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Yemeni Armed Forces: The blockade on the Port of Haifa comes following the successful imposition of the siege on the Port of Umm al-Rashrash, which has since ceased operations
Yemeni Armed Forces: The Port of Haifa is now officially part of our target bank
Yemeni Armed Forces calls on companies with ships currently in the Port of Haifa or en route to it to take into account the contents of the statement and any forthcoming announcements
Yemeni Armed Forces: The imposition of a blockade on the Port of Haifa comes in response to the enemy’s escalation of its brutal aggression against Gaza and the continued siege and starvation
Yemeni Armed Forces: Our decisions and operations against the occupying entity will not cease until the aggression on Gaza ends and the blockade on it is lifted
Yemeni Armed Forces: We have decided to begin enforcing a naval blockade on the Port of Haifa, which is now among our list of designated targets
The Israeli occupation has released the child Mohammad, the son of martyr Ahmad Sarhan, whom it abducted earlier today from Khan Younis in the southern Gaza Strip, but his mother remains in detention
UK, France, and Canada in a joint statement: The Israeli Government’s denial of essential humanitarian assistance to the civilian population is unacceptable and risks breaching International Humanitarian Law
Leaders of UK, France, and Canada warn that their countries would take action if "Israel" does not stop a renewed military offensive in Gaza and lift aid restrictions
Putin says Trump in conversation expressed his position on cessation of hostilities in Ukraine

Trump moves to defund NPR and PBS, sparking free speech concerns

  • By Al Mayadeen English
  • Source: Agencies
  • 2 May 2025 08:23
3 Min Read

A new executive order by Donald Trump instructs the Corporation for Public Broadcasting to stop funding NPR and PBS, intensifying tensions over media independence and free speech in the US.

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  • President Donald Trump arrives at Palm Beach International Airport in West Palm Beach, Fla., Thursday, May 1, 2025. (AP)
    President Donald Trump arrives at Palm Beach International Airport in West Palm Beach, Florida, Thursday, May 1, 2025. (AP)

US President Donald Trump signed an executive order aimed at cutting federal funding to National Public Radio (NPR) and the Public Broadcasting Service (PBS), the White House confirmed. The move marks the former US president’s latest effort to use federal resources as leverage against media outlets he has frequently criticized.

According to the order released late Thursday, the Corporation for Public Broadcasting (CPB), the nonprofit agency responsible for distributing federal funds to public media, has been instructed to “cease direct funding” to both NPR and PBS. The executive directive accused the two outlets of partisanship and bias.

“The CPB Board shall cancel existing direct funding to the maximum extent allowed by law and shall decline to provide future funding,” the order states.

Both NPR and PBS have issued warnings in the past, saying such funding cuts would severely impact their ability to deliver reliable news and programming. They emphasized that many Americans depend on public broadcasting for trustworthy local and national coverage, particularly during emergencies.

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The two organizations also cautioned that defunding public media would undermine essential services, especially for rural communities that rely on non-commercial stations.

The Trump administration has previously targeted various media and academic institutions, accusing them of being ideologically skewed. Universities such as Harvard and Columbia, along with NPR and PBS, have been labeled as leftist, Marxist, and "woke" by Trump's allies. These accusations have often been accompanied by threats to withdraw funding.

Broader attacks on academic and media institutions

Human rights advocates and civil society groups have raised alarms over the implications for free speech and academic freedom, viewing the attacks as politically motivated attempts to stifle dissenting voices.

In a related development, the CPB filed a lawsuit against the White House on Monday after Trump attempted to remove three of its five board members.

Established by Congress in 1967, the CPB currently provides financial support to more than 1,500 locally managed public radio and television stations across the country. Media reports also indicate that the White House intends to ask Congress to rescind $1.1 billion in funding allocated to the CPB, equivalent to two years’ worth of appropriations.

Read more: Trump's shadow chills donors as nonprofits face dire funding crisis

  • United States
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  • US
  • Free Speech
  • PBS
  • Donald Trump

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