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3w ago

Sesame Workshop Disavows Viral Fake Elmo Post as Public Media Funding Cuts Face Legal Pushback

A fake LinkedIn post claiming Elmo was laid off due to Trump administration budget cuts has been removed, while PBS and CPB challenge the legality of defunding public broadcasting.

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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.