Someone whose views I generally respect told me a few years ago I shouldn't talk about the non-stop hypocrisy emanating from the Republican Party because that's just preaching to the choir. But I didn't stop and I won't because it's one of their most prominent features.
I can't recall when it's been more evident than this week. It's an ugly and vicious cycle. Charlie Kirk was killed, shot by a killer's single bullet.
In the hours after that awful act, even before Charlie Kirk was pronounced dead, prominent figures on the right were already blaming us... those of us on the political left, Democrats, Progressives, even as we were denouncing Kirk's shooting.
We may disagree about everything he regularly said and the issues he hung his hat on, but as just about everyone I know and I myself said, violence is never the answer and he didn't deserve this.
For days after Kirk’s murder, we still really had no information about the shooter, but all the major right wing media figures from Trump on down proclaimed it was all us, “the radical left,” completely ignoring the FACT that the majority of the hate talk and political violence comes from the right! And it's only gotten worse in the week since that horrible days.
Yesterday, ABC suspended Jimmy Kimmel indefinitely, for what? Speaking out on the shooting and his beliefs, based on what we knew at the time, that the killer was likely a MAGA Republican.
See the disconnect? It appears that if you're on their political side of the fence, you can say anything you want - including blatant lies, and have no problems... But if you disagree with them, fear for your life.
After recounting the sequence of events, I brought my old friend Sandy Schoelles in to the discussion. I believe there’s a connection here.
Sandy Schoelles who presides over the Environmental Coffeehouse was disappeared from her YouTube channel a few months ago. Why? YouTube said that her channel engaged in the “sexualization of minors!” Holy shit, that some allegation, and we know it’s nonsense.
After three months of trying to get her channel and her reputation back, she finally did and is back on YouTube. She’s also embarking on a new progressive venture, This Space.
Thankfully, Sandy has her channel back, but this can happen to any of us. Especially when the politicians in charge do not believe in science or facts. But she fought back and she succeeded.
Now we - the left - must also fight back, defend ourselves and win. The stakes are simply too high not to.
Tomorrow’s Friday. This has been a long, arduous week. Thankfully we get to wrap it up with a bow and dig into the week that was with Marcy Wheeler of emptywheel.net.
Today’s News Notes follow the video of today’s show from YouTube
9-18-25 Thursday – Sandy Schoelles Environmental Coffeehouse
Free Speech For Me, Not for Thee if you Disagree
Yesterday, Jimmy Kimmel canceled by the people advocating for Free Speech (for thee, only if you agree…)
On his Monday night show, in Jimmy Kimmel’s monologue, he said:
“We hit some new lows over the weekend, with the MAGA gang desperately trying to characterize this kid who murdered Charlie Kirk as anything other than one of them, and doing everything they can to score political points from it.”
Apparently, the chair of the FCC Brendan Carr was so offended that he went on a podcast with someone named Benny Johnson to complain. (How dare Kimmel suggest that Kirk’s killer came from a Republican family that voted for Trump and the likely is one of them… How is that different from the right wingers continuing to blame the left for this and for ALL POLITICAL VIOLENCE!?!)
—Also DT posted that he’s designating Antifa a “major terrorist organization”…
Shortly after that bit of selective blame from Carr, NextStar, the company that owns the largest number of ABC affiliates, announced they’d not air Jimmy Kimmel’s show for an unspecified amount of time.
Then, ABC announced it was suspending Jimmy Kimmel’s show indefinitely.
Though he’s in the UK, just after 1am London time, DT posted to his bs social media platform ironically called Truth Social.
“Great News for America: The ratings challenged Jimmy Kimmel Show is CANCELLED. Congratulations to ABC for finally having the courage to do what had to be done. Kimmel has ZERO talent, and worse ratings than even Colbert, if that’s possible. That leaves Jimmy and Seth, two total losers, on Fake News NBC. Their ratings are also horrible. Do it NBC!!!”
— HOWEVER, One day after Kirk was assassinated, Kimmel made the following remarks: “Instead of the angry finger-pointing, can we just for one day agree that it is horrible and monstrous to shoot another human? On behalf of my family, we send love to the Kirks and to all the children, parents and innocents who fall victim to senseless gun violence.”
Jimmy Kimmel’s show has been indefinitely pulled because Disney executives feared retaliation from Donald Trump.
Sinclair demanded Jimmy Kimmel apologize to Charlie Kirk’s family and donate to them and Turning Point USA, while joining Nexstar in pulling Jimmy Kimmel Live! from ABC affiliates; FCC chair Brendan Carr and conservative allies praised the move, as Democrats accused Trump and broadcasters of coordinated censorship and authoritarianism.
At the same time, NBC News reports Trump is preparing a sweeping crackdown on left-leaning organizations as early as this month, targeting their very First Amendment protections.
Wanda Sykes was supposed to be on Jimmy Kimmel’s show last night
The Trump administration is preparing actions against left-wing groups in response to Charlie Kirk’s assassination, including probes into their tax-exempt status and funding, though critics warn these moves risk chilling free speech, as no evidence ties the suspect to such groups.
Donald Trump announced plans to label antifa a “major terrorist organization,” despite it being a decentralized domestic movement without a legal framework for such designation, raising questions about feasibility under U.S. law and First Amendment protections.
Brendan Carr is despicable
Brian Stelter on X:
BTW, Free Speech is guaranteed in the First Amendment to the Constitution… "Congress shall make no law... abridging the freedom of speech" However, there are some limitations:
Five common limitations to freedom of speech are: incitement to violence, defamation, fighting words, obscenity, and true threats. These forms of expression are not protected by the First Amendment because they pose direct harm or risk to individuals or public safety. Other limitations include child pornography, plagiarism, blackmail, and speech that is integral to criminal conduct.
Disagreeing with the president – or anyone for that matter – is not one of them!
RFK Jr.-appointed vaccine panel announces it will revisit immunizations given in pregnancy
The chair of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention committee announced the formation of work groups to scrutinize the recommended vaccines during pregnancy and childhood. The Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices, which Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. purged and reformulated with his own picks, has drawn intense criticism for challenging long-standing policy.
Judge blocks Trump administration from immediately deporting Guatemalan migrant children The decision by U.S. District Judge Timothy J. Kelly comes after the administration’s attempt to remove Guatemalan migrant children who were living in government shelters and foster care.
