By Frank Macek I remember the first time I heard the voices on NPR drifting through my family’s kitchen like a warm breeze. I was eight years old. It was early morning, and the smell of coffee filled the air while Bob Edwards calmly shared the news of the world on "Morning Edition." That moment stuck with me. It was the first time I realized news didn’t have to shout at you to get your attention. It could be gentle, thoughtful, and full of truth. It could invite you in. Public media has always done that. And now, it’s under threat. Recent legislation by former President Donald Trump and his allies in Congress to eliminate funding for the Corporation for Public Broadcasting (CPB) isn’t just a budget line being slashed. It’s a deeper cut — one into the heart of our civic life, our culture, our identity as a nation that values knowledge, empathy, and community. Let’s be clear: public media isn’t a luxury. It’s a lifeline. And if we allow that line to be cut, we all lose. Whether...