President Donald Trump’s name has been removed from the facade of the Kennedy Center, but inside the renowned performing arts venue, a difficult financial picture is forcing tough choices. A federal judge is demanding the center continue to operate during renovations. But plummeting ticket sales, artist withdrawals, political controversies and a diminished staff have made restarting a full-scale programming schedule a challenge, multiple sources familiar with the operation told CNN. The historic arts center on Friday asked the judge for more time to comply with deadlines in an ongoing lawsuit as its board explores avenues for renovation.
https://edition.cnn.com/2026/06/19/politics/kennedy-center-renovation-options-lawsuit-deadlines
Since most butterflies live a short time, fluttering between colorful flowers for a few weeks before dying, a few rare exceptions have stumped scientists. Now, some long-lived tropical butterfly species are shedding light on the secrets of longevity. Butterflies belonging to the Heliconius genus, which inhabit the tropical rainforests of South and Central America, have lifespans that vary wildly. The Dione juno butterfly lives for 14 days after reaching adulthood, while Heliconius hewitsoni lives for 348 days — nearly 25 times longer. Other Heliconius species also have impressively lengthy lives, enduring between 106 to 277 days, according to a study on the phenomenon published Tuesday in the journal Nature Communications. Some scientists have speculated that Heliconius’ extended adulthood is due to the insects consuming an enhanced diet, rather than relying purely on carbohydrates like other butterflies.
https://edition.cnn.com/2026/06/19/science/tropical-butterfly-longevity
As a barrage of Ukrainian drones descended on Moscow in the early hours of Thursday, Russia’s response appeared more like a scramble, and less like a well-planned strategic defense. Videos from the streets of the capital showed glimpses of the ensuing chaos. Footage verified by CNN and analyzed by experts shows soldiers firing portable, shoulder-mounted air-defense systems from a busy highway, as traffic cautiously passes by. People run for safety as a drone, probably downed by Russian air defenses, plummets into a building in a sprawling marketplace. In another video, what appears to be a Russian defense missile likely misses its target and instead hits an oil storage tank on the outskirts of Moscow. One weapons expert from the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute told CNN that it was “a Russian own-goal,” ending in a mushroom cloud of smoke and the huge top of the tank blasting into the air.
https://edition.cnn.com/2026/06/19/europe/ukraine-broke-through-russias-air-defenses-intl
US President Donald Trump’s comments to an Italian media outlet about the country’s Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni have sparked a fresh diplomatic incident. Italian Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani announced Friday that he was canceling a planned trip to the United States, where he was slated to meet with Secretary of State Marco Rubio, in response to Trump’s reported remarks. Tajani called Trump’s claims “offensive,” while Meloni said they were “completely fabricated.” It is the latest dip in the deteriorating relationship between the once-close leaders and a further fracture between the US and its European allies, coming after signs of repair at the G7 summit this week in France.
https://edition.cnn.com/2026/06/19/politics/italy-trump-meloni-tajani
Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni could have denied Trump’s claim that she begged him to take a photo together, and left it at that. Instead, she went much further. She posted a video on X Friday that made a show of standing up to Trump and linked the episode to his ill treatment of allies. “I can only say that it’s a shame he doesn’t have the same determination with the enemies of the West, with the enemies of the United States, with leaderships with which he instead appears much more accommodating,” Meloni said.
https://edition.cnn.com/2026/06/19/politics/trump-foreign-leader-rebukes