1. NPR CEO Summoned by Congress Over Allegations of Political Bias

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The House Energy & Commerce Committee has summoned NPR CEO Katherine Maher to testify about accusations of political bias at the publicly funded broadcaster. The committee's concerns stem from a recent op-ed by former NPR editor Uri Berliner, who alleged that NPR mishandled critical stories and had a newsroom dominated by registered Democrats.

The House Energy & Commerce Committee has summoned NPR CEO Katherine Maher to testify before Congress on May 8, 2024, to address accusations of political bias at the publicly funded broadcaster.

The committee's concerns arose from an op-ed published by former NPR editor Uri Berliner, who asserted that the outlet mishandled critical stories related to Hunter Biden's laptop, COVID-19 lab leak theories, and other topics. Berliner also claimed that registered Democrats vastly outnumbered Republicans in the newsroom, with a ratio of 87-0.

"The Committee has concerns about the direction in which NPR may be headed under past and present leadership," wrote Committee Chairwoman Cathy McMorris Rodgers, R-Wash., in a letter to Maher. "As a taxpayer-funded, public radio organization, NPR should focus on fair and objective news reporting that both considers and reflects the views of the larger U.S. population and not just a niche audience."

In addition to Berliner's allegations, the committee raised concerns about Maher's own past statements, including a 2021 TED Talk in which she expressed reservations about suppressing "bad information" and "influence peddlers." The committee also noted Maher's criticism of The New York Times for publishing an op-ed by Republican Senator Tom Cotton.

The committee sent Maher a list of questions, including:

* The political affiliations of registered voters working in the newsroom

* Concerns raised by NPR's board of directors about political diversity

* Internal written materials regarding a lack of viewpoint diversity

"These have included news stories on matters of national security and importance, such as the Mueller report, the Hunter Biden laptop, and the COVID-19 origins investigation," the lawmakers wrote. "On each of these issues, NPR has been accused of approaching its news reporting with an extreme left-leaning lens."

Maher has previously dismissed the backlash against NPR as "bad faith distortion" of her views and statements. Fox News Digital reached out to NPR for comment on the letter, but no response has been received.

The committee has requested that Maher answer their questions by May 14, 2024.