9 h. ago Searching for pennies: With the cut in federal funding public broadcasters are looking to cope

In Alaska, a public radio station general manager took a moment from a busy day warning her community about a possible tsunami for a special task — sending a text message to Sen. Lisa Murkowski urging her to vote against a measure to strip federal funding of NPR and PBS

Politics

15 h. ago The Latest: House prepares to advance cuts on public broadcasting and foreign aid

The House is expected to approve President Donald Trump’s request to claw back about $9 billion in already appropriated funding for public broadcasting and foreign aid

Politics

23 h. ago Man found guilty of pocketing public funds while working four council jobs

Bryn Howells has been found guilty of fraud after pocketing more than £230,000 in salaries and benefits – all funded by taxpayers.

Economics

25 h. ago US Senate passes aid and public broadcasting cuts in victory for Trump

Members vote 51 to 48 in favour of president’s request to slash $9bn in spending already approved by CongressThe US Senate has approved Donald Trump’s plan for billions of dollars in cuts to funding for foreign aid and public broadcasting, handing the Republican president another victory as he exerts control over Congress with little opposition.The Senate voted 51 to 48 in favour of Trump’s request to cut $9bn in spending already approved by Congress. Continue reading...

Politics

37 h. ago What are rescissions – and why does Trump want Congress to approve them?

The president is pushing for cuts in spending that Congress needs to approve to take effect – but what exactly are they?US politics live – latest updatesCongressional Republicans are pushing for passage of a rescissions package, legislation requested by Donald Trump that will claw back $9bn in funding intended for foreign aid programs and public broadcasting.The bill, which is part of the president’s campaign to slash government spending, passed the House last month, and is now being debated in the Senate. Continue reading...

Politics

38 h. ago Howe’s dilemma as Newcastle’s Saudi owners can’t ignore case to sell Isak

Liverpool’s record bid for striker and offer for Howe target Ekitike cast cloud over manager’s plans for new seasonAmid the jungle of super-skyscrapers dominating Riyadh’s financial district, one building soars above the rest. From the higher floors of the 385-metre PIF Tower, employees can plot their next deal while gazing down on a glass-curtained canopy of concrete, steel and polished marble.For Yasir al-Rumayyan, the governor of Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund (PIF) and the chair of Newcastle United, the top of this striking, 80-storey crystalline structure is a place where metaphorical blue-sky thinking meets reality. Continue reading...

Politics

52 h. ago Native American radio stations at risk as Congress looks to cut $1B in public broadcasting funding

Native American radio stations could face shutdowns if Congress cuts over $1 billion from the Corporation for Public Broadcasting

Economics

5 d. ago Delays, debt, jobs, and Kilvey Hill: What Swansea council leader has to say about city's 1bn regneration scheme

We've asked Swansea council leader Rob Stewart your questions about the £1bn regeneration scheme and this is what he had to say

Politics

9 d. ago Pentagon provided $2.4tn to private arms firms to ‘fund war and weapons’, report finds

Exclusive: Most of defense department’s discretionary spending from 2020 to 2024 went to military contractorsA new study of defense department spending previewed exclusively to the Guardian shows that most of the Pentagon’s discretionary spending from 2020 to 2024 has gone to outside military contractors, providing a $2.4tn boon in public funds to private firms in what was described as a “continuing and massive transfer of wealth from taxpayers to fund war and weapons manufacturing”.The report from the Quincy Institute for Responsible Statecraft and Costs of War project at Brown University said that the Trump administration’s new Pentagon budget will push annual US military spending past the $1tn mark. Continue reading...

Economics

9 d. ago Voices: Readers torn on wealth tax – from ‘the only counterbalance’ to ‘utterly counter

Discussion of a wealth tax has ignited a lively debate among our community, with some calling it a necessary step to tackle inequality and fund public services, while others warned it would drive away investment and harm the economy

Economics

1 week ago West Lothian public pools and gyms get funding assurance from council

Councillors agreed to a “letter of comfort” for the auditors of West Lothian Leisure (WLL) as the sports provider continues to fight back to strength after financial woes made worse by the Covid lockdown.

Politics

1 week ago Nearly a quarter of foster places in England provided by private equity

Experts raise alarm over ‘commodification’ of vulnerable children as independent fostering agencies make millions in profitExperts have raised alarm over the “commodification” of vulnerable foster children as analysis reveals almost a quarter of all foster places in England are now provided by private equity-backed companies making millions of pounds in profits.Analysis for the Guardian by thinktank Common Wealth found independent fostering agencies (IFAs) are making millions via public funding from councils to provide placements for foster children, while foster carers struggle to pay bills. Continue reading...

Politics

1 week ago Women at war with council over privacy fence after jobsworths say it is not 'in keeping' with local area

Maureen Griffiths, 83, and Sarah Clarkson, 58, have both promised that they will fasten themselves to their garden fences after officials demanded they remove them.

Events

1 week ago The Guardian view on the BBC’s future: the broadcaster’s independence and funding face challenges | Editorial

Lisa Nandy’s call for a modern Annan-style review offers a chance to renew the broadcaster for a fragmented digital ageThe BBC will soon charge US users for full news access. In Britain, it may seem a distant prospect, but if universality can be dropped abroad, how long before it’s tested at home? With the BBC’s charter due for renewal in 2027, the funding debate is intensifying. What becomes of the licence fee will define the broadcaster’s future.There is increased scrutiny of Auntie’s independence and impartiality after political pressure was applied through censure, funding freezes and contentious board appointments. What the BBC should look like in a fragmented media landscape is uncertain. A big question is whether the licence fee levied on households should be replaced by subscription, limited advertising or public funding. The last option is surely a non-starter, opening the door to more direct political control. Carrying adverts would force the BBC to compete with other broa...

Politics

2 w. ago Debacle in the desert: Will the Athetics’ $1.75bn stadium on the Vegas Strip ever be built?

It’s been over two years since the A’s were awarded public funding for their new ballpark. But despite last month’s “groundbreaking”, its completion is anything but certainIt had just turned 8am on a crystal clear, late June Monday morning, but it was already 85F (29F). Despite the tolerable heat (for the desert), a giant air conditioned tent had been erected on the former site of the Tropicana, the famed hotel which was demolished in a controlled implosion last October. Athletics owner John Fisher, Major League Baseball commissioner Rob Manfred and a gaggle of politicians had all gathered on the compact, nine-acre site for a ceremony over two years in the making: the groundbreaking for the new A’s stadium on the Strip, coming your way in 2028.On the surface, it was your run-of-the-mill pomp and circumstance: a series of uneven speeches mixed in with a few kids gushing over how much they can’t wait to have the former Oakland and current A’s in Las Vegas. But if you had been followin...

Politics

2 w. ago Debacle in the desert: will the Athletics’ $1.75bn stadium on the Vegas Strip ever be built?

It’s been over two years since the A’s were awarded public funding for their new ballpark. But despite last month’s “groundbreaking”, its completion is anything but certainIt had just turned 8am on a crystal clear, late June Monday morning, but it was already 85F (29F). Despite the tolerable heat (for the desert), a giant air conditioned tent had been erected on the former site of the Tropicana, the famed hotel which was demolished in a controlled implosion last October. Athletics owner John Fisher, Major League Baseball commissioner Rob Manfred and a gaggle of politicians had all gathered on the compact, nine-acre site for a ceremony over two years in the making: the groundbreaking for the new A’s stadium on the Strip, coming your way in 2028.On the surface, it was your run-of-the-mill pomp and circumstance: a series of uneven speeches mixed in with a few kids gushing over how much they can’t wait to have the former Oakland and current A’s in Las Vegas. But if you had been followin...

Politics

3 w. ago BoE urged to curb bond sales investors say could ‘reignite’ sell

‘Quantitative tightening’ is driving up borrowing costs and piling pressure on public finances, according to fund managers

Economics

3 w. ago Majority of US adults support religious chaplains in public schools, a new AP

A new poll finds few Americans support allowing religious schools to become tax-funded public charter schools

Politics

3 w. ago SNP ministers to axe public sector jobs as near £5bn funding black hole emerges

Shona Robison has warned compulsory redundancies will be considered if “no other route” to cutting jobs is available in order to balance the books.

Politics

3 w. ago SNP ministers to axe public sector jobs as £2.6bn funding black hole emerges

Shona Robison has warned compulsory redundancies will be considered if “no other route” to cutting jobs is available in order to balance the books.

Politics