China Razes Artist's Studio

By order of the Chinese government, the brand new Shanghai art studio of Ai Weiwei, a well-known and outspoken artist in China, was destroyed by bulldozers Tuesday morning. Ai has angered Chinese officials for criticizing endemic corruption in the Communist state, as well as speaking out publicly in support of imprisoned Nobel Laureate Liu Xiaobo, democratic movements, and other human-rights causes. The studio was a draw to leading artists from around the world. "Everything is gone,” Ai said. “It’s all black now. They finished the job at 9 o’clock last night.”