The Daily Populous

Tuesday May 20th, 2025 night edition

image for ‘Sesame Street’ Saved, Inks New Streaming Deal With Netflix

The streaming giant has inked a deal with Sesame Workshop for new episodes of the long-running children’s show, just months after Warner Bros.

Discovery opted not to renew its output deal for the program in a strategic shift at its streaming service Max (which will soon return to being HBO Max).

In a notable change from the HBO deal, new episodes of Sesame Street will also run day and date on PBS and the PBS Kids app, ensuring that they are easily accessible.

Sesame Street has been available on PBS for more than 50 years, though during the HBO deal, the episodes debuted on PBS months after their HBO premieres.

The Netflix deal begins later this year with season 56 of the program.

The new season will be released in three “batches,” Netflix says.

The deal with Netflix and PBS not only provides much needed financial stability for the non-profit (it is slated to host its annual fundraiser next week), but also provides expanded access to the program for free, an extremely unusual arrangement for Netflix. »

US closes Office of Palestinian Affairs, dedicated channel to Washington

Authored by theguardian.com
image for

The United States has officially closed its Office of Palestinian Affairs in Jerusalem, according to an internal state department memo seen by the Guardian, in effect eliminating the Palestinians’ dedicated diplomatic channel to Washington.

“Please be advised that the OFFICE OF PALESTINIAN AFFAIRS JERUSALEM, USOFFICE, will be closing at the end of the day on Friday, May 16, 2025,” the memo said.

Its closure means Palestinian affairs will now be handled without a separate, specialized diplomatic office. »

Romanian president signs law allowing troops to shoot down Russian drones in country's airspace

Authored by pravda.com.ua

Acting President of Romania Ilie Bolojan has signed a law expanding its armed forces’ powers, allowing troops to shoot down unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) that are unlawfully in the country’s airspace.

Details: Ilie Bolojan signed the law passed by the Romanian Parliament, which authorises the downing of drones illegally present in Romanian airspace, as well as a law on peaceful conduct of military missions and operations on Romanian territory.

The law on use of national airspace was initiated after several incidents in which Russian attack drones targeting southern Ukraine’s Odesa Oblast entered Romanian airspace. »

Qatar lobby reaches deep into US conservative media, documents show

Authored by ynetnews.com

Documents submitted to the U.S. Department of Justice under the Foreign Agents Registration Act (FARA) reveal Qatar’s deep penetration into the American media landscape, particularly targeting conservative outlets.

Notably, the agreement specifies that the firm's president, Rebecca Diaz-Bonilla, must travel in business or first class on Qatar Airways.

Ventry, who previously held senior roles in Congress and conservative media, formally transitioned to lobbying for Qatar to avoid overt conflicts of interest. »