Jimmy Kimmel Returns to Late Night Show Following Suspension from ABC

Renowned TV host Jimmy Kimmel will resume broadcasting his late night show 'Jimmy Kimmel Live!' today, less than a week after ABC suspended the program.

Around two weeks ago, right-wing political activist Charlie Kirk was fatally shot at a rally at Utah Valley University, sparking outrage across the United States. An extensive manhunt ensued, with authorities searching for the killer using clues like handprints and bullet casings, and he was eventually found to be Tyler Robinson, a 22 year old Utah native.

Soon after the attack, politicians began commenting on the disaster, condemning the act of political violence. Nevertheless, Jimmy Kimmel made several contrasting comments on his late night show, announcing that Trump's supporters, who he referred to as "the MAGA gang," were "desperately trying" to label Tyler Robinson as "anything other than one of them." He also added that they were "doing everything they can to score political points from it," leaving the Trump administration bristling.

The Federal Communications Commission (FCC), led by Trump ally Brendan Carr, quickly moved into the situation, stating that ABC's broadcasting license was at risk of being revoked due to the controversial comments. Because of this, ABC pulled Kimmel's show off the air on Wednesday, leading to free speech-related doubts across the country.

Additionally, Nexstar Media Group also confirmed that they would not broadcast Kimmel's show. Nexstar is a media group that currently holds about 10% of ABC-affiliated local television networks, and they have been working on a major, $6.2 billion merger with another broadcasting company, Tegna. However, their merger relies on FCC approval.

Kimmel wasn't the only one to be affected, though. Matthew Dowd, a political analyst at MSNBC, was fired after making a remark about Charlie Kirk's extremism– specifically, "hateful thoughts lead to hateful words, which then lead to hateful actions." Meanwhile, dozens of employees in various industries, including teachers, firefighters, and military service members, were terminated due to their comments on social media about Charlie Kirk's death.

Various politicians, including President Trump himself, applauded ABC's suspension of Kimmel's late night show, with Trump calling for the suspension of other late night shows as well. However, the move also led to serious backlash, with citizens claiming that it was against the First Amendment rights given by the US Constitution and was a clear display of the country's growing limits on free speech.

Now, ABC has announced that they are bringing Kimmel's show back, with Kimmel scheduled to broadcast once again tonight. The network confirmed that the comments were "ill-timed and thus insensitive," but after spending the last few days "having thoughtful conversations with Jimmy," they decided to bring his show back.

Fact of the Day (The Fact Site): 50% of apartments in Los Angeles don’t come with a fridge. This is legal, as fridges are considered an “amenity,” and therefore, landlords are not required to provide one.

Quote of the Day (Gracious Quotes): If liberty means anything at all, it means the right to tell people what they do not want to hear. (George Orwell)

Word of the Day (Merriam-Webster): Catch-22 (noun, KATCH-twen-tee-TOO) - Catch-22 typically refers to a difficult situation for which there is no easy or possible solution. In the narrowest use of the term, it refers to a problematic situation for which the only solution is denied by a circumstance inherent in the problem or by a rule.

In a Sentence: I’m in a catch-22: to get the job I need experience, but how do I get experience if I can’t get the job?

Image credit to ABC News