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NPR, PBS defend work as Republicans consider cuts | National

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www.thecentersquare.com – Casey Harper – (The Center Square – ) 2025-03-26 11:15:00

(The Center Square) – The U.S. House Delivering on Government Efficiency (DOGE) subcommittee held a hearing Wednesday where leaders from National Public Radio and Public Broadcasting Service defended their work, which is partially federally funded.

The hearing comes as the Department of Government Efficiency has hacked away at various parts of the federal government and criticism of the left-leaning national coverage from PBS and NPR, as well as some of its transgenderism coverage, has drawn criticism.

DOGE Subcommittee Chair Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene, R-Ga., argued at the hearing that abundance of news offered by the internet has made federal support for radio and television obsolete.

“I know this because I represent a rural district where farmers listen to podcasts and internet based news while they drive their tractors,” Greene said in her opening remarks. “At the same time, NPR and PBS have increasingly become radical, left-wing echo chambers for a narrow audience of mostly wealthy, white, urban liberals and progressives who generally look down on and judge rural America.

“PBS news is not just left-leaning, but it actively uses taxpayer funds to push some of the most radical left positions like featuring a drag queen on the show ‘Let’s Learn,’ a show targeted at young children ages 3 to 8 years old,” she added.

During that episode, a drag queen read a children’s’ book titled, “The hips on the drag queen go ‘swish, swish, swish.‘ “

Greene’s opening statement summed up the ongoing criticism of both NPR and PBS.

PBS’s Frontline documentary in 2015 “Growing up trans” also came up at the hearing.

Greene also pointed out PBS’ negative coverage of Elon Musk and NPR’s tracking of the race of its sources in its coverage.

“In fact, when Elon Musk put his hand over his heart, extended it, and told the American people his heart goes out to them, PBS News posted the clip, called it a fascist Nazi salute, and described how it was similar to the same ‘Heil’ used by Nazis at their victory rallies,” Greene said.

Greene pointed heavily to an editorial from Uri Berliner, a long-time senior editor at NPR, who wrote an opinion piece in 2024 criticizing NPR. Berliner said he noticed a decline in NPR’s quality and began looking into the matter.

Berliner pointed to aggressively anti-Trump coverage as well as nearly entirely Democratic leadership in the D.C. office of the organization.

“In D.C., where NPR is headquartered and many of us live, I found 87 registered Democrats working in editorial positions and zero Republicans. None.” Berliner wrote.

“So on May 3, 2021, I presented the findings at an all-hands editorial staff meeting,” he continued. “When I suggested we had a diversity problem with a score of 87 Democrats and zero Republicans, the response wasn’t hostile. It was worse. It was met with profound indifference.”

Katherine Maher, chief executive officer and president of NPR, and Paula Kerger, chief executive officer and president of PBS, testified at the hearing.

Maher said she understands the skepticism and that internally the problem is being taken seriously but said NPR should still receive funding because it has Americans’ trust.

NPR boasts 100 million monthly listeners across 1,300 radio stations.

Kerger said PBS reaches 130 million each year via television and 32 million online. She also pointed to Americans’ trust and said smaller stations would be hurt by a loss of funding.

“Public radio is an essential resource for elected officials to speak to their constituents in an era in which nearly all local newspapers have shuttered their Washington bureaus,” she argued in her written testimony.

Democrats on the committee defended NPR and PBS and touted the benefits of public broadcasting, which gives opportunities for programming that wouldn’t make it on private broadcasting. They also took the opportunity to take a range of shots at the Trump administration, from attacking Musk to the latest leak of Houthi strike plans via a Signal group chat.

“The vast majority of the $121 million annual federal appropriation allocated for radio –more than $100 million – goes directly to 386 local noncommercial radio grantees across the nation,” Maher said in her prepared testimony. “This investment enables your local station to raise an average of $7 for every one federal dollar. In places that serve more rural, distributed or lower income communities, that dollar goes even further – public radio is very often the only news service in places where market economics does not support the expense of local news. The entire federal investment in public media averages about $1.60 per person per year.”

PBS said the group and its affiliates receive about $500 million a year from Congress.

“Over seventy percent of CPB’s federal appropriation dollars go directly to support local TV and radio stations,” Kerger said. “Member stations leverage each $1 of federal funding to raise nearly $7 from other sources – a tremendous return on the vital taxpayer investment. The vast majority of public media’s funding comes from individual donors who make contributions directly to their own local member station.”

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The Center Square

Section 8 covers Colorado rents up to $3,879 per month, ‘lap of luxury’ | Colorado

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www.thecentersquare.com – Kenneth Schrupp – (The Center Square – ) 2025-09-03 06:00:00


Taxpayers in Colorado are funding Section 8 housing vouchers covering rents up to $3,879 monthly, prompting concerns over long-term dependency. The average duration in the program has risen to 15.1 years, with some families receiving assistance for multiple generations. HUD Secretary Scott Turner supports time limits paired with workforce training to encourage self-sufficiency. Critics argue current policies enable recipients to choose expensive homes since out-of-pocket costs are fixed at 30% of income, regardless of rent price, leading to taxpayer burdens. Advocates call for rational time limits and data-driven reforms to prevent intergenerational reliance and promote financial responsibility.

(The Center Square) – Taxpayers are covering rents of up to $3,879 per month in Colorado, leading taxpayer advocates to question the growing duration of federal Section 8 housing choice voucher (HCV) usage.

“Section 8 needs to focus on lifting people out of the trap of poverty, not putting them into the lap of luxury,” said National Taxpayers Union president Pete Sepp in an interview with The Center Square. “It’s unfair to ask taxpayers who can’t afford mortgages or rents of nearly $4,000 per month to foot the bill for subsidies amounting to that much.”

HCV recipients remain in the program for an average of 15.1 years – that’s up from an average of 12.4 years in 2000, according to a 2024 federal report.

When asked about a 2026 budget proposal from the Trump administration that would limit Section 8 assistance to two years, U.S. Housing and Urban Development Secretary Scott Turner recounted his meeting with a recipient whose family had been housed by the program for multiple generations.

“She’s 52 years old, she’s been living there since 1973. She’s able-bodied, able-minded. She was raised there. She lived there. Now she’s raising her children there,” Turner said in a video his office posted to X on August 25, recounting a meeting with a multi-generational federal housing recipient. “That’s three generations living on government subsidies that are able bodied, able minded.”

“Time limits are kind of an encouragement, like ‘hey, you can do this,’” Turner said. “We’re not just telling you to work, we’re going to have workforce training around you, we’re going to have skill training around you to get out of government subsidies, to live a life of self-sustainability.”

While the NYU Furman Center warns the change could push 1.1 million households out of the program, taxpayer advocates say some kind of time limits are necessary to prevent long-term – let alone intergenerational – dependency on the program. 

“Congressional overseers are right to ask a question about whether there needs to be a rational time limit,” Sepp said. “It may not be two years, but it can’t be two or three generations.”

The federally funded Section 8 housing assistance program covers up to 110% of 40th percentile rents in the local area, with recipients’ out-of-pocket costs capped at 30% their aggregate gross income (with an additional 10% if the rental includes utilities). The income can include taxpayer-funded welfare payments. 

Once admitted to Section 8, a household may use their vouchers for the program anywhere in the country, with the goal of providing recipients with “greater ability to move into ‘Opportunity Neighborhoods’ with jobs, public transportation, and good schools.”

There are now 4.6 million housing units funded by the United States Department of Housing and Urban Development, including 2.4 million housing units  in the HCV program, which houses 5.3 million Americans.

In Colorado, the HCV program covers rents up to $3,879 per month for four-bedroom homes in the Colorado Springs ZIP codes of 80118, 80914, 80924, and 80927. 

Of the 43 available four or more bedroom homes listed for rent in these ZIP codes, all but three were below the $3,879 limit. 

In 80924, which includes Wolf Ranch, there are 28 homes with four or more bedrooms for rent, ranging from $2,099 per month to $4,250 per month, all but three of which are below the $3,879 per month limit. The median rent is $3,250 per month. One $3,250 example is a five bedroom, four bathroom, 3,790 square foot home including a home theater, bar, a large fenced-in yard, and three-car garage.

If a family with the average HCV household income — estimated by HUD to be $18,558 per year, or $1,546.5 per month, including other welfare payments — were to rent this home, the household’s out of pocket cost for the home is $463.95 per month. This would leave taxpayers on the hook for the other $2,786.05 per month in perpetuity, or until the admitted individual exits or is removed from the program. 

According to Sepp, keeping out-of-pocket costs fixed, while allowing for portability encourages households to seek out the most expensive home they can secure, instead of trying to save taxpayers money by choosing a home they could more easily afford on their own some day. 

“By fixing the out of pocket exposure, the program is defeating one of its own purposes of encouraging responsibility in housing — if you’re going to pay the same amount of money, why bother with getting somewhere that costs less?” continued Sepp. 

Should a household start to make more money than the area’s maximum Section 8 income limit — which for a five-member household in Colorado Springs is $60,750 per year — the family would be forced off the program. At $60,750 per year, a household that does not want to be rent-burdened — and thus spend no more 30% of its income on rent — could only afford rent of $1518.75 per month. That is significantly less than the up to $3,879 of taxpayer-funded value provided by Section 8. 

As a result, earning more money could cost Section 8 recipients their housing. To not be rent-burdened while paying $3,250 per month on rent, a household would need to make $130,000 per year, or more than double the income threshold at which a family would be removed from Section 8. 

“It makes no sense,” continued Sepp. “There has to be a comprehensive, data-driven adjustment to all of these benefits.”

HUD did not respond to requests for comment.

The post Section 8 covers Colorado rents up to $3,879 per month, ‘lap of luxury’ | Colorado appeared first on www.thecentersquare.com



Note: The following A.I. based commentary is not part of the original article, reproduced above, but is offered in the hopes that it will promote greater media literacy and critical thinking, by making any potential bias more visible to the reader –Staff Editor.

Political Bias Rating: Center-Right

The article primarily reports on the Section 8 housing voucher program and includes critical perspectives from taxpayer advocates and a HUD official aligned with the Trump administration. The tone and framing emphasize concerns about long-term dependency on government assistance, taxpayer burden, and the need for time limits on benefits. Language such as “trap of poverty,” “lap of luxury,” and highlighting high rental costs funded by taxpayers suggests a skeptical view of current welfare policies. While it presents factual data and quotes from multiple sources, the selection and emphasis of viewpoints lean toward a fiscally conservative critique of government housing assistance programs rather than a neutral or left-leaning perspective. This indicates a center-right ideological stance rather than purely neutral reporting.

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The Center Square

Extended Secret Service protection canceled for Kamala Harris | National

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www.thecentersquare.com – Sarah Roderick-Fitch – (The Center Square – ) 2025-08-29 10:05:00


More than seven months after leaving office, former Vice President Kamala Harris is losing her taxpayer-funded Secret Service protection. Typically, former vice presidents receive six months of protection under the 2008 Former Vice President Protection Act, but Joe Biden extended Harris’s detail to 18 months before leaving office. This revocation coincides with Harris’s upcoming book tour promoting her memoir, “107 Days,” about her brief presidential campaign. After rumors of a California governor run, Harris announced she will not run, choosing instead to focus on public service and supporting Democratic candidates nationwide. She plans to share more about her future in the coming months.

(The Center Square) – More than seven months after leaving office, President Donald Trump is revoking former Vice President Kamala Harris’s Secret Service protection detail at the taxpayers’ expense, according to multiple reports.

Former vice presidents are entitled to six months of taxpayer-funded Secret Service protection upon leaving office, according to the 2008 Former Vice President Protection Act. Former President Joe Biden extended Harris’ detail to last 18 months prior to leaving office.

Former Vice President Dick Cheney requested a six-month Secret Service protection from then-President Barack Obama, who granted the request.

The latest news of Harris’s taxpayer-funded protection revocation comes as the former vice president is about to embark on a book tour, set to visit 15 cities nationwide promoting her memoir, “107 Days,” chronicling her ill-fated, short-lived presidential campaign.

After losing her presidential bid to Trump in November, rumors swirled about her possible bid for governor of California.

In July, Harris quashed the possible candidacy, saying she was focusing on “public service.”

“But after deep reflection, I’ve decided that I will not run for governor in this election,” Harris, 60, said in her statement on X. “For now, my leadership – and public service – will not be in elected office.”

“I look forward to getting back out and listening to the American people, helping elect Democrats across the nation who will fight fearlessly and sharing more details in the months ahead about my own plans,” she added.

The post Extended Secret Service protection canceled for Kamala Harris | National appeared first on www.thecentersquare.com



Note: The following A.I. based commentary is not part of the original article, reproduced above, but is offered in the hopes that it will promote greater media literacy and critical thinking, by making any potential bias more visible to the reader –Staff Editor.

Political Bias Rating: Center-Right

The article primarily reports on the revocation of former Vice President Kamala Harris’s Secret Service protection, presenting facts about the relevant policies and past actions by presidents without overt editorializing. It includes direct quotes from Harris and factual context surrounding her political decisions and activities. However, the source “The Center Square” is known for conservative-leaning reporting, and subtle framing—such as emphasizing taxpayer expense and mentioning Harris’s “ill-fated” campaign—may suggest a slight center-right bias. The language is not overtly critical but does lean toward a perspective that questions the justification of extended protections and highlights perceived political vulnerabilities rather than offering neutral or favorable coverage. Overall, the content reports on ideological positions and actions of political figures but with a subtle right-leaning framing rather than a neutral or left-leaning stance.

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News from the South - Florida News Feed

Report: Proven ideas, demonstrated wins need permanence | Florida

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www.thecentersquare.com – By David Beasley | The Center Square contributor – (The Center Square – ) 2025-08-28 15:41:00


In 2006, Florida voters created a Government Efficiency Task Force, chaired by the governor and including state leaders, meeting every four years to recommend cost-saving measures. Florida TaxWatch now urges a new Florida Government Efficiency Act requiring the governor to submit efficiency recommendations annually with the budget. TaxWatch argues that efficiency should be embedded in state law, not just the constitution, for ongoing accountability and sustained savings. The Task Force has identified 172 proposals, estimating $15.14 billion in savings, but recent efforts lack follow-through and public tracking. The proposed law aims to convert periodic initiatives into consistent government efficiency improvements.

(The Center Square) – In 2006, Florida voters amended the state’s constitution to create a Government Efficiency Task Force.

The 15-member group, chaired by the governor, includes the speaker of the House and other state leaders, and convenes every four years. It has recommended changes that would potentially save taxpayers billions of dollars.

A taxpayers group, Florida TaxWatch, this week called for a new state law, the Florida Government Efficiency Act that would require the governor to include efficiency and cost-reduction recommendations each year in the annual budget recommendation.

“Florida TaxWatch firmly believes that, if government efficiency is important enough to the taxpayers to be enshrined in our state constitution, then it should be important enough to the Legislature to be enshrined in Florida statutes,” Jeff Kottkamp, the group’s vice president and general counsel said in a statement.

Florida TaxWatch included the assessment in a report, Government Efficiency Is Not Something We Should Do Every Four Years.

It outlines the history of the constitutional amendment and some of the cost-savings that the Government Efficiency Task Force has recommended over the years.

It also praises second-term Republican Gov. Ron Desantis’ recent executive order creating Department of Government Efficiency teams within state agencies, mirroring a similar effort in the federal government.

“Florida has proven ideas, demonstrated wins, and active tools; now it needs permanence,” TaxWatch said in a statement. “By embedding efficiency into the annual budget cycle – backed by transparent tracking and regular reporting – the state can convert sporadic initiatives into sustained savings and better service delivery for taxpayers.”

The group notes, however, that recommendations issued every four years by the state’s Government Efficiency Tax Force have not always been followed.

Successes that led to documented savings include streamlining of business permits and an overhaul of the state’s internet technology.

“In total, 172 proposals have been identified across task force terms with estimated savings of $15.14 billion, but recent cycles have shown diminished scope and public tracking,” TaxWatch said.

The Florida Government Efficiency Act has the potential to be more effective, TaxWatch said.

It would require the Legislature to consider the governor’s efficiency recommendations each year as part of the budget process, “creating ongoing accountability rather than four-year burst,” Florida TaxWatch said.

The post Report: Proven ideas, demonstrated wins need permanence | Florida appeared first on www.thecentersquare.com



Note: The following A.I. based commentary is not part of the original article, reproduced above, but is offered in the hopes that it will promote greater media literacy and critical thinking, by making any potential bias more visible to the reader –Staff Editor.

Political Bias Rating: Center-Right

The article primarily reports on the activities and recommendations of a taxpayers group, Florida TaxWatch, which advocates for increased government efficiency and cost savings. The tone is generally favorable toward fiscal conservatism and efficiency measures, praising efforts by a Republican governor and emphasizing taxpayer savings. While it does not explicitly argue a partisan viewpoint, the framing positively highlights conservative fiscal policies and government downsizing initiatives, which aligns with center-right ideological perspectives. The coverage refrains from strong partisan attacks or overt ideological language, but the focus on government cost-cutting and the endorsement of a Republican official subtly reflects a center-right bias.

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