NOT A POLITICAL STATEMENT: The President has signed several Executive Orders that will directly or indirectly affect musicians all over the U.S. (and possibly the world). Below are several that are very important. Please at least glance at them so you’ll have some idea of what’s happening regarding the world of entertainment and politics. The EOs involve cutting aid to broadcasters and to the National Endowment for the Arts; DOJ and FTC to launch probe into live music business; Tariffs on movies and instruments made out of the country.
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Trump Signs Executive Order Cutting Federal (Aid) to Broadcasters
By Associated Press reporter
US President Donald Trump on Thursday signed an executive order aiming to slash public subsidies to PBS and NPR as he alleged “bias” in the broadcasters’ reporting.
The order instructs the Corporation for Public Broadcasting and other federal agencies “to cease Federal funding for NPR and PBS” and further requires that they work to root out indirect sources of public financing for the news organizations.
The White House, in a social media posting announcing the signing, said the outlets “receive millions from taxpayers to spread radical, woke propaganda disguised as ‘news’”.
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Go here to read this full assessment:
https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/politics/trump-signs-executive-order-cutting-federal-to-broadcasters/
Counterpoint:
Trump Can’t Drop Funding for NPR, PBS, Group Says
ABC News’ Max Zahn and Lalee Ibssa contributed to this report
The nonprofit corporation that oversees National Public Radio and the Public Broadcasting Service is firing back at President Donald Trump’s executive order to pull funding for the two popular media outlets.
The Corporation for Public Broadcasting pointed out that Congress controls its funding, not the president.
“CPB is not a federal executive agency subject to the President’s authority,” Patricia Harrison, president and CEO of the CPB, said in a statement Friday. “Congress directly authorized and funded CPB to be a private nonprofit corporation wholly independent of the federal government.”
She continued, “In creating CPB, Congress expressly forbade ‘any department, agency, officer, or employee of the United States to exercise any direction, supervision, or control over educational television or radio broadcasting, or over [CPB] or any of its grantees or contractors.'”
On his way to Florida aboard Air Force One on Thursday, Trump signed an executive order instructing the Corporation for Public Broadcasting to “cease direct funding to NPR and PBS.”
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Go here to read more of CPB’s argument:
https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/politics/trump-can-t-drop-funding-for-npr-pbs-group-says/
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DOJ, FTC Launch Public Inquiry Into Live Music Business Following Trump Executive Order
By Ethan Millman, Hollywood Reporter
The Department of Justice and Federal Trade Commission announced a public inquiry into the concert and ticketing industries on Wednesday, calling on the public and industry stakeholders to submit comments detailing issues they face in the business, and what they think should be done about it.
The move comes a month after President Trump – with Kid Rock beside him – signed an executive order on March 31 aimed at the live music business. Along with calling for increased enforcement to crack down on ticket scalper bots, the president also called on the DOJ and FTC to submit a report within the next six months detailing recommendations for potential remedies.
“Competitive live entertainment markets should deliver value to artists and fans alike,” Abigail Slater, assistant attorney general for the DOJ’s antitrust division, said in a statement. “We will continue to closely examine this market and look for opportunities where vigorous enforcement of the antitrust laws can lead to increased competition that makes tickets more affordable for fans while offering fairer compensation for artists.”
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Go here to read the full of this issue:
https://www.msn.com/en-us/music/news/doj-ftc-launch-public-inquiry-into-live-music-business-following-trump-executive-order/
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Entertainment Unions ‘Prepared to Fight Back’ Against Trump-Ordered Elimination of NEA, NEH and CPB
By Sharon Knoll, The Wrap
The Arts, Entertainment, and Media Industries (AEMI) coalition within AFL-CIO said it is prepared to fight back against Trump’s proposed cuts that would eliminate the National Endowment for the Arts (NEA), the National Endowment for Humanities (NEH), and the Corporation for Public Broadcasting (CPB).
Trump’s 2026 “Skinny” Budget Request went out last week, continuing his attacks on nonprofit arts organizations such as National Public Radio and PBS.
“Unions are prepared to fight back again against efforts to eliminate the NEA, NEH, and CPB,” said Katie Barrows, Communications Director at the Department of Professional Employees at the labor union in a statement released Wednesday.
The AEMI coalition includes the DGA, IATSE, SAG-AFTRA, Writers Guild of America East and the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers (IBEW).
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Read the rest of this rebuttal here:
https://www.msn.com/en-us/tv/news/entertainment-unions-prepared-to-fight-back-against-trump-ordered-elimination-of-nea-neh-and-cpb/
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Trump Announces 100% Tariffs on Movies Made Overseas
By Meg James, L.A. Times
Looking to boost the production of Hollywood movies in the U.S., President Trump on Sunday announced a new 100% tariff applied on films produced overseas.
For more than two decades, major studios have shifted movie production to cheaper countries, including Canada, U.K., Bulgaria, New Zealand, Australia and other countries that offer generous tax benefits to build their local economies, luring films away from Hollywood.
The migration of high-paying jobs has become a critical issue for Los Angeles, which has seen a dramatic loss in film production and jobs in recent years.
The industry hasn’t fully recovered from shutdowns because of the COVID-19 pandemic, labor strikes and a retrenchment by legacy entertainment companies, many of which overspent to build streaming services to compete with Netflix. January’s wildfires in the Pacific Palisades and Altadena dealt another blow.
“I am authorizing the Department of Commerce, and the United States Trade Representative, to immediately begin the process of instituting a 100% Tariff on any and all Movies coming into our Country that are produced in Foreign Lands,” Trump said late Sunday in a post on his Truth Social platform. “WE WANT MOVIES MADE IN AMERICA, AGAIN!”
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Read more of this issue here:
https://www.yahoo.com/news/trump-announces-100-tariffs-movies-002823032.html
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Musicians Contact: Tariffs on Musical Instruments – Many of Which are Made Overseas
Tariffs have been placed on smart phones, computers, and semiconductors made in China from 145% to 20%, but this figure could change at any time. So what about tariffs on musical instruments? Apparently the NAMM [North American Music Makers] president sent a letter to the Trump administration begging for low or no tariffs on them.
According to different sources, 40% to 60% of all musical instruments are made in China, and the percentage is much higher on woodwinds, brass, and violins. Fender claims that tariffs on products from Mexico and China will increase their costs by 20 to 25 million bucks on their guitars and amps. But my questions is, will tariffs affect musicians when it comes to actually playing gigs?
Https://www.musicianscontact.com
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Trump Budget Calls For Elimination Of National Endowment For The Arts
By Ted Johnson, Deadline
Donald Trump has proposed eliminating funding for the National Endowment for the Arts, as his administration also has taken steps to pull back grants that have already been awarded.
The NEA received an appropriation of $207 million in the most recent fiscal year.
Meanwhile, some arts groups have reported getting notice that grants that have already been awarded are being withdrawn. Portland Playhouse said that the NEA informed them on Friday evening that a $25,000 grant to support a production of “Joe Turner’s Come and Gone” was being rescinded.
“To receive this news on the eve of opening night is deeply disappointing,” the playhouse said in a statement. “While we have no plans currently to cancel our production, moving forward without the support of this critical funding presents a significant challenge for our company.
“We know we’re not alone. Arts organizations across the country are grappling with reduced support at a time when the need for community, connection, and cultural expression is vital. Your support of our cultural institutions is more crucial now than ever before.”
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Read more on this BIG problem here:
https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/politics/trump-budget-calls-for-elimination-of-national-endowment-for-the-arts/
Photo: NEAA logo