**PBS Sues Trump Administration Over Federal Funding Cuts**

PBS has taken legal action against President Donald Trump and other officials, aiming to reverse an order that would cut federal funding to its 330-station public television network. This move comes just days after NPR lodged a similar lawsuit to protect its radio network.

In its recent lawsuit filed in U.S. District Court in Washington, PBS argues that Trump's order exceeds his executive powers and constitutes "viewpoint discrimination." Lawyer Z.W. Julius Chen, representing PBS, stressed that the President cannot act as the judge of the network's content, even if he believes the coverage is biased against conservatives. "PBS disputes those charged assertions in the strongest possible terms," Chen wrote.

Joining PBS in the lawsuit is Lakeland PBS, which services rural and central areas of northern Minnesota. The suit claims that Trump's order represents an "existential threat" to this local station. A PBS spokesperson noted that the legal action was necessary to defend public television’s editorial freedom and protect station autonomy.

Earlier in the month, Trump issued an executive order directing the Corporation for Public Broadcasting and other federal entities to halt financial support for PBS and NPR. PBS currently receives $325 million from this corporation, largely directed to individual stations. Additionally, federal funds account for approximately 22% of PBS’s total revenue, with the majority being raised through station dues and government support.

Chen also highlighted the broader implications of Trump's order, noting that it would severely impact PBS's ability to offer diverse programming. The U.S. Department of Education has already canceled a $78 million grant used to create educational content for children, such as "Sesame Street," "Clifford the Big Red Dog," and "Reading Rainbow."

For Minnesota, the executive order jeopardizes essential services provided by Lakeland PBS, including the "Lakeland Learns" education program and "Lakeland News," the region's sole provider of local news, weather, and sports coverage.

Besides targeting President Trump, the lawsuit also names Education Secretary Linda McMahon, Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent, and Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem as defendants. The legal document underscores PBS’s crucial role in the nationwide wireless emergency alert system, emphasizing the far-reaching consequences of the funding cuts.

The Trump administration has faced multiple legal challenges from various media organizations, including battles over press access and investigations into television news divisions, making this latest lawsuit part of a broader conflict between the administration and the press.