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John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts

Arcs in the news about John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts from the outlets we track, each followed from its first story to its last, with who covered it.

Organization · 137 stories · 2,145 articles · earliest story we hold Nov 15, 2023

Right nowactive arcs, newest development first

  • Trump's takeover of the Kennedy Center
    Feb 3, 2025week of Sep 28, 2026

    Sep 26 Kennedy Center put off planned repairs despite known structural issues, former employees allege

    62 stories · earliest story we hold Feb 8, 2025

All arcs1 named arc in 2026

Year: changes this list, the board and the stories below.

2026202520242023

Active · 1

On a timeline

every arc in 2026 at its own dates · opens on month
Jan 1 – Oct 15, 20261 arc shown
  • Each row is an arc
  • A mark is a story, on the day it was first reported
  • Who covered it: left, center, right
JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOct
Trump's takeover of the Kennedy Center

37 of 62 stories this year

Musician Béla Fleck is the latest to cancel Kennedy Center performances after Trump's renaming · 10 articles, Jan 7Washington National Opera bows out of Kennedy Center · 30 articles, Jan 10Renée Fleming cancels Kennedy Center appearances · 6 articles, Jan 23Composer Philip Glass Withdraws Premiere From Kennedy Center · 27 articles, Jan 27Kennedy Center Programming Head Resigns Weeks After Hire Was Announced · 8 articles, Jan 29Trump says Kennedy Center will close down for up to 2 years for 'renovations' · 75 articles, Feb 2Kennedy Center head warns of 'skeletal' staff during two-year renovation · 8 articles, Feb 11Trump loyalist Ric Grenell stepping down as head of Kennedy Center · 23 articles, Mar 13Kennedy Center votes to shut down operations for 2 years and names a new president · 25 articles, Mar 16Trump sued by historic preservation groups to block Kennedy Center changes · 13 articles, Mar 23Bill Maher to receive Mark Twain Prize from Trump Kennedy Center after White House denied initial report · 21 articles, Mar 26Judge blocks renaming of Kennedy Center after Trump · 76 articles, May 29Kennedy Center removes Trump’s name from its website after US judge’s order · 13 articles, Jun 4Trump's Name Removed From Kennedy Center Building · 49 articles, Jun 12Judge denies Kennedy Center request for pause in ruling ordering Trump's name removed from building · 8 articles, Jun 12Photos show Trump’s name removed from Kennedy Center facade · 7 articles, Jun 23Judges deny request to return Trump’s name to Kennedy Center pending an appeal · 42 articles, Jul 8Democrat announces whistleblower allegations of construction problems at Kennedy Center · 15 articles, Jul 11Judge orders Kennedy Center to pay $250,000 to performer who canceled show over addition of Trump’s name · 25 articles, Aug 11Kennedy Center votes to put Trump’s name back on building and close for renovations · 194 articles, Aug 12Federal court is asked to block Kennedy Center from returning Trump's name to building · 40 articles, Aug 16Beatty files emergency request to stop Trump's name from returning to Kennedy Center · 4 articles, Aug 21Judge hits DOJ lawyers with barrage of questions on Kennedy Center renovation and Trump renaming · 98 articles, Aug 25Kennedy Center begins removal of outdoor ‘Blue’ sculpture · 34 articles, Sep 2Kennedy Center renews call for Trump-backed shutdown after part of a ceiling collapses · 34 articles, Sep 5Kennedy Center closing after judge blocks Trump name restoration; demolition concerns grow · 277 articles, Sep 14Thousands protest closure of the Kennedy Center amid fears Trump is set to demolish the institution · 118 articles, Sep 15Beatty reveals heated discussion with Trump over Kennedy Center · 16 articles, Sep 15Kennedy niece says Trump holding Kennedy Center 'hostage' amid battle over name · 11 articles, Sep 16Emergency hearing sought over abrupt Kennedy Center closure · 8 articles, Sep 16Judge orders Kennedy Center to provide 30 days’ notice before making any major physical changes · 52 articles, Sep 17Kennedy Center director says closure will last one week 'unless extended' · 18 articles, Sep 17Barbra Streisand Decries Trump’s “Unchecked Ego” Amid His Assertion That The Kennedy Center May Be Torn Down · 7 articles, Sep 17JFK's family slams Trump over Kennedy Center: 'How small minded, how narcissistic' · 12 articles, Sep 18‘It will never be the same’: How Trump turned on the Kennedy Center and brought it to its knees · 8 articles, Sep 19Kennedy Center closure to last another week, at least, official says · 10 articles, Sep 24Kennedy Center put off planned repairs despite known structural issues, former employees allege · 22 articles, Sep 26

Coverage over timeindependent sources per week, by side, every year we hold

202377 articles202486 articles20251248 articles20262166 articles

Earlier years are still being indexed.

Nov 2023Jun 2024Jan 2025Aug 2025Mar 2026Sep 2026

LeftCenterRight

Point at or tap a week to see its count by side.

Every week as a table
Week ofLeftCenterRightArticles
Nov 13, 202363330
Nov 27, 202312014
Dec 4, 202322031
Mar 18, 202412117
Mar 25, 202463114
Jul 15, 202425124
Sep 23, 20240101
Dec 2, 20240317
Dec 9, 202442014
Jan 13, 202533018
Jan 27, 2025214216434
Feb 3, 202586837
Feb 10, 202567233
Feb 17, 20251229
Mar 3, 202547222
Mar 10, 20253307
Mar 17, 2025142515157
Mar 24, 202544017
Apr 14, 20250202
Apr 21, 202526315
May 5, 20251001
Jun 9, 202539322
Jul 21, 202527531
Aug 11, 2025810553
Aug 18, 202506219
Sep 8, 20250325
Sep 15, 20250229
Dec 1, 2025612961
Dec 8, 202548227
Dec 15, 20251115883
Dec 22, 202568653
Dec 29, 202598544
Jan 5, 2026713468
Jan 19, 20262026
Jan 26, 2026711660
Feb 2, 20261217684
Feb 9, 20263108
Mar 9, 202635419
Mar 16, 202634122
Mar 23, 202675633
May 25, 2026816870
Jun 1, 20262418
Jun 8, 2026913454
Jun 22, 20261218
Jun 29, 202623115
Jul 6, 202667654
Jul 13, 20260011
Jul 20, 20261012
Aug 3, 20260011
Aug 10, 2026232611213
Aug 17, 202667644
Aug 24, 2026202510151
Aug 31, 2026616678
Sep 7, 20261012
Sep 14, 20265910131970
Sep 21, 202698453
Sep 28, 202649533

Stories before June 28, 2026 come from archived pages, so who covered them is limited to the outlets we recovered for that period.

Everything else15 stories in 2026 not part of any arc, newest first

Stories about John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts that are not part of any arc yet

  1. Sep 29Lone GOP senator blocks bipartisan effort to prevent Trump from demolishing Kennedy Center14 articles · 14 independent sources
    2 left, 5 center, 1 right
  2. Jul 21No, Netflix Didn’t Cut a Trump Joke From Whitney Cummings’ Set at Mark Twain Prize Ceremony5 articles · 5 independent sources
    1 left, 0 center, 1 right
  3. Jul 1– 2Kennedy Center rolling out $25,000 VIP rooftop tickets for July 4th celebrations13 articles · 7 independent sources
    0 left, 3 center, 1 right
  4. Jan 23– 30Melania Trump documentary to premiere at Kennedy Center22 articles · 14 independent sources
    1 left, 2 center, 4 right

Stories that name John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts

  1. Sep 27– 28Kennedy suggests 'rule' that no politician should have a building named after them while alive7 articles · 7 independent sources
    0 left, 1 center, 6 right
  2. Sep 23– 24Trump Denies Report of Talks to Add His Name to Ford’s Theatre12 articles · 11 independent sources
    5 left, 3 center, 1 right
  3. Sep 18US Institute of Peace asks court to block Trump from carving his name into the building15 articles · 15 independent sources
    2 left, 6 center, 1 right
  4. Sep 16– 17Speaker Johnson recesses the House early as Rep. Thomas Massie pushes Hegseth impeachment40 articles · 33 independent sources
    7 left, 8 center, 5 right
  5. Sep 14– 16Supreme Court rejects Trump mail ballot restrictions ahead of midterms395 articles · 143 independent sources
    39 left, 56 center, 27 right
  6. Sep 6– 7A whiplash election year enters its final stretch as Trump holds wild cards12 articles · 12 independent sources
    0 left, 2 center, 0 right
  7. Aug 25– 27Pennsylvania reports first 2 measles deaths in the US this year, both people unvaccinated57 articles · 45 independent sources
    10 left, 16 center, 5 right
  8. Jan 27– Feb 3Iran conditionally agrees to nuclear talks with US, first since Trump’s military strikes last summer40 articles · 21 independent sources
    1 left, 7 center, 4 right
  9. Jan 6Trump, House Republicans meet to talk about their election year agenda9 articles · 7 independent sources
    0 left, 3 center, 1 right
  10. Jan 6Fifth anniversary of the Jan. 6 attack brings fresh division to the Capitol23 articles · 14 independent sources
    2 left, 4 center, 0 right

Local coverage

  1. Sep 19Thousands rally outside shuttered Kennedy Center, chanting ‘Hands off!’2 articles · 2 independent sources
    2 left, 0 center, 0 right
John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts · Throughline | Slantwise