logo
This PBS Station In Boston's Sign Is Going Viral After Trump Defunded Them

This PBS Station In Boston's Sign Is Going Viral After Trump Defunded Them

Yahoo4 days ago
Congress has passed a rescissions bill cutting $1.1 billion in federal funding for PBS and NPR.
Donald Trump celebrated the cuts on Truth Social, saying, "THIS IS BIG!!!"
And now, a picture from the outside of PBS station WGBH in Boston is going viral on Reddit:
"Local. Trusted. Defunded."
"Short and to the point," one person said.
"Way to go WGBH! Don't pretend this is normal and don't be silent. Make them wear this forever," another person commented.
And this person said they were, "Canceling Paramount + , subscribing to PBS Passport. Easy. Done."
Other people eulogized the station: "RIP PBS. You taught us to be good people."
Another person replied to that comment, saying, "They will be around still, they know they just need to make it another 3.5 years if we have a fair election."
And then a bunch of people highlighted all of the good things WGBH has done over the years, "WGBH, especially WGBH, has done so much good for the country and it's children over the decades. If you weren't already on high alert and ready to go to the mat with these fuckers, here's your sign."
This person pointed out that WGBH was home to Julia Child's cooking series The French Chef, "WGBH gave us Julia Child... for that, we owe them a debt that can never be paid."
And this person said WGBH provides closed captioning for mainstream shows, "In addition to the mass amount of public radio and public television broadcasting produced at WGBH, they also provide closed captioning for many commercial programs as well."
And for their part, WGBH commented on the thread: "Still here."
Solve the daily Crossword
Orange background

Try Our AI Features

Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:

Comments

No comments yet...

Related Articles

President Donald Trump's AI plan calls for massive data centers. Here's how it may affect energy in the US
President Donald Trump's AI plan calls for massive data centers. Here's how it may affect energy in the US

Chicago Tribune

time9 minutes ago

  • Chicago Tribune

President Donald Trump's AI plan calls for massive data centers. Here's how it may affect energy in the US

President Donald Trump's plan to boost artificial intelligence and build data centers across the U.S. could speed up a building boom that was already expected to strain the nation's ability to power it. The White House released the 'AI Action Plan' Wednesday, vowing to expedite permitting for construction of energy-intensive data centers as it looks to make the country a leader in a business that tech companies and others are pouring billions of dollars into. Nuclear plant deal sets stage for AI billionaires like Mark Zuckerberg to reshape Illinois energy policyThe plan says to combat 'radical climate dogma,' a number of restrictions — including clean air and water laws — could be lifted, aligning with Trump's 'American energy dominance' agenda and his efforts to undercut clean energy. Here's what you need to know. Massive amounts of electricity are needed to support the complex servers, equipment and more for AI. Electricity demand from data centers worldwide is set to more than double by 2030, to slightly more than the entire electricity consumption of Japan today, the International Energy Agency said earlier this year. In many cases, that electricity may come from burning coal or natural gas. These fossil fuels emit planet-warming greenhouse gas emissions, including carbon dioxide and methane. This in turn is tied to extreme weather events that are becoming more severe, frequent and costly. The data centers used to fuel AI also need a tremendous amount of water to keep cool. That means they can strain water sources in areas that may have little to spare. Typically, tech giants, up-and-comers and other developers try to keep an existing power plant online to meet demand, experts say, and most existing power plants in the U.S. are still producing electricity using fossil fuels — most often natural gas. Landing a data center is worth the environmental tradeoffs, Illinois towns sayIn certain areas of the U.S., a combination of renewables and energy storage in the form of batteries are coming online. But tapping into nuclear power is especially of interest as a way to reduce data center-induced emissions while still meeting demand and staying competitive. Amazon said last month it would spend $20 billion on data center sites in Pennsylvania, including one alongside a nuclear power plant. The investment allows Amazon to plug right into the plant, a scrutinized but faster approach for the company's development timeline. Meta recently signed a deal to secure nuclear power to meet its computing needs. Microsoft plans to buy energy from the Three Mile Island nuclear power plant, and Google previously signed a contract to purchase it from multiple small modular reactors in the works. Data centers are often built where electricity is cheapest, and often, that's not from renewables. And sometimes data centers are cited as a reason to extend the lives of traditional, fossil-fuel-burning power plants. But just this week, United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres called on the world's largest tech players to fuel their data center needs entirely with renewables by 2030. It's necessary to use fewer fossil fuels, he said. Experts say it's possible for developers, investors and the tech industry to decarbonize. However, though industry can do a lot with clean energy, the emerging demands are so big that it can't be clean energy alone, said University of Pennsylvania engineering professor Benjamin Lee. More generative AI, ChatGPT and massive data centers means 'relying on wind and solar alone with batteries becomes really, really expensive,' Lee added, hence the attention on natural gas, but also nuclear. Regardless of what powers AI, the simple law of supply and demand makes it all but certain that costs for consumers will rise. New data center projects might require both new energy generation and existing generation. Developers might also invest in batteries or other infrastructure like transmission lines. All of this costs money, and it needs to be paid for from somewhere. 'In a lot of places in the U.S., they are seeing that rates are going up because utilities are making these moves to try to plan,' said Amanda Smith, a senior scientist at research organization Project Drawdown. 'They're planning transmission infrastructure, new power plants for the growth and the load that's projected, which is what we want them to do,' she added. 'But we as ratepayers will wind up seeing rates go up to cover that.'

Meta will cease political ads in European Union by fall, blaming bloc's new rules
Meta will cease political ads in European Union by fall, blaming bloc's new rules

The Hill

time9 minutes ago

  • The Hill

Meta will cease political ads in European Union by fall, blaming bloc's new rules

LONDON (AP) — Facebook and Instagram owner Meta said Friday that it will stop all political advertising in the European Union by October, blaming legal uncertainty over new rules designed to increase transparency in election campaigns. The social media giant said in a blog post that it will no longer allow ads for political, electoral and social issues on its platforms, which also include Threads, starting in early October. The company said it was making the decision because of the 27-nation EU's 'unworkable' Transparency and Targeting of Political Advertising regulations. The rules introduce 'significant operational challenges and legal uncertainties,' Meta said. It's not the first Big Tech company to make such a move. Google said last year that it would stop serving EU users political ads before the rules take effect, in an announcement that cited similar reasons. Under the regulations, which are set to take effect on Oct. 10, platforms will have to label political ads, disclosing who paid for them, and what campaign, referendum or legislative process they're connected to. Ads will have to be preserved in a database, and they can only be targeted to users under strict conditions. The rules introduce 'significant, additional obligations to our processes and systems that create an untenable level of complexity and legal uncertainty for advertisers and platforms operating in the EU,' Meta said. Violations can be hit with fines worth up to 6% of a company's annual global revenue. The rules are part of Brussels' wider efforts to counter foreign influence and manipulation in elections, and dovetail with the bloc's other regulations designed to protect citizens' privacy and hold platforms more accountable for internet users' online safety. But those moves clash with President Donald Trump's administration, which has lashed out at the EU's digital rulemaking. Meta said its decision won't affect users who want to debate politics on its platforms or prevent politicians, candidates and officer holders from 'sharing political content organically.' 'They just won't be able to amplify this through paid advertising,' it said.

DOWNLOAD THE APP

Get Started Now: Download the App

Ready to dive into a world of global content with local flavor? Download Daily8 app today from your preferred app store and start exploring.
app-storeplay-store