Hundreds of Voice of America Staff Laid Off

Hundreds of Voice of America employees received layoff notices this week, effectively shutting down the news outlet that had been in service providing American-produced news and info around the world since WWII. Among the 639 employees let go were employees of VOA's persian-language service who had been brought back from administrative leave a week ago following Israel's bombardment of Iran. All told, 1,400 people have been let go from VOA and its parent agency. Kari Lake, the Trump II administration appointee overseeing the agency, blasted it as a "bloated, unaccountable bureaucracy ... riddled with dysfunction, bias, and waste. That ends now."