{"type":"link","asset_type":"article","version":"1.0","cache_age":3600,"provider_name":"CANVAS Arts","provider_url":"https:\/\/artscanvas.org","title":"Ex-Kennedy Center staffer alleges chaos and cronyism under Trump leadership","publication_date":"April 17, 2026","summary":" Unless courts intervene, the Kennedy Center will shut down this July for two years, as part of a roughly $250 million renovation. In the lead-up, there’s been a wave of layoffs and a controversial rebranding by President Trump’s allies. Josef Palermo was among those laid off and wrote “What I Saw Inside the Kennedy Center” for The Atlantic. Palermo joined Geoff Bennett to discuss more. ","author_name":"By Geoff Bennett, Azhar Merchant","thumbnail_url":"https:\/\/cdn.artscanvas.org\/static\/2026\/04\/0a12d98ea4c8ea5bb50d7133e9434b5f-kennedycenter-e1776459897993-1024x683.jpg","thumbnail_height":683,"thumbnail_width":1024}