Judge orders more than 1,000 Voice of America employees to be reinstated

A Republican-appointed federal judge has ordered the reinstatement of more than 1,000 Voice of America employees who were laid off following a Trump administration order that effectively shut down the radio network. US District Judge Royce Lamberth ruled in two separate decisions Tuesday that attempts to dismantle the US Agency for Global Media, the independent federal agency overseeing VOA, are illegal and ordered workers back by March 23. The ruling represents a significant legal setback for the administration's efforts to shut down the government-funded broadcaster, which operates globally and is intended to provide news outside authoritarian media controls. Judge Lamberth's decision means the agency and its operations must continue functioning during what is likely to be ongoing litigation over the administration's authority to eliminate the broadcaster. The case will likely proceed to appeals as the Trump administration contests the judge's authority and reasoning.