A federal appeals court ruled on Saturday to block a decision from a lower court that would have allowed the Voice of America (VOA) to resume broadcasting. This decision was a result of an executive order issued by US President Donald Trump which significantly reduced the funding and capabilities of the network. Consequently, the US Agency for Global Media (USAGM), which oversees VOA, had placed more than a thousand employees on leave and dismissed six hundred contractors.
Trump’s executive order was subject to legal challenge, prompting US District Judge Royce Lamberth to order the Trump administration to “take all necessary steps” to reinstate VOA employees and contractors. However, in a 2-1 decision, the federal appeals court issued a stay on Judge Lamberth’s ruling, stating that he lacked the authority to mandate the return to work of VOA employees. US Circuit Judge Cornelia Pillard dissented, warning that the ruling could effectively disband the network before the legal case is fully settled.
These legal developments come despite reports that suggested VOA was planning to resume operations in the following week. Media watchdog Reporters Without Borders had indicated that VOA staff may start working again as early as the next week, based on discussions between its lawyers and the Department of Justice. Kari Lake, a former broadcaster appointed by Trump to oversee USAGM, welcomed the decision, praising it as a significant win for President Trump and the principles outlined in Article II.
Source: https://www.dw.com/en/us-appeals-court-blocks-ruling-returning-voa-staff-to-work/a-72428334?maca=en-rss-en-all-1573-rdf
