U.S. ends funding for Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty operating from Prague

The U.S. government is ending funding for Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty (RFE/RL), headquartered in Prague, and scaling back Voice of America operations, according to Reuters. The move follows President Donald Trump’s directive to reduce the U.S. Agency for Global Media (USAGM) to the legal minimum, citing federal workforce reductions. Most Voice of America staff have been placed on administrative leave. Critics, including the Committee to Protect Journalists, warned the decision undermines press freedom in countries with restricted media. Billionaire Elon Musk, a Trump ally, had called for the shutdown, claiming the media were “insanely left-wing.”