Judge Restores Voice of America in Landmark Ruling Against Trump Administration Cuts

A federal judge blocked the Trump administration from terminating Voice of America, a historic international news service. The ruling mandates restoring its broadcasting capabilities and funding, ensuring its role as a global unbiased news source. The decision highlights the media's significance in advancing democracy and countering misinformation.

A federal judge has intervened to prevent the Trump administration from dismantling Voice of America, an esteemed news service founded during World War II. This judicial decision counters the administration's attempt to cut operations and funding, aiming to preserve the service's longstanding mission of broadcasting impartial news worldwide.

Judge Royce Lamberth's ruling, announced on Tuesday, challenges the administration's cuts as illegal, demanding the restoration of funding for Voice of America and two other networks under the US Agency for Global Media's purview. This decision underlines the critical role these networks play in delivering credible news to areas lacking press freedom.

The labor union for USAGM employees praised the court's decision, calling it a robust endorsement of independent journalism in supporting democracy and battling disinformation. Tom Yazdgerdi, president of the American Foreign Service Association, emphasized the importance of these networks as essential tools of American soft power.

(With inputs from agencies.)