Latest news with #Hunton
Axios
30-05-2025
- Business
- Axios
NPR cuts could weigh on North Carolina's largest public radio stations
North Carolina's largest public radio stations — WFAE and WUNC, which serve Charlotte and the Triangle, respectively — get hundreds of thousands of dollars a year from the federal government. Absent those funds, the stations may have to scale back their offerings. Why it matters: A federal halt of funding for public radio stations, as the Trump administration has proposed, could affect how some communities access local news and information — from what their state lawmakers are doing to alerts from the emergency broadcast system. Catch up quick: Earlier this month, President Trump issued an executive order to halt federal support for NPR and PBS, calling the two biggest public broadcasters in the U.S. "biased." The latest: NPR and several affiliates on Tuesday announced they're suing the Trump administration over the executive order to curtail their funding. By the numbers: The Corporation for Public Broadcasting allocates about $535 million in federal funding annually to NPR and PBS, including to local stations. Zoom in: WFAE and WUNC each get about $800,000 annually from the federal government, according to station leaders. These funds are both direct, meaning they're matching funds based on how much revenue the stations generate; and indirect, which refers to shared public radio infrastructure and support like music licensing. These funds represent about 5% of the stations' budgets. Between the lines: The biggest expenses for these stations are personnel and programming. NPR affiliates are required to carry expensive programs such as Morning Edition and All Things Considered, but other smaller programs are ones that stations can elect to pay for and broadcast. "When those [federal] dollars go away it means we're cutting into those core offerings we have in some way," WFAE president and CEO Ju-Don Marshall tells Axios. "We're certainly concerned." Context: Station heads say a cut in federal funding would prompt them to turn to their communities to help make up for the shortfall. Fund drives are the top sources of dollars for the station, says WUNC president and general Paul Hunton. Given uncertainties in the broader economy, it's not a guarantee that they'd be able to make up the entire shortfall, however. "Everybody's a bit tentative now in how they spend their dollars," Hunton added. Zoom out: WFAE's signal reaches 32 counties across the Carolinas, and WUNC can be heard from the Triad to the Outer Banks. Many of the communities they serve are considered news deserts, meaning they lack reliable local news and information from sources like a newspapers. In many rural areas, public radio is the only source of reliable information. Case in point: During Hurricane Helene when communities in western North Carolina lost power and Internet, many relied on just public radio for updates like when the water was coming back on, Hunton says. "It truly was a lifeline for many people in North Carolina," he tells Axios.
Yahoo
15-04-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Former DOT Deputy General Counsel Brian Stansbury Joins Hunton's Environmental Team in Washington
WASHINGTON, April 15, 2025--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Brian Stansbury, a highly-regarded environmental attorney and former Deputy General Counsel for the U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT), has joined Hunton Andrews Kurth LLP as a partner in Washington. As a member of the firm's nationally recognized environmental practice, Stansbury provides clients in the transportation, manufacturing, financial services and other sectors with crisis management and environmental compliance and regulatory counseling, including enforcement defense work and associated litigation. He advises on a range of environmental matters, including Congressional and Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) engagement strategies, EPA and California Air Resources Board (CARB) compliance programs, and Clean Air Act litigation. At the Department of Transportation, Stansbury served in several roles, including Deputy General Counsel for the Office of the Secretary (OST), as well as Special Counsel for the OST and Chief Counsel for the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration. He served as lead negotiator and deal maker for DOT in enforcement actions involving safety, consumer protection, and mergers, with a particular focus on aviation and surface transportation. He also routinely briefed members of Congress and their staff and advised a former U.S. Secretary of Transportation and modal administrators, which included preparing them for Congressional testimony. Originally from Houston, Stansbury will maintain an office in the city and assume an active role helping to expand Hunton's environmental practice throughout Texas. "Brian brings extensive government and private practice experience to the firm, having advised on complex environmental enforcement and regulatory challenges for more than two decades," said Deidre Duncan, who leads Hunton's Administrative Law Group. "His addition enhances our capabilities in the transportation sector, which serves a broad spectrum of industry, and aligns with Hunton's strategic priority to maintain a leading global environmental practice. We are excited to welcome him to the firm." Prior to his government service, Stansbury was in private practice as an AmLaw 20 firm partner, representing automotive and non-road engine manufacturers in commercial litigation, providing regulatory counseling, and defending clients in compliance and enforcement actions involving emissions issues and product safety before the EPA, CARB, and the U.S. Department of Justice. Stansbury earned his undergraduate degree from the University of Texas and his law degree from the University of Virginia School of Law. As the latest addition to Hunton's environmental practice, Stansbury's colleagues include several recent key hires, including San Francisco-based natural resources Partner Martin Stratte, former Texas Assistant Attorney General David Terry, who joined Hunton as a counsel in Houston, and Partner Rachel Saltzman in Washington, who joined the firm from Volkswagen Group of America. Hunton's global environmental practice of nearly 50 attorneys has assisted with development and financing of new energy and traditional energy sources, participated in the policy development process, helped clients navigate regulatory changes affecting the industry, and counseled clients on strategic opportunities to diversify their energy portfolios. The practice and many of its lawyers are ranked Band 1 nationally by Chambers USA and Chambers Global, as well as by many other well-respected ranking publications. About Hunton Andrews Kurth For more than 120 years, Hunton Andrews Kurth has served clients across the globe with a collaborative and purposeful approach. With offices strategically located in the United States and around the world, the firm is known for its strength in the energy, financial services, real estate, retail and consumer products, and technology industries, as well as its considerable depth across numerous practice areas. Hunton fosters a strong culture built upon an unwavering commitment to its clients, colleagues, and communities. To learn more, please visit View source version on Contacts hunton@ Sign in to access your portfolio
