Trump signs order to cut Voice of America, other agencies

Reuters

U.S. President Donald Trump signed an order cutting funding to Voice of America’s parent agency, forcing staff out.

U.S. President Donald Trump has signed an executive order aimed at significantly reducing the operations of the parent agency overseeing Voice of America (VOA) and six other federal entities. The move is part of his administration’s broader effort to shrink bureaucracy.

The order instructs these agencies—including ones that fund museums, libraries, and homelessness programs—to scale back to the bare minimum required by law.

VOA, which broadcasts in more than 40 languages online, on radio, and on television, is overseen by the U.S. Agency for Global Media, which also funds Radio Free Europe, Radio Liberty, and Radio Free Asia.

Hundreds of journalists and staff from these outlets received emails over the weekend informing them they would be barred from their offices and must surrender press passes, office phones, and other equipment.

Trump, who frequently clashed with VOA during his first term, has appointed former news anchor Kari Lake as its new director. A close ally of the president, Lake has repeatedly accused mainstream media of anti-Trump bias.

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