FEMA releases funds for public radio emergency alert upgrades

Yes, but: KRCL was notified in February that the Corporation for Public Broadcasting (CPB), which was supposed to administer the funding, no longer had access to the money amid the Trump administration's crackdown on federal grants and public spending.

• CPB sued FEMA in March over the freeze "to protect public media stations from financial harm," Kathy Merritt, a representative for the group, said in a statement, per the AP.

Between the lines: The award was part of the Next Generation Warning System (NGWS) grant program.

What they're saying: "In times of disaster, the American people need to know they can depend on public media to be there in their communities, providing emergency alerts and essential information," CPB's president and CEO Patricia Harrison said in a statement Thursday after announcing new awards for stations in Louisiana, South Dakota, Wisconsin and Wyoming.

• "These grants fund critical infrastructure that ensures our stations can warn people to take cover, seek higher ground, and head for safety," Harrison said.