Trump to face this as US judge temporarily restrict him

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On Friday, a US federal judge ordered President Donald Trump to temporarily halt efforts to shut down Voice of America, preventing the government from firing 1,300 journalists and other staff members who had been suddenly placed on leave earlier this month.

District Judge J. Paul Oetken, in his opinion, ruled that the Trump administration could not unilaterally end Voice of America and related radio programs that were approved and funded by Congress.

He stated that withdrawing funds for those programs would require approval from Congress.

Oetken did not mandate the resumption of broadcasts but ruled that employees should not be dismissed until further court proceedings determine whether the shutdown violated federal law by being arbitrary and capricious.

“This is a decisive victory for press freedom and the First Amendment, and a sharp rebuke to an administration that has shown utter disregard for the principles that define our democracy,” said Andrew Celli, an attorney for the plaintiffs.

At the time of reporting, the US Agency for Global Media, which oversees Voice of America, Radio Free Europe, and other government-funded media outlets, had not issued any comment on the ruling.

Court documents filed by the plaintiffs indicated that the agency had informed unions of plans to terminate 623 Voice of America employees, which would effectively end any attempt to continue broadcasts at the level Congress had intended.

Voice of America was established during World War II to counter Nazi propaganda and has since evolved into an international broadcaster, operating in over 40 languages and delivering US news to countries without a free press.

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