CNN

By Aleena Fayaz, CNN

(CNN) — The longtime host of the Kennedy Center’s annual Christmas Eve jazz performance said he canceled Wednesday’s concert following the board of trustees’ move to rename the facility for both the 35th president and President Donald Trump.

“I did choose to cancel our Kennedy Center Christmas Eve Jazz Jam when I saw the name change happening last Friday,” Chuck Redd, a drummer and vibraphonist, said in a statement to CNN.

The cancelation marks the latest backlash after the board of trustees of the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts voted last week to rename the facility the “Trump Kennedy Center.” The move quickly sparked outrage from the former president’s family, lawmakers and patrons of the historic center and concerns about legality.

In the hours after the vote, the Washington, DC, performing arts center updated its website and the following day installed new signage to the facade of the building bearing Trump’s name.

CNN reached out to the Kennedy Center for comment on the canceled show. The Associated Press previously reported that the performance had been called off.

The jazz performance is a yearly holiday tradition held at the Kennedy Center. Prior to its cancelation, the concert offered both an in-person and a livestream option for spectators looking to share in holiday cheer.

Redd, who said he has led this concert since 2006 after inheriting the position from the late jazz bassist Keter Betts, told CNN there is currently no plan to reschedule the performance.

The performer is no stranger to the DC music scene. He served as a member of the Smithsonian Jazz Masterworks Orchestra for 15 years and an artist-in-residence at The Smithsonian Jazz Café from 2004 to 2008, according to his website.

“I’ve been performing at the Kennedy Center since the beginning of my career and I was saddened to see this name change,” Redd said.

The effort to rename the building has raised legal concerns as to whether the board has the authority to rename the arts institution, which Congress designated in 1964 as a memorial to the assassinated Democratic president.

Rep. Joyce Beatty, an Ohio Democrat and an ex-officio trustee of the center, brought a lawsuit challenging the board of trustees’ move on Monday.

Beatty alleges the vote by the center’s board of trustees to add Trump’s name went beyond the authority given to the board by Congress.

Trump, who was elected chair by a newly constituted board in February, has frequently joked about calling the performing arts center the “Trump Kennedy Center.” The president’s handpic

By Mitchell McCluskey, CNN

(CNN) — Two men are missing after a group of people who went on a Christmas Day swim at a beach in the southern shore of the United Kingdom faced rough waters, police said on Thursday.

Authorities were called at 10:25 a.m. to the beach at Budleigh Salterton due to a group encountering difficult water conditions, Devon and Cornwall Police said.

Several people were safely recovered to shore and checked either by paramedics at the scene or taken to the hospital as a precaution, police said.

However, two men, in their 40s and 60s, were not recovered and remain missing.

Police led “extensive” searches for the men but the efforts stood down as darkness fell.

“Our thoughts remain firmly with the families and friends of the two men who are currently missing and to all who may have witnessed and be impacted by the incident,” Detective Superintendent Hayley Costar said in a statement.

Costar said that there were several weather warnings put in place this week that led to some official and unofficial swims to be canceled.

The Met Office issued a warning of “strong and gusty east to northeasterly winds” on Christmas Day with gusts up to 55-65 mph.

“While there are no official warnings in place for tomorrow, we urge anyone with plans to go swimming in the sea on Boxing Day not to,” Costar said.

The-CNN-Wire
™ & © 2025 Cable News Network, Inc., a Warner Bros. Discovery Company. All rights reserved.

The post Two men missing after Christmas Day swim in the UK appeared first on News Channel 3-12.

Por Lucas Lilieholm y Mohammed Tawfeeq, CNN

Doce países europeos, así como Canadá y Japón, condenaron la decisión de Israel, tomada a principios de mes, de aprobar 19 nuevos asentamientos judíos en la Ribera Occidental ocupada, al considerar que la medida perjudica las perspectivas de una paz y seguridad duraderas en la región.

“Este tipo de acciones unilaterales, como parte de una intensificación más amplia de las políticas de asentamientos en la Ribera Occidental, no solo violan el derecho internacional, sino que también corren el riesgo de alimentar la inestabilidad”, señalaron en una declaración conjunta.

El gabinete israelí aprobó la legalización y el establecimiento de 19 asentamientos el 11 de diciembre, de acuerdo con una fuente israelí familiarizada con el asunto. El ministro de Finanzas de extrema derecha, Bezalel Smotrich, él mismo colono, anunció la medida en una publicación en redes sociales el domingo.

La decisión autoriza 19 asentamientos en distintos puntos de la Ribera Occidental, incluidos dos que fueron evacuados como parte del plan de retirada de 2005, y se produce en un momento en que la violencia de colonos israelíes contra palestinos en ese territorio ha aumentado.

La declaración conjunta emitida el miércoles fue suscrita por Bélgica, Canadá, Dinamarca, Francia, Alemania, Italia, Islandia, Irlanda, Japón, Malta, Países Bajos, Noruega, España y el Reino Unido.

“Reafirmamos nuestro compromiso inquebrantable con una paz integral, justa y duradera basada en la solución de dos Estados, de conformidad con las resoluciones pertinentes del Consejo de Seguridad de la ONU, en la que dos Estados democráticos, Israel y Palestina, convivan en paz y seguridad dentro de fronteras seguras y reconocidas”, añade la declaración.

El ministro de Relaciones Exteriores de Israel rechazó la declaración, al afirmar que el pueblo judío tiene derecho a establecer una patria nacional que abarque todo el territorio palestino bajo mandato británico.

“Los gobiernos extranjeros no restringirán el derecho de los judíos a vivir en la Tierra de Israel”, afirmó en una publicación en X.

La Ribera Occidental, situada al oeste del río Jordán entre Israel y Jordania, ha estado ocupada por las fuerzas israelíes desde 1967 y alberga a más de 3,3 millones de palestinos.

Los líderes israelíes se han mostrado cada vez más explícitos en su rechazo a la creación de un futuro Estado palestino en los meses previos y posteriores al ataque de Hamas del 7 de octubre, pese a los llamados internacionales a una solución negociada a la ocupación que se prolonga desde hace décadas.

“Estamos bloqueando sobre el terreno el establecimiento de un Estado terrorista palestino. Seguiremos desarrollando, construyendo y asentándonos en la tierra heredada de nuestros antepasados, con fe en la justicia de nuestro camino”, dijo Smotrich en su declaración al anunciar la expansión de los asentamientos.

Los asentamientos israelíes en general son considerados ilegales según el derecho internacional. Los puestos de avanzada, además de ser ilegales conforme al derecho internacional, también lo son según la legislación israelí.

Los colonos establecen estos puestos con el objetivo de obtener posteriormente la autorización de construcciones ilegales. Muchos de los asentamientos recientemente autorizados se encuentran en el interior de la Ribera Occidental.

En mayo, Israel anunció que establecería 22 nuevos asentamientos en lo que, de acuerdo con la organización israelí de vigilancia de los asentamientos Peace Now, fue la mayor expansión de asentamientos e

SANTA BARBARA, Calif. - It’s Christmas Day, but the storm isn’t taking a holiday. Steady rain continues to move across the Central Coast, causing street flooding and keeping transportation officials and airlines on alert even as families continue their celebrations.

Throughout the day, streets in areas like Anacapa Street and the Funk Zone were covered in standing water, making travel slow and slick. Overnight, strong winds combined with saturated ground caused a large tree to fall between Los Carneros Road and Cathedral Oaks, showing just how soaked the area has become.

Despite the wet weather, many families carried on with their holiday plans, staying close to home or venturing out briefly. Traffic on the roads was noticeably lighter. At Santa Barbara Airport, officials monitored weather conditions closely. Only a few flights were cancelled or rescheduled as crews adjusted to the rain and wind.

Visitors like Nandana Baruah from Seattle said, “This time the weather isn’t very good, but we just arrived yesterday and haven’t dealt with any flooding or concerns.”

Some businesses stayed open on Christmas Day, keeping holiday traditions alive despite the storm. Debbie Pech, assistant manager at Moby Dick Restaurant, said, “We were worried the storm might keep people away, but it hasn’t affected us at all. We have standing room only right now.”

Along the coast at Stearns Wharf, families braved the rain with umbrellas and jackets, continuing their Christmas celebrations.

Meanwhile, crews quickly responded to an accident on Highway 101 northbound near Evans Avenue in Summerland, reopening the roads promptly.

Officials remind drivers to slow down, watch for ponding water, and use caution as the storm continues moving through the region.

The post Christmas Rainstorm Hits Central Coast: Families Celebrate Despite Flooding appeared first on News Channel 3-12.

SAN LUIS OBISPO COUNTY, Calif. (KEYT) – Highway 1 has been shut down in both directions at a low-lying area beneath a railroad crossing one mile north of Guadalupe due to flooding in the area.

According to Caltrans District 5, the section of roadway beneath the railroad crossing that usually floods during heavy rains will remain closed until Friday morning when crews will reassess the scene.

This is an evolving weather-related incident and more information will be added to this article as it is received.

The post Highway 1 closed in both directions at railroad crossing one mile north of Guadalupe due to flooding appeared first on News Channel 3-12.