MBN in court, journalists in trouble, Andres (and Elgar) in Turkey

Dear Colleagues,

We won an important round last week. The decision by the U.S. Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit received the support of seven of the Court’s eleven active judges and clears the path for MBN to receive its Congressionally approved funding through the end of the fiscal year.  There was more good news. On Friday, we received our May disbursement from USAGM, funds that had been due since the first of May.

We’re in a better place now. Warmest thanks to General Counsel Anne Noble and our superb legal team at Munger, Tolles & Olson.

But we’re not in the clear. We’ll likely learn this week whether the Justice Department will appeal last week’s decision. Meanwhile, June funds due today from USAGM are unlikely to arrive anytime soon. Don’t expect Kari Lake and her USAGM team to end the hostility. In brazen disregard of Congressional intent, they unlawfully terminated our grant agreement in mid-March and have worked assiduously ever since to ruin MBN. Grantee networks Radio Free Asia (RFA) and Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty (RFE/RL) sit in the same boat and have shared this journey with us.

Indeed, USAGM’s obstruction and bureaucratic warfare show no sign of letting up. Security clearances held by a small number of grantee executives — myself included — were apparently de-activated on Friday. For journalists threatened by terrorists or harassed by authoritarians, this is troubling news. We’ve requested explanation in writing from USAGM.

Ms. Lake has hired a new firm called the Ragnar Group for a sole-source quarter-of-a-million dollar contract to find “rampant waste, fraud, and abuse” inside grantee networks.

Since I came on board last spring we’ve reformed and restructured and improved oversight and accountability. We’re eager to work together with the Ragnar Group to further raise our game.

I’ve written to the company’s leadership and trust they won’t be working with the same startling lack of transparency that has marked Ms. Lake’s tenure up until now.

Here’s my take. I was interviewed last week by RealClearPolitics chief content officer Andy Walworth. The segment begins at 34 minutes and 23 seconds.

We’ll have a town hall meeting on Tuesday at 11 am to discuss the way forward.

You’ve been dauntless. I’m impressed, proud, and appreciative. Leila Bazzi left Friday for Beirut, at her own expense. Andres Ilves is across Europe this month, at his own expense. He’s in London at present. He interviewed British journalist Tom Gross on the eve of his trip.

In “Conversations with Andres Ilves,” MBN audiences can look forward to discussions on the EU and the Abraham Accords, Muslims in Europe, and claims that Islamists are targeting schools and local governments in France from the inside. I’m particularly interested in Andres’ visit to Turkey. In Syria, Ahmed al-Sharaa’s transitional government — backed by Ankara — is entwined with jihadist ideology and may well pose a threat in due course to Israel and regional security.

Our website is more basic now as we operate with severely reduced staff and pinch every penny. There’s still abundant energy and vibrancy (with major slays in Gen Z jargon). We have absolutely terrific work from Aya Elbaz, Joe Kawly, Ibrahim Issa, Rami al-Amine and other colleagues. Aya’s Instagram account has north of 100,000 followers and is counting.

We’ll stay the course, loyal to our mission and faithful to our audience. The American taxpayer deserves no less.

Gratitude to MBN chair Ryan Crocker and our board for their support and ongoing counsel during this exceptionally demanding period. Special thanks to Ilan Berman, Tom Melia, and pro bono adviser Matt Kaminski. They’ve worked closely with Leila and me on our 2026 editorial strategy.  We must fend off the vandals and stay viable in 2025. We’re making the case for 2026 as we speak.

*****

“Glorious sunrise, and the minarets began to come thro the mist — wonderful, wonderful” wrote Sir Edward Elgar in his diary on the day he arrived in Istanbul on board a steamship on September 25, 1905. There’s a book by Emre Araci about the English composer’s time in Turkey.

Edward Elgar was born on this day, June 2, in a small village near Birmingham in 1857. Elgar was a Roman Catholic in Protestant England, a poor country boy who struggled to make a living in cosmopolitan London. Life dealt Edgar a weak hand.

Elgar suffered hearing loss. He struggled with extreme mood swings — and with a lack of professional recognition. A 1955 British reference book described Elgar’s work as music with  “emotional vulgarity” and a “ruthless philistinism.”

Elgar eventually became known as Britain’s national composer.  You can find his image on the back of the 20 Pound banknote.

Here’s Elgar’s great cello concerto. It’s performed by Jacqueline du Pré under the baton of Daniel Barenboim. Mstislav Rostropovich stopped playing the Elgar after he heard du Pré’s rendition.

I like the lesser known gems by Elgar. Here’s one. But try this. You probably recognize the piece, although perhaps not with this brilliant young British cellist.

And this. It’s shimmering light and matchless choral glow. If this doesn’t give you goosebumps, nothing will.

Music, insisted Elgar, exists to help us face the world and adversity.

Take care of yourselves. Read widely. Listen to all kinds of music.

My best, Jeff