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EXCLUSIVE: Trump-led Kennedy Center nearly doubles fundraising from Biden era, smashing record with $23M haul
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EXCLUSIVE: The Kennedy Center Honors has raised a record $23 million for its 48th annual celebration, nearly doubling the $12.7 million raised last year under President Biden, as President Donald Trump begins his tenure as chairman of the Kennedy Center, Fox News Digital has learned.
According to the Kennedy Center, the $23 million total marks the largest fundraising haul in the 48-year history of the Honors, which was launched in 1978 as the institution’s highest recognition of lifetime artistic achievement.
While Kennedy Center Honorees have visited the Oval Office privately in past years, Trump on Saturday hosted the first official, on-camera ceremony recognizing the recipients inside the Oval Office, introducing each honoree ahead of Sunday night’s gala.
Kennedy Center President Richard Grenell told Fox News Digital that the center «nearly doubled last year’s fundraising, reaching a historic $23 million dollars,» calling the Honors «one of our nation’s highest celebrations of the performing arts.»
Trump’s expanded role as chairman and his direct involvement in the weekend’s events, officials say, have contributed to what they describe as «intense interest and momentum» around the program.
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The White House X page posted a photo of President Donald Trump at the Resolute Desk with the 2025 Kennedy Center Honorees. (@WhiteHouse via X)
Roma Daravi, the Kennedy Center’s vice president of public relations, told Fox News Digital the new benchmark reflects unprecedented donor enthusiasm.
«The record-breaking $23 million in contributions to the Kennedy Center Honors is a testament to the extraordinary support for our mission and affirms a vibrant future for this beloved American institution,» she said.
During Saturday evening’s Oval Office ceremony, a first in Honors history, Trump personally introduced each of the 2025 honorees. «Great honor,» he began. «And I’m delighted to welcome to the Oval Office… our truly exceptional 2025 Kennedy Center honorees.»
He went on to call the group «perhaps the most accomplished and renowned class of Kennedy Center honorees ever assembled.»
This year’s recipients include George Strait, members of the rock band KISS — Paul Stanley, Gene Simmons, Peter Criss, and Ace Frehley (posthumous) — Michael Crawford, Gloria Gaynor and Sylvester Stallone.
Trump singled out each in turn, praising Strait as a «country music legend,» Crawford as a «great star of Broadway,» Gaynor as «the disco queen,» Stallone as «one of the true great movie stars,» and KISS as «the incredible rock band.»
KENNEDY CENTER BOARD MEMBER SAYS FAMILIES ARE ‘WELCOME’ AGAIN AS GALA BREAKS FUNDRAISING RECORDS
President Donald Trump delivers remarks 2025 Kennedy Center Honorees look in the Oval Office on Saturday. (Aaron Schwartz/Getty Images)
Trump also unveiled the Honors’ new medallions, redesigned and donated by Tiffany & Co. «We will be presenting this year with the Kennedy Center Honors medallions, which will be designed this year with the help of the fantastic team at Tiffany and Company,» he said.
The new medallion features a gold disc etched with an image of the Kennedy Center, flanked by rainbow colors representing the breadth of art disciplines celebrated by the Honors.
The reverse side includes each honoree’s name in script above the date of the 2025 Medallion Ceremony, and the medallion hangs from a navy-blue ribbon «associated with dignity and tradition,» according to the institution’s description.
The honorees will be formally recognized Sunday evening during a star-studded celebration at the Kennedy Center following a State Department reception, which Trump noted «was never done before» because «we never had a president hosting the awards before. This is the first.»
This year’s class spans five decades of American cultural achievement. Strait, known as the «King of Country Music,» holds more than 100 million RIAA certifications and remains the only artist to chart a Top 10 hit every year for more than thirty years. KISS has sold more than 100 million albums worldwide and remains one of America’s most enduring rock groups.
U.S. President Donald Trump delivers remarks as honorees (2nd-L-R) musicians Paul Stanley and Gene Simmons of the rock band KISS, actor Sylvester Stallone, musician Peter Criss of the rock band KISS, actor Michael Crawford and country musician George Strait look on during the medal presentation ceremony for the 2025 Kennedy Center Honorees in the Oval Office of the White House on December 06, 2025 in Washington, DC. The 2025 Kennedy Center honorees are Sylvester Stallone, George Strait, the rock band KISS, Gloria Gaynor, and Michael Crawford. (Aaron Schwartz/Getty Images)
Crawford is internationally known for originating the title role in «The Phantom of the Opera.» Gaynor has achieved global stardom across five decades and is a two-time Grammy winner.
Stallone, an Academy Award–nominated actor, writer and director, has shaped generations of filmgoers through the «Rocky» and «Rambo» franchises.
NATIONAL SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA TO OPEN ALL OF ITS KENNEDY CENTER SHOWS WITH THE NATIONAL ANTHEM
Actor Sylvester Stallone looks on during a medal presentation ceremony of the 2025 Kennedy Center Honorees in the Oval Office of the White House on Saturday. (Aaron Schwartz/Getty Images)
The Kennedy Center itself, founded in 1971 as the national living memorial to President John F. Kennedy, hosts more than 2,000 performances each year. The Honors began in 1978 and have become a defining fixture of Washington’s cultural calendar.
Trump also highlighted ongoing renovations to the Kennedy Center building, which he said are being carried out «at a level that nobody’s ever seen before,» noting congressional funding for major upgrades — including improvements to acoustics. «The sound is so fantastic,» he said. «If it’s built with bad sound, you never get it fixed.»
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The 48th annual Kennedy Center Honors will air Dec. 23 on CBS and will stream on Paramount+, with live access for Premium subscribers and next-day streaming for Essential subscribers.
Officials say the weekend’s events, from the FIFA World Cup draw to the Oval Office reception to Sunday’s gala, reflect a new chapter for the institution as it enters its first full year under Trump’s leadership and prepares for the next phase of renovations, programming, and donor expansion.
kennedy center,donald trump,politics,washington dc
INTERNACIONAL
La guerra con Rusia: la niebla y la lluvia frenan a los drones de Ucrania y favorecen los asaltos rusos
La niebla persistente y las frecuentes lluvias ofrecen cobertura a la infantería rusa frente a los drones ucranianos, lo que permite a las fuerzas de Moscú intensificar los asaltos que lanza en el frente.
Los soldados ucranianos dicen que el tiempo desfavorable que ha dominado durante buena parte del último mes ha reducido drásticamente la efectividad de los vehículos aéreos no tripulados que son el puntal de su defensa en el este del país.
«En cuanto hay niebla, los asaltos rusos se intensifican», dijo a EFE Anatoli Repsh, sargento jefe de un batallón que está combatiendo cerca de Kúpiansk, en la región nororiental de Járkov.
La unidad de Repsh recurre a una combinación de drones de reconocimiento y de ataque para detectar y eliminar a los soldados rusos que avanzan a pie -a menudo de manera individual o en parejas- como parte de los intentos diarios por infiltrarse más allá de las posiciones ucranianas.
La lluvia y la niebla no solo limitan la visibilidad, sino que también dañan rápidamente las cámaras de los drones y otros componentes electrónicos delicados.
«Aún con lluvia y niebla intentamos volar, pero el equipamiento se resiente mucho. Un dron que ha estado operando todo el día bajo la lluvia rara vez aguanta más de dos o tres días», dijo Repsh.
La escasez de drones lleva a los soldados a usar el equipamiento de forma más conservadora cuando las condiciones meteorológicas son malas y recurren en cambio a interceptar comunicaciones para detectar al enemigo, así como a obstáculos de alambre de espino y campos minados para ralentizar su avance.
Solo una vez que localizan a la infantería rusa envían los drones para atacarla.
Repsh calcula que aproximadamente tres cuartos de los atacantes mueren o son heridos mientras intentan atravesar la «zona de la muerte» de entre siete y diez kilómetros que separa a los dos ejércitos.
Los que sobreviven, sin embargo, se van acumulando gradualmente, lo que obliga a las unidades ucranianas a gastar aún más recursos para repelerles.
«Ya no tenemos infantería suficiente para recuperar con contraataques el terreno perdido y tenemos que gastar más drones, cuando el tiempo lo permite, para destruir las casas y posiciones en las que se esconden los rusos», explicó el sargento.
Pese al clima adverso y a su impacto sobre algunas unidades que dependen casi exclusivamente de los drones para mantener la línea de defensa, las fuerzas ucranianas han impedido hasta ahora que los rusos irrumpan en un avance brusco.
Aún así los progresos territoriales de Moscú se aceleraron en noviembre, cuando según la plataforma de análisis DeepState alcanzaron 505 kilómetros cuadrados, la misma superficie que en los dos meses anteriores combinados.
En Vovchansk, una pequeña ciudad fronteriza que lleva más de un año y medio bajo asedio, la densa niebla ha permitido a las tropas rusas acelerar sus avances en semanas recientes.
«Los drones están volando mucho menos y los rusos están aprovechando su superioridad numérica», dijo este viernes el portavoz militar regional Víktor Tregúbov.
En Pokrovsk, en la región de Donetsk, se está dando una situación similar, pues la espesa niebla ha facilitado la infiltración y acumulación por parte de la infantería rusa en la ciudad y sus inmediaciones.
El mal tiempo también protege los movimientos ucranianos de los drones kamikaze rusos, lo que está facilitando el transporte de munición y alimentos a las posiciones más avanzadas, así como la evacuación de heridos y la rotación de personal.
«Para nosotros es más fácil cuando hay niebla, lluvia intensa o vientos fuertes, porque lanzan menos drones de ataque», dijo a EFE Vasil Vovk, un soldado que está combatiendo en el frente del este.
Sin embargo, la incapacidad de usar los drones tanto como en condiciones meteorológicas favorables hace más daño a Ucrania que a Rusia, enfatizan los soldados, porque Moscú es superior en número de efectivos, así como en la artillería y en el uso de bombas aéreas guiadas, que dependen menos del tiempo.
Los ingenieros ucranianos trabajan en soluciones que hagan a los drones menos vulnerables a los efectos climatológicos, pero la niebla y la lluvia ponen de manifiesto la necesidad persistente de armas convencionales.
Aunque Ucrania ha incrementado de forma drástica la producción doméstica de drones y está buscando financiación adicional para seguir expandiéndola, los sistemas de artillería, los vehículos blindados y las defensas antiaéreas modernas siguen siendo indispensables para detener los avances rusos, dicen soldados y analistas militares.
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The Trump administration is reshaping when Americans can enter national parks for free – adding President Donald Trump’s birthday as a fee-free day while eliminating Martin Luther King Jr. Day and Juneteenth in a move already drawing criticism from civil rights leaders.
Although presidents often revise the list, the changes are sparking criticism from civil rights advocates and Democratic lawmakers who say the removals undercut holidays that honor Black Americans’ history and contributions.
The shift in free-entry days marks a notable break from the 2025 calendar, which leaned heavily on long-established public lands celebrations and civil rights observances.
This year’s lineup included Martin Luther King Jr. Day, Juneteenth, National Public Lands Day, and the kickoff to National Park Week – all of which disappear under the 2026 schedule.
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Yosemite National Park visitors take a look at El Capitan rock formation and Bridalveil Fall from Tunnel View in Yosemite Valley in California. (Craig Kohlruss/Fresno Bee/Tribune News Service via Getty Images)
In their place, the Trump administration has added a slate of historically themed or presidentially-aligned dates. President Donald Trump’s birthday on June 14 becomes a fee-free day for the first time, as do Constitution Day, the 110th anniversary of the National Park Service, and the birthday of Theodore Roosevelt.
The agency is also shifting some observances to federal holidays with broader national recognition, including Presidents’ Day, Memorial Day and a three-day Independence Day weekend.
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The Trump administration is making changes to which days the public will be able to access National Parks for free in 2026, adding President Donald Trump’s birthday as one day, and removing Martin Luther King Jr. Day and Juneteenth. (Rick Bowner/AP Photo)
Veterans Day remains the lone date carried over from both years, underscoring how dramatically the free-day calendar is being remade heading into 2026.
FOX 5 in DC reported that some civil rights leaders have voiced opposition to the changes.
National Parks Conservation Association spokesperson Kristen Brengel told the station that the elimination of Martin Luther King Jr. Day is concerning, adding that the day had become a popular day of service for community groups that use it to conduct volunteer projects at the parks.
SQUATTERS TAKE OVER YOSEMITE AS SHUTDOWN LEAVES POPULAR NATIONAL PARK WITH FEW RANGERS: REPORT
Sen. Catherine Cortez Masto, D-Nev., also weighed in on the changes in a post on X on Friday.
«Let’s be clear here: both MLK Jr. Day and Juneteenth were free entry days last year,» she wrote. «The President didn’t just add his own birthday to the list, he removed both of these holidays that mark Black Americans’ struggle for civil rights and freedom. Our country deserves better.»
Fox News Digital has reached out to the White House regarding the changes.
AMERICA’S NATIONAL PARKS ARE AT A CROSSROADS. HERE’S HOW CONGRESS CAN PROTECT THEM
An entrance sign for Colorado’s Rocky Mountain National Park. (John Greim/LightRocket via Getty Images)
The Department of Interior is pairing the new free-day schedule with a broader overhaul of how visitors access national parks beginning Jan. 1, 2026.
The agency is rolling out fully digital America the Beautiful passes – including annual, military, senior, fourth-grade and access passes – that can be purchased and displayed on mobile devices through Recreation.gov. Visitors will be able to activate passes instantly and still link them to physical cards if needed.
Officials say updated validation tools and new training for park staff are intended to speed up entrance lines and simplify visitor experiences across the system.
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Yellowstone National Park sign and entrance. President Trump added his birthday to the list of dates that people can enter national parks for free. (iStock)
«President Trump’s leadership always puts American families first,» Secretary of the Interior Doug Burgum said. «These policies ensure that U.S. taxpayers, who already support the National Park System, continue to enjoy affordable access, while international visitors contribute their fair share to maintaining and improving our parks for future generations.»
The department is also refreshing annual pass designs with new patriotic artwork that will appear on both digital and physical versions.
Alongside the digital rollout, the administration announced it is shifting its fee structure to emphasize lower costs for U.S. residents and higher prices for international visitors.
The annual pass will remain $80 for Americans but jump to $250 for nonresidents. Foreign visitors who do not hold a pass will pay an added $100 per person at 11 of the most visited national parks.
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The agency is also broadening access for motorcycle riders by allowing all America the Beautiful passes to cover two motorcycles instead of one.
Interior officials say the increased revenue from higher nonresident fees will be directed toward facility upgrades, maintenance projects, and visitor services across the park system.
national parks,donald trump,parks
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Chechen leader threatens Zelenskyy amid drone strike, echoes alleged assassination plot
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Chechen leader Ramzan Kadyrov’s threats against Ukraine following a drone strike echo a 2022 plot to infiltrate Kyiv and target President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, a former Ukrainian government official has said.
The leader’s latest threat came after a Ukrainian drone reportedly struck a high-rise building near Kadyrov’s home in Grozny on Nov. 5.
The strike prompted the Chechen strongman to vow retaliation in an online video post, according to Reuters.
«This new threat would just be another assassination threat for Zelenskyy. The Chechens are really serious about revenge,» a former government official told Fox News Digital.
RUSSIAN CRUISE MISSILES HIT US COMPANY IN MASSIVE UKRAINE STRIKE AMID TRUMP’S PEACE PUSH
Head of Chechnya Ramzan Kadyrov smiles prior to Russian-UAE talks on December 6, 2023, in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates. (Getty Images)
«But in Kyiv they are not panicking about this like they were in 2022,» the former official said under condition of anonymity.
«Zelenskyy is now better protected, feels more powerful and is less fragile,» they said.
The recent Ukrainian strike, reported by Reuters, hit the 28-story Grozny-City tower that sits roughly 830 meters from Kadyrov’s home.
TRUMP EYES NEW SANCTIONS ON PUTIN AFTER LARGEST-EVER DRONE ATTACK
Ramzan Kadyrov is one of Vladimir Putin’s most aggressive enforcers. (Rob Welham/Universal History Archive/Universal Images Group via Getty Images)
Kadyrov, who is loyal to Russia, later allegedly confirmed the attack in a Telegram post, stating there were no casualties, but he condemned the strike as making «no tactical sense.»
He also warned that retaliation was imminent.
«Starting tomorrow and in the course of the week, the Ukrainian fascists will be feeling a stern response,» he threatened.
Unlike Ukraine’s strike, he added, «we will not be making a cowardly strike on peaceful targets,» per Reuters.
Ukrainian attacks have hit sites in Chechnya before now, including a police barracks and a training academy. Chechen units were also deployed during Russia’s 2022 invasion and were among the Kremlin’s most loyal forces.
RUSSIA LAUNCHES MASSIVE DRONE AND MISSILE BARRAGE ON UKRAINE HITTING KYIV, OTHER TARGETS THROUGHOUT COUNTRY
Russian and Chechen soldiers in a devastated Mariupol neighborhood close to the Azovstal frontline. (Maximilian Clarke/SOPA Images/LightRocket via Getty Images)
At the time of the 2022 invasion, the official said there was intense anxiety in Kyiv.
«At the beginning of the large-scale invasion in 2022, Chechens were sent to Kyiv to murder top politicians,» the former official said.
«This included Volodymyr Zelenskyy and top politicians from the government and security services and Parliament, and many other agencies.
«Zelenskyy and Yermak were very scared,» they claimed. «They were calling from the office, asking some people in the military and security service to secure the metro station in Kyiv.»
The source said one metro station in Kyiv was a potential infiltration route for the Chechens into Zelenskyy’s presidential bunker.
RUSSIAN ATTACK ON UKRAINE LEAVES 25 DEAD IN TERNOPIL AFTER MASSIVE OVERNIGHT STRIKES
Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelensky gives a press conference in Kyiv on February 26, 2025, amid the Russian invasion of Ukraine. (Tetiana Dzhafarova/AFP via Getty Images)
At the time, the station in Kyiv that was deep underground and near the presidential bunker, was viewed as the most vulnerable entry route, the source said.
«They were afraid that Chechens would get to the bunker through this metro station, but in the end the Chechens were killed before they reached Kyiv.
«They tried to reach Kyiv, somehow downtown, somehow via the river, but it’s quite a complicated way to get there,» the former official said.
Meanwhile, with the Nov. 5. Grozny strike landing so close to his home, Kadyrov, already one of Putin’s most aggressive enforcers, is signaling a harsher stance as attacks reach inside Russian territory.
The Moscow Times reported that the drone struck a building that houses regional government offices, including the Chechen Security Council and agencies connected to tourism and religious affairs.
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Despite the rhetoric, the former Ukrainian official claimed Zelenskyy is unfazed this time around.
«These days, Zelenskyy isn’t afraid of Kadyrov’s actions against him or the Ukrainian people. Zelenskyy is feeling very powerful right now,» they added.
Fox News Digital has reached out to Zelenskyy’s office for comment.
volodymyr zelenskyy,ukraine,russia,vladimir putin,wars
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