October 5, 2026 · Personnel, Competence & Administrative Failure

Well supported

State Department Watchdog Finds USAGM Botched Layoffs, Spent $3.2 Million Biweekly on Idle Staff

The State Department's inspector general found that USAGM's 2025 layoffs were carried out without analyzing their cost or effect on the agency's mission, Government Executive reported Oct. 5. In June 2025, USAGM sent...

October 5, 2026 · Personnel, Competence & Administrative Failure

Confirmed

GAO Finds State Department Canceled Nearly $3 Billion in Foreign Aid Without Tracking the Fallout

A Government Accountability Office report released in early October 2026 found the State Department canceled roughly 4,300 foreign assistance awards -- about 25% of its portfolio, worth nearly $3 billion -- as of March...

June 20, 2025 · Information Integrity, Press & Democratic Norms

Confirmed

Kari Lake Sends Layoff Notices to 639 Voice of America Staff, Cutting Roughly 85% of the Workforce

On June 20, 2025, Kari Lake, the senior adviser running the U.S. Agency for Global Media, issued 639 reduction-in-force notices to Voice of America employees, effective September 1. Combined with earlier actions, the...