USAGM Cuts 500+ Jobs at Voice of America, Other Broadcasters Amid Legal Challenge

More than 500 employees at the U.S. Agency for Global Media (USAGM), which oversees Voice of America (VOA) and other government-funded international broadcasters, are set to lose their jobs amid ongoing legal challenges. Acting CEO Kari Lake announced the large-scale reduction in force, aiming to improve the agency's functioning despite a federal judge blocking her from firing VOA director Michael Abramowitz, ruling his removal "plainly contrary to law." U.S. District Judge Royce Lamberth also criticized the Trump administration for failing to comply with orders to restore VOA's operations and has ordered Lake to sit for a deposition by mid-September. The job cuts affect not only VOA but also Radio Free Europe and Radio Free Asia, drawing condemnation from agency employees who have sued to block the layoffs. These employees described Lake's actions as "attacks" on the agency and are awaiting her testimony to determine if the dismantling plan followed required congressional review. Since President Trump's return to office in January, federal funding for VOA has been reduced significantly, escalating tensions around the broadcaster’s future.