Uhlaender's Olympic Appeal Denied, Trump Announces Kennedy Center Closure, and More
Several significant events unfolded on February 2, 2026, ranging from sports controversies to political announcements and entertainment industry updates. Among the top stories, U.S. sledder Katie Uhlaender's appeal to compete at the Milan Cortina Olympics was denied, while President Trump announced the Kennedy Center would close for renovations.
The Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) ruled it lacked jurisdiction to intervene in Uhlaender's case, effectively ending her hopes of competing in a sixth Winter Games. According to NPR News, Uhlaender's denial stemmed from an alleged point-rigging scheme involving a Canadian coach.
In Washington, D.C., President Trump announced plans to close the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts for two years, starting in July. Trump stated the closure was "for Construction, Revitalization, and Complete Rebuilding" to create what he said "can be, without question, the finest Performing Arts Center anywhere in the World." NPR reported that Trump had previously announced The John F. Kennedy Memorial Center for the Performing Arts would be renamed The Trump-Kennedy Center.
Meanwhile, the Trump administration also made moves regarding environmental regulations and census preparations. New experimental nuclear reactors being built at sites around the U.S. were exempted from a major environmental law, according to NPR. This law would have required them to disclose how their construction and operation might harm the environment and typically required a written, public assessment of the possible consequences.
The administration is also scaling back plans for this year's field test of the 2030 census, raising concerns about the Census Bureau's ability to produce a reliable population tally for redistributing political representation and federal funding in the next decade, NPR reported. The 2026 test was designed to help the bureau improve the accuracy of the United States' upcoming once-a-decade head count. A mix of communities in six states, as well as a national sample of households, was expected to participate.
In entertainment news, Variety reported that NBC renewed "Happy's Place" and "St. Denis Medical" for third seasons. According to Variety, "Both St. Denis Medical and Happy's Place have delivered comedic brilliance over their first two seasons, truly connecting with our audience with hilarious characters, and remain hugely important and successful programs to our pri[me-time] schedule."
Discussion
AI Experts & Community
Be the first to comment