BY MATT BERG & CROOKED MEDIA

WEDNESDAY
JULY 16, 2025

I was surprised he was appointed.”

 
— Donald Trump, [on Fed Chair Jerome Powell]([link removed])… whom he appointed in 2017.

SESAME STREET FIGHT

PBS will be forced to cut back on new children’s programming if GOP budget cuts make it through Congress this week, one of the broadcaster’s executives exclusively told What A Day. 

- In 1969, Congress was on the verge of slashing funds for public broadcasting when it tangled with an overwhelming force: Fred Rogers. The actor, who portrayed Mister Rogers on the beloved kids show, personally appeared on Capitol Hill. “It's great to be able to stop when you've planned a thing that's wrong, and be able to do something else instead,” Rogers [told the Senate]([link removed]). And with that, funding for America’s public broadcaster, PBS, was saved. Never mess with Mister Rogers!

- Then came President Donald Trump. Republicans are ramming a plan through the Senate this week to cut $1.1 billion from the Corporation for Public Broadcasting — which funds PBS, NPR and local stations. MAGA Republicans have long resented public media for its hard-hitting, fact-based, thoughtful news programming, in which they see liberal bias. Now, Trump wants it dead. “Any Republican that votes to allow this monstrosity to continue broadcasting will not have my support or Endorsement,” [Trump recently threatened]([link removed]). PBS gets [about 15 percent]([link removed].) of its total budget from the federal government, and broadcasters in small towns and rural areas rely heavily on that money.  

- But PBS is hardly just news! Just think of Mister Rogers — or Big Bird. PBS owns “Mister Rogers’ Neighborhood,” “Arthur,” “Curious George,” “Cyberchase,” and “Daniel Tiger’s Neighborhood,” to name a few beloved kids’ shows. The ultimate classic American kids program, “Sesame Street,” launched on PBS in 1969, and still airs there. 

 

The network will struggle to roll out fresh children’s programming if Trump’s budget cuts go through, a top executive told What A Day. 

- “It’s going to keep us from being able to create new content,” Sara DeWitt, senior vice president and general manager of PBS Kids, the network’s children’s programming division, told What a Day. 

- Limiting new shows would make it harder to stay current, even as kids attempt to navigate the new challenges of growing up in the digital era. “There are shows that kids have watched for decades, but then new things come out that are relevant to what kids are looking for today or what they need today,” DeWitt said. 

- New episodes of existing programs may also be off the table, she said, pointing to longstanding series like “Daniel Tiger” (which is still in production) or “Arthur” (which has been officially dormant since 2022, but still releases [other content]([link removed])). 

- Funding cuts “may put into jeopardy the ability to do new episodes of those shows,” DeWitt said. Last year, PBS Kids launched a new show called “[Carl the Collector]([link removed])” — their first with a lead character on the autism spectrum. “If this had happened last year, these cuts would happen, we wouldn't be able to make a show like that,” she added.

- In other words, the looming funding cuts represent an existential crisis for PBS Kids. In May, Trump’s Education Department [canceled a grant]([link removed]) called Ready to Learn, which provided PBS and NPR with $23 million to create education shows and games. That was mindboggling, because the Trump administration awarded the same grant in 2020. PBS Kids even created new shows that aligned with the administration’s priority to prepare kids for the workforce, including “[Lila in the Loop]([link removed])” and “[Phoebe & Jay]([link removed]).”

“I find a lot of this really baffling,” DeWitt said. “This is different than anything we've ever faced before.”

WHAT A SPONSOR

 
[link removed]
 
Your Gut Deserves a Super PAC
 
Let’s be honest: democracy isn’t the only thing that needs protecting. So does your gut microbiome when you drink alcohol.
 
That’s where ZBiotics Pre-Alcohol Probiotic Drink comes in. It’s the first-ever genetically engineered probiotic, designed by actual scientists (not just some guy on Reddit) to help you feel better after drinking. When you drink, your body turns alcohol into acetaldehyde—a toxic byproduct that’s the real culprit behind those rough mornings. Pre-Alcohol is designed to break it down in your gut, before it ruins your next day.
 
With summer heating up, the drinks will be flowing — from backyard BBQs to beach sunsets to a few cocktails after a rough news cycle. So before you toast to democracy, take a ZBiotics Pre-Alcohol and wake up ready to canvass, protest, or just function like a human being.
 
Get 15% off your first order at [zbiotics.com/WAD]([link removed]) with code WAD at checkout.
 
And yes, ZBiotics is backed by a 100% money-back guarantee. No filibusters, no loopholes, no B.S.

 

 

[link removed]

WHAT ELSE?

[The Department of Justice and Trump allies]([link removed]) are asking states to hand over data on voters and to let them inspect voting equipment. The requests are highly unusual, and election officials worry that the Trump administration is building a national file of voters, and that it might try to create new rules that would limit voting access. 
 
[The Department of Homeland Security deported]([link removed]) five migrants to Cuba, Jamaica, Laos, Vietnam, Yemen, and the small African nation of Eswatini (formerly known as Swaziland). It’s the latest example of the administration sending migrants to places they have no connection to, known as third countries. 
 
[On that note, the Trump administration has fired]([link removed]) 17 immigration judges across 10 states within the past week, according to the union representing the judges. Sen. Dick Durbin (D-IL) alleged that one of the judges was fired for chatting with him when he visited the court a few weeks ago. 
 
[Twenty Palestinians were killed in the Gaza Strip]([link removed]) today, most of whom died in a stampede caused by people rushing to food distribution sites run by an Israeli-American organization, the group announced. Israeli strikes killed another 41 people, including 11 children, local officials said. 
 
[A bunch of Trump memecoins are set to be unlocked]([link removed]) tomorrow, allowing people to sell the cryptocurrency — which is expected to boost the president’s net worth by nearly $100 million. Remember: Memecoins have no intrinsic value, and simply rise or fall when people buy them… or don’t. For instance, Chinese crypto billionaire Justin Sun already [pledged to purchase]([link removed]) $100 million worth of the coins… which is the easiest way to curry favor with Trump.
 
[Gov. Gavin Newsom (D-CA) blasted Trump for calling]([link removed]) for Texas to [redraw its district lines]([link removed]) ahead of the midterms to help keep the GOP’s House majority. Newsom floated the idea of restricting in California if that happens, to help gain more Democratic seats: “We could change the constitution with the consent of the voters, and I think we would win that. I think people understand what's at stake in California,” Newsom told Pod Save America.
 
[Robert F. Kennedy Jr.]([link removed]), our nation’s top health official and biggest weirdo, has a new obsession: Pushing Canada to pardon 400 ostriches. Apparently they were exposed to bird flu, but RFK Jr. wants them to be spared in the name of science. “The Secretary has urged Canada not to kill the ostriches but to do further testing to try to better understand the virus,” an HHS spokesperson said. Dr. Oz even offered [to house them]([link removed]) at his Florida ranch.
 
[NYC Mayoral Candidate Zohran Mamdani privately]([link removed]) told the city’s business elite that he would discourage the use of the controversial phrase “globalize the Intifada” if elected, the Wall Street Journal reports. The mega-wealthy crowd was impressed by Mamdani’s rizz — but they’re still skeptical of his socialist positions: “It could have been a lot worse,” one attendee said. That’s promising… considering the other choices are a certified creep and a corrupt cop!

[Hunter Biden asserted that Democrats lost]([link removed]) the 2024 election because they didn’t stay “loyal” to his father. “We had the advantage of incumbency, we had the advantage of an incredibly successful administration, and the Democratic Party literally melted down,” Hunter told former DNC Chair Jaime Harrison in a podcast. Harrison’s view? Things could’ve gone differently if Democrats had the loyalty “Republicans have for Donald Trump.” Yeah… I dunno about this one, fellas!

MORE ACTION, LESS DISTRACTION
 

Vote Save America has launched a brand new pilot program to recruit candidates from Arizona, North Carolina, and Texas. We’re talking school board, city council, state legislature — races that shape our communities and build the bench for long-term Democratic power. Look, 2026 could be a turning point. But if no one’s running, we can’t win. That’s where you come in. It's the best, most effective way to get involved. And Vote Save America has great partners on the ground who have already identified the races that need candidates — and they’re here to connect you with the tools, training, and support to get started. This is how we flip states. This is how we fight back. Be the candidate your state needs. Run for office. Sign up at [votesaveamerica.com/run]([link removed]) to learn more.

Paid for by Vote Save America. You can learn more at [votesaveamerica.com]([link removed]). This ad has not been authorized by any candidate or candidate’s com.

 

[link removed]

[Rep. Hank Johnson (D-GA) showed off]([link removed]) his musical chops to draw attention to the Epstein files debacle embroiling MAGAworld. The resulting rendition of a Jason Isbell tune with lyrics about this political scandal is objectively unlistenable. But at least he’s self-aware about it: “I’m Congressman Hank Johnson, coming to give you some more ear candy, or perhaps an earache.”

[Cambodia is training giant rats to help specialists]([link removed]) detect landmines that pose a threat to the public. “While working with these rats, I have always found mines and they have never skipped a single one,” one rat handler said. Even though they can grow to be 18-inches-long and 3 pounds, they’re surprisingly cute. 

[Former NBA basketball star Derrick Rose]([link removed]) is trying to make chess cool. He recently faced off against grandmaster Magnus Carlsen and has been calling for his former colleagues to show their love for the game. “I’m trying to get them to yell about it and to put eyes on the game. I’m trying to see if I can really grow the game. I take a lot of chances. I’m always audacious. This is one of the moves.”

[A volcano in Iceland erupted near]([link removed]) the Blue Lagoon resort this morning, the 12th volcanic explosion in the area since 2021. Guests had to evacuate. But, on the plus side, it’s sooooooo pretty.

[An intricate mosaic depicting an erotic scene]([link removed]) that was looted from Pompeii by a Nazi during World War II was returned to the city this week. It was repatriated by the heir of the person who stole the mosaic, authorities said, which restores my faith in humanity (...a little bit).

[​]([link removed])  
[link removed]

[link removed]

[link removed] [link removed] [link removed] [link removed]
[Share this newsletter]([link removed])
No longer want to receive these emails? [Unsubscribe]([link removed]).
Crooked Media 4817 N 56th St Suite 45 Lincoln, Nebraska 68504