VOA's Iran mess

Amid a historic flashpoint in the Middle East, the Voice of America has broadcast just 75 minutes of content targeted to its audience in Iran over the last 72 hours, a source familiar with its schedule said.

• ⏱️ The programming was limited to just one show for around 30 minutes Sunday morning and another for around 45 minutes Monday morning, the source said.
• Before the Trump administration's efforts to gut funding for USAGM and its outlets, the VOA broadcast 24/7 for its Iranian audience.

Why it matters: Lawmakers are growing concerned that what was once considered the country's greatest soft power weapon against authoritarian regimes has been sloppily gutted for political points.

Driving the news: Kari Lake, special adviser to VOA's parent U.S. Agency for Global Media, last week said termination notices were sent to 639 employees at USAGM and VOA.

• Those cuts bring the total workforce across USAGM, VOA and the Office of Cuba Broadcasting to just 250.
• Other USAGM broadcasters, such as Radio Free Asia and Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty, have also been gutted.

Between the lines: Lawmakers have been particularly rattled by the situation at VOA Persian and are worried Lake's handling has been sloppy.

• In March, Lake and USAGM announced plans to shutter VOA, but the agency recalled around 30 staffers in May, including a few from the VOA Persian team.
• A few weeks later, USAGM terminated 50 VOA Persian journalists and production staff. But by June, Lake's plans changed.

Zoom in: After Israel attacked Iran, USAGM recalled roughly 75 terminated staff, including the roughly 40 federal employees in the VOA Persian division.

• Lake lauded their efforts, telling Fox News: "History is being made, and VOA Persian news service is rising to the occasion to cover it. ... We are ramping up — as we've always planned to do — to meet this historic moment."
• A week later, USAGM terminated most of the VOA Persian staffers she recently recalled.

✂️ What they're saying: "It was shortsighted to cut all of these kinds of media that tell our American story and give light to the people living in these tyrannical regimes. The VOA is now needed for Iran," Rep. Don Bacon (R-Neb.) posted on X.

• 🎁 "Kari Lake's actions are a gift to Iran's Supreme Leader, the CCP and the Kremlin," Sen. Jeanne Shaheen (D-N.H.) wrote last week. "Her decimation of US broadcasting leaves authoritarian propaganda unchecked by US backed independent media and is a perversion of the law and congressional intent. It is a dark day for the truth."

The big picture: The government is embroiled in lawsuits from VOA employees who argue that USAGM's efforts to gut the agency illegally undermine Congress' appropriations for the broadcaster.

• On Monday, a district judge overseeing those cases scolded the government for the lack of information submitted to the court about its plans to comply with statutory obligations for running USAGM and VOA.

⚖️ What's next: Lake is expected to testify about her handling of USAGM on Wednesday before the House Foreign Affairs Committee.