An appeals court in Washington DC rejected an emergency appeal on Friday evening seeking to pause the removal of Donald Trump's name from the Kennedy Center, marking a key moment in the ongoing dispute over the building's facade.
Justice Department lawyers representing Trump and his hand-picked Kennedy Center board had filed the emergency appeal earlier in the day, asking the court to stay a judge's order requiring the removal of his name from the exterior of Washington's leading performing arts venue. The Kennedy Center submitted its appeal just before the Friday evening deadline set by US District Judge Christopher Cooper, who earlier denied a last-minute bid to keep Trump's name on the building.
As crews returned on Friday evening, onlookers gathered at the center to cheer on workers in hard hats and yellow vests, who appeared ready to pry the president's name from its marbled exterior. The crowd chanted, "Take it down!"
The building is currently named the Donald J Trump and the John F Kennedy Memorial Center for the Performing Arts. Many Washington residents have viewed the rebranding of the Kennedy Center and Trump's other architectural ambitions as narcissistic and anti-democratic. Carolyn, a 50-year-old retired government worker who did not wish to give her surname, said: "Putting his name on everything is right out of the dictator playbook."
US Justice Department Approves $111bn Merger of Paramount and Warner Bros Discovery
Trump's Department of Justice has approved the $111bn merger of Paramount Skydance, controlled by the Ellison family, and Warner Bros Discovery, parent company of networks including CNN and HBO. The deal was approved by the Justice Department's anti-trust division after months of review, despite concerns from many in the entertainment and media industries that it will hurt competition by reducing the number of film studios and potentially merging two news networks, Paramount's CBS News and CNN.
US-Iran Peace Deal Remains Elusive
Prospects for an immediate end to the war between Iran and the US remained uncertain on Friday amid conflicting claims by US and Iranian officials about ongoing negotiations. Trump seemed to distance himself from earlier comments suggesting a preliminary agreement could be signed as soon as this weekend, posting angry social media messages describing the Iranians as "very dishonorable people to deal with."
Trump Pushes Congress to Expunge Impeachments
President Trump is pressing Congress to erase one of the darkest chapters of his political career, urging Republicans to pass a resolution that would symbolically nullify the two impeachments he suffered during his first term. The effort, first reported by the Wall Street Journal and confirmed by a White House official, would allow Trump to claim a symbolic victory on a key grievance. However, experts say it would have little legal significance, as the Constitution provides no procedure for undoing an impeachment.
Trump Officials Cut Federal Funds to LA Homeless Services Agency
The Trump administration has suspended federal funding to Los Angeles's beleaguered homelessness agency. The announcement is the latest move rescinding funding to California, where Trump has feuded with the state's Democratic leaders.
Other News
- SpaceX made the biggest stock market debut in history on Friday after nearly 25 years as a private company. Public trading began around midday with a starting share price of $150, which quickly jumped by a double-digit percentage, sending the company's valuation above $2tn, where it remained through market close. The IPO made CEO Elon Musk the world's first trillionaire.
- A federal judge in Virginia extended an order blocking the Trump administration's nearly $1.8bn slush fund, saying the administration's public statements that the fund was dead were not assuring enough.
- Across the US, children with autism as young as 18 months old are being given unapproved stem cell treatments at clinics in Florida, Texas, and elsewhere, part of a growing market operating beyond FDA approval.
- Dozens of women detained inside the Delaney Hall immigration detention facility in New Jersey announced their participation in a hunger and labor strike, advocates announced on Thursday.
