Live from NPR News in New York City, I'm Duhlisa Kautau.

For the first time ever, the annual Kennedy Center honors gala was hosted by a U.S. president.

Donald Trump and his wife, Melania, were photographed in formal black attire,

visibly joyful during tributes to the actress Sylvester Stallone and Michael Crawford,

the singer's Gloria Gaynor, George Strait, and the band Kiss.

Before the star-studded festivities,

Trump told reporters about the current negotiations to end the Russia-Ukraine war.

Russia, Ukraine, I thought it was going to be a little bit easier,

but it's not being made easy.

It's a very tough war, very nasty.

27,000 people died last month. It's mostly soldiers.

This weekend, Russia continued massive strikes on Ukraine, and Moscow said it had shot down some

77 Ukrainian drones.

Days after clearing Congressman Henry Kaylor of federal corruption charges,

President Trump went after him on social media, saying he showed a lack of loyalty by filing for

re-election as a Democrat despite speculation that he might switch parties. Texas public

Raiders Dan Katz reports. Quayar and his wife had been accused of taking

about $600,000 in bribes from an oil and gas company tied to the Azerbaijan government and from a

bank in Mexico City. Last week, the president said he's pardoning the couple, but in a post on

True Social Sunday, Trump slammed the congressman for running again as a Democrat, accusing Quayr of choosing to work with the same party that, quote, wanted him and his wife to spend the rest of their lives in prison, unquote.

Quayar told Fox News Sunday he's praying for the president and the country to be successful.

The pardon came a day after a Republican candidate, Webb County Judge Tano Tiharina, announced his bid to

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