Latest news with #PhantomoftheOpera
Yahoo
13-06-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
A decade after candidate Trump's escalator ride, 10 ways he has altered Kansas
Business mogul Donald Trump rides an escalator to a press event to announce his candidacy for the U.S. presidency at Trump Tower on June 16, 2015, in New York City. () It's been 10 years since Donald Trump, a real estate mogul and reality TV star, rode an escalator down to a New York City press conference announcing his entry into the presidential campaign. On that day — June 16, 2015 — Trump's candidacy seemed more like a publicity stunt and his presidency seemed like dark fantasy. Before the event that day, music from the 'Phantom of the Opera' played on repeat. The campaign paid people to attend as Trump said Mexico was sending 'rapists' across the border. 'I don't think anybody came away from that announcement thinking he was going to be the next president,' said Charlotte Alter, who attended the announcement for Time magazine. And yet, here we are. After 10 years, we are living in Trump's America, an era defined by his policies, his rhetoric and even his fashion. It's a golden anniversary, if only because of Trump's penchant for lacquering everything with the color gold. While Kansas in 2015 was distant from Trump's Big Apple glitz and power, the state has undeniably been changed by Trump's two presidencies and three candidacies. My list focuses on issues that particularly impact Kansans. There also are national changes. With that caveat, here is my list of 10 ways that life in Kansas has shifted since the president rode that Trump Tower escalator 10 years ago. When Kansas voters protected abortion rights in an August 2022 ballot measure, it signaled red-state resistance. During the Trump decade, national political attention rarely — if ever — focused on Kansas as much as that moment. While the Supreme Court — increasingly of Trump's construction — ruled that the Constitution does not guarantee abortion rights, voters in the largely conservative state of Kansas pushed back. Since then, the number of abortions in Kansas has risen, and a majority of abortions have been performed for patients from out-of-state. The Kansas ballot results showed Democrats the popularity of their position on reproductive rights. The acrimonious retreat to our partisan corners during the Trump decade contains so many anecdotes, so much data and so many consequences that it seems reductive to boil it down as a single item on this list. The United States — and Kansans — are divided. On one side, the religious devotion of the MAGA faithful. On the other, the liberal and currently impotent resistance. While many kind folks in my life describe themselves as 'moderates' or 'centrists,' you wouldn't know it by watching Fox News, logging into Truth Social or reading the comment section anywhere online. The mudslinging of politics that we bemoaned in past decades seems quaint by today's standards. Following Trump's lead, we empty entire dump trucks of vitriol on each other. The other political party? They are the enemy. Starting with his announcement 10 years ago, Trump's rhetoric has targeted immigration over the southern border with Mexico. Trump has banned travel from Muslim-majority countries, demanded that Mexico pay for a border wall and unleashed lies against immigrants, particularly those from Mexico, Central America and South America. How could this not impact Kansans? The second largest racial group in Kansas, after white, is hispanic. According to the US Census, 13% of Kansans identify as hispanic. Local activists report that agents with U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement have been more visible in the state during Trump's second term and they worry that organized sweeps will come to the state soon. In Kansas City, immigration attorneys report that many clients aren't attending their scheduled hearings out of fear that agents will arrest them outside their hearing and deport them. A recent study found that Kansas and Missouri farmers are reluctant to voice their opinions on climate change, regardless of their point of view. This seems part of Trump's effort to take climate change from settled science to political fulcrum. To state a few obvious things, Kansas agriculture is vital and relies on a climate that allows for productive harvests. Climate change threatens that. Kansas agriculture is weaker after twice having a president who withdrew us from key climate agreements while misrepresenting basic facts: the causes of wildfires, the paths of hurricanes and the virtues of renewable energy. Trump's cynical rhetoric started with one phrase: fake news. He used the phrase to bulldoze over any empirical resistance, whether from journalists, academics or lawyers. As he saw it, anyone who opposed him was peddling something dishonest. Fast forward 10 years. The spread of measles in Kansas during recent months is a pointed symbol of the everpresent doubts that Trump and his administration have created. As diseases like measles sprout from obscurity, we can see Trump's actions as a unique fertilizer: COVID-19 vaccine denialism, appointment of a vaccine skeptic in his cabinet and skepticism of anyone who claims expertise. Cuts to federal spending on agriculture research will likely threaten our status, as Americans and Kansans, as leaders in worldwide agriculture. Expect more stories from Kansas with headlines like these: K-State ag research projects ended after DOGE cuts off USAID funding Rural Kansas hit by federal job cuts as programs grind to a halt Kansas City USDA food program cuts could leave some without enough food Those stories touch on immediate effects. Consider the long-term effects on agriculture. Things will get more dire for Kansans. Not knowing why honeybees are dying? The threat of a 'man-eater' screwworm? Both possibilities are looming without a functioning federal agriculture response. This concern over research doesn't even address the agriculture market instability caused by Trump's tariffs. Kansas politicians have learned a new brand of conservatism from Trump: brash political bullying that ignores polite norms. 'If we can do it, we will,' seems to be their jet fuel. Trump's second-term flurry of executive orders expresses this political swagger. So what if courts knock back most of the actions? In the meantime, the executive orders will have shuttered federal agencies. In the meantime, the damage is done. Similarly, the Kansas Board of Regents in 2021 allowed campus administrators to eliminate university employees, including tenured faculty, without declaring a financial emergency. Discard precedent and don't look back. No surprise: Just like Trump's executive orders, the firing of Emporia State faculty is tied up in court. Opposing Trump has become so reflexive over the past 10 years that Democrats have often defaulted to opposition, even when it doesn't make empirical sense, let alone political sense. Let's start with COVID-19. Trump called it the Wuhan Flu, simultaneously a jingoistic swing at China and an attempt to belittle a dangerous virus. And many of his public statements (injecting bleach, anyone?) revealed his foolishness. But the Democrats' reaction was also imperfect — and likely carried more electoral consequences. Closing schools and demanding masking were both wildly unpopular while also not providing the desired protections. Similarly, Democrats have spent 10 years now opposing Trump on immigration. While Trump holds many odious views on immigration, a central plank of his platform is the prevention of illegal immigration. To many Kansans, opposing Trump's immigration policies means that liberals want to open the border. That policy seems a political folly when 45.6% of Kansans believe illegal immigrants are a 'danger to public safety.' Programs that celebrate diversity have been a hallmark of college campuses for years. Along with affirmative action — struck down by a Trump-appointed Supreme Court majority — DEI programs have vanished from Kansas education. I understand it's a bit reductionist to group racial diversity with LGBTQ+ issues, but the Trump administration seems equally obsessed with sexual orientation and issues affecting transgender people. Campus protests in Kansas have pointed to the unfairness of it all. Plus, a recent lawsuit against KU (where I work) threatens to punish the university for its response. Electoral maps from the 2024 presidential election showed Trump continuing his gains in most Kansas counties — and the Kansas Legislature remains a conservative stronghold. So it's difficult to say that Democrats are gaining. However, liberal opposition is more visible and galvanized during the Trump decade. Being the resistance party has brought underdog audacity to Democrats. Kansans have protested Trump policies on abortion, immigration and COVID-19 policies. Protests are planned for Saturday in opposition to his increasingly authoritarian policies. The opposition has even splashed back on Elon Musk and his allegiance to Trump. A Lenexa collision center for Tesla vehicles was firebombed with Molotov cocktails in April in an incident showing how this opposition can go too far. Living in Trump's America has encouraged wishful thinking about a Trump exit. On election night 2016, it was 'Maybe the exit polling is wrong.' During his first term, they thought, 'He's going to get impeached and removed from office.' After losing in 2020, many Kansans hoped, 'Now he will fade into obscurity.' Instead, with more than three years remaining on his term, it's clear that Trump's escalator ride 10 years ago will define our modern lives as Americans and Kansans. Eric Thomas teaches visual journalism and photojournalism at the William Allen White School of Journalism and Mass Communication at the University of Kansas in Lawrence. Through its opinion section, Kansas Reflector works to amplify the voices of people who are affected by public policies or excluded from public debate. Find information, including how to submit your own commentary, here.
Daily Mirror
12-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Daily Mirror
6 unhinged Donald Trump moments as he gets booed and trolled by drag queens
Among the many surprising things about Donald Trump is his apparently sincere and deep love for popular stage musicals of the 80s and 90s. He's frequently spoken of his love of the works of Andrew Lloyd Webber - citing Cats and Phantom of the Opera among his favourites. Anyone who's been to one of his speeches will be familiar with his warm-up tape. Alongside high energy radio rock hits, MAGA fans are regularly treated to often lengthy cuts from the soundtracks of the above musicals - usually soft solo ballads like Music of the Night from Phantom and Memory from Cats. Last night, Trump got a treat - a performance of his other favourite musical, Les Miserables, at the Kennedy Centre. Regular readers will be familiar with Trump's offbeat plan to recast Washington's major cultural centre to be more to his tastes - fewer drag queens and experimental theatre, more basic musicals and country rock. Well, last night was the culmination of that process - a command performance of the epic show just for him. And a half full audience. And some drag queens. Here's more on that, and some other things that happened in Trump world yesterday. "Do you hear the people sing? Singing the song of angry men?", the cast of Les Mis intone at one of the show's many emotional climaxes. Well, Trump, sitting at the front of the circle, certainly did. He also heard the people boo. As he and rarely seen First Lady Melania Trump took their seats, parts of the (roughly half capacity) crowd erupted in boos. Shortly after, cheers took over from elsewhere in the crowd, followed again by chants of "USA! USA!". Later, someone accurately shouted "felon" at the President. Among the modest crowd were a large contingent of drag queens, who sashayed past the first family. About a dozen performers from the show's cast refused to appear at the performance in protest against the administration. Asked on the red carpet whether he identifies more with unfortunate, redemption-seeking ex-convict turned politician turned revolutionary Jean Valjean or obsessive and vindictive policeman Inspector Javert, Trump said: "Oh, that's a tough one." 'You better answer that one, honey,' he said, deferring to his often absent wife. 'I don't know.' Meanwhile Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth refused to tell a Congressional committee how much it'll cost to refit the "free plane" Trump was gifted by Qatar. A contract has been awarded for reconfiguration of the plane, which it's been claimed the President could use as a temporary replacement for Air Force One while a new presidential jet is being completed by Boeing. Trump has become increasingly impatient with the slow pace of ensuring the Boeing jets are suitable for use as a flying White House. Follow our Mirror Politics account on Bluesky here. And follow our Mirror Politics team here - Lizzy Buchan, Mikey Smith, Kevin Maguire, Sophie Huskisson, Dave Burke and Ashley Cowburn. Be first to get the biggest bombshells and breaking news by joining our Politics WhatsApp group here. We also treat our community members to special offers, promotions, and adverts from us and our partners. If you want to leave our community, you can check out any time you like. If you're curious, you can read our Privacy Notice. Or sign up here to the Mirror's Politics newsletter for all the best exclusives and opinions straight to your inbox. And listen to our exciting new political podcast The Division Bell, hosted by the Mirror and the Express every Thursday. But it's been pointed out that even the free plane would have to be subject to the same rigorous programme of security checks - effectively dismantling it and rebuilding it to ensure there aren't any bugs or ancient Greeks hiding in the walls. But asked how much all this was going to cost, a not unreasonable question for the Senate Appropriations defence subcommittee - which is in charge of approving the departmental budget - Hegseth said no. "That cannot be revealed in this setting," he said. "Why can't it be revealed in this setting?" asked Senator Jack Reed, "This is the appropriations committee of the United States Senate. We appropriate the money that you will spend after it's authorised by my committee, and you cannot tell us how much the contract is for." "You will have that number, senator," Hegseth insisted. "We want it now. The contract has been signed, correct?" Reed asked - reminding him of reports that aviation firm L3Harris had been awarded the contract. But Hegseth said: "Nothing on that front, that I'm aware of, is being executed." This Saturday, tanks and other military equipment will roll through the street of Washington DC. It's totally in celebration of the 250th birthday of the US armed forces, and not for Trump's 79th birthday, which happens to also be on Saturday. Anyway, Trump is very much looking forward to it - as are we. We'll be on the ground to see the whole grotesque spectacle of military might unfold. But about 60% of Americans say the parade is "not a good use" of taxpayers' money, according to a poll published last night. The NORC Center for Public Affairs Research survey found just 4 in 10 Americans "somewhat" or "strongly" approve of the parade, while about 3 in 10 "somewhat" or "strongly" disapprove. About 3 in 10 neither approve nor disapprove. Matt Wheeler, 40, called the display "extremely wasteful" and "a bit of a performance" that "just sends a bad message" in terms of the overt military display. "The only other time I can think about this, it's been in old throwbacks to the USSR or things you see out of North Korea," said Wheeler, who works in nonprofit fundraising in Los Angeles and described himself as a lifelong Democrat. "It's a direction this administration is inclined to move in that isn't in line with what I thought our country really was." Lee Greenwood, whose patriotic anthem "God Bless the USA" has soundtracked almost every Trump speech since 2016. The song - which many people loathe, but I personally consider to be an absolute stone-cold banger - contains the line "I'm proud to be an American, where at least I know I'm free." It is Greenwood's only work of note. But he unashamedly dines out on it - and under Trump it's even been played at official naturalisation ceremonies for new citizens. Well, great news everyone. Greenwood will be singing it live at definitely not Trump's birthday party. As the military rolls through the nation's capital, a string of protests are scheduled to take place in hundreds of cities across the US. Protests are growing in response to his immigration policies. The "No Kings" protests have been called, organisers say, to protect America's democracy as Trump vows to increase his deployment of military forces inside the United States. But there aren't any planned for the capital, which is probably a good thing after Trump warned any protesters disrupting his not birthday parade would face a severe response.
Yahoo
12-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Trump Cuts Off Melania's Kennedy Center Red Carpet Cameo
Melania Trump was a first lady of few words as she walked the red carpet with husband Donald at the Kennedy Center Wednesday night—and even then he managed to cut her off. Melania was out on a rare date night with the president to see the revolution- and oppression-based musical Les Misérables at the newly MAGAfied Kennedy Center. Trump installed himself as chairman of the Kennedy Center in February, promising to remove any 'woke' productions from the iconic Washington venue. During a 10-minute red carpet interview on Wednesday, the Trumps were asked to recall the first theater production each had seen. 'Oooh it was a long time ago,' the president said. 'I would say maybe it was Cats.' Melania was then asked to recall the first theater production she saw. She answered, 'Phantom of the Opera,' without expanding on her answer. She upped her word count when asked if she was a fan of Les Misérables: 'I am, I am,' she responded, before Trump cut in. 'We'll be bringing a lot of them in right here,' he added, before the pair were asked whether they would consume popcorn and Diet Coke while watching the production. Trump, again, responded instead of his wife. 'I think so,' Trump said, as Melania mouthed the word 'No' in response. Melania remained smiling and silent during the red carpet appearance at Wednesday's Kennedy Center premiere. Her husband was questioned about which Les Misérables main character he identified with more–Jean Valjean or Inspector Javert? Jean Valjean is a former convict who spends a lifetime seeking redemption and fighting for the poor and needy, Javert is a strict cop determined to enforce France's brutal penal codes. The president, clearly thrown, stalled by saying, 'That's a tough one, the last part of that question that's tough.' He then deflected to his wife noting 'I think you better answer that one honey, I don't know...' Melania remained silent. 'I've seen it, we've seen it a number of times,' the president said of Les Misérables, 'It's fantastic. We have others coming (to the Kennedy Center), other great ones are coming.' The Trumps were met with boos by the Kennedy Center audience as they sat down. Cheers could also be heard before the production started. Ex-White House press secretary Stephanie Grisham claimed in her 2021 book that during his first term in office, Trump had a 'Music Man' who would drop his favorite show tunes on demand as an anger management tactic. They included 'Memory' from Cats and 'The Music of the Night' from the Phantom of the Opera soundtrack. Trump has played both those songs at his rallies, opting to pump up the MAGA masses with dramatic theatre classics. 'Do You Hear the People Sing?' from Les Misérables also joined Trump's rally playlist in back in 2016. The song is a cry for a revolution against the powers that be to save the downtrodden. The creators of the musical voiced their anger that Trump was using the song at a political rally. Trump has regularly bragged about getting a personal letter from Andrew Lloyd Webber inviting him to the New York opening of Phantom of the Opera in 1988. An unabashed theater lover, Trump previously stated he saw Evita on Broadway six times with ex-wife Ivana and his review of Phantom of the Opera was 'great.' The Kennedy Center has seen a number of boycotts since Trump's MAGA takeover. Musician Ben Folds quit the Kennedy Center after Trump came on board. In March he told CBS News he had never witnessed political interference in the arts at this scale due to Trump's 'authoritarian instinct.' 'Let's say I get in an artist that has different views than the president,' Folds said.'Do they feel safe being themselves? Do they feel safe saying what they believe? They're not political shows, but you can express what you'd like to.' Last month more than 90 staffers at the celebrated venue announced plans to unionize.
Yahoo
11-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Trump is seeing 'Les Misérables.' It's not clear he understands the irony.
In what may be one of the year's most ironic moments, President Donald Trump will spend Wednesday night attending the opening of the musical 'Les Misérables' at the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts. No, this isn't some presidential obligation that Trump is reluctantly fulfilling. Rather, as he told Fox News Digital last week: 'I love the songs, I love the play. I think it's great.' For once, Trump seems to be telling the truth. True, none of the numbers from "Les Mis" appeared on his official playlist for his 2024 campaign, unlike other Broadway musicals like 'Cats' or 'Phantom of the Opera.' (His love of Andrew Lloyd Webber is well-known and deeply telling in its own way.) But I'd forgotten until today that during the announcement of his third presidential run in 2022, he walked onstage immediately following the strains of 'Do You Hear the People Sing?' In fact, he's used the song multiple times at events over the years, almost always prompting similar bouts of confusion from people who understand 'Les Misérables.' Which brings us to the other half of his statement to Fox News Digital: that he thinks the show is "great." It's entirely unclear to me whether there's anything about the show's characters, plot, themes, or general vibe that would speak to Trump on any deeper level. For starters, 'Do You Hear the People Sing?' is a wild choice of anthem for someone like Trump who has only known wealth and power. The song calls for a revolutionary uprising against the reestablished monarchy in favor of republican ideals and uplifting the poor and downtrodden. The students who belt the number then build a barricade on the streets before the army crushes their insurrection and dreams of a brighter future for France along with it. Given his eagerness this week to deploy Marines onto the streets of Los Angeles, and attacks on protests on college campuses, I have a hard time picturing Trump either sympathizing with the students' cause or mourning their deaths. Further, am I supposed to believe that the 'law and order president' identifies at all with former convict Jean Valjean's story of the cruelty of the law toward the poor and needy? Or that he feels moved by Inspector Javert hurling himself into the Seine when he realizes that mercy can be more just than the law as written? I wouldn't put it past him to describe Gavroche, the young street urchin shot down mid-song as he aids the rebels, as "no angel." Granted, as The Washington Post noted, there are Trump supporters out there who see the MAGA movement as following in the footsteps of the Friends of the ABC in fighting tyranny. But I'm less convinced that Trump feels similarly. My money is on him being more captivated by the way the sweeping, booming, overwhelming score sounds than any moral that the show might be trying to bestow on the audience. C'est la vie. This article was originally published on
Rhyl Journal
11-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Rhyl Journal
Family pay tribute to bubbly hospital radio volunteer Brenda
Brenda Jones (née Pink) died at Glan Clwyd Hospital, aged 91, on March 23 after a short illness. Brenda, of Rhyl, was married to the late Joseph (Joe) Jones, who died in May 2024. The couple had three children: Stephen, Leslie, and Caroline. Brenda with husband Joe (Image: Submitted by family) Brenda, a cherished granny to Jazmin, Tabitha, Sophie, and Saffron, was one of identical twins, alongside her sister Elsie. The sisters were born into a showbiz family. Their father, Stanley Wilson Pink, worked for 20th Century Fox in Manchester as a film distributor, organising film premieres for cinemas and meeting many film stars of the day - including Shirley Temple, Jimmy Clitheroe, and Frankie Howerd. Brenda and Elsie collected autographs from the celebrities they met through their father. Sadly, Stanley passed away from cancer at a young age, and the family moved to Prestatyn. Brenda and Joe married in 1954 and moved to Wrexham, where Joe worked. Joe worked for Midland Bank, and Brenda worked for Monsanto. After their first two children were born, the family moved to Rhyl where Brenda and Joe ran a newsagents on Vale Road for five years called J&B's. Singer and cruise star Jane McDonald with Brenda (Image: Submitted by family) When Caroline was born, the couple left the shop. Joe went on to work for the local council, while Brenda began working at Rhyl Sports Centre - first in the café, then the ticket office, and eventually as PA to the centre manager, before retiring. Brenda began volunteering at Glan Clwyd Radio in June 2000 and quickly became a beloved part of the radio family. Leslie said: "After joining the committee and then later on, as press officer, she had her own show every Wednesday morning playing some of her favourite music from show, stage and screen for patients and staff in the hospital. She was a big fan of stage shows such as Phantom of the Opera, The Sound of Music and Mamma Mia. She used to get press invitations to see shows at both Rhyl Pavilion and Venue Cymru Llandudno including the annual Christmas pantomimes and UK touring companies. She reviewed these and helped promote them for the theatres. "She would often invite celebrities, actors and singers who would be performing in the various shows and pantomimes onto her radio show. She was very experienced at interviewing and getting them involved in the show. "She also invited local MP's and councillors to guest on her show asking them to pick their favourite pieces of music to play." Brenda also ran regular competitions to win theatre tickets and hosted ward bingo nights and quizzes for the benefit of patients. Brenda, Jane McDonald and Brenda's daughter Caroline (Image: Submitted by family) "She would often be in attendance along with Tony Mannix and other radio presenters at outside broadcasts in the Radio Glan Clwyd van playing music and compering at many local events such as the May Day parades, local car shows and summer fayres," Leslie said. She was recognised three times for her contribution to the community through her work with Glan Clwyd Hospital Radio. RELATED NEWS "In 2011, mum was nominated to go the Queen's Garden Party at the Palace," Leslie said. "Caroline accompanied her and they both had a fabulous day. "In 2018, Caroline nominated mum for a show called 'Jane and friends'. "Jane McDonald was mum's favourite singer. She surprised mum at the studio, needless to say there were tears, but they both had a fantastic morning on the 'Brenda and Jane show' and then appearing on the Channel 5 television show afterwards." MORE NEWS In 2023, Brenda was made a Patron of Glan Clwyd Radio in recognition of her 23 years of volunteering and fundraising at a celebration party organised by her colleagues at the station. Speaking about her personality, Leslie said: "Mum was always smiling, had a great sense of fun, and a bubbly personality. She gave so much of herself to her family and community. "She was a remarkably selfless lady who leaves behind so many wonderful memories for all who knew her." Brenda loved meeting stars of stage and screen whenever she had the chance. Her musician son, Steven (Steve), who composed and performed for various shows over the years, always tried to involve Brenda and Joe in the social side of his work. Leslie said: "Through pantos in Rhyl, Carlisle and New Brighton, mum met so many stars. Steve would often leave her while he went to the bar only to return to find mum chatting to Dean Sullivan from Brookside or Su Pollard from Hi-de-Hi! "Mum would be in her element."
