Latest news with #ReadytoLearn
Yahoo
6 days ago
- General
- Yahoo
Helping Hands Hawaii looking for your kokua
HONOLULU (KHON2) –Helping Hands Hawaii is about to kick off their Ready to Learn program. Hawaiʻi Foodbank giving keiki free meals this summer Their annual back-to-school initiative that assists students from across the state get the basic school supplies they need. Download the free KHON2 app for iOS or Android to stay informed on the latest news Families in need can visit their website or register their children for Ready to Learn. How can you help? Starting on June 1 through July 31st, you can donate school supplies or contribute online. Supplies and donations can also be dropped off at their office at 2100 N. Nimitz Highway weekdays from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. and the 3rd Saturday of the month from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. Be sure write 'Ready to Learn' on your more information find it at Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
6 days ago
- Business
- Yahoo
PBS sues Trump administration over order to revoke federal funding
PBS is suing President Donald Trump and other members of his administration in an effort to halt his order stripping federal funding from the television network. The lawsuit, filed Friday, argues that 'regardless of any policy disagreements over the role of public television, our Constitution and laws forbid the President from serving as the arbiter of the content of PBS's programming, including by attempting to defund PBS.' Trump and his administration have targeted a wide array of media companies he views as his adversaries, including looking to strip federal funding from public media organizations. Earlier this month, the president signed an executive order to restrict public funds to both NPR and PBS. In his order, Trump claimed the organizations engage in 'biased and partisan news coverage.' PBS argues in its lawsuit that Trump's order violates the First Amendment because it 'makes no attempt to hide the fact that it is cutting off the flow of funds to PBS because of the content of PBS programming and out of a desire to alter the content of speech.' 'That is blatant viewpoint discrimination and an infringement of PBS and PBS Member Stations' private editorial discretion,' the suit states. In a statement to POLITICO, the White House disputed PBS's accusations. 'The Corporation for Public Broadcasting (CPB) is creating media to support a particular political party on the taxpayers' dime. Therefore, the President is exercising his lawful authority to limit funding to NPR and PBS,' said deputy press secretary Harrison Fields. 'The President was elected with a mandate to ensure efficient use of taxpayer dollars, and he will continue to use his lawful authority to achieve that objective.' Both NPR and PBS have been regular targets for Trump, outgoing Department of Government Efficiency chief Elon Musk and the administration's allies on Capitol Hill. A PBS spokesperson previously told POLITICO that government dollars accounted for roughly 16 percent of its funding. The television system also names Education Secretary Linda McMahon in the suit, after the Education Department cut grants to the Corporation for Public Broadcasting — the independent, congressional-funded organization that provides grants to public media — for Ready to Learn programming, which includes making shows like 'Sesame Street.' The Department of Homeland Security and FEMA are also named in the suit because PBS's technology is used as a backup for the nationwide emergency alert system. PBS's lawsuit comes just three days after NPR filed a similar lawsuit against the Trump administration. Like PBS, NPR's lawsuit accuses the president's order of violating the First Amendment. The Corporation for Public Broadcasting is also suing the Trump administration after the president tried to fire board members.
Politico
6 days ago
- Business
- Politico
PBS sues Trump administration over order to revoke federal funding
PBS is suing President Donald Trump and other members of his administration in an effort to halt his order stripping federal funding from the television network. The lawsuit, filed Friday, argues that 'regardless of any policy disagreements over the role of public television, our Constitution and laws forbid the President from serving as the arbiter of the content of PBS's programming, including by attempting to defund PBS.' Trump and his administration have targeted a wide array of media companies he views as his adversaries, including looking to strip federal funding from public media organizations. Earlier this month, the president signed an executive order to restrict public funds to both NPR and PBS. In his order, Trump claimed the organizations engage in 'biased and partisan news coverage.' PBS argues in its lawsuit that Trump's order violates the First Amendment because it 'makes no attempt to hide the fact that it is cutting off the flow of funds to PBS because of the content of PBS programming and out of a desire to alter the content of speech.' 'That is blatant viewpoint discrimination and an infringement of PBS and PBS Member Stations' private editorial discretion,' the suit states. In a statement to POLITICO, the White House disputed PBS's accusations. 'The Corporation for Public Broadcasting (CPB) is creating media to support a particular political party on the taxpayers' dime. Therefore, the President is exercising his lawful authority to limit funding to NPR and PBS,' said deputy press secretary Harrison Fields. 'The President was elected with a mandate to ensure efficient use of taxpayer dollars, and he will continue to use his lawful authority to achieve that objective.' Both NPR and PBS have been regular targets for Trump, outgoing Department of Government Efficiency chief Elon Musk and the administration's allies on Capitol Hill. A PBS spokesperson previously told POLITICO that government dollars accounted for roughly 16 percent of its funding. The television system also names Education Secretary Linda McMahon in the suit, after the Education Department cut grants to the Corporation for Public Broadcasting — the independent, congressional-funded organization that provides grants to public media — for Ready to Learn programming, which includes making shows like 'Sesame Street.' The Department of Homeland Security and FEMA are also named in the suit because PBS's technology is used as a backup for the nationwide emergency alert system. PBS's lawsuit comes just three days after NPR filed a similar lawsuit against the Trump administration. Like PBS, NPR's lawsuit accuses the president's order of violating the First Amendment. The Corporation for Public Broadcasting is also suing the Trump administration after the president tried to fire board members.
Yahoo
22-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Sesame Street Is Relocating to Netflix
Elmo's brief unemployment era is over. Sesame Street has found a new home at Netflix following the expiration of its contract with Warner Bros. Discovery, which began in 2016 when new episodes went into production at HBO after the Public Broadcasting Service, or PBS, could no longer afford the expenses required to keep the series afloat. 'We are excited to announce that all new Sesame Street episodes are coming to @netflix worldwide along with library episodes, and new episodes will also release the same day on @PBS Stations and@PBSKIDS platforms in the US, preserving a 50+ year relationship,' Netflix shared in a statement published on social media. 'The support of Netflix, PBS, and the Corporation for Public Broadcasting serve as a unique public-private partnership to enable Sesame Street to continue to help children everywhere grow smarter, stronger, and kinder.' More from Rolling Stone 'Forever' Showrunner Mara Brock Akil Wants to 'Give Boys Their Full Humanity' Madonna Biopic Series With Shawn Levy in the Works at Netflix: Report Karol G Celebrates Netflix Documentary Release with 'Milagros' At HBO, new Sesame Street episodes would premiere nine months before they would air on PBS. Netflix plans to close the gap with its same-day release schedule beginning with Season 56. The uncertain fate of the beloved children's series reached a depressing turning point when a LinkedIn post claimed that Elmo, who is perpetually three years old, lost his job. 'Hi LinkedIn, unfortunately Elmo was recently laid off because of the federal budget cuts,' the post read. 'Elmo worked at Sesame Street for 45 years. Elmo is sad. Elmo loved his time at Sesame Street.' On May 1, Trump announced an executive order demanding the end of all federal funding for NPR and PBS, on the grounds that they allegedly 'receive millions from taxpayers to spread radical, woke propaganda disguised as 'news,'' according to a White House social media post. The Ready to Learn program, which provided $23 million in funding for educational kids' shows and games, was among the targeted grant cancellations, per the Corporation for Public Broadcasting. Best of Rolling Stone The 50 Best 'Saturday Night Live' Characters of All Time Denzel Washington's Movies Ranked, From Worst to Best 70 Greatest Comedies of the 21st Century
Newsweek
16-05-2025
- Politics
- Newsweek
America's Children Are 'Ready To Learn' With PBS KIDS. Will the Trump Administration Listen?
For the past 30 years and with broad bipartisan support in Congress, the U.S. Department of Education (DOE) has funded competitive Ready to Learn (RTL) grants, authorized under the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965. RTL includes all kids in maximizing the benefits of publicly funded children's media, with proven evidence-based educational impact from PBS KIDS shows like Sesame Street, Reading Rainbow, and Clifford the Big Red Dog. On the evening of Friday, May 2, the DOE abruptly terminated the 2020-2025 RTL grants, and a 2026 budget proposal eliminates the program altogether. I am extremely proud of having served as an advisor for a decade on RTL grants to the Corporation for Public Broadcasting, which funds PBS KIDS programming, digital games, and community outreach. RTL provides a safety net for U.S. children who are traditionally underserved educationally. The current federal administration just slashed those nets. The 1-2-3 Sesame Street float heads down the parade route during The 97th Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade in New York, on Nov. 23, 2023. The 1-2-3 Sesame Street float heads down the parade route during The 97th Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade in New York, on Nov. 23, a statement, Madi Biedermann, deputy assistant secretary for communication at the DOE, explained the Trump administration's rationale: We "cancelled 'Ready to Learn' grants to PBS that were funding racial justice educational programming for 5-8 year-old children. 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." In my capacity as a professor at Northeastern University, I teach an undergraduate course on youth and communication technology, in which students learn about the developmental psychology behind how children learn from media and the impact of technology on their lives. The semester is over, but if we were still in class, I'd ask students to break down the DOE statement above based on what we've discussed and what they've read during the course. In class, we study how history (including political, social, and economic factors) shapes the youth media landscape. RTL grants have traditionally been announced every 5 years and reflect federal priorities. In 2020 (during the first Trump administration), the DOE's RTL solicitation included a call for "literacy content [that goes] beyond vocabulary and basic reading skills" and programming exposing children to future career options. RTL-funded PBS KIDS shows like Work it Out Wombats! and Lyla in the Loop have equipped young learners with functional literacy and collaboration skills for a rapidly evolving global economy. RTL ensures that underserved kids—such as those living in rural areas, young people from low-income households, and students with disabilities—have access to media that meets the highest standards of both education and entertainment. In our class on disabled young people and their media use, we learn how inaccessible digital experiences and disability stereotypes on TV can negatively impact their cognitive and emotional development. Many RTL-funded programs such as Hero Elementary feature and portray children with disabilities in a positive manner, and PBS KIDS digital games incorporate universal design principles that support learners of all abilities. For our session on culture, race, and ethnicity in children's media, we discuss Albert Bandura's Social Learning Theory, which in part explains how children learn better when they can identify with characters on screen, with racial and ethnic identity potentially being one aspect depending on the child. Not all kids get the equal chance, though, to identify with characters in that respect. PBS KIDS series funded by RTL, like Molly of Denali, allow more children to learn in a meaningful and authentic manner. On our day on educational media, we learn about the origins of Sesame Street, as well as its reception at the time of its debut in 1969. Despite the show being an instant hit, the public TV station in Mississippi refused to air the show because it depicted a racially integrated neighborhood. Letters from parents in Mississippi poured into the station, not wanting their kids to miss out on the Muppets. Maligning RTL programming as "woke propaganda" suggests a desire to turn back the clock on diverse representation. And over the course of the semester, students in my course put together print guides for parents to help them support their children's learning from high-quality children's media, using PBS KIDS RTL outreach materials for caregivers, teachers, and community groups as models. In selecting a TV show to evaluate, students think critically about the evidence behind media's claims to be "educational." Most content created by random YouTubers and app developers cannot compare. Students frequently end up choosing to focus on RTL-funded shows like Super WHY! because PBS KIDS is the gold standard for promoting "meaningful learning" and "improving student outcomes" that the administration claims it is newly prioritizing. In short, this decision from the DOE is purely punitive. Considering RTL's robust backing by both Republican and Democrat administrations, the only "divisive ideologies" being put forth seem to be coming from the DOE itself. While it is likely that the RTL termination will be challenged, the impact of dismantling important human and material infrastructure that helps to run RTL is already profound. American's children stand at the ready to learn, but is the current Trump administration and Department of Education willing to listen to the desires of kids and parents, as well as decades of research? Meryl Alper is an associate professor in the Department of Communication Studies at Northeastern University. She studies and teaches about the social, cultural, and health implications of media and technology for youth with disabilities. Her most recent book is Kids Across the Spectrums: Growing Up Autistic in the Digital Age (MIT Press, 2023). The views expressed in this article are the writer's own.
