WASHINGTON — President Trump said Sunday that he will move to close Washington’s Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts for two years starting in July for construction, his latest proposal to upend the storied venue since returning to the White House.
Trump’s announcement on social media follows a wave of cancellations by leading performers, musicians and groups since the president ousted the previous leadership and added his name to the building. Trump made no mention in his post of the recent cancellations.
His proposal, announced days after the premiere of “Melania,” a documentary about the first lady, was shown at the center, is subject to approval by the board of the Kennedy Center, which has been stocked with his handpicked allies. Trump chairs the center’s board of trustees.
“This important decision, based on input from many Highly Respected Experts, will take a tired, broken, and dilapidated Center, one that has been in bad condition, both financially and structurally for many years, and turn it into a World Class Bastion of Arts, Music, and Entertainment,” Trump wrote in his post.
Neither Trump nor Kennedy Center President Ric Grenell, a Trump ally, have provided evidence to back up their claims about the building being in disrepair, and in October, Trump had pledged the center would remain open during renovations. In Sunday’s announcement, he said the center will close July 4, when he said the construction would begin.
“Our goal has always been to not only save and permanently preserve the Center, but to make it the finest Arts Institution in the world,” Grenell said in a post, citing funds Congress approved for repairs.
“This will be a brief closure,” Grenell said. “It desperately needs this renovation and temporarily closing the Center just makes sense — it will enable us to better invest our resources, think bigger and make the historic renovations more comprehensive. It also means we will be finished faster.”
The sudden decision to close and reconstruct the Kennedy Center is certain to spark blowback as Trump revamps the popular venue. The building began as a national cultural center and Congress renamed it as a “living memorial” to President Kennedy — a champion of the arts during his administration — in 1964, in the aftermath of his assassination.
Opened in 1971, it serves as a public showcase year-round for the arts, including the National Symphony Orchestra.
Since Trump returned to the White House, the Kennedy Center is one of many Washington landmarks that he has sought to overhaul in his second term. He demolished the East Wing of the White House and launched a massive $400-million ballroom project, is actively pursuing building a triumphal arch on the other side the Arlington Bridge from the Lincoln Memorial, and has plans for Washington Dulles International Airport.
Leading performing arts groups have pulled out of appearances at the Kennedy Center, most recently composer Philip Glass, who announced his decision to withdraw his Symphony No. 15 “Lincoln” because he said the values of the center today are in “direct conflict” with the message of the piece.
Last month, the Washington National Opera announced that it will move performances away from the Kennedy Center in another high-profile departure after Trump’s takeover of the U.S. capital’s leading performing arts venue.
The head of artistic programming for the center abruptly left his post last week, less than two weeks after being named to the job.
A spokesperson for the Kennedy Center could not immediately be reached and did not respond to an emailed request for comment.
Late last year, as Trump announced his plan to rename the building — adding his name to the building’s main front ahead of that of Kennedy — he drew sharp opposition from members of Congress, and some Kennedy family members.
Kerry Kennedy, a niece of John F. Kennedy, said in a social post on X at the time that she will remove Trump’s name herself with a pickax when his term ends.
Another family member, Maria Shriver, said at the time that it is “beyond comprehension that this sitting president has sought to rename this great memorial dedicated to President Kennedy,” her uncle. “It is beyond wild that he would think adding his name in front of President Kennedy’s name is acceptable. It is not.”
Late Sunday evening, Shriver posted a new comment mimicking Trump’s own voice and style, and suggesting the closure of the venue was meant to deflect from the cancellations.
She said that “entertainers are canceling left and right” and the president has determined that “since the name change no one wants to perform there any longer.”
Trump has decided, she said, it’s best “to close this center down and rebuild a new center” that will bear his name. She asked, “Right?”
One lawmaker, Rep. Joyce Beatty, an Ohio Democrat and ex-officio trustee of the center’s board, sued in December, arguing that “only Congress has the authority to rename the Kennedy Center.”
Price and Mascaro write for the Associated Press. AP writer Darlene Superville contributed to this report.
United States President Donald Trump has announced plans to close the John F Kennedy Memorial Center for the Performing Arts for two years for renovations starting in July.
Trump’s announcement on Sunday follows a wave of cancellations by leading performers, musicians and groups since the president ousted the previous leadership and added his name to the building.
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Trump made no mention in his post of the recent cancellations.
“I have determined that the fastest way to bring The Trump Kennedy Center to the highest level of Success, Beauty, and Grandeur, is to cease Entertainment Operations for an approximately two year period of time,” he said in a post on his Truth Social platform.
“The temporary closure will produce a much faster and higher quality result!”
The closure will start on July 4, to coincide with the 250th Independence Day celebration.
The decision, Trump said, will be subject to approval of the board, which he handpicked upon taking over as chairman.
The president added that the facility’s various entertainment events – concerts, operas, musicals, ballet performances, and interactive arts – would impede and slow the construction and renovation operations, and that a full temporary closure would be necessary.
“The Trump Kennedy Center, if temporarily closed for Construction, Revitalization, and Complete Rebuilding, can be, without question, the finest Performing Arts Facility of its kind, anywhere in the World,” he said.
“America will be very proud of its new and beautiful Landmark for many generations to come.”
There was no immediate comment from the Kennedy Center.
The complex began as a national cultural centre, but was renamed by Congress as a “living memorial” to former President John F Kennedy in 1964, in the aftermath of his assassination.
Opened in 1971, it operates year-round as a public showcase for the arts, including the National Symphony Orchestra.
After Trump took over as chairman of the centre’s board, several entertainers and performers withdrew their performances in protest of the president’s policies.
Among them were the producers of the award-winning musical Hamilton, and international operatic soprano Renee Fleming.
The Washington National Opera recently announced that it would leave the Kennedy Center, its home since the centre’s opening.
Renowned composer Philip Glass also announced on Wednesday the withdrawal of a symphony orchestra performance for Abraham Lincoln, saying that “the values” of the centre “today” are in “direct conflict” with the message of his piece.
Trump had criticised some of the programmes of the once non-partisan centre as too “woke”.
In recent days, the Kennedy Center hosted the premiere of First Lady Melania Trump’s documentary, which saw a record weekend at the box office, but drew mostly negative reviews from film critics.
The extent of the “complete rebuilding” mentioned by Trump is unclear, but he has described the structure as dilapidated and needing a facelift.
In a post on X, Maria Kennedy Shriver, a niece of the slain former president, criticised Trump’s decision without naming him. She suggested that the closure and renovation were made to distract Americans, as “no one wants to perform there any longer”.
Trump’s rebuilding plans for the centre follow a series of measures to reshape US historical and cultural institutions.
He demolished the East Wing of the White House and launched a massive $400m ballroom project, is actively pursuing the building of a triumphal arch on the other side Arlington Bridge from the Lincoln Memorial, and has plans for the Washington Dulles international airport.
An exciting yet excruciating playoff loss to the Seahawks doesn’t diminish the Rams’ accomplishments this season. Their ability in coming back to win so many games that appeared lost showcased their resilience time after time, week after week. Thanks for the memories.
Marty Zweben Palos Verdes Estates
When are the Rams and coach Sean McVay going to stop ignoring special teams? Open the checkbook and hire the best special teams coach available. They also need to draft a shutdown corner or two. You don’t need another receiver.
So Bill Plaschke wants to put the blame on the Rams’ loss in the NFC title game solely on Sean McVay? The defense’s atrocious cornerbacks don’t deserve most of the blame? And Plaschke’s blood-boiling need to make the grand statement way before anything is certain doesn’t prove the Plaschke Curse is alive and well? He not only jinxed them once but twice. They lost to Seattle and lost control of the No. 1 seed immediately after the first prediction they’d go to the Super Bowl and then lost again to Seattle after the second. Will someone please take this guy’s laptop away from him until the Rams actually make the Super Bowl!?!?!
Danny Balber Jr. Pasadena
Bill Plaschke in his column blames the decisions made by coach McVay, which have some merit, for the Rams losing in the NFC championship game. Of course, there is no mention of the prediction made by Plaschke the week before about the Rams winning quite confidently and going on to Super Bowl LX. The Rams and McVay never had a real chance being under the Plaschke curse.
Wayne Muramatsu Cerritos
I can only hope that if I ever decide to enter a sporting competition, Bill Plaschke predicts I will not win it.
Andrew Sacks Riverside
My dad used to tell me to only watch the end of NBA games, because they are always tied going into the last minute. The NFL is now very much like that, as evidenced by most of this season’s playoff games. And I wouldn’t have it any other way! While I’m bummed about the Rams’ finish, here’s to 2025-26, the best NFL season in recent memory.
FOLLOWING the tragic news of actress Catherine O’Hara’s passing at the age of 71 following a short illness, her Home Alone co-star Macaulay Culkin paid a touching tribute to his “mama”.
The two starred in the iconic film together back in 1990, where he played the mischievous Kevin McCallister while she portrayed the role of Kate, his long-suffering mum.
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Macaulay Culkin has paid a heartfelt tribute to his co-star Catherine O’Hara following her deathCredit: GettyThe Home Alone actor was seen for the first since the news brokeCredit: BackGrid
They reunited two years later for the sequel, Home Alone 2: Lost in New York and have continued to share a mother and son bond over the years.
The pair showed just how close they are when she honoured him at his Hollywood Walk of Fame ceremony in 2023.
As the world mourns the legendary actress, let’s take a look at her relationship with Macaulay and their extremely close bond…
Heartfelt Tribute
Macaulay was one of the first to pay tribute to the Schitt’s Creek star as he posted two pictures from Home Alone and the Hollywood Walk of Fame Ceremony on his Instagram.
“I wanted more. I wanted to sit in a chair next to you. I heard you. But I had so much more to say.
“I love you. I’ll see you later,” the 45-year-old signed off.
Heartbroken Home Alone fans flocked to the comments section as one said: “Oh my god, I can’t believe it. Rest in peace Catherine. Thank you for taking care of Kevin.”
Another social media user penned: “A part of our childhood has been shattered today. Heartbroken.”
The pair worked together in the iconic Christmas film as well it’s sequelCredit: 20th Century Fox
Hollywood Walk of Fame reunion
She attended his Hollywood Walk of Fame ceremony in December 2023 and honoured him as he received his star.
Catherine gushed in her speech: “Home Alone was, is and always will be a beloved global sensation… the reason families all over the world can’t let a year go by without watching and loving Home Alone together is because of Macaulay Culkin.”
She went on to praise his professionalism and passion for acting, as well as bringing his “sweet and twisted yet totally relatable humour” to every project.
“Macaulay, congratulations. You so deserve your star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.
“And thank you for including me, your fake mom who left you home alone not once but twice, to share in this happy occasion. I’m so proud of you,” she joked.
She honoured him at his Hollywood Walk of Fame ceremony in December 2023Credit: Getty
Mother and son bond
Despite it being more than three and a half decades since Home Alone released, the co-stars have continued to share a deep bond with one another.
During an appearance on Watch What Happens Live! In 2015, she revealed the two had a sweet reunion at an art opening.
“He was coming out and he went, ‘Mommy!’ and I said, ‘Baby’,” Catherine told host Andy Cohen.
He also confirmed that he called her “mom” each time her saw her, proving their bond was unmatched.
Macaulay told New York Times in 2024: “She opens up her arms – she goes, ‘Son’.”
On-screen reunion
The much-loved duo delighted fans back in 2024 when they reunited on-screen for a Christmas ad for Freedom Unlimited alongside Kevin Hart.
Catherine was seen walking into a shopping mall before shouting out her iconic “KEVIN!” dialogue.
The co-stars shared a warm embrace, with Kevin joining in on the hug with the two.
Excited fans couldn’t believe their eyes as one gushed: “This is hysterical. I love these nostalgic commercials.”
Somebody else added: “So beautiful, a home alone reunion.”
Co-star chemistry
Macaulay and Catherine’s on-screen camaraderie translated off-screen, with many Home Alone fans believing they were actually mother and son in real life.
She recalled to Today in 2024: “A child came up to me, like, a little 8-year-old, in a mall. ‘Are you Kevin’s mom?’
“I said, ‘Well, yeah, I played Kevin’s mom in a movie, yes’.
‘Why did you leave him?’ ‘Sorry. It was in the script!’,” she remembered.
Speaking to PEOPLE back in 1990, when the film first released, Catherine described then 9-year-old Macaulay as ”a darling little guy who has been acting since he was 4, so he’s very professional.”
“He comes in knowing all his lines, knowing where to hit his marks — he even knows all the other actors’ lines.
“I expect he should become the head of the studio by the time he is 12,” she joked.
They’ve shared a deep bond since starring as the iconic mother and son duoCredit: Twentieth Century Fox / Supplied by LMK
WHEN Katie Price got married to Lee Andrews at breakneck speed, just days after they began dating, her loyal fans were left bewildered.
For her family, the reaction has been even more stark. Here, insiders tell us how Pricey’s son Junior responded to the Dubai nuptials – and why her closest ally, sister Sophie, has been left reeling as concern for the mother- of-five reaches an all-time high.
Junior Andre has been left reeling after his mum’s latest moveCredit: ITVKatie married Lee Andrews just days after meeting him in DubaiCredit: BackGrid
Hours after revealing her extravagant engagement, The Sun told how Katie and Lee had in fact got hitched with none of her family there. Her fourth marriage took place less than a week after she had met Lee.
It was an unusually quiet ceremony for the former glamour model . An officiator was seen in front of the pair reading from a script as Katie, who wore a £12 dress from Shein, said her vows.
She gushed about how happy she was, telling fans: “All I can say is ‘fatale’, and this was a wedding at First Sight.”
Yet celebratory messages from her nearest and dearest have not been forthcoming, despite Price, 47, returning to the UK earlier this week without Lee, 43, who has since been accused of being a ‘swindler’.
There’s only so much Katie’s kids can take. It is really not fair.
Insider
One source said: “It’s just another day on Planet Katie, and everyone has to deal with the consequences.
“She will always have a close bond with her children, but there’s only so much they can take. It is really not fair.”
Her son Junior, 20, has refrained from posting to his half a million Instagram followers in the days following the whirlwind wedding – which is not legally binding.
And it is not only Junior’s fans who have got the silent treatment from the singer.
Rather tellingly, we have been told that the rapper, who is “very close” to dad Peter and stepmum Dr Emily, has not contacted his mother to offer his congratulations on her marriage to Andrews.
A source said: “Junior is used to Katie’s increasingly erratic behaviour, but even this took him by surprise.
“He is so fed up with his mum’s constant dramas. He wants no part in it. He’s hardly going to send a congratulations message about a bloke he hasn’t even met.”
But while Junior is more resilient, sister Princess, 18, has given clues to her hurt feelings, taking to TikTok in the days following her mum’s wedding ceremony to post two emotional videos on the social media platform, including one featuring a tearful girl.
Sophie is understandably horrified by it all. It’s been incredibly draining for her. The sisters are incredibly close so it was very hard for Sophie not to know what was going on.
Insider
The writing on top of the clip reads: “I feel everything very deeply” with an accompanying voiceover on top of the clip that says: “I’m such an incredibly, stupidly, sensitive person that everything that happens to me I feel everything really intensely.”
Another featured a teen girl getting into bed and wiping tears from her eyes as she lets out a sigh.
The writing on top reads: “When the smallest thing upsets me, and now I have to be non-verbal and easily irritated for hours until I can let it go”.
Insiders say that despite the cryptic posts it is unlikely that Princess, who remains close to her mother, will publicly condemn her. But a pal of the star confided: “It is so selfish to create all this drama just before Princess is about to launch series two of The Princess Diaries. This should be her turn in the spotlight. Not her mums.”
In recent years as Katie’s fame has dwindled, she has become increasingly reliant on her younger half-sister Sophie, 36, who has devoted a large part of her life to looking after her.
Despite managing the wayward reality star, organising much of her chaotic life, and co-hosting a podcast together, Sophie was not invited to Katie’s wedding.
Fans thought Sophie looked very upset when she announced there would be no podcastSophie has been a huge support to Katie over the yearsCredit: RexSophie and Katie with their mum, Amy – who is said to be ‘beside herself with worry’Credit: Instagram
An insider said: “Sophie is understandably horrified by it all. It’s been incredibly draining for her. The sisters are incredibly close so it was very hard for Sophie not to know what was going on.
“They were due to record a podcast like normal this week, but at the last minute, they decided not to go ahead.
Their mum is utterly beside herself with worry.
“Sophie felt the need to say sorry to her fans, while Katie kept silent. It is quite typical of their relationship that Sophie is the one picking up the slack, and she’s honestly struggling with it at the moment. It has caused tension between the siblings, with Sophie just desperate for Katie to be ok.
“Their mum is utterly beside herself with worry – they have all been through so much with Katie, but thought the worst was over in recent years.
“They don’t believe Lee is the man he said he was and are just waiting for Katie to click. It was a huge relief when he did a U-turn on coming to the UK. Sophie was not ready to meet him and deal with all that.”
Sophie made her feelings very clear on the situation today as she shared a picture of the countryside and wrote: “This and never stepping foot in Dubai.”
Last night, Sophie took to social media to explain what was happening to the podcast.
Looking exhausted, she said: “Hi guys, how are you all? I know you’ve all been chomping at the bit to find out what has been going on. All our DMs have been going off,” she began in her video address.
Junior and Princess have not publicly spoken out about the weddingCredit: PAKatie was seen back in the UK this week – with no husband in sightCredit: SplashLee’s life has come into question since they married
“Let’s just say, it’s been one hell of a week. We have done over a 100 episodes of the podcast, which sounds absolutely nuts when it’s just me and Kate doing our b*s chat.
“We will be back next week as normal, and we will be able to update you guys on what’s been going on. It will be business as usual.”
Such was the emotion on display that one commentator posted: “’You are a good sister. Hope you’re ok, Sophie, you look like you’re holding back tears”
Sophie has always been outspoken about Katie’s relationships, while trying to be as supportive as possible.
Just a couple of weeks ago, she expressed her horror when Katie announced she was looking for a Richard Gere type.
She retorted: “Absolutely not, you need a break, you need time to yourself’.”
Katie completely ignored her, and when she announced her engagement, she gushed about finding her ‘real life Richard Gere’. The film is, of course, about a wealthy gentleman who sweeps a prostitute off her feet.
The sisters – who have an 11-year age gap- have talked in the past about being “like chalk and cheese”.
Sophie was just six years old when her big sister found fame, meaning that she doesn’t remember a time when Katie wasn’t in the spotlight.
However, Katie’s fame made her a target at school – and she was bullied by cruel classmates.
She recalled: “It was just girls saying nasty things, when you’re a teenager… You know what girls can be like.”
Yet a beautiful relationship blossomed, with the sisters becoming firm friends and podcast favourites.
But after the latest cruel snub, it might be a while before fans get a new episode of the podcast.
Katie has been saying she is missing her new manCredit: BACKGRID / INSTAGRAM
CATHERINE O’Hara has died unexpectedly on Friday, months after her final appearance alongside her husband Bo Welch.
Fans are reeling following the announcement, which did not reveal the Schitt’s Creek star’s cause of death.
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Catherine O’Hara, seen at the Primetime Emmy Awards in September 2025, has died at age 71Credit: FilmMagicThe Home Alone star made her final public appearance with husband Bo Welch at the Primetime Emmys in September 2025Credit: Getty
Catherine, 71 when she died, made her final appearance alongside her husband Bo back in September.
Photos show the couple dressed to the nines.
The Home Alone actress is wearing a black gown while her hubby sports a chic suit.
Her shoulder-length blonde hair was down with a slight curl in the ends.
She wore subtle makeup, including a nude lipstick color.
Catherine appeared in good spirits during the evening out.
She and Bo posed for photos together.
At times, he stood behind her with his hands on her hips.
OUT OF SIGHT
Months later, Catherine was nominated for a Golden Globe award.
She was schedule to appear at the January 11 awards show, where she was nominated for Best Supporting Performance from a Female Actor for her role in the Apple TV series, The Studio.
Unfortunately, she did not attend.
RIP
TMZ broke the news of Catherine’s death on Friday afternoon.
Sources with direct knowledge confirmed the iconic actress’ passing to the outlet.
A cause of death was not immediately available for the star.
Catherine O’Hara dead at 71
Iconic Home Alone actress Catherine O’Hara died on January 30, 2026. O’Hara was 71.
Biography:
Catherine O’Hara, who was born in Toronto, Canada, began her acting career in comedy in 1974 after joining the cast of The Second City, which was televised in both Canada and the United States.
O’Hara expanded her career in television in the mid-1970s, appearing in small roles on the CBC series Wayne and Shuster, the film The Rimshots, and the children’s series Coming up Rosie.
She gained prominence in Hollywood in the 1980s, after she was cast in the classic horror-comedy film Beetlejuice.
Starring alongside Michael Keaton, Alec Baldwin, and Winona Ryder, among others, O’Hara portrayed Delia Deetz.
In 1990, O’Hara starred alongside child actor Macaulay Culkin in the holiday blockbuster Home Alone.
She reprised her role as Kate McCallister, the mother of the young troublemaker Kevin McCallister, portrayed by Culkin, in the film’s 1992 sequel, Home Alone 2: Lost in New York.
Both installments of Home Alone were massive hits at the box office and to this date remain among the most successful Christmas movies of all time.
After the success of Home Alone, O’Hara continued to appear in several films throughout the 1990s, including the comedy-drama The Paper, Waiting for Guffman, and the Western film Wyatt Earp.
O’Hara also had several voice artist appearances, including The Nightmare Before Christmas, Chicken Little, and Monster House, among others.
She had a career resurgence in 2015 when she appeared as Moira Rose in the Canadian sitcom Schitt’s Creek.
In 2025, O’Hara had a main role in the Apple TV+ comedy series The Studio.
Throughout her career, O’Hara received various awards, including two PrimeTime Emmy Awards, a Golden Globe Award, and two Screen Actors Guild Awards.
She had two children with her husband, Bo Welch, whom she met on the set of Beetlejuice.
While the exact cause of death has not been revealed, Page Six reported that she was rushed to a Los Angeles hospital in “serious” condition.
Paramedics were called the the actress’ home home at 4:48 a.m. on Friday morning, a Los Angeles Fire Department spokesperson confirmed to the outlet.
She was in “serious condition” when she was transported to the hospital.
PAYING TRIBUTE
Tributes to the actress flooded social media almost immediately after her death was announced.
“RIP Catherine O’ Hara. I know John Candy greeted her with open arms.”, one fan wrote.
Another posted on X: “Catherine O’Hara was an absolute genius for the entirety of her career.
“She will be terribly missed.”
A third posted: “Catherine O’Hara will be remembered most as the mom in the first two Home Alone movies
“But I’ll always remember her as Delia Deetz in BeetleJuice. RIP to a legend.”
ICONIC ROLES
Throughout her long career in Hollywood, Catherine appeared in many iconic films and TV shows.
She was an actress for more than 50 years.
Catherine got her star in the sketch series Second City Television in the 1970s.
She’s known for starring in Home Alone, Beetlejuice, Beetlejuice Beetlejuice, The Nightmare Before Christmas, Home Alone 2, Schitt’s Creek and more.
Nicki Minaj, who revealed in 2018 that she was brought to the United States as an “illegal immigrant” from Trinidad and Tobago when she was 5 years old, flashed a Trump gold card Wednesday after an event formally launching the president’s IRA-style savings accounts for children. Her citizenship paperwork, she said on social media, was being finalized.
“Residency? Residency? The cope is coping. … Finalizing that citizenship paperwork as we speak as per MY wonderful, gracious, charming President,” the “Bang Bang” rapper, 43, wrote Wednesday on X, including a photo of the Chucky character flipping his middle finger. “Thanks to the petition. … I wouldn’t have done it without you. Oh CitizenNIKA you are thee moment. Gold Trump card free of charge.”
That post mentioning the card, which delivers citizenship in the United States for those who pay $1 million, may have referred to multiple petitions arguing that the rapper — real name Onika Tanya Maraj-Petty — should be deported to Trinidad and Tobago, where she was born before being raised in Queens, N.Y. A previous post contained a photo of the gold card and the single word “Welp …”
“I came to this country as an illegal immigrant @ 5 years old,” the rapper wrote on Facebook in 2018, posting a photo from the first Trump administration’s “zero tolerance” period of immigration enforcement when migrant children were being separated from their migrant parents at the country’s southern border.
The photo showed children on padded floor mats with silver Mylar thermal blankets, walled in by chain-link fencing. “I can’t imagine the horror of being in a strange place & having my parents stripped away from me at the age of 5. This is so scary to me. Please stop this. Can you try to imagine the terror & panic these kids feel right now?”
In 2020, she said in a Rolling Stone interview that she thought Trump was “funny as hell” on “Celebrity Apprentice” but was bothered by the images of children taken from their parents.
President Trump talks with rapper Nicki Minaj in Washington, D.C., on Wednesday at an event launching the Trump Accounts savings and investment program for children.
(Jose Luis Magana / Associated Press)
“I was one of those immigrant children coming to America to flee poverty,” Minaj told the outlet. “And I couldn’t imagine a little child going through all of that, trying to get to another country because they didn’t have money in their country, or whether you’re fleeing from war … and then being taken away from the one person that makes you feel comfort. That is what really raised my eyebrows.”
At the time, she said she would not “jump on the Donald Trump bandwagon.”
But Minaj has since come around to support the president in his second term, even calling herself his “No. 1 fan” in remarks Wednesday. “And that’s not going to change,” she said.
“The hate or what people have to say, it does not affect me at all. It actually motivates me to support him more, and it’s going to motivate all of us to support him more,” Minaj said. “We’re not going to let them get away with bullying him and the smear campaigns. It’s not going to work, OK? He has a lot of force behind him, and God is protecting him.”
The president introduced her as “the greatest and most successful female rapper in history,” a title that’s accurate going by record sales and overall presence on the Billboard Hot 100. (Of course, Missy Elliott and Ms. Lauryn Hill might want to have a conversation.)
“I didn’t know Nicki, and I’ve been hearing over the years she’s a big Trump supporter, Trump fan,” POTUS continued. “And she took a little heat on occasion because her community isn’t necessarily a Trump fan.”
Trump said Minaj was among those stepping up, along with people including Dell Computers Chief Executive Michael S. Dell, and donating “hundreds of thousands of dollars” of her money to the new accounts. In addition to her generosity, POTUS was definitely a fan of Minaj’s long, painted, pointy pink manicure. He chuckled as he told the audience, “I’m going to let my nails grow, because I love those nails. I’m going to let those nails grow.”
In December, before Christmas, the rapper also appeared onstage with conservative activist Erika Kirk, widow of Charlie Kirk, who was slain in September at Utah Valley University. Minaj took the opportunity at the Phoenix conference of Kirk’s organization, Turning Point USA, to praise Trump and mock California Gov. Gavin Newsom.
“I have the utmost respect and admiration for our president,” Minaj said. “I don’t know if he even knows this but he has given so many people hope that there is a chance to beat the bad guys and to win and to do it with your head held high.”
She also declared onstage that there was “nothing wrong with being a boy.”
“How about that?” she continued. “How powerful is that? How profound is that? Boys will be boys, and there is nothing wrong with that.”
Then Minaj read aloud some of her social media posts mocking Newsom, calling him “Newscum” and “Gavie-poo” and criticizing his advocacy on behalf of “trans kids.”
It’s not as if the “Starships” rapper hid the ball about being harsh when she said in 2023 that she was willing to “be cussing out” certain people at certain times.
“When I hear the word mean, I think about the core of who the person is,” she told Vogue. “I always tell people that the difference between being mean and being a bitch is that bitch passes. Bitch comes and goes. Mean is who you are. I could be the biggest bitch, at the height of my bitch-ness, but if the person I may be cussing out at that time needs something from me, I’m going to give it to them. I have to be able to look in the mirror and be OK with myself.”
For children born during the second Trump administration, calendar years 2025 through 2028, the accounts will be seeded with $1,000 from the U.S. Treasury when a parent submits a form to the IRS to open the account. Additional pre-tax contributions of up to $5,000 a year are allowed but not required, and a parent is the custodian of the account until the child turns 18. Withdrawals for education, housing or business will be taxed as ordinary income.
Minaj is married to Kenneth Petty — who served four years in prison after being convicted of attempted rape in New York in 1995 — and the couple has one son. Nicknamed “Papa Bear,” the tot was born in 2020, about five years too soon to qualify for that $1,000.
A LIDO that first opened five decades ago is hoping to welcome swimmers back after a three-year closure.
Popular swimming spot Stanhope Open Air SwimmingPool is raising money for repairs and upgrades needed to open its doors once again.
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Stanhope Open Air Swimming Pool hopes to reopen for summer 2027Credit: Stanhope Open Air Swimming Pool / FacebookThe once popular swim spot has been closed since 2023 after an electrical faultCredit: Alamy
The once bustling open air pool in County Durham was the area’s only heated lido.
It first opened in 1974 and welcomed swimmers for 48 years before its closure in 2023.
In 2023, the lido was forced to shut after it experienced electrical issues in the plant room.
But prior to that, the lido saw more than8,000 swimmers in 2022.
Now, the charity looking after the pool is hoping that it will once again reopen to the public by next year.
The charity posted on Facebook about the update: “We are delighted to announce that we have agreed a new 30-year lease with our landlords. Weardale Open Air Swimming Pool first opened in 1974, with a life expectancy of 30 years.
“The hard work of our wonderful volunteers kept things going for much longer, but the pool infrastructure now needs complete renovation.”
It detailed that lots of essential works are still needed to restore the lido to its former glory.
This includes relining the pool, rewiring the whole site, refurbishing the plant room and upgrading the changing rooms and snack bar.
It added that it will need to “raise hundreds of thousands of pounds”, but locals remain optimistic.
One wrote on the post: “That’s fantastic news, loved that pool, be lovely to see it up and running again.”
Another added: “Great news, it is quite an asset to the area. Hope the future is bright!”
The pool saw over 8,000 swimmers in 2022Credit: Stanhope Open Air Swimming Pool / Facebook
The charity is asking for the community and users to donate to help the cause – but is also applying for grants for the refurbishment.
The lido is 25metres long and when it was open was always heated to 27C – so it was warm even on the cool summer evenings.
It even had a springboard, so the depth of the pool was a maximum of three metres deep.
Along with the main pool was another smaller one for children which was just half a metre deep – it was also heated to the same temperature and had a slide.
Visitors were also able to use the on-site sauna, cafe and shop where they could buy dive toys, armbands and goggles.
Weekly insights and analysis on the latest developments in military technology, strategy, and foreign policy.
One of the most enigmatic weapons in the arsenal of the Chinese People’s Liberation Army Air Force (PLAAF), the PL-17 very long-range air-to-air missile, appears to have been shown for the first time at close quarters. The missile has been around for a relatively long time, but next to no official details about it have been released. Meanwhile, the threat that it and other Chinese air-to-air missiles pose has triggered a flurry of weapons development in the United States.
As is often the case with such images, we must note that the photo of the PL-17 appears authentic, but we cannot be certain of that. The date and location of the image are also unclear, but it shows a PL-17 (more accurately, a full-size mock-up of one) on a display stand at a tradeshow or exhibition. A man poses in front of the missile, face censored, while behind the weapon is a board promoting the J-20 stealth fighter.
As it seems, this is indeed the first legit image of the PLAAF’s ULR-AAM PL-17, even if it’s only a model.
However, it would be most interesting to know when this image was taken and where? 🤔 pic.twitter.com/CjPI4rO6sJ
We have become accustomed to ‘leaks’ out of China over many years when it comes to new military aircraft designs and their weaponry. Combined with the fact that the PL-17 was first publicly revealed in a blurry photo close to 10 years ago, its appearance at a tradeshow at this point might not be entirely surprising.
For its part, the PLAAF has published official imagery of the PL-17 (albeit showing the missile at a considerable distance, with no real detail visible). The release of the PLAAF photo, seen below, in 2023, was taken as confirmation that the missile was in operational service, or close to it, arming the J-16 Flanker.
The PLAAF image showing a formation of four J-16s with varying configurations of air-to-air missiles. Two of the fighters in question carry four PL-10s, one PL-12, four PL-15s, and one big PL-17. This loadout spans short to very long-range engagement envelopes, with the PL-17 providing unprecedented reach. PLAAF
When the missile first appeared in public, in 2016, it was dubbed PL-XX in the West; subsequently, the PL-20 designation was suggested, but PL-17 is now confirmed, at least based on the new photo. There are reports that the missile received the Western reporting name CH-AA-12 Auger when it entered service.
From the start, the PL-17 was considered to be a very long-range AAM, based on its prodigious size, roughly 20 feet long. For a missile with this reach, key targets are likely high-value, larger assets, including tankers and airborne early warning aircraft.
This 2016 image provided our first look at the PL-17. Chinese internetAnother 2016 image shows the PL-17 in more detail. Chinese internet
In detail, the PL-17 features a dual-pulse rocket motor, while control is provided by four relatively small tail fins and a thrust-vectoring nozzle. Reportedly, the missile has a range of around 250 miles, although that number is dependent on a huge array of factors, and actual range can vary dramatically based on the engagement circumstances. It is thought to have a top speed of at least Mach 4.
Guidance is thought to be achieved through a combination of a two-way datalink and an active electronically scanned array (AESA) seeker, which is said to be highly resistant to electronic countermeasures. There are also reports of a passive anti-radiation seeker to supplement the main seeker. This could be especially useful against airborne early warning and ground moving target indicator (GMTI) radar aircraft.
However, using the PL-17 to its full potential, in terms of range, engagements would likely involve targeting data provided by standoff assets, such as friendly airborne early warning aircraft (a capability set that China has invested heavily into), other aircraft closer to the target, ground and surface-based radar, or even satellites.
In the past, there had been speculation about a possible optical window on the side of the nose of the missile that could indicate an additional infrared seeker, although there is no sign of that in the full-size mock-up version.
So far, the PL-17 has only been seen carried by the J-16, although there has been an assumption that it would be adapted for external carriage on the J-20, too.
A J-20 with eight external missiles, not, in this case, PL-17s. Chinese internet
Certainly, it seems too large to be used to arm the J-10 series or even the J-35, which would seem to raise a big question about its potential export prospects. On the other hand, the missile may well be envisaged as armament for forthcoming Chinese combat aircraft, most notably the J-36 sixth-generation jet, which features extensive internal weapons capacity.
Regardless, the existence of the PL-17, along with other advanced Chinese air-to-air missile developments, has become a very serious issue for the U.S. military. Concerns about China eroding the ‘missile gap’ with the West have driven work on the still highly classified AIM-260 Joint Advanced Tactical Missile, among other long-range air-to-air missile initiatives.
Last year, the U.S. Navy introduced, at least on a limited scale, an air-launched version of the Standard Missile-6 (SM-6) under the AIM-174B designation. The range of this weapon is classified but should be far in excess of that of the AIM-120D Advanced Medium-Range Air-to-Air Missile (AMRAAM), probably at least double and perhaps even triple the range, against large targets. This would imply an ability to hit some types of aerial targets over multiple hundreds of miles.
How The Navy’s New Very Long-Range AIM-174 Will Pierce China’s Anti-Access Bubble
For now, many questions remain about the full capabilities and technical features of the PL-17. Should the new photo be genuine, however, it would confirm that Beijing is willing to expose at least some aspects of the big missile to a broader audience. With that in mind, we might well learn more about this weapon soon.
Thanet Council called the news “disappointing” for the park which has undergone a major revamp in the past decade.
In a statement, the theme park said: “The Scenic Railway has completed its journey as a roller coaster and will now take well-earned retirement from operation as a ride.
“This is not the end but a new beginning.
“We are committed to developing a new long-term vision that will not only showcase this remarkable Grade II listed structure, but reimagine its purpose so it can continue to be enjoyed by future generations in a fresh and meaningful way.
“This summer we will be hosting a pop-up exhibit celebrating the history of The Scenic Railway.
“In the longer term, it will be re-invented for people to enjoy in a different way.”
The ride has certainly had a difficult history, being destroyed by a fire in both 1948 and 2008.
Another fire in 2014 also broke out on the ride although this caused less damage.
As someone who used to live in Margate, visiting the theme park was always one of my favourite things to do.
Free to visit, it means you can just wander around and take in the atmosphere without paying a penny.
The iconic rollercoaster was forced to close back in 2024Credit: Alamy
But the thrill of the Scenic Railway – which still had a rather terrifying manual brake operated by a person – still beats other rollercoasters in my eyes.
Where else can you be thrown about a rickety track, with a few life-fearing drops before coming up to views of the ocean?
Thankfully there are other rides at the theme park that will still be open this summer.
This includes the Pirate Ship, Big Wheel and Rock ‘N Rollercoaster.
Kennedy Center to close for 2 years for renovations, Trump says
WASHINGTON — President Trump said Sunday that he will move to close Washington’s Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts for two years starting in July for construction, his latest proposal to upend the storied venue since returning to the White House.
Trump’s announcement on social media follows a wave of cancellations by leading performers, musicians and groups since the president ousted the previous leadership and added his name to the building. Trump made no mention in his post of the recent cancellations.
His proposal, announced days after the premiere of “Melania,” a documentary about the first lady, was shown at the center, is subject to approval by the board of the Kennedy Center, which has been stocked with his handpicked allies. Trump chairs the center’s board of trustees.
“This important decision, based on input from many Highly Respected Experts, will take a tired, broken, and dilapidated Center, one that has been in bad condition, both financially and structurally for many years, and turn it into a World Class Bastion of Arts, Music, and Entertainment,” Trump wrote in his post.
Neither Trump nor Kennedy Center President Ric Grenell, a Trump ally, have provided evidence to back up their claims about the building being in disrepair, and in October, Trump had pledged the center would remain open during renovations. In Sunday’s announcement, he said the center will close July 4, when he said the construction would begin.
“Our goal has always been to not only save and permanently preserve the Center, but to make it the finest Arts Institution in the world,” Grenell said in a post, citing funds Congress approved for repairs.
“This will be a brief closure,” Grenell said. “It desperately needs this renovation and temporarily closing the Center just makes sense — it will enable us to better invest our resources, think bigger and make the historic renovations more comprehensive. It also means we will be finished faster.”
The sudden decision to close and reconstruct the Kennedy Center is certain to spark blowback as Trump revamps the popular venue. The building began as a national cultural center and Congress renamed it as a “living memorial” to President Kennedy — a champion of the arts during his administration — in 1964, in the aftermath of his assassination.
Opened in 1971, it serves as a public showcase year-round for the arts, including the National Symphony Orchestra.
Since Trump returned to the White House, the Kennedy Center is one of many Washington landmarks that he has sought to overhaul in his second term. He demolished the East Wing of the White House and launched a massive $400-million ballroom project, is actively pursuing building a triumphal arch on the other side the Arlington Bridge from the Lincoln Memorial, and has plans for Washington Dulles International Airport.
Leading performing arts groups have pulled out of appearances at the Kennedy Center, most recently composer Philip Glass, who announced his decision to withdraw his Symphony No. 15 “Lincoln” because he said the values of the center today are in “direct conflict” with the message of the piece.
Last month, the Washington National Opera announced that it will move performances away from the Kennedy Center in another high-profile departure after Trump’s takeover of the U.S. capital’s leading performing arts venue.
The head of artistic programming for the center abruptly left his post last week, less than two weeks after being named to the job.
A spokesperson for the Kennedy Center could not immediately be reached and did not respond to an emailed request for comment.
Late last year, as Trump announced his plan to rename the building — adding his name to the building’s main front ahead of that of Kennedy — he drew sharp opposition from members of Congress, and some Kennedy family members.
Kerry Kennedy, a niece of John F. Kennedy, said in a social post on X at the time that she will remove Trump’s name herself with a pickax when his term ends.
Another family member, Maria Shriver, said at the time that it is “beyond comprehension that this sitting president has sought to rename this great memorial dedicated to President Kennedy,” her uncle. “It is beyond wild that he would think adding his name in front of President Kennedy’s name is acceptable. It is not.”
Late Sunday evening, Shriver posted a new comment mimicking Trump’s own voice and style, and suggesting the closure of the venue was meant to deflect from the cancellations.
She said that “entertainers are canceling left and right” and the president has determined that “since the name change no one wants to perform there any longer.”
Trump has decided, she said, it’s best “to close this center down and rebuild a new center” that will bear his name. She asked, “Right?”
One lawmaker, Rep. Joyce Beatty, an Ohio Democrat and ex-officio trustee of the center’s board, sued in December, arguing that “only Congress has the authority to rename the Kennedy Center.”
Price and Mascaro write for the Associated Press. AP writer Darlene Superville contributed to this report.
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Trump to close Kennedy Center for renovations amid backlash from performers | Donald Trump News
United States President Donald Trump has announced plans to close the John F Kennedy Memorial Center for the Performing Arts for two years for renovations starting in July.
Trump’s announcement on Sunday follows a wave of cancellations by leading performers, musicians and groups since the president ousted the previous leadership and added his name to the building.
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Trump made no mention in his post of the recent cancellations.
“I have determined that the fastest way to bring The Trump Kennedy Center to the highest level of Success, Beauty, and Grandeur, is to cease Entertainment Operations for an approximately two year period of time,” he said in a post on his Truth Social platform.
“The temporary closure will produce a much faster and higher quality result!”
The closure will start on July 4, to coincide with the 250th Independence Day celebration.
The decision, Trump said, will be subject to approval of the board, which he handpicked upon taking over as chairman.
The president added that the facility’s various entertainment events – concerts, operas, musicals, ballet performances, and interactive arts – would impede and slow the construction and renovation operations, and that a full temporary closure would be necessary.
“The Trump Kennedy Center, if temporarily closed for Construction, Revitalization, and Complete Rebuilding, can be, without question, the finest Performing Arts Facility of its kind, anywhere in the World,” he said.
“America will be very proud of its new and beautiful Landmark for many generations to come.”
There was no immediate comment from the Kennedy Center.
The complex began as a national cultural centre, but was renamed by Congress as a “living memorial” to former President John F Kennedy in 1964, in the aftermath of his assassination.
Opened in 1971, it operates year-round as a public showcase for the arts, including the National Symphony Orchestra.
After Trump took over as chairman of the centre’s board, several entertainers and performers withdrew their performances in protest of the president’s policies.
Among them were the producers of the award-winning musical Hamilton, and international operatic soprano Renee Fleming.
The Washington National Opera recently announced that it would leave the Kennedy Center, its home since the centre’s opening.
Renowned composer Philip Glass also announced on Wednesday the withdrawal of a symphony orchestra performance for Abraham Lincoln, saying that “the values” of the centre “today” are in “direct conflict” with the message of his piece.
Trump had criticised some of the programmes of the once non-partisan centre as too “woke”.
In recent days, the Kennedy Center hosted the premiere of First Lady Melania Trump’s documentary, which saw a record weekend at the box office, but drew mostly negative reviews from film critics.
The extent of the “complete rebuilding” mentioned by Trump is unclear, but he has described the structure as dilapidated and needing a facelift.
In a post on X, Maria Kennedy Shriver, a niece of the slain former president, criticised Trump’s decision without naming him. She suggested that the closure and renovation were made to distract Americans, as “no one wants to perform there any longer”.
Trump’s rebuilding plans for the centre follow a series of measures to reshape US historical and cultural institutions.
He demolished the East Wing of the White House and launched a massive $400m ballroom project, is actively pursuing the building of a triumphal arch on the other side Arlington Bridge from the Lincoln Memorial, and has plans for the Washington Dulles international airport.
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Letters: Rams came so close to proving Bill Plaschke right
An exciting yet excruciating playoff loss to the Seahawks doesn’t diminish the Rams’ accomplishments this season. Their ability in coming back to win so many games that appeared lost showcased their resilience time after time, week after week. Thanks for the memories.
Marty Zweben
Palos Verdes Estates
When are the Rams and coach Sean McVay going to stop ignoring special teams? Open the checkbook and hire the best special teams coach available. They also need to draft a shutdown corner or two. You don’t need another receiver.
Russell Hosaka
Torrance
Editor’s note: The team hired Raymond “Bubba” Ventrone as special teams coordinator.
So Bill Plaschke wants to put the blame on the Rams’ loss in the NFC title game solely on Sean McVay? The defense’s atrocious cornerbacks don’t deserve most of the blame? And Plaschke’s blood-boiling need to make the grand statement way before anything is certain doesn’t prove the Plaschke Curse is alive and well? He not only jinxed them once but twice. They lost to Seattle and lost control of the No. 1 seed immediately after the first prediction they’d go to the Super Bowl and then lost again to Seattle after the second. Will someone please take this guy’s laptop away from him until the Rams actually make the Super Bowl!?!?!
Danny Balber Jr.
Pasadena
Bill Plaschke in his column blames the decisions made by coach McVay, which have some merit, for the Rams losing in the NFC championship game. Of course, there is no mention of the prediction made by Plaschke the week before about the Rams winning quite confidently and going on to Super Bowl LX. The Rams and McVay never had a real chance being under the Plaschke curse.
Wayne Muramatsu
Cerritos
I can only hope that if I ever decide to enter a sporting competition, Bill Plaschke predicts I will not win it.
Andrew Sacks
Riverside
My dad used to tell me to only watch the end of NBA games, because they are always tied going into the last minute. The NFL is now very much like that, as evidenced by most of this season’s playoff games. And I wouldn’t have it any other way! While I’m bummed about the Rams’ finish, here’s to 2025-26, the best NFL season in recent memory.
Robert Gary
Westlake Village
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Inside Macaulay Culkin and ‘mama’ Catherine O’Hara’s close bond as Home Alone star says ‘I thought we still had time’
FOLLOWING the tragic news of actress Catherine O’Hara’s passing at the age of 71 following a short illness, her Home Alone co-star Macaulay Culkin paid a touching tribute to his “mama”.
The two starred in the iconic film together back in 1990, where he played the mischievous Kevin McCallister while she portrayed the role of Kate, his long-suffering mum.
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They reunited two years later for the sequel, Home Alone 2: Lost in New York and have continued to share a mother and son bond over the years.
The pair showed just how close they are when she honoured him at his Hollywood Walk of Fame ceremony in 2023.
As the world mourns the legendary actress, let’s take a look at her relationship with Macaulay and their extremely close bond…
Heartfelt Tribute
Macaulay was one of the first to pay tribute to the Schitt’s Creek star as he posted two pictures from Home Alone and the Hollywood Walk of Fame Ceremony on his Instagram.
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He penned: “Mama, I thought we had time.
“I wanted more. I wanted to sit in a chair next to you. I heard you. But I had so much more to say.
“I love you. I’ll see you later,” the 45-year-old signed off.
Heartbroken Home Alone fans flocked to the comments section as one said: “Oh my god, I can’t believe it. Rest in peace Catherine. Thank you for taking care of Kevin.”
Another social media user penned: “A part of our childhood has been shattered today. Heartbroken.”
Hollywood Walk of Fame reunion
She attended his Hollywood Walk of Fame ceremony in December 2023 and honoured him as he received his star.
Catherine gushed in her speech: “Home Alone was, is and always will be a beloved global sensation… the reason families all over the world can’t let a year go by without watching and loving Home Alone together is because of Macaulay Culkin.”
She went on to praise his professionalism and passion for acting, as well as bringing his “sweet and twisted yet totally relatable humour” to every project.
“Macaulay, congratulations. You so deserve your star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.
“And thank you for including me, your fake mom who left you home alone not once but twice, to share in this happy occasion. I’m so proud of you,” she joked.
Mother and son bond
Despite it being more than three and a half decades since Home Alone released, the co-stars have continued to share a deep bond with one another.
During an appearance on Watch What Happens Live! In 2015, she revealed the two had a sweet reunion at an art opening.
“He was coming out and he went, ‘Mommy!’ and I said, ‘Baby’,” Catherine told host Andy Cohen.
He also confirmed that he called her “mom” each time her saw her, proving their bond was unmatched.
Macaulay told New York Times in 2024: “She opens up her arms – she goes, ‘Son’.”
On-screen reunion
The much-loved duo delighted fans back in 2024 when they reunited on-screen for a Christmas ad for Freedom Unlimited alongside Kevin Hart.
Catherine was seen walking into a shopping mall before shouting out her iconic “KEVIN!” dialogue.
The co-stars shared a warm embrace, with Kevin joining in on the hug with the two.
Excited fans couldn’t believe their eyes as one gushed: “This is hysterical. I love these nostalgic commercials.”
Somebody else added: “So beautiful, a home alone reunion.”
Co-star chemistry
Macaulay and Catherine’s on-screen camaraderie translated off-screen, with many Home Alone fans believing they were actually mother and son in real life.
She recalled to Today in 2024: “A child came up to me, like, a little 8-year-old, in a mall. ‘Are you Kevin’s mom?’
“I said, ‘Well, yeah, I played Kevin’s mom in a movie, yes’.
‘Why did you leave him?’ ‘Sorry. It was in the script!’,” she remembered.
Speaking to PEOPLE back in 1990, when the film first released, Catherine described then 9-year-old Macaulay as ”a darling little guy who has been acting since he was 4, so he’s very professional.”
“He comes in knowing all his lines, knowing where to hit his marks — he even knows all the other actors’ lines.
“I expect he should become the head of the studio by the time he is 12,” she joked.
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Junior Andre’s reaction to Katie Price’s wedding revealed & the cruel snub that left her sister Sophie ‘close to tears’
WHEN Katie Price got married to Lee Andrews at breakneck speed, just days after they began dating, her loyal fans were left bewildered.
For her family, the reaction has been even more stark. Here, insiders tell us how Pricey’s son Junior responded to the Dubai nuptials – and why her closest ally, sister Sophie, has been left reeling as concern for the mother- of-five reaches an all-time high.
Hours after revealing her extravagant engagement, The Sun told how Katie and Lee had in fact got hitched with none of her family there. Her fourth marriage took place less than a week after she had met Lee.
It was an unusually quiet ceremony for the former glamour model . An officiator was seen in front of the pair reading from a script as Katie, who wore a £12 dress from Shein, said her vows.
She gushed about how happy she was, telling fans: “All I can say is ‘fatale’, and this was a wedding at First Sight.”
Yet celebratory messages from her nearest and dearest have not been forthcoming, despite Price, 47, returning to the UK earlier this week without Lee, 43, who has since been accused of being a ‘swindler’.
One source said: “It’s just another day on Planet Katie, and everyone has to deal with the consequences.
“She will always have a close bond with her children, but there’s only so much they can take. It is really not fair.”
Her son Junior, 20, has refrained from posting to his half a million Instagram followers in the days following the whirlwind wedding – which is not legally binding.
And it is not only Junior’s fans who have got the silent treatment from the singer.
Rather tellingly, we have been told that the rapper, who is “very close” to dad Peter and stepmum Dr Emily, has not contacted his mother to offer his congratulations on her marriage to Andrews.
A source said: “Junior is used to Katie’s increasingly erratic behaviour, but even this took him by surprise.
“He is so fed up with his mum’s constant dramas. He wants no part in it. He’s hardly going to send a congratulations message about a bloke he hasn’t even met.”
But while Junior is more resilient, sister Princess, 18, has given clues to her hurt feelings, taking to TikTok in the days following her mum’s wedding ceremony to post two emotional videos on the social media platform, including one featuring a tearful girl.
The writing on top of the clip reads: “I feel everything very deeply” with an accompanying voiceover on top of the clip that says: “I’m such an incredibly, stupidly, sensitive person that everything that happens to me I feel everything really intensely.”
Another featured a teen girl getting into bed and wiping tears from her eyes as she lets out a sigh.
The writing on top reads: “When the smallest thing upsets me, and now I have to be non-verbal and easily irritated for hours until I can let it go”.
Insiders say that despite the cryptic posts it is unlikely that Princess, who remains close to her mother, will publicly condemn her. But a pal of the star confided: “It is so selfish to create all this drama just before Princess is about to launch series two of The Princess Diaries. This should be her turn in the spotlight. Not her mums.”
In recent years as Katie’s fame has dwindled, she has become increasingly reliant on her younger half-sister Sophie, 36, who has devoted a large part of her life to looking after her.
Despite managing the wayward reality star, organising much of her chaotic life, and co-hosting a podcast together, Sophie was not invited to Katie’s wedding.
An insider said: “Sophie is understandably horrified by it all. It’s been incredibly draining for her. The sisters are incredibly close so it was very hard for Sophie not to know what was going on.
“They were due to record a podcast like normal this week, but at the last minute, they decided not to go ahead.
“Sophie felt the need to say sorry to her fans, while Katie kept silent. It is quite typical of their relationship that Sophie is the one picking up the slack, and she’s honestly struggling with it at the moment. It has caused tension between the siblings, with Sophie just desperate for Katie to be ok.
“Their mum is utterly beside herself with worry – they have all been through so much with Katie, but thought the worst was over in recent years.
“They don’t believe Lee is the man he said he was and are just waiting for Katie to click. It was a huge relief when he did a U-turn on coming to the UK. Sophie was not ready to meet him and deal with all that.”
Sophie made her feelings very clear on the situation today as she shared a picture of the countryside and wrote: “This and never stepping foot in Dubai.”
Last night, Sophie took to social media to explain what was happening to the podcast.
Looking exhausted, she said: “Hi guys, how are you all? I know you’ve all been chomping at the bit to find out what has been going on. All our DMs have been going off,” she began in her video address.
“Let’s just say, it’s been one hell of a week. We have done over a 100 episodes of the podcast, which sounds absolutely nuts when it’s just me and Kate doing our b*s chat.
“We will be back next week as normal, and we will be able to update you guys on what’s been going on. It will be business as usual.”
Such was the emotion on display that one commentator posted: “’You are a good sister. Hope you’re ok, Sophie, you look like you’re holding back tears”
Sophie has always been outspoken about Katie’s relationships, while trying to be as supportive as possible.
Just a couple of weeks ago, she expressed her horror when Katie announced she was looking for a Richard Gere type.
She retorted: “Absolutely not, you need a break, you need time to yourself’.”
Katie completely ignored her, and when she announced her engagement, she gushed about finding her ‘real life Richard Gere’. The film is, of course, about a wealthy gentleman who sweeps a prostitute off her feet.
The sisters – who have an 11-year age gap- have talked in the past about being “like chalk and cheese”.
Sophie was just six years old when her big sister found fame, meaning that she doesn’t remember a time when Katie wasn’t in the spotlight.
However, Katie’s fame made her a target at school – and she was bullied by cruel classmates.
She recalled: “It was just girls saying nasty things, when you’re a teenager… You know what girls can be like.”
Yet a beautiful relationship blossomed, with the sisters becoming firm friends and podcast favourites.
But after the latest cruel snub, it might be a while before fans get a new episode of the podcast.
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Catherine O’Hara held husband Bo Welch close in final public appearance 3 months before her tragic death at 71
CATHERINE O’Hara has died unexpectedly on Friday, months after her final appearance alongside her husband Bo Welch.
Fans are reeling following the announcement, which did not reveal the Schitt’s Creek star’s cause of death.
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Catherine, 71 when she died, made her final appearance alongside her husband Bo back in September.
Photos show the couple dressed to the nines.
The Home Alone actress is wearing a black gown while her hubby sports a chic suit.
Her shoulder-length blonde hair was down with a slight curl in the ends.
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She wore subtle makeup, including a nude lipstick color.
Catherine appeared in good spirits during the evening out.
She and Bo posed for photos together.
At times, he stood behind her with his hands on her hips.
OUT OF SIGHT
Months later, Catherine was nominated for a Golden Globe award.
She was schedule to appear at the January 11 awards show, where she was nominated for Best Supporting Performance from a Female Actor for her role in the Apple TV series, The Studio.
Unfortunately, she did not attend.
RIP
TMZ broke the news of Catherine’s death on Friday afternoon.
Sources with direct knowledge confirmed the iconic actress’ passing to the outlet.
A cause of death was not immediately available for the star.
Catherine O’Hara dead at 71
Iconic Home Alone actress Catherine O’Hara died on January 30, 2026. O’Hara was 71.
Biography:
While the exact cause of death has not been revealed, Page Six reported that she was rushed to a Los Angeles hospital in “serious” condition.
Paramedics were called the the actress’ home home at 4:48 a.m. on Friday morning, a Los Angeles Fire Department spokesperson confirmed to the outlet.
She was in “serious condition” when she was transported to the hospital.
PAYING TRIBUTE
Tributes to the actress flooded social media almost immediately after her death was announced.
“RIP Catherine O’ Hara. I know John Candy greeted her with open arms.”, one fan wrote.
Another posted on X: “Catherine O’Hara was an absolute genius for the entirety of her career.
“She will be terribly missed.”
A third posted: “Catherine O’Hara will be remembered most as the mom in the first two Home Alone movies
“But I’ll always remember her as Delia Deetz in BeetleJuice. RIP to a legend.”
ICONIC ROLES
Throughout her long career in Hollywood, Catherine appeared in many iconic films and TV shows.
She was an actress for more than 50 years.
Catherine got her star in the sketch series Second City Television in the 1970s.
She’s known for starring in Home Alone, Beetlejuice, Beetlejuice Beetlejuice, The Nightmare Before Christmas, Home Alone 2, Schitt’s Creek and more.
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After Trump gig, Nicki Minaj says her U.S. citizenship is close
Nicki Minaj, who revealed in 2018 that she was brought to the United States as an “illegal immigrant” from Trinidad and Tobago when she was 5 years old, flashed a Trump gold card Wednesday after an event formally launching the president’s IRA-style savings accounts for children. Her citizenship paperwork, she said on social media, was being finalized.
“Residency? Residency? The cope is coping. … Finalizing that citizenship paperwork as we speak as per MY wonderful, gracious, charming President,” the “Bang Bang” rapper, 43, wrote Wednesday on X, including a photo of the Chucky character flipping his middle finger. “Thanks to the petition. … I wouldn’t have done it without you. Oh CitizenNIKA you are thee moment. Gold Trump card free of charge.”
That post mentioning the card, which delivers citizenship in the United States for those who pay $1 million, may have referred to multiple petitions arguing that the rapper — real name Onika Tanya Maraj-Petty — should be deported to Trinidad and Tobago, where she was born before being raised in Queens, N.Y. A previous post contained a photo of the gold card and the single word “Welp …”
“I came to this country as an illegal immigrant @ 5 years old,” the rapper wrote on Facebook in 2018, posting a photo from the first Trump administration’s “zero tolerance” period of immigration enforcement when migrant children were being separated from their migrant parents at the country’s southern border.
The photo showed children on padded floor mats with silver Mylar thermal blankets, walled in by chain-link fencing. “I can’t imagine the horror of being in a strange place & having my parents stripped away from me at the age of 5. This is so scary to me. Please stop this. Can you try to imagine the terror & panic these kids feel right now?”
In 2020, she said in a Rolling Stone interview that she thought Trump was “funny as hell” on “Celebrity Apprentice” but was bothered by the images of children taken from their parents.
President Trump talks with rapper Nicki Minaj in Washington, D.C., on Wednesday at an event launching the Trump Accounts savings and investment program for children.
(Jose Luis Magana / Associated Press)
“I was one of those immigrant children coming to America to flee poverty,” Minaj told the outlet. “And I couldn’t imagine a little child going through all of that, trying to get to another country because they didn’t have money in their country, or whether you’re fleeing from war … and then being taken away from the one person that makes you feel comfort. That is what really raised my eyebrows.”
At the time, she said she would not “jump on the Donald Trump bandwagon.”
But Minaj has since come around to support the president in his second term, even calling herself his “No. 1 fan” in remarks Wednesday. “And that’s not going to change,” she said.
“The hate or what people have to say, it does not affect me at all. It actually motivates me to support him more, and it’s going to motivate all of us to support him more,” Minaj said. “We’re not going to let them get away with bullying him and the smear campaigns. It’s not going to work, OK? He has a lot of force behind him, and God is protecting him.”
The president introduced her as “the greatest and most successful female rapper in history,” a title that’s accurate going by record sales and overall presence on the Billboard Hot 100. (Of course, Missy Elliott and Ms. Lauryn Hill might want to have a conversation.)
“I didn’t know Nicki, and I’ve been hearing over the years she’s a big Trump supporter, Trump fan,” POTUS continued. “And she took a little heat on occasion because her community isn’t necessarily a Trump fan.”
Trump said Minaj was among those stepping up, along with people including Dell Computers Chief Executive Michael S. Dell, and donating “hundreds of thousands of dollars” of her money to the new accounts. In addition to her generosity, POTUS was definitely a fan of Minaj’s long, painted, pointy pink manicure. He chuckled as he told the audience, “I’m going to let my nails grow, because I love those nails. I’m going to let those nails grow.”
In December, before Christmas, the rapper also appeared onstage with conservative activist Erika Kirk, widow of Charlie Kirk, who was slain in September at Utah Valley University. Minaj took the opportunity at the Phoenix conference of Kirk’s organization, Turning Point USA, to praise Trump and mock California Gov. Gavin Newsom.
Minaj, a Christian, praised Trump at the time for standing up for Christians being persecuted in Nigeria and elsewhere.
“I have the utmost respect and admiration for our president,” Minaj said. “I don’t know if he even knows this but he has given so many people hope that there is a chance to beat the bad guys and to win and to do it with your head held high.”
She also declared onstage that there was “nothing wrong with being a boy.”
“How about that?” she continued. “How powerful is that? How profound is that? Boys will be boys, and there is nothing wrong with that.”
Then Minaj read aloud some of her social media posts mocking Newsom, calling him “Newscum” and “Gavie-poo” and criticizing his advocacy on behalf of “trans kids.”
It’s not as if the “Starships” rapper hid the ball about being harsh when she said in 2023 that she was willing to “be cussing out” certain people at certain times.
“When I hear the word mean, I think about the core of who the person is,” she told Vogue. “I always tell people that the difference between being mean and being a bitch is that bitch passes. Bitch comes and goes. Mean is who you are. I could be the biggest bitch, at the height of my bitch-ness, but if the person I may be cussing out at that time needs something from me, I’m going to give it to them. I have to be able to look in the mirror and be OK with myself.”
Trump accounts for children, a new type of IRA for U.S. citizens who are younger than 18 on Dec. 31 of the year an account is opened, are part of the “Big Beautiful Bill” of tax breaks and spending cuts that was signed into law last summer.
For children born during the second Trump administration, calendar years 2025 through 2028, the accounts will be seeded with $1,000 from the U.S. Treasury when a parent submits a form to the IRS to open the account. Additional pre-tax contributions of up to $5,000 a year are allowed but not required, and a parent is the custodian of the account until the child turns 18. Withdrawals for education, housing or business will be taxed as ordinary income.
Minaj is married to Kenneth Petty — who served four years in prison after being convicted of attempted rape in New York in 1995 — and the couple has one son. Nicknamed “Papa Bear,” the tot was born in 2020, about five years too soon to qualify for that $1,000.
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English lido forced to close after 50 years set to finally reopen next year
A LIDO that first opened five decades ago is hoping to welcome swimmers back after a three-year closure.
Popular swimming spot Stanhope Open Air Swimming Pool is raising money for repairs and upgrades needed to open its doors once again.
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The once bustling open air pool in County Durham was the area’s only heated lido.
It first opened in 1974 and welcomed swimmers for 48 years before its closure in 2023.
In 2023, the lido was forced to shut after it experienced electrical issues in the plant room.
But prior to that, the lido saw more than 8,000 swimmers in 2022.
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Now, the charity looking after the pool is hoping that it will once again reopen to the public by next year.
The charity posted on Facebook about the update: “We are delighted to announce that we have agreed a new 30-year lease with our landlords. Weardale Open Air Swimming Pool first opened in 1974, with a life expectancy of 30 years.
“The hard work of our wonderful volunteers kept things going for much longer, but the pool infrastructure now needs complete renovation.”
It detailed that lots of essential works are still needed to restore the lido to its former glory.
This includes relining the pool, rewiring the whole site, refurbishing the plant room and upgrading the changing rooms and snack bar.
It added that it will need to “raise hundreds of thousands of pounds”, but locals remain optimistic.
One wrote on the post: “That’s fantastic news, loved that pool, be lovely to see it up and running again.”
Another added: “Great news, it is quite an asset to the area. Hope the future is bright!”
The charity is asking for the community and users to donate to help the cause – but is also applying for grants for the refurbishment.
The lido is 25metres long and when it was open was always heated to 27C – so it was warm even on the cool summer evenings.
It even had a springboard, so the depth of the pool was a maximum of three metres deep.
Along with the main pool was another smaller one for children which was just half a metre deep – it was also heated to the same temperature and had a slide.
Visitors were also able to use the on-site sauna, cafe and shop where they could buy dive toys, armbands and goggles.
Here are all of the new lidos set to open across the UK from seafront pools to city swimming spots.
Plus, this English lido with heated swimming pool and Full Moon swims reopened after a £120k upgrade.
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China’s Massive PL-17 Air-To-Air Missile Seen Up Close
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Weekly insights and analysis on the latest developments in military technology, strategy, and foreign policy.
One of the most enigmatic weapons in the arsenal of the Chinese People’s Liberation Army Air Force (PLAAF), the PL-17 very long-range air-to-air missile, appears to have been shown for the first time at close quarters. The missile has been around for a relatively long time, but next to no official details about it have been released. Meanwhile, the threat that it and other Chinese air-to-air missiles pose has triggered a flurry of weapons development in the United States.
As is often the case with such images, we must note that the photo of the PL-17 appears authentic, but we cannot be certain of that. The date and location of the image are also unclear, but it shows a PL-17 (more accurately, a full-size mock-up of one) on a display stand at a tradeshow or exhibition. A man poses in front of the missile, face censored, while behind the weapon is a board promoting the J-20 stealth fighter.
We have become accustomed to ‘leaks’ out of China over many years when it comes to new military aircraft designs and their weaponry. Combined with the fact that the PL-17 was first publicly revealed in a blurry photo close to 10 years ago, its appearance at a tradeshow at this point might not be entirely surprising.
For its part, the PLAAF has published official imagery of the PL-17 (albeit showing the missile at a considerable distance, with no real detail visible). The release of the PLAAF photo, seen below, in 2023, was taken as confirmation that the missile was in operational service, or close to it, arming the J-16 Flanker.
When the missile first appeared in public, in 2016, it was dubbed PL-XX in the West; subsequently, the PL-20 designation was suggested, but PL-17 is now confirmed, at least based on the new photo. There are reports that the missile received the Western reporting name CH-AA-12 Auger when it entered service.
From the start, the PL-17 was considered to be a very long-range AAM, based on its prodigious size, roughly 20 feet long. For a missile with this reach, key targets are likely high-value, larger assets, including tankers and airborne early warning aircraft.
In detail, the PL-17 features a dual-pulse rocket motor, while control is provided by four relatively small tail fins and a thrust-vectoring nozzle. Reportedly, the missile has a range of around 250 miles, although that number is dependent on a huge array of factors, and actual range can vary dramatically based on the engagement circumstances. It is thought to have a top speed of at least Mach 4.
Guidance is thought to be achieved through a combination of a two-way datalink and an active electronically scanned array (AESA) seeker, which is said to be highly resistant to electronic countermeasures. There are also reports of a passive anti-radiation seeker to supplement the main seeker. This could be especially useful against airborne early warning and ground moving target indicator (GMTI) radar aircraft.
However, using the PL-17 to its full potential, in terms of range, engagements would likely involve targeting data provided by standoff assets, such as friendly airborne early warning aircraft (a capability set that China has invested heavily into), other aircraft closer to the target, ground and surface-based radar, or even satellites.
In the past, there had been speculation about a possible optical window on the side of the nose of the missile that could indicate an additional infrared seeker, although there is no sign of that in the full-size mock-up version.
So far, the PL-17 has only been seen carried by the J-16, although there has been an assumption that it would be adapted for external carriage on the J-20, too.
Certainly, it seems too large to be used to arm the J-10 series or even the J-35, which would seem to raise a big question about its potential export prospects. On the other hand, the missile may well be envisaged as armament for forthcoming Chinese combat aircraft, most notably the J-36 sixth-generation jet, which features extensive internal weapons capacity.
Regardless, the existence of the PL-17, along with other advanced Chinese air-to-air missile developments, has become a very serious issue for the U.S. military. Concerns about China eroding the ‘missile gap’ with the West have driven work on the still highly classified AIM-260 Joint Advanced Tactical Missile, among other long-range air-to-air missile initiatives.
Last year, the U.S. Navy introduced, at least on a limited scale, an air-launched version of the Standard Missile-6 (SM-6) under the AIM-174B designation. The range of this weapon is classified but should be far in excess of that of the AIM-120D Advanced Medium-Range Air-to-Air Missile (AMRAAM), probably at least double and perhaps even triple the range, against large targets. This would imply an ability to hit some types of aerial targets over multiple hundreds of miles.
How The Navy’s New Very Long-Range AIM-174 Will Pierce China’s Anti-Access Bubble
For now, many questions remain about the full capabilities and technical features of the PL-17. Should the new photo be genuine, however, it would confirm that Beijing is willing to expose at least some aspects of the big missile to a broader audience. With that in mind, we might well learn more about this weapon soon.
Contact the author: thomas@thewarzone.com
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UK’s oldest rollercoaster to close for GOOD after 106 years
THE oldest rollercoaster in the UK is officially closing down after more than 100 years – and as an ex-local, I’m gutted.
The Scenic Railway at Dreamland in Margate first opened back in 1920.
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However, it was forced to shut back in 2024 due to damage to the famous wooden track, with parts of it breaking off.
Not only that, but due to its age and design, it was advised that it would need a daily inspection.
With these estimated to take around five hours, it has since been deemed not viable to stay open.
The theme park has said that it will remain at the park as a feature, but will no longer be open.
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Thanet Council called the news “disappointing” for the park which has undergone a major revamp in the past decade.
In a statement, the theme park said: “The Scenic Railway has completed its journey as a roller coaster and will now take well-earned retirement from operation as a ride.
“This is not the end but a new beginning.
“We are committed to developing a new long-term vision that will not only showcase this remarkable Grade II listed structure, but reimagine its purpose so it can continue to be enjoyed by future generations in a fresh and meaningful way.
“This summer we will be hosting a pop-up exhibit celebrating the history of The Scenic Railway.
“In the longer term, it will be re-invented for people to enjoy in a different way.”
The ride has certainly had a difficult history, being destroyed by a fire in both 1948 and 2008.
Another fire in 2014 also broke out on the ride although this caused less damage.
As someone who used to live in Margate, visiting the theme park was always one of my favourite things to do.
Free to visit, it means you can just wander around and take in the atmosphere without paying a penny.
But the thrill of the Scenic Railway – which still had a rather terrifying manual brake operated by a person – still beats other rollercoasters in my eyes.
Where else can you be thrown about a rickety track, with a few life-fearing drops before coming up to views of the ocean?
Thankfully there are other rides at the theme park that will still be open this summer.
This includes the Pirate Ship, Big Wheel and Rock ‘N Rollercoaster.
New last year was a water flume ride, which left the park back in 2016 only to have been rebuilt.
And Dreamland also attracts huge live music acts every year, with this year’s line up including Tom Grennan, Kesha, Fatboy Slim and Nile Rodgers.
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