WASHINGTON (AP) — 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 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.’”

It’s the latest move by Trump and his administration to utilize federal powers to control or hamstring institutions whose actions or viewpoints he disagrees with. Since taking office, Trump has ousted leaders, placed staff on administrative leave and cut off hundreds of millions of dollars in funding to artists, libraries, museums, theaters and others, through takeovers of the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts and the National Endowment for the Humanities. Trump has also pushed to withhold federal research and education funds from universities and punish law firms unless they agreed to eliminate diversity programs and other measures Trump has found objectionable.

The broadcasters get roughly half a billion dollars in public money through the Corporation for Public Broadcasting, and have been preparing for the possibility of stiff cuts since Trump’s election, as Republicans have long complained about them.

Paula Kerger, PBS’ CEO and president, said in a statement last month that the Trump administration’s effort to rescind funding for public media would “disrupt the essential service PBS and local member stations provide to the American people.”

“There’s nothing more American than PBS, and our work is only possible because of the bipartisan support we have always received from Congress,” she said. “This public-private partnership allows us to help prepare millions of children for success in school and in life and also supports enriching and inspiring programs of the highest quality.”

The Corporation for Public Broadcasting sued Trump earlier this week over his move to fire three members of its five-person board, contending that the president was exceeding his authority and that the move would deprive the board of a quorum needed to conduct business.

Just two weeks ago, the White House said it would be asking Congress to rescind funding for the CPB as part of a $9.1 billion package of cuts. That package, however, which budget director Russell Vought said would likely be the first of several, has not yet been sent to Capitol Hill.

The move against PBS and NPR comes as his administration has been working to dismantle the U.S. Agency for Global Media, including Voice of America and Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty, which were designed to model independent news gathering globally in societies that restrict the press. Those efforts have faced pushback from federal courts, who have ruled in some cases that the Trump administration may have overstepped its authority in holding back funds appropriated to the outlets by Congress.

—Reporting by AP Congressional Correspondent Lisa Mascaro.

Gov. Gretchen Whitmer is responding to critics of her meetings with President Donald Trump by answering that they’ve yielded results. Whitmer, a Democrat serving her final term as governor, and widely considered a possible future presidential contender, says she still has fundamental disagreements with President Donald Trump. She also says face time with Trump, including a now-famously awkward Oval Office encounter, was worth it to win 21 new fighter jets heading to Selfridge Air National Guard Base in Macomb County.

The Michigan Public Radio Network spoke with the governor Wednesday about cutting a deal with a president with whom she’s had an adversarial relationship.

The following interview has been edited for clarity and length.

Rick Pluta: Why does this Selfridge deal matter, not just to Macomb County, not just to metro Detroit, but to the entire state of Michigan?

GW: Yeah, you know, this is a big deal. So the A-10, which is our fighter mission at Selfridge, is being retired. And the fighter mission matters because we think about Selfridge, it has an economic impact on the state of $850 million a year. There are 30,000 jobs in Michigan that are related to Selfridge directly. And so not having a fighter mission would be a huge problem, not just for Selfridge but for a defense economy that we’ve been building out, advanced manufacturing. We think about aerospace as well as bases in Grayling, Alpena, and in Battle Creek. This has a massive impact on the state of Michigan. So I’ve been working to try to get a new fighter mission at Selfridge every year since I’ve been elected governor, and my predecessors did, as well, and we got it done, 21 F-15 EXs. This is the cutting edge, state-of-the-art planes and it’s gonna have a generational impact on our economy.

RP: How did this come to be? Why now?

GW: Well, you know, after the election — I had been trying to get the Biden administration to do this — after the elections, I said, well, let’s keep going. I’m going to keep trying to work with the Trump administration to get it done. And I was at the National Governors Association dinner at the White House. I raised it at that first opportunity with U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth that night, as well as when I sat next to Donald Trump at the dinner, you know, and I’ve had many conversations and meetings with the president on this issue. I’ve been relentless on this and they were receptive. And despite the fact that we’ve got a lot of differences and we don’t agree on a lot of things, I take every opportunity to make the case for Michigan, whether it’s about tariffs, Asian carp, or ice storms. Selfridge has been a part of all those conversations every time, too.

RP: As you mentioned, you’ve said you will work with everyone, anyone, but you have gotten a lot of pushback from folks within the Democratic Party about your work with this president. Now that this Selfridge deal is done, what’s next? What are your plans for continuing to work with this administration?

GW: I oppose this administration and a lot of things that they’re doing, whether it’s around their — what they’ve done on — you know, I mean, it’s voluminous, the ways that we disagree, the things that we disagree on — from their tariff policy, the chaos that’s been leaked, to the violation of people’s civil rights, to the potential Medicaid cuts that are coming that are going to impact Michigan hospitals and Michiganders everywhere. That being said, I’ve got a duty to continue to try to get as much done for our state as I can. I’ve got to work with people that I don’t always agree with. I always have, and I always will, try to do what’s right for Michigan and that means continuing the conversation on preventing Asian carp from infiltrating the Great Lakes, getting relief for victims of the ice storm. It means continuing to work to try to get more economic development done in Michigan. So I will both fight back when I need to, and try to get Michigan’s priorities done wherever I can.

RP: Finally, Governor, do you think Democratic voters, that is voters in your party, know that you still fundamentally disagree with President Trump?

GW: Yeah, of course they do. My values haven’t changed. My oath is to serve the people of Michigan. It means standing up for our rights, it means fighting back when they’ve got tariff policies that are making Michiganders lose jobs or their costs go up. It also means getting at the table and being there to get a huge investment like Selfridge over the finish line. I can do both. I will do both, that’s the ethos I’ve always led with.

President Donald Trump was in Michigan on Tuesday, visiting Selfridge Air National Guard Base before speaking at Macomb Community College. The White House says the trip was in celebration of his first 100 days in office.

Selfridge Air National Guard Base

Selfridge has operated a fleet of A-10 Thunderbolt II Warthogs since 2009. But with that plane retiring, questions over whether the base would get a replacement have muddied its future. Those concerns are now eased. During his visit, President Trump announced Selfridge will receive 21 new F-15s. “This is the best there is anywhere in the world — the F-15EX Eagle II,” Trump said. “This will keep Selfridge at the cutting edge of Northern American air power.” Trump added there are also plans to update the refueling planes at Selfridge. The president was joined at the announcement by Gov. Gretchen Whitmer, who he credited with bringing the bases need for a new plane to his attention.

Macomb Community College

After Selfridge, the president headed to Macomb Community College, where he gave a campaign-style speech to a crowd of supporters. Trump used his time at the podium to tell the crowd he’s making good on promises, including on tariffs and immigration. He also told the crowd he’s making good on promises on topics like immigration, and took aim at ongoing court battles against his administration. “We cannot allow a handful of communists and radical left judges to obstruct the enforcement of our laws and assume the duties that belong solely to the President of the United States,” Trump said. The administration is facing a number of legal challenges over its handling of deportations and funding cuts. A federal judge ordered the White House to restore $12 million in funding to Radio Free Europe. Despite stock market volatility in his first 100 days, Trump told supporters he feels his economic plan is working. The president also repeated criticism of Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell for not lowering interest rates, telling the crowd that Powell is doing a bad job. “You’re not supposed to criticize the Fed,” Trump said. “You’re supposed to let him do his own thing. But I know much more about interest rates than he does about interest rates — believe me.” The Federal Reserve has said it’s holding off on cutting interest rates for now in order to fight inflation. Some economists say tariff uncertainty isn’t making the Fed’s life easier.

President Donald Trump will be celebrating 100 days in office Tuesday with a trip to Macomb County.

Trump’s visit comes as Americans remain divided over policies like his mass deportation strategy, cuts to the federal workforce, and tariffs.

Michigan Republican Party Chair Jim Runestad praised the president for trying to make good on campaign promises and supported the pace it’s happening at.

“What he’s doing is making real change that is going to strategically make a huge difference in cutting the waste, fraud, and abuse here in the United States, and also making sure that we have an incredible economic policy going forward,” Runestad said.

Runestad said he expects the nearby Selfridge Air National Guard base and new investments from Stellantis in Detroit to come up during Trump’s speech.

Earlier in the month, Governor Gretchen Whitmer and Michigan House Speaker Matt Hall (R-Richland Twp) discussed brining a new mission to Selfridge during a White House visit with Trump.

While Republicans celebrate Trump’s return to the White House, Democrats say the country is now worse off. Tuesday morning, the DNC released its own rundown of Trump’s time in office.

The Democrats’ “snapshot” cites federal numbers that show Michigan was among the leaders in new unemployment claims for the most recent period, with more than 80,000 unemployment claims filed in the state since Trump took office. (There were more than 230,000 new claims in the state during the first 100 days of the Biden administration, though that time coincided with emergency orders and a surge in cases during the COVID-19 pandemic.) 

Democrats also say Trump’s actions could put heavily-relied-on government services and social safety net programs like Head Start at risk.

While supporters of Trump’s vision see his moves as steps to get rid of wasteful spending in the name of efficiency, DNC Deputy Executive Director Libby Schneider said the moves are destabilizing. Schneider was dismissive of Trump’s choice to spend his 100-day mark in Michigan.

“He’s going to Michigan to lie to people, but we found out you can’t lie to people when they’re suffering and paying more than they were 100 days ago, and when they are looking at their retirement and figuring out how many years now they have to add to their career in order to be able to afford to retire,” Schneider said.

Financial markets have been volatile in recent months, alternating between dips and gains depending on what policies are announced or rescinded. Democratic Party leaders say the country is sliding toward a recession. Trump administration officials have said the risk is worth it to reset America’s economy and protect domestic industries.

Runestad said it’s misleading to look at the day-to-day effects of Trump’s policies.

“All of these things change many parameters over time, not in a day. I mean, if he announces a tariff one day, the media is screaming bloody murder. And then he makes strategic pullbacks. That’s why it’s not a canoe. It is a battleship in terms of how the thing maneuvers. It takes time for these things to be ironed out,” Runestad said.

Many Democrats and political scholars also take a wider view of Trump’s first 100 days, saying he’s put the country on a path toward authoritarianism by taking steps to consolidate power in the executive branch, sidelining courts and Congress, and intimidating political rivals.

This will be Trump’s first visit to Michigan since he made several campaign stops in the state on the way to winning back the White House last year. When asked why Michigan was picked for the milestone, Runestad said the 2026 elections may have been in mind.

The state will have many offices up for grabs next year, including governor and U.S. Senate.

“There’s going to be a lot of attention on those, plus we have three congressional seats that are going to in play,” Runestad said. “Really all of these things lead through Michigan in terms of holding that majority for the Trump administration,” Runestad said.

Several high profile candidates on all sides of the political aisle have already entered or teased entering some of those races. Trump’s Macomb County rally will likely draw some of those hopefuls.

Subscribe to The Metro on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, NPR.org or wherever you get your podcasts.

Last month, the U.S. government deported Kilmar Abrego Garcia, a native of El Salvador who has lived in Maryland for the past 15 years — ignoring a federal court order forbidding his removal. 

Garcia, who was detained for alleged association with the MS-13 gang, is now being detained at the Center for Terrorism Confinement in El Salvador. And the Trump administration insists it’s not required to engage El Salvador’s government to bring him back. 

Trump’s defiance of court orders at the national level, is also having a local impact. 

In February, the Trump administration eliminated a legal aid program serving about 26,000 migrant children. The legal aid program was stopped in defiance of a federal judge’s orders. Already, the move has led to the Michigan Immigration Rights Center laying off half of its staff.

University of Michigan law professor, legal analyst and former U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Michigan, Barbara McQuade, returned to The Metro to discuss this defiance to court orders by the Trump administration.

Editor’s note: The Metro reached out to Michigan House Speaker Matt Hall and Senate Minority Leader Aric Nesbitt. We have yet to hear back from them. 

Use the media player above to hear the full conversation.

More stories from The Metro on Wednesday, April 16:

• Labor professor says Trump tariffs’ impact on autoworkers ‘will be very painful’ to watch
• Legendary hip-hop producer J Dilla’s music still beating in Detroit
• Nonprofit aims to conserve bird habitats in metro Detroit

Listen to The Metro weekdays from 10 a.m. to noon ET on 101.9 FM and streaming on-demand.

Gov. Gretchen Whitmer said she was caught by surprise last week to walk into the Oval Office for a meeting with President Donald Trump to find she was in a televised press conference.

The New York Times published a striking photo of Whitmer trying to hide her face behind a blue folder.

She told the Detroit Economic Club that people ask “what was going through your mind at that moment and it was ‘I don’t want my picture taken.’ That’s all it was. I kind of wish I hadn’t put a folder in front of my face, but whatever.”

Whitmer told the group in a luncheon address that she does not regret the visit because she was there to make an in-person ask for federal disaster assistance for Michigan following ice storms that left much of northern Michigan without power. She and the President also spoke about Selfridge Air National Guard Base in Macomb County and managing the invasive carp.

But Whitmer said she was also able to express her concern about tariff fights with Canada, which is Michigan’s largest trading partner.

“I do think that all of that is taking a toll on the relationship,” she said. “It’s one that I recognize is incredibly important to us as people and as Michiganders and to our economy. I’m going to do everything I can to keep it strong, but there’s no question it’s having a negative impact.”

Whitmer said she has been in touch with Ottawa Premier Doug Ford on the situation.

Whitmer also told the group she remains “in productive conversations” on getting a road funding deal with state legislative Republicans. She told the group her negotiation lines are setting money aside for economic development and not cutting funding for public safety.

That drew a rebuke from a key Republican lawmaker, who said cuts to public safety and housing are not part of the proposal the House GOP put on the table.

“We understand the importance and necessity of a bipartisan effort to get anything passed through our divided Legislature and ultimately signed into law without a veto from our Democrat governor,” said Rep. Pat Outman (R-Six Lakes), who chairs the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee. “We believe there is a compromise out there, and we are eager to find it before one more tire falls victim to a Michigan pothole.”

Regardless, a major sticking point in road funding negotiations is Whitmer’s desire to maintain a business attraction fund to help finalize economic development deals. 

The relationship between Detroit and Windsor is a microcosm of what’s been happening in recent weeks between the U.S. and Canada. President Donald Trump’s constant threat of tariffs and annexation have brought heated rhetoric and international tension.

It’s affecting the lives — and vibes — of Windsorites.

“It is getting tense, and it is getting very stressful on this side of the border, and you can actually feel it,” said Rino Bortolin, a former Windsor City Councilor. He owns Petrella’s, a sandwich shop in the Ford City neighborhood.

Bortolin isn’t alone. WDET approached more than a dozen Windsorites to ask them how they were taking the recent stress in Canada-U.S. relations. People had thoughts — but were often hesitant to have them recorded. But off the record, they expressed a mixture of disbelief and disappointment.

Bortolin says the whole ordeal has been difficult.

“We’ve got season tickets to Detroit City FC soccer [and we are] over there, quite a bit with friends family,” Bortolin said. “So I’m trying to separate the people versus what’s happening at the government level. But it is very difficult.”

DCFC’s home opener was Saturday. But Bortolin says the bad vibes are keeping folks from crossing the border.

“I’ve got four tickets. Kids probably can’t come. It’s been hard to find three people to fill those seats,” Bortolin said. “So people that go regularly for concerts, cultural events, dining, other events where they even know people over in Detroit, even they’re putting a hard stop on on going over and crossing at all.”

And that’s not just anecdotal. Data from U.S. Customs and Border Protection show crossings dropped last month by 470,000 when compared to February 2024.

The last time crossings were this low was 2020, during the early days of COVID.

That sounds about right to Sarah Dewar, the owner and sommelier at Maiden Lane, a Windsor wine and cocktail bar.  

“I feel after the pandemic, it’s finally been rebounding,” said Dewar. “We’re getting the American tourism again, and it’s really disappointing to think that these positive gains we’ve made will be reversed.”

Dewar knows it can be tough to get people to make the trip.

“I think as Windsorites, living on a border city, we pay attention to what’s going on in Detroit, whereas Detroit doesn’t necessarily pay attention to what’s going on over here,” Dewar said. “U.S., Canada, you could say the same thing.”

In response to American tariffs, some Canadians have focused on using goods made in their country, and calling for a boycott of ones made in the U.S. For a bar owner, that means an embargo on products like American whiskey.  

However, Dewar says it’s difficult given the close ties between countries, industries, and people.

“You know, I can’t get on board with a full-on boycott of all things American,” Dewar said.

She’s worried it might get worse.

“I hate the division that it has the potential to cause between just the average person. You know, we have friends. We’ve created relationships with people over there in the same industry, and we love going to visit them,” Dewar said.

“We love it when they come over here. And I hope, I hope that we can repair it. I don’t think it’s too far gone.”

Still, the situation is seen as disrespectful to an ally and neighbor who has dealt with a lot.  

Member of Parliament Brian Masse is with the New Democratic Party.  He’s represented the Windsor West riding for more than two decades and is running in next month’s federal elections.

“We were the ones going over to Detroit to support the businesses in Greektown and the sports culture and so forth, when people said it was not even safe to visit,” Masse said. “So right now, there’s a sense of fatigue from our citizens because of the insults going on with regards to Trump.”

Masse knows the importance of a healthy Great Lakes ecosystem and has been working on getting the Ojibway Prairie Complex—a stretch of Windsor along the river across from Zug Island—designated a National Urban Park.

“Those things are at risk, and so we’re going to need to see people step up and figure out that it just can’t be taken for granted, the [U.S. / Canada] relationship anymore, because the constant elements coming out of the White House and the confusion is going to cost real jobs, cost real friendships, and it’s going to take away from our quality of life,” Masse says.

Because of that, Masse doesn’t blame Canadians for expressing their frustration with the U.S. via their wallets.  

“The problem that we have here, though, is for people to actually think about getting in their car or going on a trip into the US and potentially face some of this stuff is exhausting, and they have other options.”

Those options are fully on display at Valente Travel next door to Masse’s office on Ouelette Avenue.

Travel agent Melanie Harding says many Canadians are rerouting their big trips.

“We have had some cancelations,” Harding says. “Some people feel strongly about it, where others are still willing to travel.”

But don’t count Harding among those who are discouraged from going to the U.S.

“I’m going to New Orleans,” Harding says. “It’s our anniversary, so I’m not putting that on hold for anyone.”

Windsorite Edward Semenski isn’t phased either. When asked by WDET if he wants Canada to become the 51st U.S. state: “Sure, why not?”

Semenski, who was reading a Bible when approached by WDET, says he appreciates Trump’s Christian values. Still, he doesn’t plan to cross the border anytime soon.

“I don’t think I’m going to be able to go to the U.S.,” Semenski says. “I have a criminal record, even though I used to live in Detroit.”

However, Semenski says he’s holding out hope.

“I’m gonna get a try to get a pardon first before I try going over there.”

For as tight as the two countries have been historically, something feels off. Call it a vibe shift.

Bortolin says the honeymoon is definitely over.

“I think this will be something that causes generational harm and a shift from the relationship,” Bortolin says.

“It’s like your partner cheats on you the one time, and…it can’t go back after that. And it’s like, there’s always something in the back of your mind. And this is one of those things that will always be in the back of our minds.”

A recent pro-Canada demonstration drew hundreds to Detroit’s Hart Plaza and to the base of the giant Canadian flag along the Windsor riverfront. It was a show of support on both sides of the border – and a reminder that Americans and Canadians can still be good neighbors… even when the U.S government isn’t.