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#separationofpowers

22 posts5 participants0 posts today
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When #Trump said he was ordering the Corporation for Public Broadcasting not to fund #NPR or #PBS any longer, the corporation's chief exec said he had no ability to do so.

"#CPB is not a federal executive agency subject to the President's authority," CPB chief Patricia Harrison, a fmr #Republican National Cmte co-chair, said. "#Congress directly authorized & funded CPB to be a private nonprofit corporation wholly #independent of the #FederalGovernment."

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#Trump cited his *authority* as president under the #Constitution & federal laws in making the order & said that neither #NPR nor #PBS "presents a fair, accurate, or unbiased portrayal of current events to taxpaying citizens." In other public statements, Trump & his allies have called the public broadcasters "left-wing propaganda" & made similarly disparaging remarks.

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The differing profiles of the 3 stations joining in the suit capture the appeal & reach of the broader #PublicRadio system: the statewide #Colorado Public Radio, which is based in Denver; Aspen Public Radio which broadcasts throughout the Roaring Fork Valley; & KSUT, originally founded by the Southern #Ute Indian Tribe & now serving 4 federally recognized tribes in the #FourCorners region in #Arizona, Colorado, #NewMexico & #Utah.

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"The Order targets #NPR & #PBS expressly because, in the President's view, their news & other content is not 'fair, accurate, or unbiased.'"

The “wolf”line was drawn from a 1988 dissent by the late #SCOTUS Justice Antonin Scalia.

The suit says the admin is usurping #Congress' right to direct how federal money will be spent & to pass laws. It names #Trump, OMB dir #RussVought, Treasury Secy #ScottBessent & #MariaRosarioJackson, the chair of the #NEA, as defendants.

#NPR & #PublicRadio stations sue #Trump over funding ban

NPR & 3 #Colorado public radio stations filed suit Tues in federal court against the admin over the #ExecutiveOrder purportedly barring the use of Congressionally appropriated funds for #NPR & #PBS.

"It is not always obvious when the government has acted with a retaliatory purpose in violation of the #FirstAmendment. 'But this wolf comes as a wolf,'" states the #legal brief….

#law #Congress #SeparationOfPowers
npr.org/2025/05/27/nx-s1-54130

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"We are devastated & concerned that this ruling might lead to further adverse reactions from the administration," Patsy Widakuswara, the lead plaintiff & White House bureau chief for #VoiceOfAmerica tells NPR. "But our day in court is not over yet, & we are committed to fighting until we can return to our congressionally mandated right to broadcast factual, balanced, & comprehensive news."

#Trump#VOA#law
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In the meantime, however, #KariLake has plunged back into slashing the ranks of the workforce, w/hundreds of contract employees let go for a second time over the past weekend. The #VoiceOfAmerica website hasn't posted new stories in >2 months.

On Thurs, the full appellate court made clear it would not intervene, at least for now.

#Trump#VOA#law
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"Not only is there an absence of 'reasoned analysis' from the defendants; there is an absence of any analysis whatsoever," Lamberth wrote.

Earlier this month, by a 2-to-1 margin, an appeals court panel temporarily froze Lamberth's ruling, as it takes time to consider the full merits of the case. It has not yet issued a decision on the full case.

#Trump's plans to gut #VOA get boost from appeals court

A federal appeals court on Thurs dashed the hopes of #journalists & #FreePress advocacy groups seeking to stave off the near-total dismantlement of #VoiceOfAmerica by the Trump admin.

The admin, led by snr adviser [& crackpot] #KariLake, has iced almost the entire workforce.

#law #SeparationOfPowers #journalism #FirstAmendment #censorship #dictatorship #tyranny #AmericanAutocracy
npr.org/2025/05/22/nx-s1-54079

"…Trump will have crowned himself king. No Congress and no court could stop him. Even if a future Congress were to try to stop him, it could not do so without the power of the courts to enforce their hearings, investigations, subpoenas, and laws.

What can you do? To begin with, call your members of Congress and tell them not to pass Trump’s One Big Ugly Bill."

robertreich.substack.com/p/the

via @rbreich

Robert Reich · The hidden provision in the Big Ugly Bill that makes Trump kingBy Robert Reich

A federal judge in Massachusetts issued a preliminary injunction blocking President Trump and U.S. Education Secretary Linda McMahon from carrying out Trump's executive order calling for the secretary to close the Education Department.

houstonpublicmedia.org/article

Houston Public Media · Judge blocks Trump administration from closing the Education DepartmentBy CORY TURNER
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The #injunction was requested in a lawsuit filed by the Somerville & Easthampton school districts in Massachusetts & the American Federation of #Teachers, along w/other #education groups.

In their lawsuit, the groups said the #layoffs amounted to an #illegal shutdown of the Education Dept. They said it left DoE unable to carry out responsibilities required by #Congress, including duties to support #SpecialEducation, distribute #FinancialAid & enforce #CivilRights laws.

Judge blocks #Trump admin's #MassLayoffs at the #Education Dept

A federal judge on Thurs blocked Trump’s #ExecutiveOrder to shut down the Education Dept & ordered the agency to reinstate employees who were fired in mass layoffs.

US District Judge Myong Joun in Boston granted a preliminary #injunction stopping the Trump admin from carrying out 2 plans announced in March that sought to work toward Trump’s goal to dismantle the DoE.

#law #Congress #SeparationOfPowers
apnews.com/article/education-d

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Judge #Illston will nowdecide whether to extend her ruling pending the outcome of the case, which could take months or longer to resolve. If she does not extend her temporary restraining order, it will expire on Friday.

Last Friday, the #Trump admin asked #SCOTUS to pause Illston's temporary ruling, saying she improperly infringed on Trump's constitutional powers to control the #ExecutiveBranch [nope].