Latest news with #ReadyToLearn-funded
Yahoo
09-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Why the Internet Thought Elmo Was Laid Off From Sesame Street
Originally appeared on E! Online Elmo won't be getting unemployment benefits just yet. After President Donald Trump signed an executive order slashing funding to PBS and NPR, which could jeopardize the future of Sesame Street, a viral LinkedIn post shared that Elmo was out of a job. However, it was simply a parody account, Sesame Workshop confirmed to Deadline May 8. "Unfortunately, Elmo was recently laid off because of the federal budget cuts," the now-deleted post circulating on social media began. "Elmo worked at Sesame Street for 45 years. Elmo is sad. Elmo loved his time at Sesame Street." The fake Elmo also expressed how much he is "going to miss" his friends Big Bird, Cookie Monster, Ernie, Bert, Abby, Grover and Count because they "made Elmo's day so much better." Like any unemployed person on the networking app, the message went on to highlight Elmo's skills like being able to "recognize the letter E, spell his name, feel empathy, sing 'Elmo's Song' and ask how you are doing." The post also urged users to reach out to their "local congressperson to save Public Media." More from E! Online Pregnant Jessa Duggar Addresses Claim She and Ben Seewald Are 'Breeding Like Rabbits' Shirtless Jason Kelce Shows Off Almost 30-Pound Weight Loss Transformation Since NFL Retirement Rose McGowan Shares Life Update 5 Years After Leaving Hollywood for Mexico E! News has reached out to Sesame Workshop for comment and has not yet heard back. Following the LinkedIn update, a rep for the organization told Deadline in a May 8 statement, "Sesame Workshop and PBS have a shared commitment to using the power of public television to bring critical early learning to children across the country." "For more than half a century, we have been proud to partner with them to bring Sesame Street's beloved characters and research-based curriculum to families nationwide," the message continued. "We remain firmly in support of the vital public investment that allows PBS to continue this important work." Among the cuts to the Corporation for Public Broadcasting, which backs NPR and PBS, included the termination of a federal grant program that provided $23 million for children's educational TV shows and games. "Nearly every parent has raised their kids on public broadcasting's children's content," President and CEO of CPB Patricia Harrison said in a May 6 press release. "For the past 30 years, Ready To Learn-funded PBS KIDS content has produced measurable, real-world impacts on children's learning." The message continued, "Ready To Learn has received strong bipartisan support from Congress for the last 30 years because of the programs' proven educational value in advancing early learning skills for all children." For the Trump administration's part, the spokeswoman for the Department of Education Madi Biedermann told The New York Times that the administration would not fund "divisive ideologies and woke propaganda." For the latest breaking news updates, click here to download the E! News App
The Herald Scotland
09-05-2025
- Politics
- The Herald Scotland
Trump administration kills funding for PBS children's shows
"Nearly every parent has raised their kids on public broadcasting's children's content. For the past 30 years, Ready To Learn-funded PBS KIDS content has produced measurable, real-world impacts on children's learning," Patricia Harrison, President and CEO of CPB, said in the press release. "Ready To Learn has received strong bipartisan support from Congress for the last 30 years because of the programs' proven educational value in advancing early learning skills for all children. We will work with Congress and the Administration to preserve funding for this essential program." The 2020-2025 cycle, which expires Sept. 30, was approved by the first Trump administration. Programs funded by the Ready To Learn Grant have included the iconic shows "Sesame Street," "Reading Rainbow" and "Clifford the Big Red Dog." Now, popular shows like "Molly of Denali," "Work It Out Wombats!" and "Lyla in the Loop" are being funded by the grant, the CPB said. In a statement sent to USA TODAY, Madi Biedermann, a spokesperson for the Department of Education, said the cuts were to funding "racial justice educational programming." "This is not aligned with Administration priorities. The Trump Department of Education will prioritize funding that supports meaningful learning and improving student outcomes, not divisive ideologies and woke propaganda," Biedermann said. PBS Kids: 'We will continue to fight' Sara DeWitt, Senior Vice President and General Manager of PBS KIDS, said in a statement to USA TODAY they would continue to fight to keep providing shows for children in the U.S. "This decision removes a critical resource public television has used to enable us to create high-quality, educational PBS KIDS content while opening up worlds of possibilities for millions of kids across the country. We will continue to fight in order to maintain our essential service," DeWitt said. Cuts to PBS, NPR an ongoing fight The cuts to the Corporation for Public Broadcasting come as the Trump administration continues to try and defund PBS and NPR. Trump signed an executive order instructing the CPB to "cease direct funding" to NPR and PBS, according to the text released by the White House on May 1. It labeled the news outlets as partisan and biased. "The CPB Board shall cancel existing direct funding to the maximum extent allowed by law and shall decline to provide future funding," the order added. Both NPR and PBS have previously said that Trump's effort to cut their funding would disrupt essential media services and have a "devastating impact" on Americans who rely on them for credible local and national news, including during emergencies. Contributing: Reuters Fernando Cervantes Jr. is a trending news reporter for USA TODAY. Reach him at and follow him on X @fern_cerv_.
USA Today
08-05-2025
- Entertainment
- USA Today
Funding for PBS children's shows killed by Trump administration citing 'woke propaganda'
Funding for PBS children's shows killed by Trump administration citing 'woke propaganda' Show Caption Hide Caption President Donald Trump signs order to cut PBS and NPR funding President Donald Trump signed an executive order to stop directly funding PBS and NPR. As the Trump administration continues to try to defund NPR and PBS, the Corporation for Public Broadcasting said this week that the Department of Education has ended a federal grant that helped fund children's shows. In a press release on May 6, the Corporation for Public Broadcasting said the canceled grant was called Ready To Learn. The cutting will result in a loss of $23 million that the CPB said would have gone to children's games and educational shows. "Nearly every parent has raised their kids on public broadcasting's children's content. For the past 30 years, Ready To Learn-funded PBS KIDS content has produced measurable, real-world impacts on children's learning," Patricia Harrison, President and CEO of CPB, said in the press release. "Ready To Learn has received strong bipartisan support from Congress for the last 30 years because of the programs' proven educational value in advancing early learning skills for all children. We will work with Congress and the Administration to preserve funding for this essential program." The 2020-2025 cycle, which expires Sept. 30, was approved by the first Trump administration. Programs funded by the Ready To Learn Grant have included the iconic shows "Sesame Street," "Reading Rainbow" and "Clifford the Big Red Dog." Now, popular shows like "Molly of Denali," "Work It Out Wombats!" and "Lyla in the Loop" are being funded by the grant, the CPB said. In a statement sent to USA TODAY, Madi Biedermann, a spokesperson for the Department of Education, said the cuts were to funding "racial justice educational programming." "This is not aligned with Administration priorities. The Trump Department of Education will prioritize funding that supports meaningful learning and improving student outcomes, not divisive ideologies and woke propaganda," Biedermann said. PBS Kids: 'We will continue to fight' Sara DeWitt, Senior Vice President and General Manager of PBS KIDS, said in a statement to USA TODAY they would continue to fight to keep providing shows for children in the U.S. "This decision removes a critical resource public television has used to enable us to create high-quality, educational PBS KIDS content while opening up worlds of possibilities for millions of kids across the country. We will continue to fight in order to maintain our essential service," DeWitt said. Cuts to PBS, NPR an ongoing fight The cuts to the Corporation for Public Broadcasting come as the Trump administration continues to try and defund PBS and NPR. Trump signed an executive order instructing the CPB to "cease direct funding" to NPR and PBS, according to the text released by the White House on May 1. It labeled the news outlets as partisan and biased. "The CPB Board shall cancel existing direct funding to the maximum extent allowed by law and shall decline to provide future funding," the order added. Both NPR and PBS have previously said that Trump's effort to cut their funding would disrupt essential media services and have a "devastating impact" on Americans who rely on them for credible local and national news, including during emergencies. Contributing: Reuters Fernando Cervantes Jr. is a trending news reporter for USA TODAY. Reach him at and follow him on X @fern_cerv_.
Yahoo
07-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Trump's Brutal Cuts Have Come for Your Favorite Kids Shows
The White House's war against NPR and PBS escalated Tuesday after the Corporation for Public Broadcasting (CPB) announced that one of its key federal grant programs was terminated. In a statement Tuesday, CPB, which backs NPR and PBS, announced that the Department of Education had slashed a federal grant program that has funded children's shows like Sesame Street in the past. The move came a few days after President Donald Trump signed an executive order demanding CPB to cease federal funding for NPR and PBS over distributing content he believes promote leftwing bias. The grant program, called Ready To Learn, would have administered $23 million into children's educational shows and games. Along with Sesame Street, grants from Ready To Learn have helped Reading Rainbow, and Clifford the Big Red Dog. The current grant helps the award-winning Molly of Denali, Work It Out Wombats! and Lyla in the Loop. The Trump administration has terminated the Ready to Learn federal grant program, which funded shows like 'Sesame Street' in the past. /'On Friday night, the U.S. Department of Education notified the Corporation for Public Broadcasting (CPB) that its 2020-2025 Ready To Learn grant is terminated, effective immediately,' the corporation wrote in a press statement posted to its website. 'On Sunday, CPB informed PBS and 44 public media stations in 28 states and the District of Columbia that receive Ready To Learn grants to stop work immediately, pausing the program in rural and urban communities throughout the country.' The president and CEO of CPB, Patricia Harrison, also released a statement Tuesday clarifying the corporation's intent to 'work with' Congress and the Trump administration to save the federal grant program. 'Nearly every parent has raised their kids on public broadcasting's children's content. For the past 30 years, Ready To Learn-funded PBS KIDS content has produced measurable, real-world impacts on children's learning,' Harrison said. 'Ready To Learn has received strong bipartisan support from Congress for the last 30 years because of the programs' proven educational value in advancing early learning skills for all children. We will work with Congress and the Administration to preserve funding for this essential program.' The grant was slated to expire in September. Trump has been campaigning against PBS and NPR for some time. /A spokesperson for the Department of Education, Madi Biedermann, told The New York Times in a statement Tuesday that the grant was funding 'racial justice educational programming.' 'The Trump Department of Education will prioritize funding that supports meaningful learning and improving student outcomes, not divisive ideologies and woke propaganda,' the statement continued. In his executive order last week, Trump ordered federal agencies to terminate all direct or indirect funding to NPR and PBS. The White House subsequently criticized the two institutions for fueling 'partisanship and left-wing propaganda' in a follow-up fact sheet and criticized them for pushing 'progressive pet projects.' The administration even listed Sesame Street as an example by name and criticized the long-running program for partnering with CNN for 'a town hall aimed presenting children with a one-sided narrative to 'address racism' amid the Black Lives Matter riots.' Both NPR and PBS have vowed to fight back against Trump's order, with PBS chief executive Paula Kreger calling the move 'blatantly unlawful' in a Friday statement and promising to explore 'all options.' The Trump administration has been campaigning against NPR and PBS for some time, slamming the two institutions for a long list of ailments as recently as April.
Yahoo
06-05-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Trump Administration Terminates Education Grant That Has Helped Fund PBS Kids Content
The Corporation for Public Broadcasting said today that the Trump administration has terminated grants that have long been used to fund education initiatives and PBS Kids programming. The CPB said that it was informed by the Department of Education on Friday that the 2020-25 Ready to Learn grant was being canceled, forcing it to inform PBS and 44 public media stations to pause the long-running program. More from Deadline 'Nearly every parent has raised their kids on public broadcasting's children's content,' Patricia Harrison, president and CEO of the corporation. 'For the past 30 years, Ready To Learn-funded PBS Kids content has produced measurable, real-world impacts on children's learning. Ready To Learn has received strong bipartisan support from Congress and every Administration for the last 30 years because of the programs' proven educational value in advancing early learning skills for all children. We will work with Congress and the Administration to preserve funding for this essential program.' A spokesperson for the Department of Education did not immediately return a request for comment. The grants have helped fund such shows as Molly of Denali, Work It Out Wombats! and Lyla in the Loop. Ready to Learn was established to improve education for preschool and early elementary students, with goals of reaching those in low-income communities. The Ready to Learn grant was authorized as a 1992 amendment to the Elementary and Secondary Education Act. The Corporation for Public Broadcasting and PBS have received grants each five year cycle, with the latest expiring on Sept. 30. According to the Education Department, CPB and PBS were expected to receive a total of $105 million under the program for the past five years. The grants are separate from the congressional appropriation to the CPB, which has been $535 million. Last week, Trump signed an executive order ordering the CPB to end federal funding to PBS and NPR. But the CPB and those networks have challenged the president's authority to do so, as Congress directly authorized and funded CPB to be a private nonprofit corporation wholly independent of the federal government.' Trump also ordered other federal agencies to end funding to public media. Best of Deadline Sign up for Deadline's Newsletter. For the latest news, follow us on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.
