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V.O.A. Reporters Are Set to Return to Work, but Court Ruling Clouds Next Steps

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V.O.A. Reporters Are Set to Return to Work, but Court Ruling Clouds Next Steps

Voice of America, which for eight decades brought news to corners of the globe where reliable journalism was scarce, went dark in March after the Trump administration cut its funding and put its workers on leave.

But next week, journalists for the organization, a U.S.-funded international news broadcaster, are expected to return to work, its director said, after a decision in federal district court ordering it to resume programming.

The director, Mike Abramowitz, said in an email to his staff on Friday that the Justice Department had alerted Voice of America that the broadcaster’s access to its computer systems was being restored. The email was obtained by The New York Times.

“I am seeking further details, and I will share them as soon as possible,” Mr. Abramowitz wrote. “But on the face of it, this news is a positive development.”

That appeared to be complicated on Saturday, when a federal appeals court paused the parts of the lower court’s order that required the Trump administration to restore funding for the agency that finances Voice of America.

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The appeals court, in Washington, D.C., wrote that it was leaving in place the portion of the ruling that ordered the government to revive Voice of America’s “statutorily required programming levels.”

But a dissenting judge, Cornelia Pillard of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit, predicted that the decision would leave deep staff cuts in place and result in the “silencing” of Voice of America “for the foreseeable future.”

A coalition representing Voice of America journalists said that it was reviewing the decision. “In the meantime, Voice of America must continue to resume programming,” the statement said.

Voice of America, founded in 1942 to combat Nazi propaganda, was broadcasting in 49 languages to an estimated 360 million people around the world before President Trump moved to mute its airwaves.

The broadcaster had long been seen as a vital tool in America’s efforts to promote democracy globally, and it transmitted news into countries such as Russia and Iran, where press freedoms were limited.

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Mr. Trump has accused Voice of America of being biased against him and branded it the “voice of radical America.” He issued an executive order in mid-March to dismantle the U.S. Agency for Global Media, the congressionally chartered agency that funds Voice of America and other government-supported international news outlets.

The order targeted parts of the federal bureaucracy that the president had determined to be “unnecessary,” it said. Almost immediately, Voice of America’s roughly 1,300 workers were sent home. The network’s radio transmitters were cut, and its wire services were terminated.

A battle in the courts followed, with Voice of America and other federally funded news outlets arguing that Mr. Trump lacked the power to withdraw funding that had been authorized by Congress.

Last week, Royce C. Lamberth, a federal judge in Washington, D.C., who was appointed by former President Ronald Reagan, agreed. He issued a temporary order requiring the administration to restore funding for Voice of America. The administration appealed the ruling.

The issue remains unsettled. The federal appeals court has left in place the ruling requiring the administration to allow Voice of America to resume its news programming. But the appeals court said that the administration could continue, for now, to withhold funding from three broadcasters under the umbrella of the Agency for Global Media: Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty, Radio Free Asia and Middle East Broadcasting Networks.

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Voice of America is a government entity, unlike the other three broadcasters, which are federally funded private nonprofits.

Mr. Trump has installed one of his loyalists, Kari Lake, a former news anchor and Senate candidate from Arizona, to advise the Agency for Global Media. In an email on Saturday, Ms. Lake said that she had always intended to “bring V.O.A. into the 21st century.”

She added that “frivolous litigation” had slowed her efforts to “streamline” Voice of America, but that she looked forward to “effectively telling America’s story to a worldwide audience.”

In court papers, journalists for Voice of America said the Trump administration had engaged in the “wholesale” dismantling of the broadcaster by “ordering virtually the entire staff not to report to work, turning off the service and locking the agency’s doors.”

On Friday evening, Voice of America’s lawyers received the email from the Justice Department indicating that the government was following Judge Lamberth’s order, Mr. Abramowitz told his staff.

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It was unclear if the appeals court ruling on Saturday would affect the government’s plans. Ms. Lake said in an email that she was reviewing the decision.

Peter Baker contributed reporting.

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Video: Democrats Confront RFK Jr. on Vaccines and Health Care Fraud

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Video: Democrats Confront RFK Jr. on Vaccines and Health Care Fraud

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Democrats Confront RFK Jr. on Vaccines and Health Care Fraud

Lawmakers confronted Robert F. Kennedy Jr. on vaccine messaging and the Trump administration’s handling of health care fraud. The health secretary was also criticized over comments he made about psychiatric medications and Black children, which he denied.

“A deadly measles outbreak in Texas killed an unvaccinated 6-year-old, the first such death in a decade. Do you agree with the majority of doctors that the measles vaccine could have saved that child’s life in Texas?” “It’s possible, certainly.” “President Trump approved your decision to end the C.D.C.’S pro-vaccine public messaging campaign?” “We’ve done better at preventing —” “That’s not answering my question. You suspended this pro-vaccine messaging campaign, but somehow you’re spending taxpayer dollars to drink milk shirtless in a hot tub with Kid Rock.” “Our nation has a long and painful history of separating Black children from their families. During slavery, Black children were taken from their parents and sold with no regard for their humanity. When you suggested re-parenting Black children, when you sow doubt about the safety of vaccines and when you promote unproven statements that have no basis in science, you endanger the lives of everyone across this nation.” “If we’re going to pursue fraudsters, it’s not just the people who might make simple, honest mistakes that could be corrected. It’s the people at the top that help to perpetuate this fraud. And the administration’s position seems to be that it’s only the recipients and not the providers that commit fraud. We want an even-handed approach to these fraud investigations, including those whose schemes have cost the American taxpayers hundreds of millions of dollars.”

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Lawmakers confronted Robert F. Kennedy Jr. on vaccine messaging and the Trump administration’s handling of health care fraud. The health secretary was also criticized over comments he made about psychiatric medications and Black children, which he denied.

By Jorge Mitssunaga

April 16, 2026

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Tennessee governor signs nuclear family month resolution as critics push back on exclusions

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Tennessee governor signs nuclear family month resolution as critics push back on exclusions

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Tennessee Gov. Bill Lee has signed a resolution declaring June Nuclear Family Month as an alternative to the usual LGBTQ+ Pride Month.

Lee, a Republican, signed House Joint Resolution 182 April 9 after it passed the House in April 2025 and the Senate last month.

The legislation highlights the importance of celebrating the traditional family unit, described as “consisting of one husband, one wife, and any biological, adopted, or fostered children.”

“The nuclear family is under attack in our beloved State and nation, and it is our responsibility to uplift, protect, and support values that help Tennessee prosper,” the resolution adds.

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NASHVILLE TEACHER HAS RECORD CLEARED AFTER REFUSING TO READ SAME-SEX MARRIAGE BOOK TO FIRST-GRADERS

Tennessee Gov. Bill Lee signed a resolution declaring June “Nuclear Family Month,” promoting traditional family structures as an alternative to Pride Month. (Getty Images)

A spokesperson for the governor did not immediately respond to Fox News Digital’s request for comment.

LGBTQ+ advocacy groups have begun to speak out against the resolution, and a representative for GLAAD gave Fox News Digital its opinion on the bill.

OHIO TEACHER SUES HIGH SCHOOL FOR DEMANDING HE REMOVE LGBT POSTER INSIDE CLASSROOM

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LGBTQ community members hold flags and placards during a rally. (Roy De La Cruz/SOPA Images/LightRocket via Getty Images)

“The strongest families are grounded in love, not legislative definitions. It is disturbing to see lawmakers use their platform to intentionally exclude their own constituents,” the organization wrote in a statement.

“Instead of drafting resolutions that aim to divide Tennessee families, Gov. Lee should be focused on building a state where every family is treated fairly, and every child has the opportunity to succeed.”

The news of the legislation comes a few days after the pride flag at Stonewall National Monument’s federal flagpole in New York City, a well-known symbol for the LGBTQ+ community, was restored after a two-month legal battle and settlement with the Trump administration.

Tennessee Gov. Bill Lee responds to questions during a news conference Tuesday, April 11, 2023, in Nashville, Tenn. (George Walker IV/AP)

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“This is a victory for the LGBTQ+ community and for our entire city,” Mayor Zohran Mamdani wrote in an X post Monday. “It’s a reminder that New Yorkers won’t let our history be rewritten.

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“Our administration will keep working to ensure LGBTQ+ New Yorkers can live safely and with dignity in our city.”

Fox News Digital’s Ashley J. DiMella contributed to this report.

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Hegseth recites ‘Pulp Fiction’ speech at Pentagon prayer service

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Hegseth recites ‘Pulp Fiction’ speech at Pentagon prayer service

Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, leading a Pentagon prayer meeting, quoted a fictional bible verse taken from a violent monologue in Quentin Tarantino’s 1994 film “Pulp Fiction,” originally delivered by actor Samuel L. Jackson just before his character shoots a helpless man to death.

The secretary used the prayer to frame the war in Iran as an act of divine justice, the same justification Jackson’s character cites in the film before pulling the trigger.

Hegseth told the audience at a monthly Pentagon worship service held Wednesday that he learned the prayer from the lead mission planner of a team called “Sandy 1,” which recently rescued downed Air Force crew members in Iran.

Hegseth said the verse is frequently spoken by combat search-and-rescue crews, who call the prayer “CSAR 25:17, which I think is meant to reflect Ezekiel 25:17” from the Bible.

“And I will strike down upon thee with great vengeance and furious anger those who attempt to capture and destroy my brother,” Hegseth recited. “And you will know my call sign is Sandy 1, when I lay my vengeance upon thee.”

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The infamous Ezekiel 25:17 speech from “Pulp Fiction” is almost entirely a screenwriter’s creation; only the final refrain is loosely inspired by the actual biblical verse. The majority of the monologue in Tarantino’s film is adapted from the opening of the 1976 Japanese martial arts film “The Bodyguard,” with action star Sonny Chiba.

Hegseth’s minute-long prayer closely followed those scripts, with only the last two lines resembling language from the Bible. In Hegseth’s version, he replaced “and they shall know that I am the Lord,” from the book of Ezekiel with the call sign for a U.S. A-10 Warthog aircraft.

Chief Pentagon Spokesman Sean Parnell said some outlets accused Hegseth of mistaking Jackson’s Golden Globe-winning performance with actual scripture, and called that narrative “fake news.”

“Secretary Hegseth on Wednesday shared a custom prayer, referenced as the CSAR prayer, used by the brave warfighters of Sandy-1 who led the daylight rescue mission of Dude 44 Alpha out of Iran, which was obviously inspired by dialogue in Pulp Fiction,” Parnell wrote on X. “However, both the CSAR prayer and the dialogue in Pulp Fiction were reflections of the verse Ezekiel 25:17, as Secretary Hegseth clearly said in his remarks at the prayer service. Anyone saying the Secretary misquoted Ezekiel 25:17 is peddling fake news and ignorant of reality.”

“Pulp Fiction” co-writer Roger Avary, who shared the Academy Award for Original Screenplay with Tarantino, weighed in Thursday, posting on X: “I am perfectly fine with @SecWar
quoting Jules in Pulp Fiction if it keeps bullets from hitting our soldiers.”

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Hegseth has frequently used his prayer sessions to call for violence in the ongoing Iran war. In last month’s sermon, he asked God to “grant this task force clear and righteous targets for violence.”

The services are not mandatory, a senior defense analyst with knowledge of Pentagon operations told The Times, but some who work closely with Hegseth’s office feel an “implied pressure” to attend and “fill seats.”

The effect — some feel — is less attention on the Pentagon’s wartime efforts, and more on supporting political stunts, according to the source, who is not authorized to speak to the media and requested anonymity.

“We have managers and leaders that are missing mission critical work to go listen to ‘Pulp Fiction’ quotes,” the source said. “It delays our ability to make operational, mission related war-fighting decisions.”

The prayer came amid an ongoing clash between the Trump administration and Pope Leo XIV, who has spoken out in recent weeks against the U.S.-Israeli war in Iran. Statements from the Vatican were met with a series of reprisals from President Trump, who said he doesn’t “want a pope” who criticizes the president of the United States.

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On Thursday, the pope released a statement against military leaders who conflate war with divinity.

“Woe to those who manipulate religion and the very name of God for their own military, economic, and political gain, dragging that which is sacred into darkness and filth,” he said.

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