Overview
- A fake LinkedIn post falsely claimed Elmo was laid off after the Trump administration's executive order to defund public media, including NPR and PBS.
- Sesame Workshop confirmed the post was unauthorized and removed by LinkedIn, emphasizing their commitment to public media partnerships and educational programming.
- The Trump administration terminated the Ready To Learn grant, a $23 million annual program supporting PBS Kids and early childhood education initiatives.
- PBS and the Corporation for Public Broadcasting have launched legal challenges, arguing the executive order unlawfully undermines Congress's authority to fund public broadcasting.
- Educational and media stakeholders warn the cuts threaten access to vital programming for underserved communities and have vowed to fight the funding rollback.