At times touching—at times hysterical—Jimmy Kimmel returned to late night TV last night after a nearly 10-day forced absence and a national uproar over free speech and government censorship.

WHAT HE SAID: The host came back not with a fiery sermon or nonstop jokes, but with a measured, civil monologue that calmly—yet firmly—explained what was at stake, while slipping in a few sharp laughs.

“This show is not important. What is important is that we get to live in a country that allows us to have a show like this,” Kimmel said to a roaring audience.

Kimmel also thanks his fellow late night hosts and fans for standing up for him—but singled out one important group: “Most of all I want to thank the people who don’t support my show and what I believe, but support my right to share those beliefs anyway,” pointing to people like Ben Shapiro and Ted Cruz.

He also called out Trump’s attack for what it was—an attack on American workers. “The president of the United States made it very clear he wants to see me and the hundreds of people who work here fired from our jobs. Our leader celebrates Americans losing their livelihoods because he can’t take a joke.”

THE APOLOGY: Kimmel also took time to apologize for how the words that got him cancelled by the right could have been misinterpreted. Holding back tears, the comedian said:

Kimmel closed his monologue by referencing Erika Kirk’s eulogy for her late husband over the weekend.

“Erika Kirk forgave the man who shot her husband,” Kimmel, again holding back tears, said. “That is an example we should follow… It touched me deeply. And if there’s anything we should take from this tragedy to carry forward, I hope it can be that, not this.”

WHAT HE DIDN‘T SAY: However, Kimmel declined to attack his employer who caved to pressure from the Trump administration by pulling him off the air in the first place.

Instead, Jimmy cracked a few low-voltage jokes and simply stated the two parties had disagreed.

Jimmy could have gone full-blown nuclear on Disney for caving to a fascist regime—but he declined to do that.

WHAT HAPPENS NEXT: Two far-right media companies, Nexstar and Sinclair Broadcasting, are still refusing to air Kimmel on some of their stations.

Trump hasn’t commented since Kimmel’s episode aired—apparently grandpa was sleeping.

But Kimmel got it right when joked, “You almost have to feel sorry for him. He tried did his best to cancel me. Instead, he forced millions of people to watch the show. That backfired bigly. He might have to release the Epstein files to distract us from this.”

GO DEEPER: Watch Kimmel’s complete monologue on YouTube (it’s a bit long, but worth it!)

With Israel’s genocide choking off aid and forcing hundreds of thousands to flee, Gaza’s remaining hospitals are collapsing under the weight of trauma cases, malnourished children, and the wounded arriving on foot with week-old injuries. Doctors warn they are “at their limit,” improvising care without enough medicine, fuel, or oxygen, as capitalism’s global war machinery and Western-backed apartheid leave ordinary Palestinians to starve, suffer, and die. Full story from The Guardian.

After months of siding with Russia and demanding Ukraine give up land, Trump abruptly declared Ukraine could “win it all back” yesterday—a whiplash reversal that reeks more of political calculation than strategy. By signaling retreat from a conflict he once vowed to end in “days,” Trump left allies confused, NATO on edge, and Putin free to test just how unserious America’s billionaire president is about defending democracy abroad. Full story from The New York Times. (Unlocked for NOTICE News readers!)

The Trump administration’s cost-slashing spree, led by Elon Musk’s so-called “Department of Government Efficiency,” gutted federal agencies like the General Services Administration, canceling leases and purging staff in a corporate-style “downsizing” that left taxpayers footing even higher bills. Now, hundreds of laid-off employees are being begged to return, a humiliating reversal that exposes how Trump’s obsession with treating government like a business only produces chaos, waste, and more profits for landlords and contractors. Full story from the AP.

Adelita Grijalva’s victory in Arizona’s 7th District trims Trump’s Republican House majority to just five seats, deepening Speaker Mike Johnson’s headaches as his caucus splinters over debt and corruption scandals. Grijalva, carrying her father’s progressive legacy, campaigned on workers’ rights, housing, and welfare—issues that cut against Trump’s billionaire-friendly economic agenda and signal the left’s growing strength even in a gerrymandered system stacked for the right. Full story from The Washington Post. (Unlocked for NOTICE News readers!)

BONUS: What Grijalva’s means for the Epstein investigation—it’s good news!

Given Trump’s appalling speech at Charlie Kirk’s memorial service, we asked, Should we hate our political opponents? Overwhelmingly you said no.

Jan voted no and said: “Hate never solves anything, just makes a person bitter, unhappy, and sad.”

MLivingston voted no and said: “Disliking, or even hating, certain ideas or behavior, is different from hating the person as a human being. Otherwise, we debase ourselves as well as those we disagree with, and we all lose.”

Shanti also voted no: “Hate hurts the hater as much as the hated. Begin with respect for everyone. We all have flaws and different points of view depending on our history and life experiences.”

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