Politics

(WASHINGTON) — The Corporation for Public Broadcasting announced Friday that it will begin a “wind-down of its operations” and cut a majority of its jobs by the end of September following Congress’ vote earlier this month to cut $1.1 billion in its federal funding.

CPB said it told its employees on Friday that the majority of staff positions will be cut by Sept. 30, with only a small transition team remaining through January 2026 to ensure “a responsible and orderly closeout of operations.”

“Despite the extraordinary efforts of millions of Americans who called, wrote, and petitioned Congress to preserve federal funding for CPB, we now face the difficult reality of closing our operations,” CPB President and CEO Patricia Harrison said in a news release. “CPB remains committed to fulfilling its fiduciary responsibilities and supporting our partners through this transition with transparency and care.”

CPB’s shuttering comes after Republicans passed a package earlier this month, which included zeroing out two years’ worth of funding — $1.1 billion — for the CBP. The move was a part of President Donald Trump’s request to claw back $9 billion from the federal budget.

CPB provides grants to local radio and television stations across the country, as well as the producers of well-known PBS and NPR programs.

CPB said it will work to provide regular updates to stations and employees as it ends operations.

Trump repeatedly called on Congress to pull funding for CPB. As Congress considered the package, Trump threatened to withhold his support for any Republican who voted against it.

“It is very important that all Republicans adhere to my Recissions [sic] Bill and, in particular, DEFUND THE CORPORATION FOR PUBLIC BROADCASTING (PBS and NPR), which is worse than CNN & MSDNC put together. Any Republican that votes to allow this monstrosity to continue broadcasting will not have my support or Endorsement. Thank you for your attention to this matter!” Trump wrote on his social media channel on July 10.

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(WASHINGTON) — President Donald Trump said on Friday he’s ordered two nuclear submarines to move in the “appropriate regions” in response to what he called “highly provocative statements” from the deputy chair of Russia’s security council, Dmitry Medvedev.

Trump announced the move in a post to his social media platform. He did not specify in the post exactly where the submarines would be going.

“Based on the highly provocative statements of the Former President of Russia, Dmitry Medvedev, who is now the Deputy Chairman of the Security Council of the Russian Federation, I have ordered two Nuclear Submarines to be positioned in the appropriate regions, just in case these foolish and inflammatory statements are more than just that,” Trump wrote.

“Words are very important, and can often lead to unintended consequences, I hope this will not be one of those instances,” he added.

Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth reposted Trump’s statement on X.

Medvedev has recently sounded off on social media on Trump’s deadline for Russia to come to a ceasefire agreement with Ukraine or face severe sanctions.

“Trump’s playing the ultimatum game with Russia: 50 days or 10… He should remember 2 things: 1. Russia isn’t Israel or even Iran. 2. Each new ultimatum is a threat and a step towards war. Not between Russia and Ukraine, but with his own country. Don’t go down the Sleepy Joe road!” Medvedev posted on X earlier this week.

Trump has expressed growing frustration with Russian President Vladimir Putin over the war in Ukraine. Russia launched a record 6,443 drones into Ukraine in July, ABC News reported.

On Monday, Trump announced he was moving up the timeline for Russia to make peace from 50 days to 10 days.

“I want to be generous, but we just don’t see any progress being made,” Trump said. “I’m not so interested in talking anymore.”

This is a developing story. Please check back for updates.

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(WASHINGTON) — The Corporation for Public Broadcasting announced Friday that it will begin a “wind-down of its operations” and cut a majority of its jobs by the end of September following Congress’ vote to cut nearly more than $1 billion in its federal funding.

This is a developing story. Please check back for updates.

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(ELKHORN, Wis.) — In a rowdy town hall on Thursday night, Wisconsin Republican Rep. Bryan Steil was booed when he expressed support for President Donald Trump’s trade policies.

An attendee pressed Steil on Trump’s tariffs against scores of U.S. trade partners.

“I really feel that this is a terrible tax that’s going to be placed on the citizens of the Unites States. I would like to know what dire economic circumstances put Trump in a position of deploying tariffs on over 190 countries?” the attendee asked, prompting applause from the crowd. “You have allowed him to do that and it’s sad. So tell me the dire circumstances that triggered his tariff wars.”

Steil’s response prompted loud boos from participants.

“As we look at the broader tariffs back and forth with the administration, this really is, at its core needs to be, an opportunity to make sure other countries are treating the United States fairly,” the congressman said.

In the Elkorn town hall, the congressman was also pressed on other topics, including the impacts Trump’s megabill will have on Medicaid and other services.

The nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office estimated the cuts to Medicaid included the sweeping tax and spending cut bill, which Trump signed into law on July 4, will result in 10 million Americans losing health insurance.

Responding to the event on X, Steil wrote “despite a handful of individuals attempting to disrupt the discussion, we had a great dialogue about the issues that matter most.” He committed to holding future events.

Some in the room were local protestors, ABC News affiliate WISN reported, including members of a group who last week carried a mock cardboard coffin to Steil’s home to protest Medicaid cuts.

Earlier this year, Rep. Richard Hudson, the chairman of the National Republican Congressional Committee, encouraged House Republicans to do more virtual events over in-person town halls after several House Republicans faced fiery constituents at in-person town halls.

House Democrats are being challenged at their town halls, too, facing pushback on topics such as the response to the war in Gaza. Earlier this week, Illinois Rep. Bill Foster, a Democrat, hosted a town hall event where he was repeatedly interrupted by anti-war protesters.

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(WASHINGTON) — Kids in America’s public schools will soon be lacing up their sneakers for the Presidential Fitness Test as President Donald Trump is set to announce its return more than a decade after it was discontinued.

Trump will sign an executive order on Thursday that will expand the President’s Council on Sports, Fitness & Nutrition and bring back the Presidential Fitness Test in public schools, White House Officials confirmed to ABC News.

The fitness test, which began under former President Dwight Eisenhower in 1956, will return after it was discontinued in 2012 during former President Barack Obama’s presidency. Obama replaced it with the Presidential Youth Fitness Program, a comprehensive school-based program that promoted living an active and healthy lifestyle.

While there have been different versions of the Presidential Fitness Test, the one most are familiar with includes a one-mile run, pull-ups or push-ups, sit-ups, shuttle run and sit-and-reach, according to Harvard Health. It’s not yet clear what will be included in the Trump administration’s Presidential Fitness Test.

“President Trump wants to ensure America’s future generations are strong, healthy, and successful. President Trump wants every young American to have the opportunity to emphasize healthy, active lifestyles — creating a culture of strength and excellence for years to come,” White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt told ABC News in a statement on Thursday.

It’s all part of the administration’s goal to develop “bold and innovative fitness goals” for young Americans — a move that aims to foster a new generation of healthy, active individuals, the White House official said.

Trump will sign the executive order Thursday afternoon where he will be surrounded by several athletes, including Kansas City Chiefs’ kicker Harrison Butker; professional golfer Bryson DeChambeau; Chief Content Officer of the WWE and son-in-law of Education Secretary Linda McMahon, Paul “Triple H” Levesque; and former New York Giants linebacker Lawrence Taylor, a registered sex offender.

The order comes as the Trump administration weighs in on sports — including a ban on transgender athletes participating in women’s sports. Also, the United States is set to host several major sports events over the course of Trump’s second term, including the Ryder Cup, the FIFA World Cup in 2026 and the summer Olympics in 2028.

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(LOS ANGELES) — The Pentagon has announced that 1,350 more federalized members of the California National Guard will be withdrawn from the security mission in Los Angeles that started in early June following protests against immigration raids carried out by Immigrations and Customs Enforcement (ICE). A remaining force of 250 National Guardsmen will remain in place to continue protecting federal government buildings and personnel in Los Angeles.

Close to 5,000 National Guard members and Marines were deployed to Los Angeles on June 7 for a mission that could potentially last up to 60 days, a time limit that ends next week.

“On Wednesday, Secretary Hegseth ordered the release of approximately 1,350 California National Guardsmen from the federal protection mission,” Sean Parnell, the Pentagon’s chief spokesman, said in a statement provided to ABC News.

“Approximately 250 California National Guardsmen remain in Los Angeles to protect federal personnel and property,” Parnell said. “We greatly appreciate the support of the more than 5,000 Guardsmen and Marines who mobilized to Los Angeles to defend Federal functions against the rampant lawlessness occurring in the city.”

In recent weeks the Pentagon had announced the withdrawals of 2,000 Guard members and 700 Marines, along with the reassignment of 150 Guard members to firefighting duty.

The initial mobilization came in the wake of protests following ICE raids in Los Angeles and was unusual in that they were ordered by the Trump administration instead of by Gov. Gavin Newsom. City officials labeled the deployment of the Guard and Marines as unnecessary and said that Los Angeles Police Department was more than capable of responding to the initial protests.

Because they were federalized National Guard and Marines, they were not able to carry out law enforcement duties, which is prohibited by law. However, during their mission to protect federal buildings and personnel, the mobilized military personnel had the authority to temporarily detain individuals before quickly transferring them to law enforcement personnel.

As the mission continued, some of the forces received training to accompany ICE personnel on immigration raids, though their role was specifically limited to providing force protection.

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(WASHINGTON) — The federal government is paying more than 154,000 federal employees not to work as part of the deferred resignation program, an administration official confirmed to ABC News.

The updated figure, first reported by the Washington Post, includes thousands of government workers across dozens of agencies who took the buyout offers through June to maintain benefits and pay until the end of the fiscal year on Sept. 30.

It represents just over 6% of the 2.3 million federal civilian workforce.

To critics, the program has been administered haphazardly, throwing government offices into chaos and disrupting federal workers and programs indiscriminately, and prompting a number of legal fights between federal unions and the government — all of it at taxpayers’ expense.

“The American taxpayer ultimately is not only watching federal employees who are deeply interested in serving the public be sidelined, they’re having to pay for them too. It makes no sense at all,” Max Steier, the president and CEO of the Partnership for Public Service, told ABC News. “They’ve done ‘ready, fire, aim,’ instead of ‘ready, aim, fire.’ It’s detrimental to the capability of our government to meet our needs.”

To its proponents, the program has been an innovative way to streamline the federal government to focus on set priorities and recoup long-term cost savings after this fiscal year.

“Ultimately, the deferred resignation program was not only legal, it provided over 150,000 civil servants a dignified and generous departure from the federal government,” Office of Personnel Management spokeswoman McLaurine Pinover told ABC News. “It also delivered incredible relief to the American taxpayer. No previous administration has gotten even close to saving American taxpayers this amount of money in such a short amount of time.”

Former President Bill Clinton led an effort to reduce the federal workforce by more than 300,000 jobs, an initiative that took several years with congressional support.

The Office of Personnel Management could not tell ABC News how much the government is spending on salaries and benefits for workers who have not been working and are resigning — and how much the government has spent defending the “buyouts” in court.

In a report released Thursday, Senate Democrats estimated that the government has spent billions on workers who are on leave by choice or involuntarily due to litigation — and that the entire Department of Government Efficiency cost-saving campaign led by Elon Musk has cost the government $21.7 billion because of mistakes and waste.

The $21.7 billion figure provided by Democrats is an estimate that might include figures disputed by the administration. It also includes an estimate for 200,000 employees in the “buyout” program, when the actual figure is 154,000.

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(WASHINGTON) — Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent is trying to walk back his suggestion that the so-called Trump savings accounts for newborns could be a “back door” to start privatizing Social Security.

Bessent made the comments in an interview with Breitbart while he was speaking at length about the importance of financial literacy.

“But in a way, it is a back door for privatizing Social Security,” Bessent said.

In a social media post on Wednesday evening, Bessent sought to clarify his remarks.

“Trump Baby Accounts are an additive benefit for future generations, which will supplement the sanctity of Social Security’s guaranteed payments,” Bessent wrote on X. “This is not an either-or question: our Administration is committed to protecting Social Security and to making sure seniors have more money.”

The “Trump Savings Accounts” were part of his megabill agenda narrowly passed by congressional Republicans earlier this month. The policy will deposit $1,000 into a tax-deferred, low-cost index fund account that will track the overall stock market for each newborn.

Additional contributions can go up to $5,000 annually. When the children reach adulthood, they can access funds to cover expenses such as college or a down payment on a home.

If a child is born after December 31, children under the age of 18 will have one thousand dollars put in their accounts for investment purposes.

The program is a new initiative to promote financial literacy among Americans.

“And, you know, people can put in up to certain amounts every year for their child, and they can invest that stuff in the market, and they can learn how to do this,” Bessent said in his interview with Breitbart.

When asked if companies matching would be a good thing, Bessent responded positively, saying it would be a “great thing.”

“At the end of the day, I’m not sure when the distribution level date should be. Whether should it be 30 and you can buy a house? Should it be 60? But in a way, it is a back door for privatizing Social Security,” Bessent said. “Social Security is a defined benefit plan paid out to the extent that if all of a sudden, these accounts grow and you have hundreds of thousands of dollars for your retirement, then that’s a game changer, too.”

Several Democrats quickly criticized Bessent’s comments.

Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, a New York Democrat, slammed the treasury secretary in floor remarks on Thursday.

“Now, of course, Secretary Bessent had rushed to Twitter later to do a little cleanup, but the truth came out, the real truth,” Schumer said. “Actions speak louder than words, and the actions Donald Trump and his gang are taking against Social Security speaks volumes.”

“Well, Republicans said the quiet part out loud: They want to ‘privatize Social Security.’ Your money. Your benefits. Sold to the highest bidder. So much for standing with seniors,” Rep. Katherine Clark, the Democratic whip, wrote on X on Wednesday.

“Today the Treasury Secretary said the quiet part out loud: Republicans’ ultimate goal is to privatize Social Security, and there isn’t a backdoor they won’t try to make Wall Street’s dream a reality,” Rep. Richard Neal, the top Democrat the House Ways and Means Committee, said in a statement on Wednesday. “For everyone else though, it’s yet another warning sign that they cannot be trusted to safeguard the program millions rely on and have paid into over a lifetime of work.”

AARP, an interest group that focusing on issues affecting those 50 and older in the U.S., also pushed back on Bessent.

“AARP condemns Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent’s endorsement of a “backdoor” to Social Security privatization. We have fought any and all efforts to privatize Social Security, and we will continue to,” said AARP Senior Vice President of Campaigns John Hishta. “President Trump has emphasized many times that Social Security ‘won’t be touched,’ and that he is ‘not going to touch Social Security.’ This must include any and all forms of ‘privatization.'”

ABC News’ Alexandra Hutzler contributed to this report.

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(WASHINGTON) — The National Transportation Safety Board on Thursday continued to grill officials from the Army, air traffic controllers and members from the Federal Aviation Administration over protocols following the January deadly air collision between a Black Hawk helicopter and a passenger jet approaching Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport (DCA.)

The hearing, the second of three days, is focused on the training guidance of the parties involved in the Jan. 29 incident that resulted in the deaths of 67 people. NTSB started the daylong hearing examining the responsibilities and readiness of DCA’s air traffic controllers.

Clark Allen, the former operations manager of the control tower at DCA, was asked Thursday about the training for the air traffic controllers. Allen said they have been trained to flag a supervisor and ask for additional help if they are being overwhelmed, but said there is no training for supervisors to proactively look out for that pile up of duties.

Officials acknowledged Wednesday that high turnover among air traffic controllers was a serious issue.

On Wednesday, the NTSB revealed that the pilots of a Black Hawk helicopter likely didn’t know how high they were flying or how close they were to an airliner before the deadly crash — potentially because of faulty altimeters inside the series of Black Hawk helicopters like the one they were flying.

Nick Fuller, the FAA’s acting deputy chief operating officer of operations, testified Thursday that it is up to the pilot to maintain visual separation while in the air.

“It is the pilot’s responsibility, but air traffic controllers will go the extra mile to make sure we are providing extra information as necessary,” he said.

Later asked if DCA was safe for flights, Fuller said it was.

“The controllers at DCA are responsible, well trained and I would have no problem leaving on a flight in or out of that airport,” he said.

NTSB Chair Jennifer Homendy alleged on Wednesday that some FAA tower employees knew there “was a problem” with U.S. Army helicopters flying in close proximity to passenger aircraft near the airport.

The agency also revealed that the warnings to the helicopter from air traffic control were “stepped on” as a microphone button was being pushed at the same time as the controller.

Homendy, however, said it’s possible that the midair collision was not due to pilot error.

“So it’s always easy for people to focus on there was a pilot error here. We don’t know. We’re going to look but it’s possible there was zero pilot error here,” she told reporters Wednesday.

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(WASHINGTON) — Mike Donilon, former President Joe Biden’s senior adviser, is appearing for a closed-door interview on Thursday in the House Oversight Committee’s probe into the former president’s mental fitness while in office.

Donilon, one of Biden’s oldest and closest advisers, is speaking before the Republican-led committee’s attorneys as its chairman, Republican Rep. James Comer, continues his investigation into Biden.

No members are expected to attend Donilon’s interview on Thursday, which began shortly after 10 a.m.

Donilon is the latest in a line of former Biden officials who have been called before the committee to answer questions about the former president’s mental capacity while he was in office. On Wednesday, Steve Ricchetti, who served as a counselor for Biden, answered questions.

Last week, former Chief of Staff Ron Klain cooperated with the committee for several hours.

However, several other aides have not been willing to engage with the committee and invoked the Fifth Amendment, including Dr. Kevin O’Connor, the former physician to Joe Biden, and Annie Tomasini, who served as the deputy chief of staff to Biden.

Biden himself rejected reports of cognitive decline during an appearance on ABC’s “The View” in early May.

“They are wrong. There’s nothing to sustain that,” Biden said at the time.

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