Good evening. Donald Trump is escalating attacks on the First Amendment in ways I never thought possible from a U.S. president. Yesterday, he claimed the media has no right to criticize him. Today, he went further — calling negative coverage of him illegal.
These are not offhand remarks. They are a clear warning that his administration is willing to target journalists and criminalize free speech. When I say the First Amendment is under attack in ways we’ve never seen, I don’t say it lightly. For those of us in this profession, it is now genuinely frightening. These comments don’t just hint at that threat — they confirm it.
Here’s my promise: I remain independent because I refuse to answer to powerful donors, corporate interests, or political pressure. I answer only to you — the reader. Your support funds this work. No one dictates what I investigate, who I challenge, or how I report. I will continue to call out abuses of power, defend press freedom, and pursue the truth without fear or favor.
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Here’s what you missed:
Trump claimed media bias is “illegal,” pointing to his 2,600-to-525 county win margin as proof of a “landslide times two,” and arguing that 97% negative news coverage against him violates the law.
Marvel star Tatiana Maslany, whose She-Hulk streams on Disney+, and Lost creator Damon Lindelof, whose hit aired on ABC and now streams on Disney+, are blasting ABC’s suspension of Jimmy Kimmel Live! over his Charlie Kirk comments. Maslany urged fans to cancel Disney+, while Lindelof vowed not to work with Disney until Kimmel is reinstated, joining stars like Jean Smart, Ben Stiller, and Wanda Sykes in calling it an attack on free speech.
Former Disney CEO Michael Eisner defended Jimmy Kimmel after ABC suspended Jimmy Kimmel Live! over his comments about Charlie Kirk’s killing. Eisner blasted FCC Chair Brendan Carr’s “out-of-control intimidation” of Disney and ABC, calling it an attack on free speech.
Comedy hosts including Jon Stewart, Stephen Colbert, and Jimmy Fallon criticized the suspension of Jimmy Kimmel Live! after FCC threats, warning of censorship and government intimidation following Kimmel’s remarks on Charlie Kirk’s assassination.
Sen. Ted Cruz blasted FCC Chair Brendan Carr for threatening ABC’s license over Jimmy Kimmel’s remarks on Charlie Kirk, likening Carr’s warning to “Goodfellas” mob talk. Cruz warned censorship “will end up bad for conservatives,” breaking with Trump, who praised Carr.
The House voted 310-58 to pass a resolution honoring slain activist Charlie Kirk and condemning political violence, with all Republicans and 95 Democrats in favor, 58 Democrats opposed, 38 voting present, and 22 not voting.
Colin Kaepernick will fund an independent autopsy for Delta State student Demartravion “Trey” Reed, 21, found dead on campus Sept. 15. Authorities ruled it a suicide by hanging, but his family, represented by Ben Crump, raised concerns. FBI now reviewing the case.
The Trump administration is weighing raising the Social Security retirement age to prevent insolvency, SSA Commissioner Frank Bisignano said. Trust funds could run dry by 2034, triggering a 24% cut in benefits unless Congress acts.
A Getty photographer captured Kash Patel’s handwritten notes during his congressional testimony, including the phrase: “Good fight with Swalwell.”
The Senate rejected both parties’ short-term funding bills, heightening shutdown risks: the GOP House-passed plan failed 44-48 (short of 60 votes), and Democrats’ alternative fell 47-45, leaving no clear path forward before the Oct. 1 deadline.
A federal judge dismissed Trump’s $15B lawsuit against The New York Times, calling the complaint “improper” and full of “invective,” but gave him 28 days to refile a shorter, legally sufficient version.
Trump said the U.S. is trying to “get back” Afghanistan’s Bagram Airfield from the Taliban, calling its loss a “total disaster” of Biden’s withdrawal and citing its proximity to China’s nuclear sites, though Afghan and Chinese officials rejected the idea.
A CDC advisory panel voted to limit this fall’s Covid vaccine to people 65+ or with underlying health conditions, narrowing earlier guidance and potentially creating access hurdles for others.
The advisory panel tabled a vote on delaying hepatitis B shots for newborns, leaving current recommendations unchanged, after members raised concerns over side effect data despite evidence showing the vaccine is safe and effective.
Liz Uihlein, a billionaire GOP mega-donor and co-founder of Uline, privately mocked Trump’s claims of having the “upper hand” in trade negotiations with China by emailing staff a cartoon showing Xi Jinping quipping “the cards are made in China” after Trump boasted “I hold the cards.” Uihlein and her husband gave $143M to Republicans last cycle, making them the 4th-largest donors, but her jab underscores unease even among loyal Trump allies over his tariff-heavy China strategy. Uline imports much of its merchandise from abroad, and Uihlein has previously warned the U.S. lacks a coherent trade policy.
NATO jets intercepted three Russian MiG-31s that violated Estonian airspace near Vaindloo island in the Gulf of Finland in a 12-minute incursion; Italy’s F-35s forced the fighters out, Tallinn has invoked consultations under Article 4, and EU and NATO leaders condemned the “reckless” provocation amid rising regional tensions after recent drone overflights of Poland.
Federal agents used teargas and pepper balls to disperse around 100 demonstrators outside an ICE facility in Broadview, Illinois, as protests against Trump’s “Operation Midway Blitz” crackdown escalated; two Democratic congressional candidates, Kat Abughazaleh and Bushra Amiwala, were among those caught in the clashes, condemning the “violent abuse of power,” while Lt. Gov. Juliana Stratton also denounced DHS’s response and vowed Illinoisans “will never be silent.”
A 42-year-old man arrested by ICE died Thursday in a Nassau County, NY jail cell, marking the first ICE detainee death there since the county began housing federal detainees under a February partnership; officials said he was found unresponsive at 6:30 a.m. and an investigation is underway, while AG Letitia James’s office is assessing the case—part of a broader surge in ICE detentions in New York, where nearly 2,800 people have been jailed for immigration reasons in 2025, up from 500 last year.
Trump’s 2026 budget proposes eliminating all funding for the Migrant Education Program (MEP), which for nearly 60 years has provided tutoring, enrichment, meals, mentorship, and parent support for more than 250,000 children of seasonal farmworkers. Advocates warn the cuts would devastate families already facing disrupted schooling, food insecurity, and poverty. In California alone—home to a third of the nation’s migrant students—the MEP supports nearly 80,000 children.
Hundreds of thousands have fled Gaza City amid Israel’s latest offensive, with civilians facing repeated displacement, harsh conditions, and mounting casualties as the military targets remaining Hamas fighters in the enclave.
Trump said he had a “productive” call with China’s Xi Jinping on TikTok, trade, fentanyl, and Ukraine, announced plans to meet Xi at APEC in November and visit China in early 2026, but no final TikTok deal has been reached yet.
The Trump admin asked SCOTUS to let it enforce a rule restricting passport sex markers to “male” or “female” based on birth sex, reversing Biden’s 2021 policy allowing “X” and self-selection. Lower courts blocked the rule; ACLU vows to keep fighting it.
The Senate confirmed former Trump national security adviser Mike Waltz as U.N. ambassador in a 47-43 vote, with three Democrats joining most Republicans and Rand Paul voting no, ahead of next week’s U.N. General Assembly amid major global conflicts.
A telecom outage Friday caused Dallas air traffic controllers to lose radar and phone comms, halting flights at DFW and Love Field. Hundreds of delays and cancellations followed, with average waits topping 3 hours. FAA blames local phone equipment; fix efforts are ongoing.
D4vd (David Anthony Burke) canceled the remainder of his U.S. tour after the remains of 15-year-old Celeste Rivas, missing since 2024, were discovered in the trunk of his Tesla at a Los Angeles impound lot. Police say the case is a death investigation and have not named a suspect, though detectives executed a search warrant at a nearby home.
Hong Kong police evacuated 6,000 residents and workers from Quarry Bay on Friday after construction crews unearthed a 1,000-pound undetonated World War II bomb, believed to be a U.S. Army explosive dropped during the liberation of the city from Japanese occupation. Authorities cleared 18 residential and commercial buildings, shut down nearby roads, and dispatched the Explosive Ordnance Disposal unit, which determined the bomb was still in stable condition.
