A year ago just a year ago the Kennedy Center in Washington DC was a world-class centre for the performing arts. It had a resident opera company, respected artistic teams, and a run of the acclaimed musical Hamilton to look forward to. It had a bipartisan board that upheld the dignity of an organisation that, since it was conceived of in the mid-20th century, had been treated with courtesy and supported by governments of both stripes.
So Adams posted his complaint on X, saying Kaiser of Northern California, his health insurer and care provider, had "dropped the ball" in scheduling a procedure needed to treat his metastatic prostate cancer. Adams wrote he was going to ask Trump to help save his life, and he added: "I am declining fast. I will ask President Trump if he can get Kaiser of Northern California to respond and schedule it for Monday."
On Wednesday, the governor of Louisiana, Jeff Landry, held a press conference at the state capitol to address the availability of food assistance for low-income families during the federal-government shutdown. A sign on the lectern read " PROTECTING THE MOST VULNERABLE." But there were also other urgent matters to discuss, such as the firing of Louisiana State University's football coach, Brian Kelly.