Will PBS and NPR Go Dark? Not Exactly

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Politics

Will PBS and NPR Go Dark? Not Exactly

What's going on: The Muppets on Sesame Street might want to start budgeting. The Republican-led House has approved $1.1 billion in funding cuts to the Corporation for Public Broadcasting (CPB), home to NPR and PBS. (The bill also slashes $7.9 billion from other programs — all courtesy of DOGE.) The measure, which already passed the Senate, now heads to President Donald Trump’s desk for his signature. Trump pushed lawmakers to make the cuts, even though Congress had already approved the money. The GOP has long accused the stations of bias, and some claim NPR and PBS promote “drag shows.” But both outlets say critics distort what airs. NPR’s CEO called the cuts “an unwarranted dismantling of beloved local civic institutions.”

What it means: For the first time since 1999, lawmakers have cut previously approved congressional funding (known as rescission). Once Trump signs the bill into law, it will begin to unravel nearly 60 years of federal support for CPB. Rural areas would be hit hardest — for many, public radio is a lifeline, especially during emergencies. That said, NPR gets only 1% of its annual funding from the federal government, and PBS gets about 15%. But this fight isn’t just about funding — it’s about control, according to an Axios analysis. Trump is tightening his grip on how government money is spent, even though Congress holds the purse strings. That has some wondering: If public media’s on the chopping block, what’s next?

Related: Congress Cracks Down on Crypto — Just Not Trump’s (CNBC)

US News

The Long-Term Cost of LA's Immigration Raids 

What's going on: Two thousand National Guard troops are packing up after a weeks-long deployment in Los Angeles supporting federal immigration crackdowns, and some say the experience has left a mark. In interviews with The New York Times, nearly two dozen soldiers described low morale and confusion about their mission. While some officers were fine with the assignment, others were not. One Latino officer even asked to be arrested rather than participate in a raid. Meanwhile, The Los Angeles Times reports many troops battled boredom — more than 90% of Guard members haven’t had daily duties to perform in the last few days, according to a source in California Gov. Gavin Newsom’s office.

What it means: This kind of deployment could carry long-term consequences for morale, recruitment, and retention. Roughly 100 soldiers sought out behavioral health support during the LA mission. Dozens of soldiers whose enlistments expired during their LA deployment said they won’t return. One soldier said public sentiment flipped with protesters jeering at troops and commuters cursing their convoy. Another put it more bluntly: “They gave Disneyland tickets to the people who worked in the wildfires. Nobody’s handing out Disneyland tickets now.”

Related: Army Vet Says Agents Ignored His Citizenship, Held Him Three Days (CBS News)

Business

Make America Cane Again?

What's going on: President Donald Trump is passionate about a lot of things — tariffs, golf, Diet Coke. He loves the latter so much, he had a soda button installed in the Oval Office. But now, he’s shaking things up with the drink’s sister product. The president said Wednesday that Coca-Cola agreed to swap corn syrup for real cane sugar — all because he suggested it. At first, the brand gave a canned response, thanking him for his “enthusiasm.” Later, though, Coca-Cola’s tone went flat. It defended corn syrup as “safe,” and didn’t confirm the switch. If Coke does change up its ingredients, it would put the US formula on par with other countries like Mexico, where cane sugar is already used and the flavor is often considered superior by fans.

What it means: Some analysts see Trump’s Coke stunt as a fizzy distraction — from the Epstein files to the Fed fight. But it also lines up with the MAGA crowd’s latest wellness crusade. RFK Jr. has railed against corn syrup since Trump’s return to office. Still, not everyone’s raising a glass. The Corn Refiners Association warned that a sweetener swap could slash US manufacturing jobs, hurt farmers’ bottom lines, and increase reliance on sugar imports. Economists say states like Iowa (America’s biggest corn producer) could lose out, while Florida (cane country) could come out ahead. Regardless, none of this affects Trump’s actual go-to drink. Diet Coke is sweetened with aspartame, not corn syrup. Cheers?

Related: Why Are Trump and Jerome Powell Fighting Over a Renovation Project? (CNN)

Settle This

Which of these is the most popular emoji in America?

Extra Credit

See

Dust off your crop tops and cargo pants: I Know What You Did Last Summer is back — with a “requel” (or reboot-sequel) of the same name. This time, the story follows a new crew (Madelyn Cline, Chase Sui Wonders, Jonah Hauer-King, Sarah Pidgeon, Tyriq Withers) who cause a fatal car wreck on the Fourth of July. The group of friends vow to keep it quiet…until someone shows up a year later with revenge on their mind. Naturally, they turn to survivors of the legendary Southport Massacre of 1997 (hello, Jennifer Love Hewitt and Freddie Prinze Jr.) for help. The hooks are sharp, the stakes are deadly — and the vibes are deeply Gen Z.

Game Time

Brick Breaker meets word search in Spelltower, your new favorite game. For every word you find, letter tiles disappear. The fewer tiles left when you run out of words, the better your score. Try it.

Game Time

Kick your weekend off with Pile-Up Poker, a brand-new game where poker meets solitaire. Create as many poker hands as possible to earn cash and climb the leaderboard. We’re all in.