The United States of America has taken yet another massive step on the road to fascism: for the second time, one of the administration’s most vocal, persistent, and popular critics has been effectively canceled.

WHAT’S GOING ON: On Wednesday, The Walt Disney Company announced a surprise decision to pull late night host Jimmy Kimmel off the air after complaints from Trump, Trump appointees, and right-wing media companies.

The sequence of events was set in motion by the appearance of Federal Communications Commissioner Brendan Carr on a right wing podcast yesterday.

Carr, a right-wing nut and a co-author of Project 2025, criticized Kimmel for daring to speak out against MAGA hypocrisy. He threatened to take immediate action against Kimmel and ABC (which is owned by Disney).

Shortly thereafter, Nexstar, a conservative company that owns several ABC stations, announced it would pull Kimmel from its schedule.

AND THEN: Rather than stand with Kimmel, the corporate bigwigs at Disney and ABC cowered.

At around 6 p.m. ET, they announced they would be pulling Kimmel indefinitely—despite many executives thinking Kimmel had said nothing inappropriate.

According to The Daily Beast, Disney pulled Kimmel because they feared retaliation from Trump.

As a reminder, this is the same company that paid a $16 million tribute to Trump to settle a defamation lawsuit after George Stephanopoulos correctly called the president a rapist.

Disney has tried to do some damage control, telling the Wall Street Journal Kimmel could return in a few days—although no date has been set.

Trump of course reacted with gloating, gleefully calling for the firing of Jimmy Fallon and Seth Meyers on NBC next.

WHAT JIMMY SAID: Carr, Nexstar, and other right-wing critics have pointed to Kimmel’s Monday night monologue as the so-called reason for their anger.

In it, Kimmel did not mock Charlie Kirk or even call out Kirk’s long history of violent and racist rhetoric.

Instead he called out Republican hypocrisy: “The MAGA gang is desperately trying to portray this individual who killed Charlie Kirk as anything other than one of their own, and they are doing everything possible to leverage this for political advantage.”

He mocked the White House flying flags at half-mast for Kirk and President Trump's emotional response, quipping: “This is not how an adult mourns the murder of someone he refers to as a friend; it resembles how a toddler grieves for a goldfish.”

The monologue concluded with Kimmel riffing about White House renovations: “Yes, he’s in the fourth stage of grief: demolition, construction. Then we installed the most beautiful chandelier.”

BUT BUT BUT: Since Stephen Colbert’s firing at CBS, Trump and company have made it crystal clear that Kimmel was their next target.

For years, Trump has raged against Kimmel in desperate social media posts.

But when Colbert got fired back in July, Trump posted plainly: “I hear Jimmy Kimmel is next. Has even less talent than Colbert!”

WHY IT MATTERS: The silencing of Kimmel is more than just one entertainer losing a microphone—it’s a signal to every critic, comedian, and journalist that speaking out against Trump carries real risk.

Each act of corporate capitulation tightens the noose around free expression, normalizing the idea that government officials and their allies can decide who gets to speak and who doesn’t.

This isn’t just about Jimmy Kimmel. It’s about the erosion of a culture where dissent is tolerated, even protected. Every time a critic is forced off the air, the road to fascism gets shorter.

GO DEEPER: Watch the monologue that enraged conservatives

ALSO: We’re not capitulating to fascists at NOTICE News. Become a member today and help make our journalism possible!

Trump’s inner circle is rejecting evidence that Charlie Kirk’s accused killer acted alone, instead spinning conspiracy theories about Antifa, transgender activists, and Israel. By amplifying these baseless claims, MAGA leaders like Steve Bannon and Stephen Miller are stoking fear to justify crackdowns on dissent, turning Kirk’s death into fuel for their authoritarian agenda rather than seeking truth. Full story from The Independent.

A Louisiana immigration judge has ordered Mahmoud Khalil, a former Columbia grad student and outspoken critic of Israel’s genocide in Gaza, to be deported to Algeria or Syria. Khalil calls the ruling political retaliation by the Trump administration, which has seized on technicalities in his green card application to silence dissent and punish activism for Palestinian liberation. The case underscores how Trump is weaponizing the immigration system as a tool of repression against critics of U.S. empire and Israeli apartheid. Full story from NBC News.

Trump has announced plans to designate antifa—a loose, decentralized movement of anti-fascist activists—as a “major terrorist organization,” a move with no legal basis under U.S. law. The timing is telling: it came just after ABC canceled Jimmy Kimmel’s show for criticizing MAGA’s response to Charlie Kirk’s killing, showing how Trump and his allies are using fear of dissent to censor critics and criminalize the left. Full story from The Guardian.

Former CDC chief Susan Monarez testified that noted brain-worm host Robert F. Kennedy Jr., demanded political approval of vaccine policy and even ordered firings of career scientists without cause. Monarez was ousted after just 29 days for refusing to rubber-stamp Kennedy’s anti-vaccine agenda, a move that shows how Trump’s administration is dismantling scientific integrity to push ideology. Full story from CNN.

Starbucks baristas in multiple states are suing the company, saying its new dress code forced them to spend their own money on clothes and shoes without reimbursement. Workers call the policy a union-busting tactic dressed up as “brand consistency,” while Trump’s gutted labor board leaves them with fewer protections. The fight highlights how corporations squeeze low-wage employees for profit while denying them both self-expression and fair compensation. Full story from the AP.

Sen. Bernie Sanders has broken with Washington orthodoxy, becoming the first U.S. senator to declare Israel’s assault on Gaza a genocide. Pointing to tens of thousands of civilian deaths and openly genocidal rhetoric from Israeli officials, Sanders said America is complicit in mass slaughter. His statement marks a historic shift in U.S. politics—though Trump’s administration continues to back Israel’s war while cracking down on pro-Palestine dissent at home. Full story from The Guardian.

Yesterday we asked, given the weird text messages authorities released from accused Charlie Kirk killer Tyler Robinson, do you think the texts are actually real? We really split the room!

Salas voted yes: “I believe his motive was because Charlie Kirk was against transgender.”

Others disagreed. Vignali voted no and said: “Fake news to turn more hatred towards transgenders. All this administration wants to do is spread misinformation and hatred toward diversity.”

Linda also voted no: “I believe a lot of the information is being edited, just like the Epstein files were edited. The evidence is too convenient. But I think the fact that he was not someone from the left, just really blew the MAGA minds up. They are so ready to accuse the Democrats for everything, they can't see what is right in front of them.”

V said: “I want to respond with neither yes or no. I think there is no way to know in a country this divided and motivated to spin the truth to gain an advantage and power.”

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