Roundup: Islamic State loses control of Palmyra, discoveries at King Tut’s tomb, a hypnotic digital deer cam

A moment of relief as Syrian troops retake an ancient archaeological site from the hands of Islamic State. Possible new discoveries in the tomb of King Tut. And the artificial intelligence chatbot that didn’t survive a day on the Internet. Plus: Reviewing Santiago Calatrava’s latest, how to be unprofessional and the “Grand Theft Auto” modification that may have you watching for hours on end. Here’s the Roundup:

— Syrian troops have retaken the ancient city of Palmyra from Islamic State militants. Time has Russian drone footage that provides an overview of what remains of the old Silk Road crossroads, as well as the contemporary human settlement of Tadmur that sits nearby. About 80% of the artifacts appear to be largely intact. The country’s antiquities chief says repairs will take five years. Other experts say it’s too early to tell.

— Egyptian officials announced that there might be two unexplored chambers behind King Tutankhamun’s tomb at Luxor.

— A wondrous, sprawling mural in Cairo covers the facades of 50 buildings in the district where the city’s garbage collectors live.

The remains of a home partially employed by artist Ryan Mendoza for an installation in Europe. Neighbors have taken issue with the way the demolition has been handled.

(Ryan Garza / Associated Press)

— Artist Ryan Mendoza plucked a house from Detroit to show at an art exhibition in Europe. Detroiters are upset with the mess the artist has left behind.

— An AI millennial chatbot designed by Microsoft was shut down after 16 hours for morphing into a genocidal racist. Go, Internet.

— Rep. Jason Chaffetz of Utah is on a mission to find out if the government is spending too much on art. I’d like to know how much we’re spending on Congress to find out how much we’re spending on art.

— Christopher Hawthorne is not entirely digging the new Santiago Calatrava-designed transit station in lower Manhattan.

— As arts funding dries up in places like the U.S. and Europe, smaller and mid-range arts institutions are feeling the pain — and are growing ever more dependent on the whims of a few wealthy donors.

— Holland Cotter’s review of the David Hammons show in New York and Jen Graves’ take on Paul McCarthy in Seattle are the bits of writing that make me want to get on a plane and go.

— Andrew Berardini on how to be an unprofessional artist.

— Former L.A. County Museum of Art director Graham J.W. Beal makes an appearance in “Batman v. Superman.”

An artwork by the artist Blu, on display at the Museo della Storia at Pepoli Palace in Bologna. The show has inspired the artist to destroy his street works to prevent them from being cut out and displayed in museums.

(Giorgio Benvenuti / EPA)

— Why street artist Blu is destroying his murals in Italy.

— A worthwhile history of the 101 Freeway by Nathan Masters, as well as a history (and analysis) of L.A.’s “water freeway,” the L.A. River.

— A fascinating piece by Geoff Manaugh on the LAPD’s aerial surveillance techniques. An intriguing way of seeing the city.

— And Bill Esparza’s report on a narco-culture-themed taquería in Maywood.

— ESPN posted an image of poverty outside Havana’s sports stadium last week, to juxtapose the well-kept stadium with the shabby neighborhood around it. And the Internet responded … with images of the shabby neighborhoods that surround many U.S. sporting venues. A good reminder about who stadiums are good for — because it never seems to be the neighborhoods they are located in.

— “We pay high taxes to live here. The coyotes don’t pay taxes, they aren’t voting.” Stay classy, San Francisco.

— Speaking of San Francisco (the one everyone used to like), there’s an interesting profile of Thrasher magazine’s “Ambassador of Stoke” Jake Phelps in California Sunday.

— ARTnews has a long Q&A with one of my all-time favorite Tweeters, the morbid-funny-bizarre-surreal @BAKKOOONN, a.k.a. photographer Oliver Leach.

— And last but not least, the modified version of ‘Grand Theft Auto’ that will have you watching for hours.

Find me on Twitter @cmonstah.