Overview

• President Donald Trump suggested punishing TV networks by revoking licenses, then FCC Chair Brendan Carr warned ABC/Disney to “take action on Kimmel” or face added regulatory scrutiny.
• ABC/Disney briefly put Jimmy Kimmel’s show on hiatus after his remarks about the Charlie Kirk killing, then returned it to air following a Hollywood Boulevard rally led by Rep. Laura Friedman with union and congressional support.
• Supporters of Carr argue he acted within the FCC’s public‑interest authority over broadcast stations, while opponents say the warning crossed constitutional lines by coercing private speech decisions.
• A Las Vegas Review‑Journal editorial highlighted partisan inconsistency on free speech and noted that Republicans such as Sens. Ted Cruz and Rand Paul criticized Carr’s comments, with Rep. Ro Khanna citing principles that should transcend party.
• Google told a House committee the Biden administration created a political atmosphere that sought to influence COVID‑related content removals, a disclosure invoked as context for concerns about government pressure on private platforms.