The Morning: Cutting off NPR and PBS

Plus, Trump's tariffs, deportations and "Othello."

View in browser|nytimes.com April 1, 2025 Good morning. We're covering threats to public broadcasters — as well as Trump's tariffs, deportations and "Othello." Filming "Sesame Street."  Jonah Markowitz for The New York Times Public airwaves By Benjamin Mullin I cover the media. There is no reason, Republicans say, for the government to fund NPR and PBS. Last week, G.O.P. members of Congress, led by Marjorie Taylor Greene, flayed the leaders of both organizations for what they said was partisan programming. "You all can hate us on your own dime," Greene said. The next day, a Republican introduced a bill to end all government support. What would happen to public broadcasting if Republicans succeeded? In today's newsletter, I'll explain. NPR The specter of government abandonment has haunted public radio for so long that executives drafted a secret plan for the worst. In February 2011, NPR assembled a 36-page document that detailed exactly what would happen if the Treasury stopped cutting checks to the Corporation for Public Broadcasting, the government-backed company that supports NPR and PBS. The document, which has not previously been reported, is bleak. It describes a precarious radio system that will bear the blow poorly, with consequences for listeners across the nation. "Most NPR member stations operate at, or barely above, break-even," it begins. A cutoff would cause up to $240 million to vanish and up to 18 percent of roughly 1,000 member stations to close. The Midwest, the South and the West would be affected the most. Nationwide, up to 30 percent of listeners would lose access to NPR programming. NPR provides national coverage, but the independent member stations across the country get most of the money devoted to public radio. That makes them more vulnerable than the national headquarters, which says it gets only 1 percent of its budget from Congress. (It gets a bit more from local stations that pay for its programming). NPR's headquarters in Washington, D.C. Eric Lee/The New York Times What are these local stations doing? Take WEKU, a constellation of 10 FM stations with headquarters in Richmond, Ky., that broadcast to nearly 1.5 million residents. For people who don't have access to broadband internet, WEKU is one of the few reliable sources of information when emergencies happen. Floods swept through the state earlier this year. "Our transmitters stayed on the air, and we were broadcasting information to residents in Pikeville on where they could get fresh water, how they could deal with FEMA," said Mike Savage, the station's director and general manager. NPR's audience has fallen by about 28 percent since 2020. But many of the residents who still tune in really need the information. After the floods, someone from Hazard, Ky., emailed Savage to say that public radio was her only source of vital information. "We were her lifeline because they had no power, they had no cell service, they had nothing except for listening to our public radio station and getting information every day," Savage said. NPR can weather the funding cut, its document predicts, thanks in part to aggrieved listeners: Executives predict a sudden boom in donations if Congress defunds it, as listeners rush to defend their favorite programs. But they will likely give more in big-city markets. PBS A taping of "PBS NewsHour."  Jared Soares for The New York Times Public television in the United States would likely be in worse shape because PBS receives much more of its budget — about 15 percent of $373 million — from the federal government. There's something quirky about PBS: Many of the shows operate their own businesses. So marquee programs like "PBS NewsHour" and "Nature" would need to find money elsewhere, such as from donations or syndication. But again, the member stations, which rely more on public funding than the national organization does, would bear the brunt. Those stations use the money to cover local affairs, often in a news desert. Alaska Public Media, for instance, is a PBS and NPR member station with several local affiliates in rural areas. Those team up with newspapers, including The Daily News-Miner in Fairbanks and The Juneau Empire, to cover state and local governments. That's crucial, in part, because reliable sources of information are disappearing from smaller towns across America, said Paula Kerger, the chief executive of PBS. "There isn't an economic model that would compel commercial broadcasters to have outlets strewn across the state where the population is so sparse," she said. Public and broadcasting It's not an issue that moves large voting majorities. About a quarter of American adults believe that public media should be defunded, and 43 disagree, according to the Pew Research Center. In the past, members of Congress have been persuadable. In 1969, as Congress contemplated reducing funding for public media, members invited Fred Rogers, the creator of "Mister Rogers' Neighborhood," to testify. Lawmakers sat rapt as he quoted a song he'd written about keeping anger under control. One legislator said that Mister Rogers had given him "goose bumps" and acknowledged that the testimony had saved the day. "Looks like you just earned the $20 million." A half-century later, the party that controls Congress is tuning those arguments out. When Mister Rogers's testimony came up at the hearing last week, one witness said that Congress shouldn't have listened to him. THE LATEST NEWS Trump Tariffs President Trump is set to reveal the details of his global tariff plan tomorrow, a date he has called "Liberation Day." Advisers have not yet decided whether the White House will raise or lower tariffs. At the core of Trump's tariff plan is a risky bet: that Americans will accept higher prices if it helps bring back manufacturing. The administration released a list of foreign trade barriers that could influence the planned tariffs. Uncertainty over tariffs caused S&P 500 index's worst month in more than two years. The Fed is speaking with companies to figure out to what extent Trump's policies will create inflation. Government Overhaul Trump said he was "not joking" about the possibility of seeking a third term. That would require amending the Constitution. He may be saying it to avoid being treated like a lame duck. DOGE gained access to a system that processes salaries for about 276,000 federal employees, despite officials' concerns over the security of the data. In an open letter, nearly 2,000 scientists accused the Trump administration of conducting a "wholesale assault on U.S. science." The Trump administration said it was reviewing roughly $9 billion in federal grants and contracts with Harvard, claiming that the school had let antisemitism run unchecked. The government placed staff at the Institute of Museum and Library Services, the largest source of federal funding for museums and libraries, on administrative leave. The Pentagon eliminated lower fitness standards for women in combat units, a move that could hinder the recruitment women in dangerous military jobs. Immigration The Trump administration deported 17 more migrants, whom it described as gang members, to a prison in El Salvador. The government has granted itself authority to deport Venezuelan migrants accused of being part of a gang based on tattoos or streetwear. The U.S. has spent about $40 million to house fewer than 400 migrants at Guantánamo Bay. More on Politics Supporters of Brad Schimel, the conservative candidate in Wisconsin. Jim Vondruska for The New York Times An election in Wisconsin today will decide whether conservatives or liberals control the state Supreme Court. Voters say the race is a referendum on Trump's second term. Read what to know. A special election for a House seat in a deep-red Florida district has become surprisingly competitive after the Democratic candidate raised nearly $10 million. Hakeem Jeffries, the Democratic House leader, accused Texas' governor of delaying a special election in a blue district to cushion the House Republicans' slim majority. A federal judge ruled that Alabama cannot prosecute doctors for helping patients travel out of the state to obtain abortions. China The U.S. imposed sanctions on six senior Chinese and Hong Kong officials over the targeting of pro-democracy activists in Hong Kong and on U.S. soil. China launched military exercises around Taiwan after the island's president called China a hostile foreign force. More International News Marine Le Pen Thomas Samson/Agence France-Presse — Getty Images The conviction of the French far-right leader Marine Le Pen means that unless she wins an appeal, she can't run for president in 2027. She had been leading in early polls. The Israeli military attacked the outskirts of Beirut, Lebanon's capital, killing three people. It was Israel's second strike there in less than a week. A recovery operation found the bodies of three U.S. Army soldiers days after their vehicle sank into a bog in Lithuania. A fourth is still missing. More than 2,000 people are now confirmed dead in Myanmar's earthquake. Volunteers said the military had blocked them from one badly hit area, a rebel stronghold. Other Big Stories OpenAI said it had completed a deal that values the company at $300 billion, twice the figure it reached just six months ago. A toxic algae bloom in Southern California has caused hundreds of sea lions, dolphins and seabirds to wash ashore. America has never been richer. But for many Americans, because of huge gaps in wealth, it doesn't feel that way. See charts that show the gaps. Heavy snow is falling in the Sierra Nevada mountains. That will mean more water for California. Opinions It's not up to law firms or universities to free themselves from government coercion. Voters should demand a government with less power to coerce, Robert Smith argues. With Trump back, Taiwan must begin an immediate and serious conversation about how to secure peace with China, Yingtai Lung, a former culture minister of Taiwan, writes. Here are columns by Thomas Edsall on what Democrats need to do and Carlos Lozada on Trump's first 100 orders. A subscription to match the variety of your interests. News. Games. Recipes. Product reviews. Sports reporting. A New York Times All Access subscription covers all of it and more. Subscribe today. MORNING READS At Fort Jackson in South Carolina. Sean Rayford for The New York Times Mess hall menus: Can the Army make food that soldiers will actually enjoy? A TV chef wants to help. Fossils: It was a hole in the ground behind a New Jersey home improvement store. Now it's a state-of-the-art dinosaur museum. Most clicked yesterday: For the second day in a row, the most clicked link was the story of a scandalous hot yoga class. Lives Lived: Hank Steinbrecher was a top official in U.S. soccer who helped usher the sport into the American mainstream. He died at 77. SPORTS Women's college basketball: The women's Final Four is set after victories for UConn, led by Paige Bueckers, and Texas. M.L.B.: The Braves outfielder Jurickson Profar will miss the next 80 games after testing positive for a fertility drug often taken after steroids. ARTS AND IDEAS Sara Krulwich/The New York Times; Martha Swope/NY Public Library; Johan Persson; Library of Congress Since "Othello" was first performed in the 17th century, one question has plagued audiences: Who owns the production, Othello or Iago? "Othello" is the only major Shakespeare work that gives the hero and the antihero equal weight, which means the contest between the actors playing them has always been fierce. As one scholar put it: It is Othello's tragedy, but Iago's play. Read about famous stagings. More on culture Selena Gomez and Benny Blanco are in the middle of a sappy press tour for their new album, The Cut reports. You may have seen videos online. Joost Klein was thrown out of the Eurovision Song Contest last year after being accused of threatening a camerawoman. He's not over it. "Are you trying to order off-menu from the Constitution?": Jon Stewart joked about Trump's comments about a possible third term. THE MORNING RECOMMENDS … Romulo Yanes for The New York Times Bake even if you forgot to soften the butter. Try this simple, lemon-scented olive oil cake. See how to do a better burpee. Add these items to a wedding registry. Go key-free with a smart lock. GAMES Here is today's Spelling Bee. Yesterday's pangram was comeback. And here are today's Mini Crossword, Wordle, Sudoku, Connections, Sports Connections and Strands. Thanks for spending part of your morning with The Times. See you tomorrow. Sign up here to get this newsletter in your inbox. Reach our team at themorning@nytimes.com. Editor: Adam B. Kushner News Editor: Tom Wright-Piersanti Associate Editor: Lauren Jackson News Staff: Desiree Ibekwe, Brent Lewis, German Lopez, Ashley Wu News Assistant: Lyna Bentahar Saturday Writer: Melissa Kirsch Need help? Review our newsletter help page or contact us for assistance. 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