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Coming to you from the Situation Room, John Barron and Chas Licciardello cut through the spin as they discuss the people, policies and politics from the week in Donald Trump's second term in the White House.
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Perth Now
an hour ago
- Perth Now
Big Bird sad: US funding cuts hit public broadcasting
America's Corporation for Public Broadcasting, which helps pay for hundreds of local radio and television stations as well as programs like Sesame Street, is closing after the US government withdrew funding. CPB told employees on Friday most staff positions will end on September. 30. A small transition team will stay until January to finish any remaining work. The private, nonprofit corporation was founded in 1968 shortly after Congress authorised its formation. It now ends nearly six decades of fuelling the production of renowned educational programming, cultural content and emergency alerts about natural disasters. President Donald Trump signed a bill on July 24 cancelling about $US1.1 billion ($A1.7 billion) that had been approved for public broadcasting. The White House says the public media system is politically biased and an unnecessary expense and conservatives have particularly directed their ire at NPR and PBS. Lawmakers with large rural constituencies voiced concern about what the cuts could mean for some local public stations in their state, warning some stations will have to close. Congress passed legislation creating the body in 1967, several years after then-Federal Communications Commission Chairman Newton Minow described commercial television a "vast wasteland" and called for programming in the public interest. The corporation doesn't produce programming and it doesn't own, operate or control any public broadcasting stations. The corporation, PBS, NPR are independent of each other as are local public television and radio stations. The cuts are expected to weigh most heavily on smaller public media outlets away from big cities, and it's likely some won't survive. NPR's president estimated as many as 80 NPR stations may close in the next year. Mississippi Public Broadcasting has already decided to eliminate a streaming channel that airs children's programming. In Kodiak, Alaska, KMXT estimated the cuts would slice 22 per cent from its budget. Public radio stations in the sprawling, heavily rural state often provide not just news but alerts about natural disasters like tsunamis, landslides and volcanic eruptions. The first episode of Sesame Street aired in 1969 and over the decades, characters from Big Bird to Cookie Monster and Elmo have become household favourites. Sesame Street was designed by education professionals and child psychologists to help low-income and minority students aged two to five overcome some of the deficiencies they had when entering school. Sesame Street said in May it would also get some help from a Netflix streaming deal. Grant money from the nonprofit has also funded lesser-known food, history, music and other shows created by stations across the country.
ABC News
3 hours ago
- ABC News
Who is George Razay, saxophone playing doctor, opponent of Hobart stadium and new Bass MP?
George Razay wears a lot of hats, but he has just gained one more: Tasmanian state MP. Professor Razay is a long-time doctor, City of Launceston councillor and a clinical professor with the University of Tasmania. He also plays the saxophone in a community band, and attends a local jazz and tap dancing school twice a week. The 69-year-old came in with just 3.5 per cent of first preference votes for the seat of Bass, which election analyst Kevin Bonham said gave Professor Razay the lowest independent winning vote share in Tasmanian history. Professor Razay said the win was unexpected. "That just shows you how the community has supported me all the way … they were the driving force for me continuing to campaign." Professor Razay has spent 27 years working as a geriatrician at the Launceston General Hospital and was elected as a councillor in 2022. "Being in the council has been the best thing for me. It has introduced me to all of the issues that concern the community," he says. He was born in Syria and has lived in Tasmania for 28 years. Professor Razay lives in Launceston with his wife Melissa. He has run in two state and two federal election campaigns, and polled 5 per cent in Bass as an independent in both 2022 and 2025. During this state election, he has campaigned on improving the health, education and housing systems, and against the Macquarie Point stadium proposal in Hobart. "My vision for getting into politics is to turn Tasmania from one of the sickest states in Australia, to one of the most healthy, happy and active communities." He said he has no affiliation with a political party, but described himself as progressive. He said he is proud of this achievement, as he ran the campaign by himself. Dr Bonham said he could not find another professor to have been elected to the Tasmanian parliament, meaning Professor Razay could be the state's first. The finalisation of election results has put the major parties in a difficult position: the Liberals need support from four crossbenchers to remain in power, whereas Labor needs the five Green MPs, plus three other crossbenchers, to form government. Professor Razay said he received calls from politicians on Saturday, but would not say who. "They have respectfully said 'enjoy your day today', and I am looking forward to meeting with them very soon." He said he was open-minded to supporting anybody. "I would like to talk to everyone and I am going to give support to any party who is going to govern, and my goal is to present a stable government in the future," he said. "By working together, we can achieve positive change in our community, and this is my role to work with them to achieve that." When asked whether he would support another no-confidence motion against Jeremy Rockliff, Professor Razay said he wants to have more talks before deciding. "I will talk, listen to the parliamentarians, including the premier, and make my decision afterwards."
SBS Australia
3 hours ago
- SBS Australia
Hamas says it won't disarm unless independent Palestinian state is established
Hamas has warned it would not disarm unless an independent Palestinian state is established — a fresh rebuke to a key Israeli demand to end the war in Gaza. Indirect negotiations between Hamas and Israel, aimed at securing a 60-day ceasefire and a deal for the release of hostages, ended last week in a deadlock. Earlier this week, Qatar and Egypt, who are mediating ceasefire efforts, endorsed a declaration by France and Saudi Arabia outlining steps toward a two-state solution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. As part of this measure, Hamas must hand over its arms to the Palestinian Authority. In its statement, Hamas — a Palestinian political and military group which has governed the Gaza Strip since the most recent elections in 2006 but has been militarily battered by Israel in the war — said it could not yield its right to "armed resistance" unless an "independent, fully sovereign Palestinian state with Jerusalem as its capital" is established. The statement was in response to comments from United States President Donald Trump's Middle East envoy, who told families of hostages being held by Hamas that he was working with the Israeli government on a plan that would effectively end the war in Gaza. Steve Witkoff is visiting Israel as its government faces mounting pressure over the deteriorating humanitarian conditions in the enclave. In a recording of the meeting, reviewed by Reuters, Witkoff is heard saying: "We have a very, very good plan that we're working on collectively with the Israeli government, with Prime Minister Netanyahu ... for the reconstruction of Gaza. That effectively means the end of the war." The White House did not immediately respond to a request for comment on his remarks. Witkoff also said that Hamas was prepared to disarm in order to end the war, though the group has repeatedly said it will not lay down its weapons. Israel considers the disarmament of Hamas a key condition for any deal to end the conflict. Last month, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu described any future independent Palestinian state as a platform to destroy Israel and said, for that reason, security control over Palestinian territories must remain with Israel. He also criticised several countries, including the UK and Canada , for announcing plans to recognise a Palestinian state in response to the devastation of Gaza from Israel's offensive and blockade. He called the move a reward for Hamas' conduct. Hamas releases second video of Israeli hostage On Sunday AEST, Hamas released its second video in two days of Israeli hostage Evyatar David. In it, David, skeletally thin, is shown digging a hole, which, he says in the video, is for his own grave. "They are on the absolute brink of death," David's brother Ilay said at a rally in support of the hostages in Tel Aviv, where thousands gathered holding posters of those in captivity and chanted for their immediate release. "In the current unimaginable condition, they may have only days left to live." The war started when Hamas-led militants stormed into southern Israel on 7 October, 2023, killing 1,200 people and taking 251 hostages back to Gaza. Israel's subsequent military assault on Gaza has turned much of the enclave into a wasteland, killing more than 60,000 Palestinians and setting off a humanitarian catastrophe. Nearly a week has passed since Israel, under international pressure amid growing scenes of starving children, announced limited humanitarian pauses and airdrops meant to get more food to Gaza's over two million people. But the United Nations, partners and Palestinians say far too little aid is still coming in, with months' worth of supplies piled up outside Gaza waiting for Israeli approval. The leading international authority on food crises this week said a "worst-case scenario of famine" was occurring in the besieged enclave. Israeli officials deny that starvation is occurring in Gaza .
