Welcome to the beat, everyone. I'm Ari Melboro. We begin with the ramp up to something that Donald Trump is already mad about and that a lot of people in America think couldn't come any sooner and at a more pivotal time.

The long planned next round of mass protests, the no king's rallies around the country. This is a term that has become straightforward. There is more

measurable support for this protest movement, the democracy movement, than there is for Trump or

MAGA at this point. The context is something we all know from grade school. The founders fought a

revolution against a king, King George. Donald Trump, well, he is far from a king, but he has done many things to show

that he wishes he were. Americans are fighting back. There are now not 100 or 500 or 1,000

demonstrations plan, but in the news we track this, there are 3,000 different demonstrations scheduled. They've covered all 50 states. There is massive interest. Of course, we as always will have to see what actually happens. And we'll be reporting that in special coverage across MS now tomorrow. So if you're out and you're out living your life and you happen to be at a rally, fine. But if you want to keep track of it, as we follow all kinds of news, we will have you covered on the air and we'll discuss it, of course, next week. But that's what we're seeing in the ramp up. Earlier today, there was another group of artists and cultural leaders protesting at a place in D.C. that once was more nonpartisan, but under Trump and some of his autocratic push

has become more magified.

The Kennedy Senate.

We chose to hold today's action in front of the John F. Kennedy Center.

That's right.

Because this beloved citadel of the arts has become a symbol of what is happening.

A symbol of what is happening, she is referencing that despite the longstanding bipartisan tradition in the United States,

that government buildings are not named

after living political figures, which makes sense for all the obvious reasons. And when Congress

names schools and post offices, it is usually an honorific after someone has passed. Most commonly,

a bit of time after the person has passed. But Trump has done what we see more in autocratic non-democracies.

He renamed the Kennedy Center, which already, of course, honors a former and deceased

president to name it after himself. He wants to put his signature on all paper currency.

They plan a gold coin minted with his portrait. He is pushing for this large

arch, very kind of old school French. Of course, don't tell some of his fans that, but that would be

on the National Mall. And they've been festooning federal buildings with more temporary banners

...