VERSE AND VOICE FROM SOJOURNERS 10NOV25

 

Forward this email to someone you know who would like it! Did someone forward this email to you? Sign up here to receive this newsletter in your inbox every weekday. Verse of the day God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble. - Psalm 46:1 Voice of the day Lord take my soul, but the struggle continues. - Ken Saro-Wiwa Prayer of the day God, let us affirm your constant presence in our lives and take courage, standing with the oppressed in defiance of fear. Advertisement Our Latest Stories The Noose Has Tightened in Palestine (by Kenji Kuramitsu) With a ceasefire in place, it’s tempting to ignore the broader issues that Palestinians still face: Namely, increased settler violence and the state of Israel annexing more land. Read more Who Deserves SNAP? Jesus Has a Parable for That (by Adam Russell Taylor) When we start asking who is worthy of care, we've already lost the plot. Let’s ask a deeper question: Why are so many people in need of food assistance in the first place? Read more What Jesus Teaches About Those Who Let Kids Go Hungry (by Yanan Rahim Navarez Melo) 16 million of the 42 million people who rely on SNAP are children. Jesus reminds us that unlike empires that starve children, the kingdom of God liberates them. Read more Far-Right Christians Put Europe’s Online Speech Laws to the Test (by Ken Chitwood) The Christian legal group that targeted Roe in the U.S. is supporting anti-LGBTQ speech in Europe, with signals the strategy could be used stateside soon. Read more Advertisements Tell FEMA: Restore Full Staff and Disaster Relief Now When floods hit Wisconsin and Alaska this year, FEMA delayed. Families lost everything. We can’t wait for the next storm to prove the point — FEMA must be rebuilt now. Add your name to demand action before the next disaster hits. Shop for New Books with Bookshop Looking for your next great read? Check out Sojourners' Bookshop page for curated selections of books on social justice and living your faith. When you buy through our Bookshop link, part of the proceeds support Sojourners and independent bookstores throughout the country. Donate Subscribe Copyright © 2025 Sojourners. All rights reserved. Email: sojourners@sojo.net | Tel.: 202.328.8842

Protect NOAA and FEMA from Trump's Dangerous Budget Cuts 20SEP25

 

THOUGH America is headed for a government shutdown due to the irresponsible budget demands of the fascist heritage foundation's project 2025 on the NOT MY pres drumpf / trump, NOT MY vp vance, their cabinet and the almost total submission to them of the gop / greed over people-republican party it is still important that WE THE PEOPLE make our needs and expectations known by e mailing our elected officials. Please participate in this campaign for full funding for NOAA and FEMA from the Union of Concerned Scientist and be sure to personalize your letter if you can ( I did ). Before sending my letter through the link provided I copied and pasted it to e mails from me to my representative and senators ( see at the end of this post ). By the by, want to have more impact? Make your letter personal. More than 50 percent of Congress members report that form emails into their offices have some or a lot of influence over their position on an issue. But 92 percent report that individualized email letters have some or a lot of influence! Take action before disaster strikes, then it is too late.....

Protect NOAA and FEMA from Trump's Dangerous Budget Cuts Act Now

Climate change is fueling more frequent and destructive weather disasters, from hurricanes and wildfires to floods and droughts. At the same time, critical federal agencies such as the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) and the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA)—responsible for weather forecasting, emergency preparedness, and disaster response—are facing dangerous budget cuts from the Trump administration. Tell Congress to prioritize science and public safety: protect NOAA and FEMA. The recent unimaginably terrible flash flood in Texas, with so many lives lost, is absolutely heartbreaking. Rescue and recovery efforts are still underway. We know that climate change is making these kinds of disasters more likely, underscoring the critical importance of NOAA and FEMA's life-saving work to protect communities across the nation. NOAA is the nation's premier agency for science-based weather forecasting and climate science research and FEMA is the nation's leading federal coordinating body for disaster response and recovery. Yet right now, NOAA faces annihilating budget cuts and FEMA's resilience, mitigation, and community development grants are being reduced or completely eliminated in the upcoming federal appropriations process—just as the risks from climate change and extreme weather are growing more severe. Tell your member of Congress: reject any proposal that weakens NOAA and FEMA. Science, public safety, and climate resilience must be non-negotiable priorities. TAKE ACTION   Receive opportunities to defend science from UCS on your cell phone: Text SCIENCE to 67369   About UCS | Contact UCS   © Union of Concerned Scientists is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization 2 Brattle Square, Cambridge, MA 02138 (617) 547-5552 MY E MAIL TO REP SUBRAMANYAM D-VA 10TH DISTRICT, SEN WARNER D-VA AND SEN KAINE D-VA As your constituent, I urge you to oppose any budget proposal that cuts funding to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) or the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) or tries to dismantle or hinder the work of these agencies. NOAA provides essential weather and climate data, supports coastal communities, and helps our country prepare for extreme weather and long-term climate risks. FEMA ensures that our communities are equipped to respond to and recover from disasters. These agencies are vital for public safety, infrastructure resilience, and science-based decision making. Cutting their funding would be shortsighted and dangerous—putting more communities in harm’s way and undermining the science that guides life-saving policies. We are now in our 9th month of harmful, regressive and destructive policies and actions of the drumpf / trump-vance administration and the heritage foundation's project 2025. It is time to stand up to them and deny their plans for the degradation and destruction of our democratic Republic. I expect you to find the moral courage to make it so.

PBS CEO weighs in on the potential impact of cutting public media funding & Congress to vote NEXT WEEK on defunding PBS and public radio 29&30APR25

 

THE greed of the drumpf / trump-vance-musk administration overwhelmingly supported by the gop / greed over people-republican party controlling the U.S. House continues to astound as well as dismay and disgust. Their latest target in order to maintain the rich peoples tax cuts is not only cutting or eliminating funding for the CPB / Corporation for Public Broadcasting, PBS / Public Broadcasting System and NPR / National Public Radio. They are also attempting to claw back $1.1 billion in past funding. They are focused on eliminating an agency that cost each American $1.60 A YEAR! Please watch this PBS NewsHour report on the issue, then check out the call to action by Demand Progress and take the time to e mail your representative and senators telling them they can not allow the CPB, PBS and NPR to be eliminated to maintain the drumpf / trump tax cuts for billionaires and mega millionaires. Taking action is critical. For those who want to participate in e mailing congress but are not sure what to say I will post my e mails here so anyone can use them for ideas or copy and past them in their own e mails ( Be sure to change the representative's and senator's names as necessary. ) Please share this with family, friends and coworkers. We can and must win this battle!

MY E MAIL TO REP SUHAS SUBRAMANYAM D-VA 10TH DISTRICT

The CPB, PBS and NPR are targeted by the drumpf / trump-vance-musk administration along with the heritage foundation controlled gop / greed over people-republican party for debilitating budget cuts with the ultimate goal of their total elimination. You can not allow this to happen and must take whatever action permitted under House rules to deny the diversion of any of this funding to maintain drumpf's / trump's rich people's tax cuts. The CPB, PBS and NPR budgets must be fully funded. Please work with your colleagues in the Virginia delegation to the U.S. House as well as Virginia Senators Warner and Kaine to fully fund, maintain and protect the CPB, PBS and NPR. Thank you.

MY E MAIL TO SEN WARNER D-VA

The CPB, PBS and NPR are targeted by the drumpf / trump-vance-musk administration along with the heritage foundation controlled gop / greed over people-republican party for debilitating budget cuts with the ultimate goal of their total elimination. You can not allow this to happen and must take whatever action permitted under Senate rules to deny the diversion of any of this funding to maintain drumpf's / trump's rich people's tax cuts. The CPB, PBS and NPR budgets must be fully funded. Please work with Sen Kaine as well as Rep Suhas Subramanyam D VA 10th district  and the rest of Virginia's U.S. House delegation to fully fund, maintain and protect the CPB, PBS and NPR. Thank you.

MY E MAIL TO SEN KAINE D-VA

The CPB, PBS and NPR are targeted by the drumpf / trump-vance-musk administration along with the heritage foundation controlled gop / greed over people-republican party for debilitating budget cuts with the ultimate goal of their total elimination. You can not allow this to happen and must take whatever action permitted under Senate rules to deny the diversion of any of this funding to maintain drumpf's / trump's rich people's tax cuts. The CPB, PBS and NPR budgets must be fully funded. Please work with Sen Warner as well as Rep Suhas Subramanyam D VA 10th district  and the rest of Virginia's U.S. House delegation to fully fund, maintain and protect the CPB, PBS and NPR. Thank you.

( THE VIDEO TRANSCRIPT IS AT THE END OF THIS POST)

PBS CEO weighs in on the potential impact of cutting public media funding

The Trump administration is expected to ask Congress to rescind more than $1 billion of funding from the Corporation for Public Broadcasting, the congressionally-created body through which NPR and PBS get federal funding, including for this program. The CPB is also suing the administration saying it illegally fired three members of the board. Amna Nawaz discussed more with PBS CEO Paula Kerger. Watch PBS News for daily, breaking and live news, plus special coverage. We are home to PBS News Hour, ranked the most credible and objective TV news show.   Stream your PBS favorites with the PBS app: https://to.pbs.org/2Jb8twG Find more from PBS NewsHour at https://www.pbs.org/newshour Subscribe to our YouTube channel: https://bit.ly/2HfsCD6   Follow us: TikTok:   / pbsnews   X (formerly Twitter):   / newshour   Instagram:   / newshour   Facebook: http://www.pbs.org/newshour   Subscribe: PBS NewsHour podcasts: https://www.pbs.org/newshour/podcasts Newsletters: https://www.pbs.org/newshour/subscribe

Congress to vote NEXT WEEK on defunding PBS and public radio

Donald Trump is pushing to completely eliminate all federal funding for PBS and public radio — and the House of Representatives is expected to vote next week on a draconian measure that would force them to give back $1.1 billion in past funding.¹

This is not a drill. This would be a crushing blow to PBS and public radio stations around the country.

Demand Progress has mobilized tens of thousands of people to contact Congress and help stop the defunding of public broadcasting. With this critical vote fast approaching, we need to turn up the pressure.

The Corporation for Public Broadcasting (CPB) represents a tiny fraction of the federal budget, but it is an essential source of funding for more than 1,500 local public television and radio stations around the country. Over 70% of the CPB's funding is passed through to locally owned public radio and television stations.²

That funding has made it possible for generations of kids to benefit from educational programming like Sesame Street and Mister Rogers' Neighborhood. In addition, public broadcasting is a vital source of reliable news and information, especially in rural areas where local newspapers have disappeared.

That's why a majority of the American people support funding public broadcasting by a nearly 20 point margin.³

Yet Donald Trump has relentlessly attacked public broadcasting for years, calling it a "total scam" and a "liberal disinformation machine."⁴ In fact, news broke yesterday that he fired three of the five members of the Corporation for Public Broadcasting's board as part of his escalating attacks.

Trump's attempts to defund public broadcasting were stopped in his first term, and we're fighting even harder to stop him this time around.

Sources:
1. Punchbowl News, "House Republican leaders eye rescissions vote in early May," April 21, 2025.
2. WHYY, "‘Essential’ or ‘propaganda’: Pa. lawmakers differ on support for Trump’s call to eliminate funding of NPR and PBS," April 25, 2025.
3. Pew Research Center, "Americans more likely to support than oppose continuing federal funding for NPR and PBS," March 26, 2025.
4. Newsweek, "Donald Trump Demands NPR Lose Funding," April 10, 2025. 

Transcript

0:00

AMNA NAWAZ: The Trump administration is expected  to ask Congress to rescind more than a billion  

0:04

dollars of funding from the Corporation for Public  Broadcasting, or CPB. That's the congressionally  

0:10

created body through which NPR and PBS get  federal funding, including for this program.

0:16

What's more, CPB sued the Trump  administration in federal court today,  

0:20

saying the administration illegally fired  three of its board members. Those members,  

0:25

all nominated to their current terms  by President Biden, were terminated  

0:28

in an e-mail on Monday. The administration  did not provide a reason for the firings.

0:33

But CPB said in a statement today that it's  -- quote -- "not a government entity and its  

0:38

board members are not government officers  subject to the president's authority."

0:43

I spoke earlier with Paula Kerger, the CEO of PBS.

0:47

Paula Kerger, welcome back to the  "News Hour." Thank you for being here.

0:50

PAULA KERGER, CEO, Public Broadcasting  Service: Oh, thank you for having me.  

0:51

I always enjoy spending time with you.

0:53

AMNA NAWAZ: So there has been some  reporting I'm sure you have seen.  

0:55

The administration made delay sending  that request to rescind those funds to  

0:59

Congress while lawmakers are focused  on the budget reconciliation process.

1:04

What is your sense of the effort to rescind  those funds? Is it a done deal at this point?

1:10

PAULA KERGER: Well, I mean, we're trying  to understand exactly what's happening,  

1:13

and it seems to be very much a moving target

1:15

Over the last few weeks, we have heard  that a rescission package may be imminent,  

1:20

and then it hasn't come forward. But this is  probably the most difficult and serious threat  

1:29

in the time that I have been in public  broadcasting. This idea that funds that  

1:32

had already been put aside for public  broadcasting would be taken away really  

1:37

has tremendous implications to our stations,  because that's actually where the resources go.

1:43

Most of the money actually does not go  to PBS or any national organization.  

1:48

It goes directly to our stations to  help them support their operations.

1:51

AMNA NAWAZ: So, as you and your team go, I know  you're meeting with lawmakers, speaking to them to  

1:55

make the case. What is the argument you're laying  out to them and what are you hearing in response?

1:59

PAULA KERGER: Yes. Well, I think the most important thing is that -- from our perspective is to make  

2:04

sure that legislators, as they're thinking  about very difficult decisions about how  

2:08

to deal with our country's budget,  understand where these dollars go.

2:13

It amounts to about $1.60 per person a year,  just to put it into context. And the money  

2:19

goes directly to fund the operations  of our stations across the country.  

2:24

When the Public Broadcasting Act  was signed back in the late '60s,  

2:27

it was envisioned that public broadcasting  would be a public-private partnership.

2:32

This is different than many other  public broadcasters around the world,  

2:35

which are largely state-supported. We  are not. About 15 percent in aggregate  

2:41

numbers -- that's 1-5 percent -- of the  budget for public broadcasting comes from  

2:46

the federal government. The rest of it comes  from contributed money from viewers like you.

2:51

But the idea behind this public-private  partnership is that there are many stations  

2:56

in communities that, without the federal  support, the stations would not exist. I  

3:00

have been to really extraordinary stations  in small parts of the country in places like  

3:05

Granite Falls and in Cookeville, Tennessee,  where you just see that the public media  

3:10

stations are such an important part  of the fabric of those communities.

3:13

This is where people come together.  This is where politicians come in  

3:18

for town halls and for debates. This is  really a resource that the communities  

3:23

treasure and would not exist were  there not federal dollars to help.

3:27

AMNA NAWAZ: You mentioned that you see this as  a very serious effort in terms of the funds.

3:31

We should note there's been Republicans who  have long sought to cut funding for public  

3:35

media. So is there something different  about this effort this time around?

3:40

PAULA KERGER: Yes. I mean, here's the irony. I mean, we have always received bipartisan  

3:43

support. If you go back over the years,  some of our biggest champions have been  

3:49

from both sides of the aisle. I think  this feels a little different because  

3:53

the country feels a little different. I  think the debates around our priorities  

3:56

in terms of what we fund have been different  conversations than we have had in the past.

4:02

For us, as I look at this as -- and for  many of our stations for whom this would  

4:07

be an existential crisis, I think it's  very important that we make sure that,  

4:12

as those final decisions are made, the  legislators understand the consequence of it,  

4:17

because the problem is, once these stations  are gone, they're gone. It's not that, well,  

4:22

maybe in a year we will bring them  back or so forth once they're gone.

4:25

And you have to understand that in public  broadcasting, we do a lot of work that people  

4:30

see. We also do a lot of work that people do not  see. And one example is, our public broadcasting  

4:37

system really provides a lot of public service  in terms of the use of the technology. So we use  

4:44

our broadcast as the emergency backup  for emergency alerts for the country.

4:48

And you need 100 percent  coverage to make that happen.  

4:51

So there are a lot of arguments that  we make around the importance of it.  

4:55

But I think the most is that this is really  critical funding put in places that need it.

5:01

AMNA NAWAZ: There's also a couple of arguments we  have heard from the administration as they look  

5:04

to cut those funds. They argue that, by covering  issues like race in America and gender issues,  

5:09

that public media is broadly engaging in  what they call cultural indoctrination.

5:15

They also cite, among other things, the  former NPR editor Uri Berliner's accusations  

5:19

that he said his network pushed progressive  viewpoints. That was at NPR, which is not PBS,  

5:25

to be clear. But do you worry about that?  And what's your response to that accusation?

5:29

PAULA KERGER: Well, I think we work very  hard, and I'm proud of this broadcast of  

5:36

its focus on bringing the most  important stories forward.

5:39

I think that, when you look at news, it's  important that we are here to be covering the  

5:46

important stories, whether they're international  or national or local, and that's the work that  

5:50

our stations do. You also have to remember  that it's like 10 percent of the work that we  

5:54

do is news. The rest of it is programming  around science and history and so forth.

6:01

A big part of what we do is  for kids. We do eight hours  

6:04

of kids programming a day on most of our stations.

6:06

And when you consider the fact that 50  percent of children in this country do  

6:10

not attend formal pre-K, 50 percent, and the  whole goal when "Sesame Street" was created,  

6:17

when Mister Rogers' first began looking  into a camera and telling children that  

6:21

they are perfect just the way they  are, that was really the beginning  

6:26

of an effort to try to make sure that kids  that do not have access to a wide range of  

6:31

resources and possibilities would have that  through their public television stations.

6:37

And that's what we do. We're parents'  first partners. We're deeply involved  

6:41

in providing content for classrooms.  And we are there with a wide array  

6:46

of programming. That's what is  the role of public broadcasting.

6:50

AMNA NAWAZ: I know you have seen some of the  latest Pew Research data as well in terms of  

6:53

how Americans are looking at this. There are  some 43 percent of Americans who say that NPR  

6:59

and PBS should continue to receive federal  funding. They want to see that continue.  

7:03

Some 24 percent say Congress should remove that  funding; 33 percent say that they're not sure.

7:09

So that means about 57 percent of Americans  are either not sure or don't want to see  

7:14

federal funds continue for public  media. What does that say to you?

7:18

PAULA KERGER: Well, that's one survey. I mean,  we have done a series of surveys recently  

7:23

that show that 65 percent of Trump voters  support funding for public broadcasting.

7:28

I think that, again, as I travel around and  meet people in communities that are part of the  

7:36

fabric of the communities that we do  serve, they tell us that what you do  

7:41

is tremendously important, and they  especially love their local stations.  

7:44

They treasure what they do, and  they want to see them continue.

7:47

So I think you talked a few minutes ago  about the conversations we have on the  

7:52

Hill. I actually don't spend a lot of time on  the Hill. The people that do are those that  

7:57

are viewers of their local stations.  Those are the voices that I think  

8:01

legislators want to hear. They want  to hear from their constituents.

8:04

They want to know that, as they are  wrestling with what to fund or not fund,  

8:08

that this is something of value. And so,  as we look forward over the next weeks,  

8:14

I know that many have called and said, what can  we do? I said, well, if you have an opinion,  

8:18

let your legislator know how you feel  about support of your local stations.

8:23

AMNA NAWAZ: Paula Kerger, CEO of PBS, thank you  so much for being here. Really appreciate it.

8:28

PAULA KERGER: Thank you for having me with you.