Judge orders Trump administration to restore 1,000 Voice of America jobs and resume broadcasts

A federal judge ruled Tuesday that the Trump administration must reinstate over 1,000 Voice of America workers and resume international broadcasts, finding that the official overseeing the layoffs was unlawfully appointed. The decision invalidates the mass job cuts at the U.S. government's international news organization, which had been a major component of the administration's broader effort to reduce federal workforce spending. The judge determined the appointee lacked proper legal authority to authorize the dismissals, a technical but consequential finding that affects one of America's primary tools for international public diplomacy. The administration must now submit a plan for restoring VOA's broadcast operations, which had been substantially curtailed following the layoffs. The ruling represents a significant legal setback for Trump's restructuring agenda at the agency.