Radio Free Asia, VOA Face Uncertain Future After U.S. Funding Cuts

Radio Free Asia (RFA) may halt operations after the U.S. government ended its federal grant funding. The decision follows an executive order by former President Donald Trump to cut non-statutory components of the U.S. Agency for Global Media (USAGM), which funds RFA and other independent news outlets. RFA President Bay Fang vowed to challenge the order, warning it benefits authoritarian regimes like China. Voice of America (VOA) also placed its entire staff on paid leave, though its future remains unclear. USAGM justified the closures, citing security concerns and internal failures.