US judge blocks Trump’s shutdown of government-funded radio broadcasts

By Dietrich Knauth

NEW YORK (Reuters) -A federal judge ordered U.S. President Donald Trump’s administration on Tuesday to halt its efforts to shut down government-funded radio broadcasts of Voice of America, Radio Free Asia and Middle East Broadcasting Networks.

U.S. District Judge Royce Lamberth, who is overseeing six lawsuits from employees and contractors affected by the shutdown of U.S. Agency for Global Media, ordered the Trump administration to “take all necessary steps” to restore employees and contractors to their positions and resume broadcasts. USAGM placed over 1,000 employees on leave after abruptly shutting down the broadcasts in March.

Congress has funded and authorized the broadcasts to provide an “accurate, objective, and comprehensive” source of news in other nations, according to Lamberth’s opinion.

(Reporting by Dietrich Knauth; Editing by Chris Reese and Richard Chang)