International
A judge orders the Trump Government to restore Voice of America services
A US federal judge ordered this Tuesday to the government of President Donald Trump to restore the services of the government-funded media, Voice of America (VOA), which for more than 80 years provided information.
In his decision, Judge Royce Lamberth of the District of Columbia said that the dismantling of the American Global Media Agency (USAGM), which finances VOA and other media, was probably illegal and violated the Constitution.
“The government’s reluctance to spend funds in accordance with the congressional allocation laws constitutes a direct affront to the legislative power,” said the magistrate.
In the 37-page ruling, the judge said that the Trump Administration’s decision on the USAGM was “arbitrary and capricious.”
The US Executive must immediately return the work to all VOA employees and contractors. It must also defrost the financing of other affiliated networks, such as Radio Free Asia and Middle East Broadcasting Networks.
VOA’s programming must be restored and all the functions of USAGM so that its international media can “offer consistently reliable, reliable, accurate, objective and complete news,” the judge’s order states.
The organization had an annual budget of approximately 270 million dollars, had more than 2,000 employees, and broadcast in 49 languages. Its weekly audience exceeded more than 361 million people, according to The New York Times.
Trump has been very critical of this agency since his first term (2017 – 2021) and last March he signed the executive order that asked the directors of the agencies to eliminate all functions that are not legally established and reduce “the performance of their statutory functions and the associated personnel to the minimum required by law.”
“This order continues the reduction of elements of the federal bureaucracy that the president has determined to be unnecessary,” notes the edict signed on March 14 by the US president.
In this sense, Judge Lamberth has said that the dismantling of USAGM and its dependencies has even violated Trump’s own order.
“They took immediate and drastic measures to cut drastically… without considering their legal or constitutional functions, as required by the clear language of the Executive Order, and without considering the damage inflicted on employees, contractors, journalists and media consumers around the world,” the ruling stressed.
International
Kristi Noem credits Trump for mass migrant deportations by mexican president
U.S. Secretary of Homeland Security Kristi Noem claimed that Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum has deported “more than half a million” migrants due to pressure from former President Donald Trump.
During a cabinet meeting highlighting the “achievements” of Trump’s administration in its first 100 days, Noem asserted that under the Republican leader’s influence, “Mexico has finally come to the table” to negotiate on migration and fentanyl trafficking.
“The president of Mexico told me she has returned just over half a million people before they reached our border,” Noem stated, criticizing media reports that suggest the Biden administration deported more migrants than Trump’s.
“I wish those deportations were counted,” Noem added, “because those people never made it to our border—she sent them back because you made her.” She went on to thank Trump: “They never made it here because they got the message—because you were so aggressive.”
Noem has made controversial claims about Sheinbaum in the past, prompting the Mexican leader to refute them.
On April 1, Sheinbaum responded to one such statement by declaring, “The president answers to only one authority, and that is the people of Mexico,” after Noem said on Fox News that she gave Sheinbaum “a list of things Trump would like to see” and that Mexico’s actions would determine whether Trump granted tariff relief.
International
Vatican releases special “Sede Vacante” stamps ahead of papal transition
he Vatican’s post offices and select collector shops began selling special edition stamps this week to mark the period between the death of Pope Francis and the election of his successor.
Known as “Sede Vacante” stamps, they feature an image used on official Vatican documents during the interregnum between popes — two crossed keys without the papal tiara. These stamps went on sale Monday and will remain valid for postal use only until the new pontiff appears at the window overlooking St. Peter’s Square.
Until then, they can be used to send letters, postcards, and parcels. “Once the new pope is elected, the stamps lose their postal validity, but their collectible value rises,” said Francesco Santarossa, who runs a collectors’ shop across from St. Peter’s Square.
The Vatican has issued the stamps in four denominations: €1.25, €1.30, €2.45, and €3.20. Each is inscribed with “Città del Vaticano” and “Sede Vacante MMXXV” — Latin for “Vacant See 2025.”
International
Conclave to choose pope Francis’ successor could begin in early may
The conclave, which in the coming weeks must choose the successor to Pope Francis, will strictly follow a precise protocol refined over centuries.
The 135 cardinal electors, all under the age of 80, will cast their votes four times a day — except on the first day — until one candidate secures a two-thirds majority. The result will be announced to the world through the burning of the ballots with a chemical that produces the eagerly awaited white smoke, accompanied by the traditional cry of “Habemus Papam.”
The start date for the conclave could be announced today, as the cardinals are set to hold their fifth meeting since the pope’s passing. Luxembourg Cardinal Jean-Claude Hollerich suggested it could begin on May 5 or 6, following the traditional nine days of mourning. According to German Cardinal Reinhard Marx, the conclave could last only “a few days.”
Although the late Argentine pontiff appointed the majority of the cardinal electors, this does not necessarily ensure the selection of a like-minded successor. Francis’ leadership style differed significantly from that of his predecessor, Benedict XVI, a German theologian who was less fond of large public gatherings. It also marked a contrast with the popular Polish pope, John Paul II.
The Argentine Jesuit’s reformist papacy drew strong criticism from more conservative sectors of the Church, who are hoping for a doctrinally focused shift. His tenure was marked by efforts to combat clerical sexual abuse, elevate the role of women and laypeople, and advocate for the poor and migrants, among other causes.
Kristi Noem credits Trump for mass migrant deportations by mexican president
Vatican releases special “Sede Vacante” stamps ahead of papal transition
Conclave to choose pope Francis’ successor could begin in early may
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