The Senate has voted to cancel $1.1 billion in public funding for NPR and PBS, a move described as "an unusual surrender of congressional spending power" by The New York Times, though the only thing particularly unusual here is the federal government deciding not to spend money.
NPR CEO Katherine Maher has fought this outcome tooth and nail. During an appearance on CNN, she made the case that public radio was a vital source of information in rural areas that lack adequate cellphone service and internet access.
"There's a real understanding of the need there, as well as for emergency alerting, in which public media plays an extraordinarily important role," she said.
