MOTHER JONES DAILY: Joe Kent’s Resignation Is Tearing MAGA Apart, 10 Worst Crises You Won’t See in Headlines (But Should), Trump wants $200 billion for bombs. Here's what that could buy instead., Workers in Colorado have shut down one of the nation’s biggest meatpacking plants, A clarinetist, a high school student, and some climate deniers write a science paper, Mr. Rogers and the fight for public media 20MAR26

 

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March 20, 2026 $200 billion. That's what Pete Hegseth is asking for in additional Pentagon funding to continue its devastating war in Iran. As Hegseth so elegantly told reporters this week, "It takes money to kill bad guys." If the Trump administration weren't so hellbent on "death and destruction," what else could that money pay for? My colleagues and I ran the numbers, and boy, it turns out $200 billion can do a whole lot. Here's a sample: 2.8 million public school teacher salaries 2,857 luxury 737 jets, bedroom included 378 years of federal public broadcasting funding 500 more White House ballrooms 1,779,628 Washington Post salaries And plenty more. Take a maddening look here. —Inae Oh P.S. Today is the final day of our $50,000 fundraising match. As a reader, you’re part of the Mother Jones community fighting for the truth. And our investigations are fueled by reader donations. Make a donation of any amount today to support fearless, unwavering reporting—and see your gift doubled for twice the impact.

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Joe Kent’s Resignation Is Tearing MAGA Apart The former Green Beret's criticism of the Iran war is fueling a broader crack-up among Trump's base. BY NOAH LANARD

SPONSORED POST 10 Worst Crises You Won’t See in Headlines (But Should) CARE’s annual Crisis Report notes countries the media isn’t covering. THIS CONTENT WAS PAID FOR AND SPONSORED BY CARE.ORG.

Trump wants $200 billion for bombs. Here's what that could buy instead. BY TIM MURPHY, INAE OH, AND KATIE HERCHENROEDER Workers in Colorado have shut down one of the nation’s biggest meatpacking plants BY TED GENOWAYS A clarinetist, a high school student, and some climate deniers write a science paper BY JESSICA MCKENZIE

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Mr. Rogers and the fight for public media Take a trip to Mr. Rogers’ real-life neighborhood in this special episode that celebrates the life and work of public media’s most famous defender. BY REVEAL

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THE PRESS IS THE ENEMY OF THE PEOPLE

STAND UP FOR PUBLIC MEDIA; CONGRESS VS, NPR 11JAN11

NPR (NATIONAL PUBLIC RADIO) AND CPB (CORPORATION FOR PUBLIC BROADCASTING) are the Voice of America for and to the American people. If we allow Congress to eliminate their funding because some don't agree with their programming (and I don't always agree with it) we will all suffer from the ensuing darkness.....click the header or links to sign the petition to protect NPR and CPB funding.......

Take Action Now New Congress. Same old politics. Last week, Rep. Doug Lamborn (R-Colo.) introduced legislation that would slash all funding for NPR and the Corporation for Public Broadcasting. Other politicians are now mounting similar attacks against the news, arts and educational programming on which millions of Americans rely. Given the new Congress, this legislation could gain traction. So we're firing up a long-term strategy to protect public media. Your action today is the first step. Tell Congress: Don't Take Public Media from the Public It’s disgraceful when leaders of the "People’s House" attempt to silence what the public says, in poll after poll, are their most trusted sources of news. Whether you rely on public media for Morning Edition or for Sesame Street, tell Congress that you're outraged by these cynical political attacks. We have a plan to beat back this effort to silence public media, starting today. First, we need you to join this mass action. Next, we need you to spread the word via Facebook, Twitter and e-mail. After signing your letter to Congress, we’ll take you to a page to help you contact friends and colleagues. Next week, we’ll launch an online call-in campaign to get every member of Congress on the record regarding his or her support of public broadcasting.     By joining this push, you're putting all 535 members of Congress on notice: They can't play politics with public media. Take Action: Protect Public Media Today We're not just playing defense. Free Press is leading a national campaign to build a world-class public media system capable of providing what commercial media outlets don't: hard-hitting, fearless journalism; and exceptional arts and educational programs. Please take action now. Thank you, Josh Stearns   Associate Program Director   Free Press Action Fund www.freepress.net P.S. The United States has one of the lowest-funded public media systems in the developed world. The federal government allocates a paltry $1.43 per person each year to maintain the system, compared to more than 70 times that amount in Finland and nearly 80 times that amount in Denmark.

Free Press Action Fund is a national, nonpartisan organization working to reform the media. Learn more at www.freepress.net