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Usagm

All articles tagged with #usagm

politics18 days ago

USAGM spends millions to reverse Trump-era dismantling of Voice of America

The U.S. Agency for Global Media is currently spending taxpayer funds to rebuild the infrastructure of Voice of America after the Trump administration attempted to shut it down in early 2025. While the administration claimed the closure would save $153 million, Congress appropriated $643 million for fiscal 2026 to keep the agency operational. A State Department inspector general report reveals that the agency is now paying 420 employees $3.2 million biweekly to remain on leave while rehiring staff and reinstating canceled contracts. This reversal of initial cost-cutting measures has incurred additional costs for taxpayers, though the total financial impact of the shutdown and subsequent lawsuits remains unquantified.

via Politico|
#government-spending#inspector-general#politics
VOA Staffers Remain on Paid Leave as Costs Mount
media18 days ago

VOA Staffers Remain on Paid Leave as Costs Mount

The Trump administration is spending approximately $1.6 million weekly to keep 420 Voice of America employees on administrative leave, according to a recent State Department inspector general report. This ongoing cost follows the March 2025 dismantling of the agency, which placed nearly 1,000 staff on leave and cut hundreds of contract workers. While a federal judge struck down the initial mass layoff plan, the agency remains largely defunct. New leadership is slowly moving to restore some staff, but critics argue the prolonged shutdown has caused irreversible damage to the network's global audience and journalistic integrity.

via The Washington Post|
#federal-budget#government-oversight#media
Court voids Kari Lake’s USAGM leadership and undoes mass layoffs
politics7 months ago

Court voids Kari Lake’s USAGM leadership and undoes mass layoffs

A federal judge ruled that Kari Lake unlawfully led the U.S. Agency for Global Media without Senate confirmation, voiding mass layoffs and other actions taken during her tenure, with the court citing the Appointments Clause and Vacancies Act; Lake says she will appeal, while VOA staff view the ruling as a step toward restoring operations and journalistic independence.

via The Guardian|
#appointments-clause#kari-lake#politics
Judge voids Kari Lake’s VOA actions over improper appointment
politics7 months ago

Judge voids Kari Lake’s VOA actions over improper appointment

A federal judge ruled that Kari Lake’s tenure as acting CEO of the Voice of America violated federal law, voiding a broad set of staff cuts and shutdowns she oversaw; the court found she was not lawfully serving and thus unable to exercise CEO authority under the Federal Vacancies Reform Act and the Appointments Clause, with the actions taken between July 31 and November 19, 2025, being void and a court-ordered pause on layoffs remaining in place as the case proceeds with Lake appealing.

via CNBC|
#appointments-clause#federal-vacancies-reform-act#kari-lake
Court voids Kari Lake’s USAGM leadership, halting VOA layoffs
politics7 months ago

Court voids Kari Lake’s USAGM leadership, halting VOA layoffs

Federal judge Royce C. Lamberth ruled that Kari Lake unlawfully ran the U.S. Agency for Global Media last year, voiding mass VOA layoffs and other actions, in a rebuke of her bid to lead the agency. The ruling cites violations of the appointments clause and the Federal Vacancies Reform Act, and VOA staff and press-freedom groups hailed it as a restoration of operations, though Lake said she will appeal and the impact on staff remains uncertain.

via CNN|
#appointments-clause#judge-lamberth#kari-lake
politics7 months ago

Court finds Kari Lake’s USAGM tenure unlawful, voids her acting-CEO actions

A federal judge ruled that Kari Lake was illegally empowered to serve as acting CEO of the U.S. Agency for Global Media, voiding her four-month tenure and related actions—including a workforce reduction—because she lacked Senate confirmation and because delegations from the previous acting CEO bypassed the Senate's advice and consent role.

via Politico|
#kari-lake#politics#senate-confirmation
Congress Funds Voice of America, Defying Trump Shutdown Effort
politics9 months ago

Congress Funds Voice of America, Defying Trump Shutdown Effort

Lawmakers from both parties unveiled a bipartisan spending deal to fund USAGM at about $653 million, including Voice of America operations and capital improvements, rebuking President Trump’s push to defund and shut down the agency. The package would provide roughly $643 million for broadcasting plus $10 million for capital needs—more than Trump requested but less than recent years—and would also continue funding for grantees like Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty, Radio Free Asia, and the Open Technology Fund. The measure follows Trump’s dismantling order and related court actions, with final passage still required from both chambers.

via The Washington Post|
#congress#funding#politics
politics1 year ago

US Court Blocks Layoffs at Voice of America

A judge has temporarily paused cuts to the US Agency for Global Media, citing concerns that the reductions hinder the agency's ability to broadcast in regions like North Korea and parts of Eastern Europe and the Middle East, and criticizing recent judicial practices. The ruling follows contentious remarks by a political figure criticizing the judge's rulings.

via Politico|
#court-ruling#funding-cuts#judge