Washington
DC Central Kitchen to provide record 69,000 Thanksgiving meals
Thanksgiving is almost here and D.C. Central Kitchen is gearing up to serve more meals than ever.
Organizers say when it’s all said and done they will provide a record 69,000 meals Thursday, and volunteers have been hard at work all week to make that possible.
It’s giving season, and volunteer Maria Crupi says she knows firsthand the importance of giving back.
“My parents were immigrants,” she said. “They immigrated here, and we lived in Anacostia and lots of people helped them out because they didn’t speak English.”
That’s why she’s joining dozens of volunteers at D.C. Central Kitchen cutting, scooping and prepping thanksgiving meals ahead of turkey day.
“A community is supposed to help each other,” Crupi said.
And help is on the way.
This year, D.C. Central Kitchen is kicking it into overdrive. Through their work with 100 community partners like schools, shelters and grassroots organizations, they will provide 69,000 Thanksgiving meals Thursday. That’s double from last year and a big bump from the 16,000 meals on a normal day.
“Food insecurity in our city has increased this year to now 38% of D.C. residents are classified as food insecure,” said Mike Curtin Jr., the CEO of D.C. Central Kitchen. “So more than one in three of our neighbors might not know where their next meal is coming from.”
D.C. Central Kitchen can meet that demand thanks to a brand new state of the art space in Southwest D.C.
Organizers say volunteers make it all possible.
This week, hundreds are lending a hand over several shifts to make those Thanksgiving meals.
Crupi volunteers twice a month and says she’s thankful she can make a difference.
“Food is something that brings us all together and everybody should be allowed to have food,” Crupi said. “That should not be something that nobody has.”
D.C. Central Kitchen says they need volunteers all year long, not just during the holiday season. Anyone 12 and over can sign up.
Washington
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Washington
Iran warns Washington it will retaliate against any attack
DUBAI, Jan 11 (Reuters) – Iran warned President Donald Trump on Sunday that any U.S. attack would lead to Tehran striking back against Israel and regional U.S. military bases as “legitimate targets”, Parliament Speaker Mohammad Baqer Qalibaf told parliament.
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Washington
Washington National Opera cuts ties with the Kennedy Center after longstanding partnership | CNN Politics
The Washington National Opera on Friday announced it is parting ways with the Kennedy Center after more than a decade with the arts institution.
“Today, the Washington National Opera announced its decision to seek an amicable early termination of its affiliation agreement with the Kennedy Center and resume operations as a fully independent nonprofit entity,” the opera said in a statement.
The decoupling marks another high-profile withdrawal since President Donald Trump and his newly installed board of trustees instituted broad thematic and cosmetic changes to the building, including renaming the facility “The Donald J. Trump and The John F. Kennedy Memorial Center for the Performing Arts.”
The opera said it plans to “reduce its spring season and relocate performances to new venues.”
A source familiar with the dynamic told CNN the decision to part ways was made by the opera’s board and its leadership, and that the decision was not mutual.
A spokesperson for the Kennedy Center said in a statement, “After careful consideration, we have made the difficult decision to part ways with the WNO due to a financially challenging relationship. We believe this represents the best path forward for both organizations and enables us to make responsible choices that support the financial stability and long-term future of the Trump Kennedy Center.”
Kennedy Center president Richard Grenell, who was appointed by Trump’s hand-picked board, said on X, “Having an exclusive relationship has been extremely expensive and limiting in choice and variety.”
Grenell added, “Having an exclusive Opera was just not financially smart. And our patrons clearly wanted a refresh.”
Since taking the reins at the center, Grenell has cut existing staff, hired political allies and mandated a “break-even policy” for every performance.
The opera said the new policy was a factor in its decision to leave the center.
“The Center’s new business model requires productions to be fully funded in advance—a requirement incompatible with opera operations,” the opera said.
Francesca Zambello, the opera’s artistic director, said she is “deeply saddened to leave The Kennedy Center.”
“In the coming years, as we explore new venues and new ways of performing, WNO remains committed to its mission and artistic vision,” she said.
The New York Times first reported the opera’s departure.
Founded in 1956 as the “Opera Society of Washington,” the group has performed across the district, taking permanent residency in the Kennedy Center in 2011.
The performing arts center has been hit with a string of abrupt cancellations from artists in recent weeks including the jazz group The Cookers and New York City-based dance company Doug Varone and Dancers who canceled their performances after Trump’s name was added to the center – a living memorial for assassinated President John F. Kennedy.
The American College Theater Festival voted to suspend its relationship with the Kennedy Center, calling the affiliation “no longer viable” and citing concerns over a misalignment of the group’s values.
American banjo player Béla Fleck withdrew his upcoming performance with the National Symphony Orchestra, saying that performing at the center has become “charged and political.”
The Brentano String Quartet, who canceled their February 1 performance at the Kennedy Center, said they will “regretfully forego performing there.”
CNN has reached out to the Kennedy Center on the additional cancellations.
The opera said, “The Board and management of the company wish the Center well in its own future endeavors.”
CNN’s Betsy Klein and Nicky Robertson contributed to this report.
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