Latest news with #RadioMarti
Chicago Tribune
20-05-2025
- Business
- Chicago Tribune
Today in History: President Abraham Lincoln signs the Homestead Act
Today is Tuesday, May 20, the 140th day of 2025. There are 225 days left in the year. Today in history: On May 20, 1862, President Abraham Lincoln signed the Homestead Act, which was intended to encourage settlements west of the Mississippi River by making federal land available for private ownership and farming. About 10% of the land area of the United States (270 million acres) would be privatized by 1934. Also on this date: In 1927, Charles Lindbergh took off from Roosevelt Field on Long Island, New York, aboard the Spirit of St. Louis on his historic solo flight to France. In 1932, Amelia Earhart departed from Newfoundland in an attempt to become the first woman to fly solo across the Atlantic. (Because of weather and equipment problems, Earhart landed the following day in Northern Ireland instead of her intended destination, France.) In 1948, Chiang Kai-shek was elected as the first president of the Republic of China (Taiwan). In 1956, the United States exploded the first airborne hydrogen bomb over Bikini Atoll in the Pacific. In 1961, a white mob attacked a busload of Freedom Riders in Montgomery, Alabama, prompting the federal government to send in U.S. marshals to restore order. In 1969, U.S. and South Vietnamese forces captured Ap Bia Mountain, referred to as 'Hamburger Hill' by the Americans, following one of the bloodiest battles of the Vietnam War. In 1985, Radio Marti, operated by the U.S. government, began broadcasting. Cuba responded by attempting to jam its signal. In 2015, four of the world's biggest banks — JPMorgan Chase, Citigroup's banking unit Citicorp, Barclays and the Royal Bank of Scotland — agreed to pay more than $5 billion in penalties and plead guilty to rigging the currency markets. Today's Birthdays: Japanese baseball star Sadaharu Oh is 85. Singer-actor Cher is 79. Actor-comedian Dave Thomas is 76. Sen. Mike Crapo, a Republican from Idaho, is 74. Political commentator Ron Reagan is 67. Musician Jane Wiedlin (The Go-Go's) is 67. Actor Bronson Pinchot is 66. TV personality Ted Allen is 60. Actor Mindy Cohn is 59. Actor Timothy Olyphant is 57. Former racing driver Tony Stewart is 54. Rapper Busta Rhymes is 53. Actor Matt Czuchry is 48. Actor-singer Naturi Naughton is 41. Cyclist Chris Froome is 40. Country musician Jon Pardi is 40.
Boston Globe
20-05-2025
- Business
- Boston Globe
Today in History: May 20, Lincoln signs Homestead Act
Advertisement In 1862, President Abraham Lincoln signed the Homestead Act, which was intended to encourage settlements west of the Mississippi River by making federal land available for private ownership and farming. About 10 percent of the land area of the United States (270 million acres, or 1.1 million square km) would be privatized by 1934. In 1927, Charles Lindbergh took off from Roosevelt Field on Long Island, N.Y., aboard the Spirit of St. Louis on his historic solo flight to France. In 1932, Amelia Earhart departed from Newfoundland in an attempt to become the first woman to fly solo across the Atlantic. (Because of weather and equipment problems, Earhart landed the following day in Northern Ireland instead of her intended destination, France.) Advertisement In 1948, Chiang Kai-shek was elected as the first president of the Republic of China (Taiwan). In 1956, the United States exploded the first airborne hydrogen bomb over Bikini Atoll in the Pacific. In 1961, a white mob attacked a busload of Freedom Riders in Montgomery, Ala., prompting the federal government to send in US marshals to restore order. In 1969, US and South Vietnamese forces captured Ap Bia Mountain, referred to as 'Hamburger Hill' by the Americans, following one of the bloodiest battles of the Vietnam War. In 1985, Radio Marti, operated by the US government, began broadcasting. Cuba responded by attempting to jam its signal. In 1993, 'Cheers' aired its 275th and final episode. To celebrate one of the most popular shows in television history, the cast came to Boston. In 2015, four of the world's biggest banks — JPMorgan Chase, Citigroup's banking unit Citicorp, Barclays, and the Royal Bank of Scotland — agreed to pay more than $5 billion in penalties and plead guilty to rigging the currency markets.
San Francisco Chronicle
12-05-2025
- Business
- San Francisco Chronicle
Today in History: May 20, Lincoln signs Homestead Act
Today is Tuesday, May 20, the 140th day of 2025. There are 225 days left in the year. Today in history: On May 20, 1862, President Abraham Lincoln signed the Homestead Act, which was intended to encourage settlements west of the Mississippi River by making federal land available for private ownership and farming. About 10% of the land area of the United States (270 million acres, or 1.1 million square km) would be privatized by 1934. Also on this date: In 1927, Charles Lindbergh took off from Roosevelt Field on Long Island, New York, aboard the Spirit of St. Louis on his historic solo flight to France. In 1932, Amelia Earhart departed from Newfoundland in an attempt to become the first woman to fly solo across the Atlantic. (Because of weather and equipment problems, Earhart landed the following day in Northern Ireland instead of her intended destination, France.) In 1948, Chiang Kai-shek was elected as the first president of the Republic of China (Taiwan). In 1956, the United States exploded the first airborne hydrogen bomb over Bikini Atoll in the Pacific. In 1961, a white mob attacked a busload of Freedom Riders in Montgomery, Alabama, prompting the federal government to send in U.S. marshals to restore order. In 1969, U.S. and South Vietnamese forces captured Ap Bia Mountain, referred to as 'Hamburger Hill' by the Americans, following one of the bloodiest battles of the Vietnam War. In 1985, Radio Marti, operated by the U.S. government, began broadcasting. Cuba responded by attempting to jam its signal. In 2015, four of the world's biggest banks — JPMorgan Chase, Citigroup's banking unit Citicorp, Barclays and the Royal Bank of Scotland — agreed to pay more than $5 billion in penalties and plead guilty to rigging the currency markets. Today's Birthdays: Japanese baseball star Sadaharu Oh is 85. Singer-actor Cher is 79. Actor-comedian Dave Thomas is 76. Sen. Mike Crapo, a Republican from Idaho, is 74. Political commentator Ron Reagan is 67. Musician Jane Wiedlin (The Go-Go's) is 67. Actor Bronson Pinchot is 66. TV personality Ted Allen is 60. Actor Mindy Cohn is 59. Actor Timothy Olyphant is 57. Former racing driver Tony Stewart is 54. Rapper Busta Rhymes is 53. Actor Matt Czuchry (zoo-KREE') is 48. Actor-singer Naturi Naughton is 41. Cyclist Chris Froome is 40. Country musician Jon Pardi is 40.
CNN
29-03-2025
- Politics
- CNN
Judge says he'll grant a restraining order to temporarily protect Voice of America
A federal judge sided with silenced Voice of America journalists on Friday, the latest setback for President Trump's push to shut down US government-funded international broadcasters. US District Court Judge J. Paul Oetken issued a temporary restraining order meant to block any further efforts to terminate VOA. The judge found that the executive branch 'is usurping Congress's power of the purse and its legislative supremacy' by scrapping a congressionally chartered agency. The restraining order means that the judge believes the VOA journalists are likely to prevail on the merits of the case. Andrew G. Celli Jr., an attorney for the VOA journalists who filed suit, said that 'this is a decisive victory for press freedom and the First Amendment, and a sharp rebuke to an Administration that has shown utter disregard for the principles that define our democracy.' For now Voice of America is still offline and off the air, but Celli said 'we are prepared for the next battle,' and other lawsuits against the shutdown are looming. Trump said two weeks ago that he wanted VOA's parent, the U.S. Agency for Global Media, eliminated 'to the maximum extent consistent with applicable law.' His pick to run VOA, failed Arizona gubernatorial and US Senate candidate Kari Lake, immediately put VOA's entire workforce on administrative leave and pulled funding from every other US-backed broadcaster. But now the law is catching up, and many of the initial impacts have been reversed, at least for the time being. This week Radio Marti, which broadcasts into Cuba, resumed radio and TV transmissions after dozens of employees at the government's Office of Cuba Broadcasting were allowed back to work. A few dozen other US Agency for Global Media employees have also been brought back from administrative leave as Lake and her allies figure out next steps, including laying off some of the people currently on leave. The Trump administration decided to take drastic action against the broadcasters – like turning off Radio Marti altogether – and then piece things back together. At least two judges have ruled against the administration and lent support to the embattled networks, which have enjoyed bipartisan support for decades up until now. Other than Voice of America and Radio Marti, the US-backed broadcasters are private, nonprofit entities that rely on grant money from the government, but have a degree of separation. Lake tried to terminate the grants, and three of the networks filed suit to stop her. The first network to sue, Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty, or RFE/RL for short, was granted a temporary restraining order by a judge earlier this week. The agency subsequently said it would restore some funding. It notified the Open Technology Fund, which also sued, of the same intent. But staffers at the networks, who spoke with CNN on the condition of anonymity, said they expect the Trump administration to keep trying to pull the proverbial plugs. 'We're all just wondering what their next moves will be,' one of the staffers said. Keeping the networks on the air and online is what 'Congress intended,' RFE/RL CEO Steve Capus said in a statement Thursday. Capus indicated that Lake has not been in touch with network leadership – a point also emphasized by sources at other US-backed broadcasters. 'We are eager to speak directly with USAGM leadership about the extraordinary and cost-effective work that RFE/RL performs for the American people,' Capus said. On Friday, RFE/RL said it would continue to pursue its court case while awaiting the promised funding. Another broadcaster, Radio Free Asia, filed a lawsuit Thursday, with the hope that the suit will trigger the restoration of its funds, too. Given all the uncertainty, the broadcasters are operating in diminished fashion right now. A notice on Radio Free Asia's home page notes that 'we are now operating with fewer staff.' Furloughs are also set to take effect at Radio Free Europe. The broadcasters provide news and current affairs coverage around the world, particularly in countries that are saturated by propaganda and starved for independent news coverage. Radio Free Asia CEO Bay Fang said her network 'remains committed to fulfilling its Congressional mandate of providing a voice that counters the propaganda of the Chinese Communist Party and other authoritarian regimes in Asia.'
Yahoo
28-03-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Judge says he'll grant a restraining order to temporarily protect Voice of America
A federal judge sided with silenced Voice of America journalists on Friday, the latest setback for President Trump's push to shut down U.S. government-funded international broadcasters. US District Court Judge J. Paul Oetken said he would issue a temporary restraining order meant to block any further efforts to terminate VOA. Andrew G. Celli Jr., an attorney for the VOA journalists who filed suit, said 'this is a decisive victory for press freedom and the First Amendment, and a sharp rebuke to an Administration that has shown utter disregard for the principles that define our democracy.' For now Voice of America is still offline and off the air, but Celli said 'we are prepared for the next battle,' and other lawsuits against the shutdown are looming. Trump said two weeks ago that he wanted VOA's parent, the U.S. Agency for Global Media, eliminated 'to the maximum extent consistent with applicable law.' His pick to run VOA, failed Arizona gubernatorial and U.S. Senate candidate Kari Lake, immediately put VOA's entire workforce on administrative leave and pulled funding from every other U.S.-backed broadcaster. But now the law is catching up, and many of the initial impacts have been reversed, at least for the time being. This week Radio Marti, which broadcasts into Cuba, resumed radio and TV transmissions after dozens of employees at the government's Office of Cuba Broadcasting were allowed back to work. A few dozen other U.S. Agency for Global Media employees have also been brought back from administrative leave as Lake and her allies figure out next steps, including laying off some of the people currently on leave. The Trump administration decided to take drastic action against the broadcasters – like turning off Radio Marti altogether – and then piece things back together. At least two judges have ruled against the administration and lent support to the embattled networks, which have enjoyed bipartisan support for decades up until now. Other than Voice of America and Radio Marti, the U.S.-backed broadcasters are private, nonprofit entities that rely on grant money from the government, but have a degree of separation. Lake tried to terminate the grants, and three of the networks filed suit to stop her. The first network to sue, Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty, or RFE/RL for short, was granted a temporary restraining order by a judge earlier this week. The agency subsequently said it would restore some funding. It notified the Open Technology Fund, which also sued, of the same intent. But staffers at the networks, who spoke with CNN on condition of anonymity, said they expect the Trump administration to keep trying to pull the proverbial plugs. 'We're all just wondering what their next moves will be,' one of the staffers said. Keeping the networks on the air and online is what 'Congress intended,' RFE/RL CEO Steve Capus said in a statement Thursday. Capus indicated that Lake has not been in touch with network leadership – a point also emphasized by sources at other U.S.-backed broadcasters. 'We are eager to speak directly with USAGM leadership about the extraordinary and cost-effective work that RFE/RL performs for the American people,' Capus said. On Friday RFE/RL said it would continue to pursue its court case while awaiting the promised funding. Another broadcaster, Radio Free Asia, filed a lawsuit Thursday, with the hope that the suit will trigger the restoration of its funds, too. Given all the uncertainty, the broadcasters are operating in diminished fashion right now. A notice on Radio Free Asia's home page notes that 'we are now operating with fewer staff.' Furloughs are also set to take effect at Radio Free Europe. The broadcasters provide news and current affairs coverage around the world, particularly in countries that are saturated by propaganda and starved for independent news coverage. Radio Free Asia CEO Bay Fang said her network 'remains committed to fulfilling its Congressional mandate of providing a voice that counters the propaganda of the Chinese Communist Party and other authoritarian regimes in Asia.'
