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3w ago

Appeals Court Blocks VOA Staff Reinstatement Amid Partial Operations Resumption

A federal court has stayed parts of a ruling ordering the reinstatement of Voice of America employees, delaying full operations as phased programming returns next week.

The Voice of America building in June 2020 in Washington, DC.
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A view of the Voice of America (VOA) building, a day after more than 1,300 of the employees of the media broadcaster, which operates in almost 50 languages, were placed on leave in Washington, D.C., U.S. March 16, 2025. REUTERS/Annabelle Gordon/File Photo
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Overview

  • Voice of America staff were informed by the Department of Justice that a phased return to the office and programming resumption is expected to begin next week.
  • A federal appeals court on Saturday blocked a lower court ruling that had ordered the reinstatement of over 1,000 VOA employees, creating uncertainty about full operational restoration.
  • The appeals court's decision allows limited programming to resume but maintains a freeze on funding for affiliated broadcasters like Radio Free Europe and Radio Free Asia.
  • The shutdown, initiated by a March executive order from President Trump, marked the first time in VOA's 80-year history that its operations ceased entirely.
  • VOA journalists and experts warn that significant effort will be required to rebuild the broadcaster's capacity and audience after nearly two months off-air.