Kennedy Center Layoffs Kick Off Ahead of Shutdown

The Kennedy Center has started cutting staff as it prepares for a planned two-year shutdown ordered by President Trump, reports the Washington Post. It's not clear how many people received notices, but the newspaper says the number is likely "double digits" across a variety of departments. Among those dismissed were Nick Meade and Rick Loughery, senior leaders brought in by former Kennedy Center president Richard Grenell, a Trump ally tasked with overseeing the center's overhaul. "Staffing decisions will support the broader move toward a successful closure for renovations," said Roma Daravi, the center's vice president of public relations, in a statement.

In another development, Democratic Rep. Joyce Beatty filed a motion in federal court in DC on Wednesday demanding that the Trump administration revert to calling the facility the Kennedy Center, reports NPR. The White House has begun referring to it as the Trump-Kennedy Center, and it has already changed the name on the building, though Congress has not yet signed off on a formal change. Meanwhile, the center will indeed bestow its Mark Twain Prize for American Humor on Bill Maher.