Ousted Kennedy Center Boss Brings Banished ‘Blue’ to Trump’s Backyard

David Rubenstein is reclaiming the Kennedy Center as it was before President Donald Trump’s takeover. The longtime chairman of the performing arts center has purchased “Blue,” a 24-foot-tall abstract sculpture that was removed from the center’s grounds last week on Trump’s orders. He plans to install it at the National Gallery of Art’s Sculpture Garden. Rubenstein—who was fired from his role last year after more than a decade, then replaced by Trump—paid more than $2 million for the work by the late artist Joel Shapiro, according to the New York Times. The Kennedy Center did not explain why it removed the artwork, noting only that a foundation dedicated to Shapiro would decide where it would go next. Rubenstein, a 77-year-old billionaire philanthropist, purchased the sculpture from the foundation, which is run by Shapiro’s daughter, Ivy. “In Joel’s mind, it was one of his greatest site-specific commissions, which celebrated joy, freedom, and creativity,” she said of the aluminum work. The sculpture’s new home is located between the National Gallery of Art and the National Museum of Natural History in Washington, D.C. Among its more than 20 sculptures is another Shapiro work.

Chicago Bears star Matt Suhey has died. An instrumental part of the 1985 Super Bowl-winning team, he died at the age of 68 over Labor Day weekend, according to NBC Chicago. His crowning glory came during Super Bowl XX, when his 11-yard touchdown run saw him burst through the line en route to his team’s 46-10 trouncing of the New England Patriots. He spent his entire 10-year NFL career with the Illinois outfit, making 148 regular-season appearances after being selected in the second round of the 1980 draft after graduating from Penn State. Across that decade, he didn’t miss a single game. Speaking to the Daily Herald, Hall of Fame defensive tackle Dan Hampton said he was “shocked.” “I kind of remember Matt as a level-headed guy,” former teammate Gary Fencik said. “You could almost interpret how the offense felt by going through Matt. Just a real valuable teammate and one that, gosh, this was a real shock to all of us.” Suhey holds a special place in the hearts of many Bears fans for his role as Walter Payton’s lead blocker and close buddy. He retired in 1989, but remained closely affiliated with the football team afterward.

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The Menendez brothers’ next chance at early freedom is taking shape. The California Board of Parole Hearings has scheduled an early parole suitability hearing for Erik, 55, and Lyle Menendez, 58, tentatively set for March 2027. The siblings, who were convicted of murdering their parents with a shotgun inside their $5 million Beverly Hills home in 1989, were sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole in 1996. Attorneys for the brothers filed a habeas corpus petition in 2023 in hopes of securing their freedom, claiming that new evidence points to their father, Jose, being a sexual abuser who also assaulted them and the former boy band member Roy Rosselló. The brothers have long claimed the murder of their parents was self-defense because they were sexually abused by their father for years—abuse they say their mother, Kitty, was aware of. The duo was resentenced to 50 years to life last year, making them immediately eligible for parole. They sought to be released that same year, but a parole board denied it in part due to their behavior in prison.

At least 11 climbers have died after a massive avalanche swept away members of a mountaineering group. At least six others are missing after the terrifying incident on Mount Mizhirgi in Russia’s North Caucasus, emergency officials said, while another six are injured. The avalanche struck at around 5 p.m. local time on Sunday in the Kabardino-Balkaria region, with the wall of snow hitting a group of 33 climbers on one of the area’s highest peaks. At least ten members of the group managed to descend the mountain without assistance. More than 50 emergency workers have been deployed in the rescue operation, but treacherous terrain and the threat of further avalanches are slowing the effort. Mount Mizhirgi, which has two summits, is considered an ultra-high mountain and is one of just 12 peaks in the Caucasus above 16,000 feet.

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A North Korean warship that capsized last May during its official launch has been commissioned, Kim Jong Un announced Sunday. Fixing up the destroyer, Kang Kon, was made possible by the country’s “self-respect, will and strong spirit,” said the dictator, who fumed last year that the accident had “brought the dignity and self-respect of our state to a collapse.” After vowing punishment for those responsible, Kim, 42, erased a top military commander and the shipbuilder from official photos—a potential sign of their execution. The Kang Kon, a nuclear-capable warship, now joins the other vessel in the Choe Hyon-class of destroyers, which is North Korea’s largest. Each displaces about 5,000 tons, according to CNN. Meanwhile, the state-run Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) reported that Kim said that new naval bases are being built to house a growing fleet, with the goal of two new surface ships annually. Kim also claims that a nuclear-powered attack submarine is in the works. KCNA released photos of that sub last December.

Former Formula One boss Bernie Ecclestone was detained in Portugal after police found a shotgun on his private jet. Ecclestone, 95, landed at Tires Aerodrome near Lisbon on Monday after flying from Saanen, Switzerland. The Daily Mail reports that Portuguese authorities stopped him after discovering the firearm, which he had brought into the country without the required paperwork, and subjected him to an hours-long “wall-to-wall aggravation.” Ecclestone told the Daily Mail he had taken the shotgun with him for clay-pigeon shooting and admitted he did not have the correct documentation. He said police kept him at the airport for several hours. His wife, Fabiana Flosi, has traveled to Lisbon to deal with the authorities and resolve the matter, including surrendering the gun or paying any required fees. The incident comes four years after Ecclestone was arrested in Brazil when police found an undocumented pistol in his luggage at an airport. He paid bail and was allowed to leave the country.

Two people have died at the Burning Man festival in Black Rock, Nevada, in as many days. On Friday, organizers of the psychedelic music and arts event said with “heavy hearts” that a man in his mid-50s died after suffering a medical emergency on site. The man was not officially identified pending notification of his family. On Saturday, the festival said that a 60-year-old man was also found dead by campmates in his camp at around 3 p.m. The cause of death has not been revealed. “Our thoughts and deepest condolences are with the participant’s family, friends, campmates, and all those affected by this loss,” Burning Man said in a statement. Last year, the festival was rocked by the horrific murder of 37-year-old Russian Vadim Kruglov, who was found in a pool of blood inside a tent with knife wounds. The victim’s killer has still not been arrested more than one year after the attack took place. The huge annual festival promoting self-expression, which has been running since the 1980s, is held in the Nevada desert and draws around 70,000 people. This year’s event began on Aug. 30 and ends Monday night.

Mayhem broke out at a Chainsmokers concert after more than a dozen people fell ill. The Friday performance at Discovery Meadow in San Jose, California, descended into chaos after emergency services arrived at the scene to find 14 people were unwell. The San Jose Fire Department said responders arrived at the concert at 8:22 p.m. “SJFD immediately requested an Ambulance Task Force, two additional advanced life support fire units, and a Battalion Chief to manage the incident and provide additional medical resources,” the department added. “A total of 14 ambulances responded, and 14 patients were transported to local hospitals.” Police told NBC Bay Area that the 14 people were treated for concerns such as “suspected alcohol intoxication and drug-related issues.” Local media showed footage of scores of fire engines and ambulance crews at the outdoor venue for the show by the popular electronic duo, which consists of Drew Taggart and Alex Pall. The Grammy-award-winning Chainsmokers had their first smash single with 2014’s “#Selfie” and have collaborated with artists such as Coldplay and Bebe Rexha.

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A massive volcanic eruption has left over a quarter of a million people stranded. The eruption of Indonesia’s Anak Krakatau on Friday has grounded about 2,000 flights, with airports in the region closed for a second day. The volcano is located 90 miles from the nation’s capital, Jakarta, with the city’s main airport among those that have canceled flights, affecting the movement of 270,000 people. The airport, Soekarno-Hatta International, said flights would resume late Monday. “It was very crowded because passengers from the morning flights had piled up, while those scheduled for later departures still didn’t know what would happen,” passenger Finna told the BBC. “We were all glued to the flight information screens.” Ash was thrown almost 50,000 feet into the air, according to the meteorological agency BMKG. The latest eruption was on Sunday evening, but Indonesia’s Geological Agency said “the probability of further eruptions in the coming periods remains high.” “We ‌cannot ascertain when this ‌will end due to the dynamic weather,” Indonesia’s Transport Minister Dudy Purwagandhi said.

Rock musician turned wrestler Andy Williams has died after collapsing during a match. Williams, known as “The Butcher,” was 48. His death was announced by All Elite Wrestling on social media on Sunday, who said Williams had made a “successful transition into the world of professional wrestling and was incredibly respected by his peers both in and out of the ring.” Enjoy Wrestling co-owner Kurt Hackimer said Williams had been performing at a show in Millvale on Saturday when he collapsed ringside after the match and hit his head on the floor, as reported by KDKA’s Ricky Sayer. “Medics on site indicated that the symptoms were consistent with a cardiac event, but we were told that the cause of death is pending the results of an autopsy,” Hackimer said. TMZ published dispatch audio from the match which says a male wrestler “hit his head” on a ring post. Williams died at 9:43 p.m., around an hour after the incident, the Office of the Allegheny County Medical Examiner confirmed to People. Before becoming “The Butcher,” Williams was the founding guitarist of Buffalo metalcore band Every Time I Die, playing with them from their formation in 1998 to their split in 2022. Known as soft-spoken and calm outside the ring, Williams adopted his wrestling nickname as one half of the tag team “The Butcher and The Blade,” with friend Jesse Guilmette in 2017. Williams joined All Elite Wrestling in 2019 and formed a new band, Atomic Rule, in 2023. Coheed and Cambria drummer Josh Eppard praised Williams for being in “one of the most true and influential bands in heavy music” and also “pulling double duty as a pro wrestler.” Eppard said the jobs were, “Two dreams we have as kids that 99.9 percent of the time float off into adult dust … he did em both. The world will miss Andy and selfishly, so will I.”

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