Federal judge orders Trump administration to reinstate over 1,000 Voice of America employees who were laid off following an unlawful appointment.

Federal judge orders Trump administration to reinstate over 1,000 Voice of America employees who were laid off following an unlawful appointment. District Judge Royce Lamberth ruled that Kari Lake's appointment to head the US Agency for Global Media was invalid, making the job cuts illegal. The judge ordered reinstatement by March 23 and demanded a plan to resume international broadcasts within one week. Lake, a former TV anchor, had slashed jobs and funding across VOA and other government media outlets. The Trump administration plans to appeal the ruling. VOA, established after World War II, serves as a critical instrument of American soft power globally and operates with editorial independence from government interference.