What’s going on with the Kennedy Center under Trump?
Until a few weeks ago, the biggest news to come out of the Kennedy Center in Washington, D.C., was its annual celebration of notable American artists
That has changed since the return of Donald Trump.
In the first month of his second term, the president has ousted the arts institution’s leadership, filled the board of trustees with his supporters and announced he had been elected the board’s chair — unanimously. In a statement this week to The Wall Street Journal, White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt said: “The Kennedy Center learned the hard way that if you go woke, you will go broke. President Trump and the members of his newly-appointed board are devoted to rebuilding the Kennedy Center into a thriving and highly respected institution where all Americans, and visitors from around the world, can enjoy the arts with respect to America’s great history and traditions.” [AP]
Roku becomes the streaming hub of Bassmaster Tournaments
Audiences can soon hook free access to live coverage of Bassmaster professional bass fishing tournaments thanks to a new streaming rights partnership between Roku, America’s No. 1 TV streaming platform, and Bassmaster, the world’s leading authority on sportfishing. Upcoming Bassmaster LIVE events will include action from the brand-new Elite Qualifiers (EQ) Series, five Bassmaster Open Series events, which set the field for the EQs, select coverage of all nine Bassmaster Elite Series events, Friday coverage of the Bass Pro Shops Bassmaster Classic presented by Under Armour and a special prime time production of the Progressive Insurance Bassmaster Classic Celebrity Pro-Am presented by Yokohama, all streaming for free on The Roku Channel.
Kicking off with Thursday and Friday coverage of the 2025 Bassmaster Elite Series season on Feb. 20, the Bassmaster tournaments will stream live on The Roku Channel’s Roku Sports Channel. Professional fishing fans can also enjoy replays of the live stream alongside additional on-demand content, clips and highlights across The Roku Channel, Roku Sports Channel and Roku’s Sports Zone, plus a dedicated Bassmaster FAST channel launching later this year. The partnership will expand coverage availability of Bassmaster LIVE properties and further bolster Roku’s free lineup of exclusive live sports.
“It’s an honor to call Roku the streaming home of Bassmaster, an iconic brand with a decades-spanning history of producing best-in-class professional fishing tournaments,” said Joe Franzetta, head of sports, Roku Media. “We look forward to bringing these events for free to the passionate fanbase of this top outdoor sport, as well as introducing Bassmaster to new audiences, expanding the tournaments’ reach to millions of streaming households in the U.S.”
Scholastic to Publish Interactive Illustrated Edition of Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire
Scholastic, the global children’s publishing, education and media company, announced today that it will publish the interactive illustrated edition of Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire in the U.S. on October 14, 2025. This stunning special edition of the fourth book in J.K. Rowling’s iconic series ) is illustrated in brilliant full-color by Karl James Mountford, with paper-engineered interactive elements by Jess Tice-Gilbert. The book will be published simultaneously in the U.K. by Bloomsbury Children’s Books.
In this deluxe special edition of Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire, J.K. Rowling’s complete and unabridged text is accompanied by vibrant full-color illustrations throughout and eight paper-engineered interactive elements including the Maze of the Triwizard Tournament and the Goblet of Fire itself. Readers will also explore the Weasleys’ tent at the Quidditch World Cup, reveal the Dark Mark in the sky, follow Harry into the Lake at Hogwarts, and more. This keepsake edition is an impressive gift for Harry Potter fans of all ages, a beautiful addition to any collector’s bookshelf, and an enchanting way to share this beloved series with a new generation of readers.
Relive the Revolution in Dolby as Purple Rain Returns Exclusively to Dolby Cinema
Purple Rain, the legendary 1984 rock musical drama starring Prince in his film acting debut, will be brought back exclusively to Dolby Cinema. It will be screened at Dolby Cinema at AMC Theatres locations in the US and Dolby Cinema at ODEON locations in the UK for one night only on March 5. Fans will have the opportunity to fall in love with his royal badness all over again, while new generations can be introduced to his lasting influence in a stunning restoration that offers elevated visuals and transcendent audio. Tickets went on sale today.
“Purple Rain reimagined in Dolby Vision and Dolby Atmos for Dolby Cinema is a celebration of Prince’s genius and enduring legacy,” said Jed Harmsen, Head of Cinema and Group Entertainment at Dolby. “Devoted and new fans alike prepare to be exhilarated by an unforgettable and unparalleled performance from one of music’s greatest of all time.”
Moviegoers in the US can purchase tickets to see the film at Dolby Cinema at AMC locations by visiting https://dolbylabs.co/PurpleRain.
Moviegoers in the UK can purchase tickets at Dolby Cinema at ODEON locations by visiting https://www.odeon.co.uk/experiences/dolby/.
Immutable-backed Inevitable Games Fund grows 180% in Nine Months
Immutable, in collaboration with King River Capital and Polygon Labs, today announced the inaugural returns on liquid investments of the Inevitable Games Fund (IGF).
The fund recorded a 2.8 Multiple on Invested Capital (MOIC) for investments that have launched token generation events (TGEs), outpacing the 1.36 Multiple seen from Bitcoin during the same time period.
Anchored by Alpha Wave Ventures, backed by Alpha Wave Global and the Abu Dhabi Royal Group’s Chimera Capital, IGF has made investments in 16 gaming projects over the last nine months.
“The success of the performance of the Inevitable Games Fund to date underscores the strength and resilience of the web3 gaming sector,” said Robbie Ferguson, President and Co-Founder of Immutable. “Web3 gaming is driving a revolution in technology and content development, redefining how players are rewarded for their time and empowering them to invest in and shape their gaming communities for the long term. This is a groundbreaking category that has incredible opportunity for the most discerning and strategic firms and investors that are paying close attention”
The Washington Post Announces Immigration and Border Security Team
The Post announced members of the newly formed immigration and border security team in the National department. The newspaper says the team has quickly distinguished itself with scoops, analysis and riveting narratives that explained the numerous changes President Donald Trump has made to the U.S. immigration system.
According to the Post, this team will aggressively cover the story not only in Washington but also at the border and elsewhere. It will partner with colleagues around the room whose responsibilities intersect with immigration coverage to produce agenda-setting, dynamic and visually engaging journalism in all formats.
As previously announced, Jenna Johnson will lead the team. She is joined by Christine Armario, who is on a detail as the team’s deputy from her role as a deputy editor on the America team. The reporters are: Jose A. Del Real, Silvia Foster-Frau, Arelis R. Hernandez, Marianne LeVine, David Nakamura and Maria Sacchetti. [The Washington Post]
Judge Orders Mississippi Newspaper to Remove Editorial, Alarming Press Advocates
A Mississippi judge on Tuesday issued a temporary restraining order requested by the city of Clarksdale requiring a local newspaper to remove a critical editorial from its website, a move that alarmed press advocates.
By Wednesday, the newspaper, The Clarksdale Press Register, had removed the editorial from its website. But Wyatt Emmerich, the president of Emmerich Newspapers, which owns The Press Register, said he planned to challenge the judge’s order at a hearing next week.
“I’ve been in this business for five decades and I’ve never seen anything quite like this,” Mr. Emmerich said in an interview, adding that the judge had targeted “an editorial that is pretty plain vanilla, criticizing the City Council for not sending out the appropriate notices.” [NY Times]
The Last of Us Returns April 13 to Max
Every path has a price.#TheLastOfUs returns April 13 on Max. pic.twitter.com/dOnBMZ8PPm
— Sony (@Sony) February 19, 2025
