A look at everyday moments across countries, cultures and communities worldwide. This is a photo gallery curated by AP photo editors.

Workers on Saturday began removing President Donald Trump’s name from the facade of the Kennedy Center, after a federal judge struck down a last-ditch attempt by the board to keep Trump’s name on the building.

Scaffolding was erected Friday around a section of the building that includes Trump’s name, but shortly after midnight, the Kennedy Center asked a judge to extend the deadline until noon Eastern Time on Saturday because of thunderstorms that had swept through the Washington area, causing a delay.

In the filing, the Kennedy Center offered assurance that the “removal work is presently ongoing” and would “conclude in the early hours of the morning.”

A few hours later, workers began covering the scaffolding with tarps before they eventually started taking down Trump’s name. They packed up and left the site around 3:30 a.m., though the tarps remained, leaving it impossible to determine if all the letters had been removed.

Dozens of people spent hours Friday on the plaza in front of the Kennedy Center taking pictures and cheering occasionally as they broke into chants of “take it down.” Rep. Joyce Beatty, D-Ohio, an ex-officio board member who sued to have Trump’s name removed from the building, was spotted at one point on the plaza.

On Friday, U.S. District Judge Christopher Cooper denied the Trump administration’s request to issue a stay on his May 29 ruling while an appeal plays out. Cooper wrote that the center had already taken steps to comply with that ruling by removing Trump’s name from some of its branding ahead of the Friday, June 12 deadline.

“These efforts undermine the notion that Defendants face irreparable harm in complying with the order in full,” Cooper wrote.

The judge had previously ruled that the Kennedy Center board of trustees — whose members were handpicked by Trump and who subsequently named him chair of the board — cannot unilaterally change the center’s name.

“Congress gave the Kennedy Center its name, and only Congress can change it,” Cooper wrote.

The Trump administration also filed an appeal with the D.C. Circuit Court of Appeals on Thursday. The court did not take action.

Trump had railed against Cooper’s decision, calling the judge “crooked” and threatening to remove his involvement in the organization.

In the days that followed, the Kennedy Center’s Office of General Counsel issued notices to staff to refer to the organization by its original name. Trump’s name was dropped from the Kennedy Center website and in its communications to members.

A June 4 memo to staff from the Kennedy Center’s Office of General Counsel said email signatures, letterhead and other documents must reflect the name as “The John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts” or “Kennedy Center.”

The post Workers begin removing Trump’s name from Kennedy Center after last-minute bid to fight ruling appeared first on MS NOW.

The World Cup is drawing attention to soccer's growing popularity in Canada. Soccer has surpassed hockey and all other sports in youth participation, according to a recent report by Jumpstart, a Canadian charity. Canada coach Jesse Marsch said Thursday he has "felt a real momentum behind this team and behind this moment."

(Image credit: Stephanie Scarbrough)

President Trump's board at the Kennedy Center is mounting a last-minute effort to keep his name on the facade of the performing arts facility before a court-ordered deadline to remove it by Friday.

(Image credit: Rod Lamkey)

South Korea's ousted President Yoon Suk Yeol and his former defense minister were sentenced to 30 years in prison Friday in a case alleging Yoon ordered drone flights over Pyongyang in 2024 to heighten tensions with North Korea and justify declaring martial law at home.

(Image credit: Ahn Young-joon)

June 5 — 11, 2026

Around the world, soccer fans are gathering in homes, stadium plazas, and public viewing venues to watch the World Cup and share in the excitement of the tournament.

WASHINGTON (AP) — President Donald Trump’s handpicked board at the Kennedy Center is mounting a last-minute effort to keep his name on the facade of the iconic performing arts facility before a court-ordered deadline to remove it by Friday.

The board voted on Thursday to seek a stay of U.S. District Judge Christopher Cooper’s May 29 ruling that said Trump’s name was illegally added to the Kennedy Center, according to a person familiar with the move who requested anonymity to discuss a private meeting. The formal stay will be filed on Friday, the person said.

Cooper ruled that only Congress could institute a change to the Kennedy Center’s name and ordered references to Trump be removed by Friday. He also blocked the administration from closing the cultural and arts venue for major renovations that had been planned to start in July and last for two years.

The board move marks a shift from a June 4 memo to staff from the Kennedy Center’s Office of General Counsel saying email signatures, letterhead and other documents must reflect the name as “The John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts” or “Kennedy Center.”

The Kennedy Center’s website has dropped the president’s name. And an email earlier this week sent to members offering ticket packages for the June 28 Mark Twain Award for American Humor ceremony came from the Kennedy Center without including Trump’s name.

After ignoring the Kennedy Center for much of his first term, Trump has wielded tremendous influence over the venue during his return to office. Just a month into his second term, he ousted the center’s previous leadership and replaced it with a hand-picked board of trustees that named him chairman. He brought in Richard Grenell to serve as president, a position he held until March when Matt Floca assumed the role.

The center’s lineup has included more Trump-friendly programming, serving as the venue for events such as the premiere of first lady Melania Trump’s documentary, “Melania.”

The board also announced it had renamed the facility the Trump Kennedy Center, a change scholars and lawmakers say must be initiated by Congress, and physically added the president’s name to the building’s facade.

The fallout from the arts community was swift and intense. Actor Issa Rae, musician Bela Fleck and author Louise Penny were among the numerous artists who withdrew from appearances, while consultants such as musician Ben Folds and singer Renée Fleming resigned. Earlier this month, the executive director of the National Symphony Orchestra, Jean Davidson, left to head the Los Angeles-based Wallis Annenberg Center for the Performing Arts.

In addition to voting on the stay on Thursday, the board backed a resolution recognizing Trump’s “commitment to uphold this cherished American institution.”

The post Kennedy Center board seeks delay of ruling on removal of Trump’s name by Friday deadline appeared first on MS NOW.

June 5 - 11, 2026 This photo gallery, curated by photo editor Anita Baca, highlights some of the most compelling images worldwide published by The Associated Press in the past week.