It is day 243 of the second Trump administration and this week take a big old breath. You needed a scorecard to keep up. The president went to England making deals and dining with the royal family at Windsor Castle.His FBI director Cash Patel went before Congress and defended his handling of the Charlie Cook and Kirk investigation in the Epstein files. The fire director of the CDC warned Congress that under RFK Jr. . the nation's public health is being pushed to a very dangerous place.Plus, the Federal Rese ...

What surprised you. You heard the comments from ranking member Garcia. What surprised you today and and and did you find him credible.I think what surprised me most is how little information he actually shared in six hours. You know, it takes a lot of work to not answer questions for six hours. And let me just put it this way.uh he showed up with a binder full of uh pre-prepared statements, evidence that he was going to use of previous statements he had disclosed. And I think it's very interesting that uh d ...

Top Republicans also are not defending everything Trump is doing as it's all cast in the open this week. A Republican senator warning the censorship effort should make everyone careful about any lines we cross and diminishing free speech while none other than Ted Cruz rebuking Trump's efforts to try to control or decide your free speech. I think it is unbelievably dangerous for government to put itself in the position of saying we're going to decide what speech we like and what we don't if the government ge ...

Free Speech & Censorship - The report highlights concerns about potential government overreach and censorship, specifically focusing on the alleged pressure from the FCC on ABC to suspend Jimmy Kimmel [1][2][6][7][11] - The core issue revolves around whether the government is unlawfully coercing private companies to suppress free speech, which is a potential violation of the First Amendment [6][7][10] - The New York Times' successful defense against a lawsuit from Donald Trump, based on First Amendment protections, is presented as a contrasting example of standing up to perceived censorship [2][3][4][24] - The report emphasizes the unanimous (9-0) Supreme Court precedent against government coercion of private entities to suppress speech [8][9][10][11] Company Response & Industry Implications - ABC and Disney's initial decision to suspend Jimmy Kimmel is portrayed as "giving in" or "rushing to surrender" to government pressure, unlike the New York Times [13][20][21][24] - Disney CEO Bob Iger's leadership is under scrutiny, with concerns that he is "co-signing" government censorship instead of defending his talent and the First Amendment [22][23][24] - The report mentions potential consumer backlash, including calls for boycotts of Disney products and services [19][20] - The media industry is urged to consider the long-term implications of complying with perceived government censorship, potentially leading down a dangerous path [17][19] Political & Legal Context - Donald Trump's actions are characterized as mirroring "authoritarian approaches to silencing dissent" [14] - The report notes that even some Republicans are wary of censorship efforts [4][5] - The report suggests that the current situation presents a test of American freedom and the willingness of companies to uphold the First Amendment [25][26][27]

Freedom of Speech and Censorship - The discussion revolves around freedom of speech, censorship, and potential government overreach in media [1][2][3] - Concerns are raised about whether recent actions against media figures constitute cultural censorship or state pressure [2][21] - The industry acknowledges a distinction between cultural censorship and governmental censorship, with the latter posing a greater threat to free press [2][3][21] - Some argue that freedom of speech is under attack more than ever, drawing parallels to situations in countries with stricter censorship laws [1] Political and Corporate Influence - The industry notes that corporate pressures and decisions, rather than solely governmental actions, play a significant role in sidelining media figures [1] - The influence of political figures and voters on media content and decisions is also considered [1] - The potential for the FCC to investigate whether certain programs qualify as bonafide news is discussed, raising concerns about regulatory overreach [15][16][17] Historical Context and Future Implications - Historical parallels are drawn to the Nixon era and attempts to control the media, highlighting concerns about potential abuses of power [10][11] - The vulnerability of broadcast networks due to declining viewership and financial structures is emphasized [18][19] - The industry expresses concern about a chilling effect on media and the erosion of free speech, potentially leading to self-censorship [18][20][14]

Joining us now, staff writer at The Atlantic, Adam Seer, Atlantic staff writer and MSNBC political analyst Ashley Parker, MSNBC legal correspondent Lisa Rubin, and NBC News entertainment correspondent Khloe Melas. All right, Lisa, first I want to get the legalities uh straight here because these are private companies. They are allowed to fire somebody for what they say. That's fine. The difference here is the FCC getting involved and and the term is jaw boning. If they continue to jawbone the local stations ...

In the wake of Jimmy Kimmel's suspension, Democrats have put on a united front, launching investigations, filing motions to subpoena the FCC chair, and demanding calls for his resignation. And joining us now, Democratic Senator of Connecticut, Chris Murphy. He is part of a group of congressional Democrats that unveiled the No Political Enemies Act, legislation they say will help protect speech targeted by Trump.Senator, welcome. So glad you're here to talk about this. Beyond Kimmel, we heard the president t ...

Gary Kasrav is a Russian dissident, exile and chess grandmaster. He has seen authoritarianism with his own eyes. And this week, he wrote this in his Substack newsletter, The Next Move.As demagogues go, Donald Trump is not especially original. A tragedy occurs, the leader starts pointing fingers and blames the other guy as a pretext for overreach. It's so formulaic that no TV show with this plot would ever have made it near near this past weekend's Emmys.Kasprov warned that we should understand this for what ...

Freedom of Speech & Government Influence - The core argument revolves around the First Amendment and the government's potential overreach in influencing media content and artistic expression [2][3][4][5][6][14][15] - The discussion highlights concerns that government pressure, such as leveraging broadcast permit renewals or merger approvals, could stifle free speech and critical commentary [2][3][4][14] - The analysis differentiates between social "cancel culture" and government censorship, emphasizing that the First Amendment primarily protects against government interference [3][4][16] - The report suggests that the current administration has been accused of hypocrisy, with examples cited of officials making controversial jokes while simultaneously criticizing others for offensive content [7][8][9][10] Media & Comedy Landscape - The analysis points out that satire and comedy play a significant role in informing the public, with a substantial percentage (60%) of Americans reportedly getting their news from these sources [18] - The report suggests that the role of the satirist is more important than ever [18] - The discussion touches on the changing dynamics of political figures as cultural icons, influencing the media landscape [19] Lessons & Historical Context - The report emphasizes the importance of learning from history to avoid repeating mistakes related to censorship and suppression of free expression [13] - The analysis suggests that Americans have the power to choose what media they consume, but the government should not restrict access to diverse viewpoints [13][14]

This is a story about government censorship. Right now, it's about Donald Trump's right-wing MAGA government censorship. If he gets away with it, it could break truly very long precedents and be used or abused by others.But right now, it's MAGA censorship first and foremost. It's now immediately become a scandal for Trump's communications official, Brendan Carr. He's facing calls to investigate what he did here and some calls on the left for his resignation.Others are speaking out against the First Amendmen ...