Overview

• Acting CEO Kari Lake announced a reduction in force eliminating 532 full-time federal positions across USAGM and Voice of America.
• A court filing outlined plans to issue notices to 486 VOA employees and 46 others while retaining 158 USAGM and 108 VOA staff.
• U.S. District Judge Royce Lamberth said firing Abramowitz would be plainly contrary to law and ordered Lake to sit for a deposition by Sept. 15.
• Employee plaintiffs said the notices give roughly 30 days before pay and benefits end, and the VOA union condemned the action as unlawful.
• VOA’s output has contracted from 49 languages to four after months of curtailed operations, even as USAGM continues to oversee RFE/RL, RFA, MBN and Radio Marti.