Breaking: The First Amendment. This is the America we woke up to this morning. Yes, there are many stories to cover below, but none eclipses the assault on free speech unfolding before our eyes.
Jimmy Kimmel’s show has been indefinitely pulled because Disney executives feared retaliation from Donald Trump. And Sinclair has made it clear: if Kimmel wants back on their affiliates, he must pay tribute — a “contribution” to Charlie Kirk’s family and Turning Point USA. That’s not rumor. That’s reality.
At the same time, NBC News reports Trump is preparing a sweeping crackdown on left-leaning organizations as early as this month, targeting their very First Amendment protections.
I cannot overstate it: this is a dark, dangerous chapter in American history. The First Amendment — the bedrock of our democracy — is being shredded in real time. And the only way through this moment is if we fight back together. If you believe in a free press, if you believe truth must outlast intimidation, then I need your support. Subscribe today. Stand with me. And let’s keep defending the truth — no matter how loud or how ruthless the attacks become.
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With that, here’s what you missed:
ABC, owned by Disney, has indefinitely suspended Jimmy Kimmel Live! after the late-night host made comments about the killing of Charlie Kirk. According to Rolling Stone, ABC, Disney, and affiliate executives held emergency meetings before pulling Jimmy Kimmel Live!, with many believing Kimmel hadn’t crossed a line but fearing retaliation from the Trump administration.
One day after Kirk was assassinated, Kimmel made the following remarks: “Instead of the angry finger-pointing, can we just for one day agree that it is horrible and monstrous to shoot another human? On behalf of my family, we send love to the Kirks and to all the children, parents and innocents who fall victim to senseless gun violence.”
Donald Trump praised Disney for pulling Jimmy Kimmel Live! as “great news for America,” urging NBC to also drop Jimmy Fallon and Seth Meyers; the move followed FCC pressure and backlash over Kimmel’s remarks on Charlie Kirk’s killing, though ABC has not officially canceled the show.
Sinclair demanded Jimmy Kimmel apologize to Charlie Kirk’s family and donate to them and Turning Point USA, while joining Nexstar in pulling Jimmy Kimmel Live! from ABC affiliates; FCC chair Brendan Carr and conservative allies praised the move, as Democrats accused Trump and broadcasters of coordinated censorship and authoritarianism.
Following the cancellation, people across the internet began cancelling their Hulu and Disney+ subscriptions in protest.
The Writers Guild of America, Screen Actors Guild, and American Federation of Musicians expressed support for Jimmy Kimmel, condemning ABC’s suspension of his show as silencing dissent and “government overreach.”
FCC chair Brendan Carr urged broadcasters to drop Jimmy Kimmel Live! or risk fines and license revocation, later praising Nexstar on social media for pulling the show.
The Trump administration is preparing actions against left-wing groups in response to Charlie Kirk’s assassination, including probes into their tax-exempt status and funding, though critics warn these moves risk chilling free speech, as no evidence ties the suspect to such groups.
Donald Trump announced plans to label antifa a “major terrorist organization,” despite it being a decentralized domestic movement without a legal framework for such designation, raising questions about feasibility under U.S. law and First Amendment protections.
Melania Trump’s team has launched an aggressive legal campaign to force retractions of claims linking her to Jeffrey Epstein, securing apologies from media outlets and figures like James Carville, while also demanding a $1B retraction from Hunter Biden; she maintains she met Donald Trump independently, as described in her memoir.
Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. replaced the CDC’s vaccine advisory panel with a smaller 12-member committee led by vaccine-skeptic Martin Kulldorff, which will vote this week on new recommendations for hepatitis B, MMRV, and Covid-19 shots.
Registration for 2028 Los Angeles Olympics tickets opens January 2026, with purchase slots assigned by lottery; single tickets start at $28, local residents near venues get early access, Paralympic sales begin in 2027, and organizers warn against scams while promising details later this year.
An immigration judge ordered Mahmoud Khalil, a former Columbia grad student and pro-Palestinian activist, deported to Algeria or Syria for alleged misrepresentations on his green card application; Khalil and his lawyers argue the Trump administration is retaliating against him for free speech, and plan to appeal.
Two Romanian men filed lawsuits accusing former Harvest Christian Fellowship pastor Paul Havsgaard of years of child sexual abuse and trafficking at a Bucharest shelter, also alleging church leaders, including founder Greg Laurie, ignored warnings while funding him; the church denies responsibility, calling the claims extortion.
Thieves stole raw gold worth about $700,000 from Paris’s National Museum of Natural History in a professional heist, part of a surge of cultural institution thefts across France; the targeted gallery is now closed pending investigation.
Syrian Foreign Minister Asaad al-Shibani arrived in Washington for the first official U.S. visit by a Damascus official in 25 years, part of Syria’s post-Assad effort to rebuild ties with the West; he will meet Secretary of State Marco Rubio and continue U.S.-brokered negotiations with Israel over border security.
Israeli Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich said Gaza’s destruction could become a “real estate bonanza,” echoing Trump’s earlier vision of a U.S.-backed redevelopment plan; critics condemned the idea as illegal under international law and exploitative of displaced Palestinians, as Israeli bombings continue to devastate Gaza and death tolls soar.
Scientists in Mongolia discovered Zavacephale rinpoche, the oldest and most complete fossil of a dome-headed pachycephalosaur, dating back 108–115 million years, offering new insight into the anatomy and evolution of these rare, enigmatic dinosaurs.
Authorities in the U.K., Lithuania, and Latvia arrested suspects tied to Russian intelligence, uncovering a sabotage network accused of espionage and arson attacks using explosive-laden packages; officials warn Moscow’s covert campaign of sabotage and spying across Europe is becoming increasingly dangerous.
Emmanuel and Brigitte Macron are suing U.S. influencer Candace Owens for defamation over false claims that Brigitte was born male, with their lawyer saying they will present scientific evidence and family records in court to refute the conspiracy theory.
