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Judge Blocks $11 Billion Public Health Cuts; PBS, NPR Funding and DOE Research Cost Cap Also Challenged

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Updated May 17, 2025, 06:07 AM

Public broadcasting officials from across the United States have converged on Washington, D.C., to advocate for the preservation of federal funding amid efforts by the Trump administration to cut support for PBS and NPR stations nationwide. This advocacy comes as the Corporation for Public Broadcasting amended its bylaws to prevent board member removal without a two-thirds vote, shielding itself from presidential influence. Concurrently, a federal judge in Rhode Island issued a preliminary injunction blocking the Trump administration from terminating approximately $11 billion in federal grants allocated to state public health departments, ruling that the abrupt cuts likely violated congressional authority over spending. This injunction requires the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) to resume funding while legal proceedings continue. Additionally, a Boston federal judge blocked the Department of Energy's policy capping indirect costs on university research projects, distinguishing this case from previous Supreme Court rulings on education grant cuts. The ongoing legal challenges reflect broader resistance to the administration's attempts to reduce federal funding across public health and public media sectors.

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