas Thomopoulos.
The rings of Saturn are especially prone to a brightening around opposition. This is known as the Seeliger effect, also known as opposition surge. This occurs because the little snowball particles in the rings are all at 100% illumination around opposition, acting like little retro-reflectors free of shadow.
The Opposition Surge effect, seen in this series of images of 1 Ceres taken by NASA’s Dawn spacecraft. Credit: NASA/Dawn
You see this on other objects in the solar system as well. For example, the quarter phase (half illuminated) Moon has a magnitude of -10.4, though the Full Moon shines at a dazzling magnitude -12.4. That’s 2 full magnitudes or almost six times as bright for just double the apparent area.
Also, watch for Saturn’s retinue of moons shuffling back and forth from night to night. Saturn is currently the record holder in our solar system with 274 (!) known moons, though you’ll only see about half a dozen at the eyepiece.
The most conspicuous is +8th magnitude Titan, orbiting Saturn once every 16 days. Titan can actually cast a shadow on Saturn near ring plane crossing season, and is just now wrapping up such a cycle in 2025. We only have two more shadow events for Titan left: one on September 20th and another on October 6th, both favoring North America.
Looking outward into the solar system, +8th magnitude Neptune also reaches opposition this month, 2 days after Saturn on September 23rd. This bluish ice giant presents a tiny 2” disk, just 3 degrees north of Saturn. It’s strange to think: on a 165 year orbit, Neptune only just completed one orbit around the Sun in 2011 since its discovery in 1846.
Saturn versus Neptune near opposition. Credit: Stellarium.
Be sure to check out Saturn this weekend, as a harbinger to the fine season of planetary observing ahead to cap off 2025.
The changing tilt of Saturn’s rings as seen from the Earth. Image credit: Roger Hutchison.
An enviable view of Saturn as captured by NASA’s Cassini mission. Credit: NASA/JPL-Caltech/SSI reprocessing by Kevin M. Gill/Thomas Thomopoulos.
The Opposition Surge effect, seen in this series of images of 1 Ceres taken by NASA’s Dawn spacecraft. Credit: NASA/Dawn
Saturn versus Neptune near opposition. Credit: Stellarium.