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Today’s Rundown:
- TRUMP CLAIMS ‘RAVE REVIEWS’ AS HE HOSTS KENNEDY CENTER HONORS: Former President Donald Trump hosted the 2025 Kennedy Center Honors and quickly declared the night a huge success, boasting on social media that he was getting “rave reviews” even before the show ended. Trump personally pushed for a more nostalgic, “non-woke” lineup of honorees, including Sylvester Stallone, George Strait, Gloria Gaynor, KISS, and Michael Crawford. Reports say he had an unusually large role in picking the honorees after reshaping the Kennedy Center board with his allies. During the ceremony he mixed praise for the artists with jabs at critics and some in the audience, whom he called “miserable, horrible people.” Arts leaders and some observers worry his changes could make the long-running event less bipartisan and less focused on a wide range of performers.
- TRUMP SAYS $12B FARM BAILOUT WILL BE PAID FOR WITH TARIFF MONEY: President Trump announced a $12 billion bailout plan to help farmers hurt by trade disputes and lower crop prices. He said the money would come from “a small portion” of the “hundreds of billions” the U.S. collects in tariffs, arguing that other countries are effectively paying for the aid. The package includes about $11 billion in one-time payments to crop farmers, with the rest going to producers not covered by that main program. Critics note that tariffs are usually paid by importers and can get passed on to U.S. consumers through higher prices. Farm groups are split—many welcome the short-term help but say they would rather have stable export markets than ongoing bailout checks.
- EUROVISION IN TURMOIL AS MULTIPLE COUNTRIES QUIT OVER ISRAEL’S ROLE: The 2026 Eurovision Song Contest is facing a major backlash after at least four countries—Ireland, Spain, the Netherlands, and Slovenia—pulled out in protest of Israel’s participation. Their public broadcasters say letting Israel compete while the war in Gaza continues makes it impossible to treat the show as a neutral cultural event. The European Broadcasting Union decided not to ban Israel, instead tightening rules on political messaging and government involvement. Spain’s withdrawal is especially serious because it is one of the “big five” that help fund the contest. The boycott has raised fears about lower ratings, lost sponsorships, and deep divisions for Eurovision’s 70th-anniversary show in Vienna.
- LOUVRE STAFF TO STRIKE AFTER $102M CROWN JEWELS HEIST AND SAFETY FEARS: Workers at the Louvre Museum in Paris have voted to go on strike starting next week, protesting what they call unsafe conditions and poor staffing after a dramatic $102 million jewel heist. In October, thieves stole France’s crown jewels in less than eight minutes using power tools and motorbikes, raising big questions about security at one of the world’s most famous museums. Unions say staff have been warning about security gaps, high visitor numbers, and aging infrastructure for years. They also point to problems like a recent water leak in the library that damaged historic books and temporary gallery closures due to structural issues. Employees want more guards, better building maintenance, and a real plan from management to protect both people and priceless art.
- ALLRED STEPS ASIDE, CLEARING PATH FOR JASMINE CROCKETT’S TEXAS SENATE BID: Former U.S. Rep. Colin Allred has ended his 2026 Texas U.S. Senate campaign and will instead run for a newly redrawn House seat in the 33rd Congressional District around Dallas–Fort Worth. Allred, who was the first major Democrat in the race and the party’s 2024 Senate nominee against Ted Cruz, said he didn’t want a “bruising” primary that could divide Democrats before a tough general election. His exit came just hours before the filing deadline and as Rep. Jasmine Crockett of Dallas officially jumped into the Senate primary, joining state Rep. James Talarico. The GOP side is crowded, with Sen. John Cornyn facing challenges from Attorney General Ken Paxton and Rep. Wesley Hunt. Democrats see Texas as a long-shot but important pickup in their bid to retake the Senate, and Allred’s move is widely viewed as making room for Crockett to carry the party’s banner statewide.
- PARAMOUNT LAUNCHES HOSTILE $30-A-SHARE BID FOR WARNER BROS. DISCOVERY: Paramount, now aligned with Skydance, has made a surprise $108 billion hostile offer to buy all of Warner Bros. Discovery for $30 per share in cash. The bid is aimed at beating Netflix, which already has a lower-valued deal on the table for a large slice of Warner Bros.’ studio and streaming business. Paramount says its offer gives Warner shareholders more cash and a quicker, cleaner path through regulators than a Netflix takeover. The offer is backed by big financing from Bank of America, Citigroup, Apollo, the Ellison family, Middle Eastern wealth funds, and Jared Kushner’s Affinity Partners—something that has already drawn political and antitrust scrutiny. Warner’s board is reviewing the bid but hasn’t dropped its support for the Netflix deal yet, setting up a high-stakes fight over the future of one of Hollywood’s biggest studios.
- ARKANSAS TOPS U.S. LIST FOR INBOUND MOVERS, DRIVEN BY JOBS AND AFFORDABILITY: A new Atlas Van Lines migration study shows Arkansas had the highest share of inbound moves in the country, making it the top “moved-to” state. In 2024 and into 2025, about 65% of the company’s Arkansas shipments were people moving into the state, not out. Analysts say newcomers are drawn by job growth, lower housing costs, and the state’s natural scenery, with many moves centered around fast-growing Northwest Arkansas and the Bentonville area. At the same time, the report notes that fewer Americans overall are moving across state lines, making Arkansas’s strong pull stand out even more. Local economic experts say the challenge now is making sure the state’s workforce and housing supply can keep up with the population growth.
- POWERBALL JACKPOT JUMPS TO $930 MILLION AFTER NO BIG WINNER: The Powerball jackpot has climbed to an estimated $930 million after no ticket matched all six numbers in Monday night’s drawing. The winning numbers were 8, 32, 52, 56, 64 and Powerball 23, and one Florida ticket still won $1 million for matching all five white balls. The new jackpot has a cash value of about $429 million before taxes. This is now one of the largest Powerball prizes ever and the third-biggest lottery jackpot of 2025 so far. The next drawing is Wednesday night, but lottery officials remind players that the odds of winning the jackpot are about 1 in 292 million.
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