ORLANDO, Fla. (FNN NEWS) –After being abruptly pulled from ABC’s lineup, Jimmy Kimmel Live! is returning to air on Tuesday, September 23. The show’s removal on September 15 followed Kimmel’s controversial remarks regarding the political response to the death of Charlie Kirk, in which he criticized what he called the “MAGA gang” for exploiting the tragedy. The backlash was immediate. Not only did ABC suspend the show indefinitely, but major affiliate groups like Nexstar and Sinclair refused to carry it, and even the FCC’s chairman, Brendan Carr, weighed in with talk of possible regulatory consequences.

Now, just over a week later, Disney has reversed course. The company released a carefully worded statement suggesting the monologue was “ill-timed,” but emphasized that conversations with Kimmel had led to a path forward. The show’s return doesn’t erase what happened—but it does mark a moment of reckoning. Viewers are left asking: Was this about public sensitivity, or was it a reaction to political pressure? Was Disney protecting its audience, or protecting its interests?

Whether audiences will return to Jimmy Kimmel Live! in full force remains to be seen. Loyal fans may interpret the show’s reinstatement as a win for free speech, and for those who protested what they saw as censorship, it’s a signal that collective pushback works. But there are also those who were turned off by the controversy altogether either because they felt Kimmel went too far, or because they saw Disney’s suspension as a betrayal of its responsibility to protect artistic freedom. The show’s first night back could draw big numbers, if only out of curiosity but the real test will be in the weeks that follow.

The deeper issue here isn’t just Kimmel or one late-night monologue. It’s about the balance between speech, sensitivity, and influence. When a corporation like Disney reacts to political backlash by temporarily silencing one of its most visible voices, it raises a question about where editorial lines are drawn and who gets to draw them. The FCC’s involvement adds another layer of unease. If federal regulators can threaten action over televised opinion, what does that mean for other entertainers, journalists, or public figures who speak critically about political movements?

At the same time, the viewer response underscores something else: the power of collective protest. There were coordinated calls to cancel Disney+ subscriptions, open letters in defense of Kimmel, and vocal opposition to the suspension across social platforms. The public didn’t stay silent and that may be one reason ABC chose not to either. In this sense, the incident reflects how modern media is being shaped not just by shareholders and executives, but by the audiences themselves.

Still, this isn’t just about winning a PR battle. The larger conversation now turns to what kind of content creators are allowed to make in a climate that is increasingly politically charged and commercially fragile. Will this episode encourage other hosts to speak more carefully or will it inspire bolder commentary in defiance of censorship? For Disney, the move to bring Kimmel back may help contain damage to its brand, but it also signals a new reality: that silence can cost just as much as speech.

In the end, Jimmy Kimmel Live! returning isn’t just about late-night television. It’s a flashpoint in a broader cultural moment, where the right to speak, the duty to listen, and the forces that control the airwaves are all being renegotiated in real time. Whether you tune in on Tuesday or not, the bigger show might be the one playing out between the networks, their audiences, and the shifting definition of free expression.

We’ll be back here after the episode airs to break down how viewers responded, what the ratings reveal, and what comes next for late-night television.

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Kareen Kennedy is the Assistant Editor for Florida National News
kareen.kennedy@floridanationalnews.com

NEW ORLEANS – Source: STEM Global Action // Dr. Calvin Mackie, founder and CEO of STEM NOLA and STEM Global Action (SGA), said New Orleans East development projects managed separately by him and his brother, actor Anthony Mackie, will benefit community residents and help advance education in the science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) fields.

This week, Anthony Mackie, who plays the first black Captain America, in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, purchased 20 acres on the Interstate 10 Service Road at Read Boulevard. His new production company, East Studios LLC and a studio, will be housed on the site. Just across the interstate along the service road, STEM NOLA is building a STEM Innovation Hub for Black Excellence. It will house laboratory space, classrooms, meeting spaces and 21^st century technology to expose, educate, train and connect students to STEM skills and careers. Supported by donations from Ochsner Health and the W. K. Kellogg Foundation, the 40,000-square-foot space will be the new headquarters for SGA and STEM NOLA.

In addition, Dr. Mackie announced in October that it is creating an expansive STEM District in New Orleans East as part of the first phase of Bayou Phoenix LLC’s $100 million development project reviving an abandoned 227-acre site that once housed Six Flags and Jazzland. The plan includes the STEM education center, as well as a hotel, water park, amusement park, sports complex and a warehouse and distribution center.

“Anthony and I have always worked to give back to our community,” Dr. Mackie said. “This is no different. We will be teaching students how STEM will have major roles in the operation of the various components of our development project. Our city had been through so much over the years now is the time to help our neighborhoods and our people flourish again.”

Dr. Mackie believes the development activity will trigger an economic revival for the area, citing the booming “Research Triangle” in Raleigh–Cary and Durham–Chapel Hill North Carolina. “We want to emulate their success,” he said. “We will be training students in STEM fields who find jobs in the businesses that are being created. These developments will be an economic engine for this area.”

Now, Anthony Mackie’s project, which is six miles from the Bayou Phoenix site, can also inject economic energy in the area. His studio may include development, marketing and production, as well as other aspects of the entertainment industry, delivering a boost to the state’s film and television industry.

Moreover, Anthony Mackie’s portrayal of Sam Wilson on the Disney+ miniseries The Falcon and the Winter Soldier, and becoming Marvel’s first Black Captain America, showcases the value of STEM. In the show, Wilson is never the strongest in battle. He relies on STEM to win. From his mechanical wings infused with Vibranium from Wakanda that enable him to fly, to his “Redwing” combat and reconnaissance drones, Wilson wins with a mastery of science and physics, of calculations and probabilities, and most importantly, by turning smarts and technology into paths for success.

“Kudos to Marvel for elevating a Black man to succeeding with his intellect, rather than stereotypical physical attributes like speed, agility or brute force,” said Dr. Mackie.

“Think of STEM as Captain America’s new indestructible, vibranium shield,” he said. “It can help tackle life’s toughest foes, like racism, poverty and discrimination. They are no match for it. STEM is the doorway to the future, the superhero providing careers, family security and neighborhood stability. The best part is students don’t have to live in a cinematic verse to experience it, just study hard, learn STEM and it can create pathways forward.”

WASHINGTON (AP) — President Joe Biden held off on holding his first news conference so he could use it to celebrate passage of a defining legislative achievement, his giant COVID-19 relief package. But he’s sure to be pressed at Thursday’s question-and-answer session about all sorts of other challenges that have cropped up along the way.

A pair of mass shootings, rising international tensions, early signs of intraparty divisions and increasing numbers of migrants crossing the southern border are all confronting a West Wing known for its message discipline.

Biden is the first chief executive in four decades to reach this point in his term without holding a formal question-and-answer session. He’ll meet with reporters for the nationally televised afternoon event in the East Room of the White House.

“It’s an opportunity for him to speak to the American people, obviously directly through the coverage, directly through all of you,” White House press secretary Jen Psaki told reporters aboard Air Force One on Tuesday. “And so I think he’s thinking about what he wants to say, what he wants to convey, where he can provide updates, and, you know, looking forward to the opportunity to engage with a free press.”

While Biden has been on pace with his predecessors in taking questions from the press in other formats, he tends to field just one or two informal inquiries at a time, usually in a hurried setting at the end of an event or in front of a whirring helicopter.

Pressure had mounted on Biden to hold a formal session, which allows reporters to have an extended back-and-forth with the president on the issues of the day. Biden’s conservative critics have pointed to the delay to suggest that Biden was being shielded by his staff.

West Wing aides have dismissed the questions about a news conference as a Washington obsession, pointing to Biden’s high approval ratings while suggesting that the general public is not concerned about the event. The president himself, when asked Wednesday if he were ready for the press conference, joked, “What press conference?”

Behind the scenes, though, aides have taken the event seriously enough to hold a mock session with the president earlier this week. And there is some concern that Biden, a self-proclaimed “gaffe machine,” could go off message and generate a series of unflattering news cycles.

“The press conference serves an important purpose: It presents the press an extended opportunity to hold a leader accountable for decisions,” said Kathleen Hall Jamieson, presidential scholar and professor of communication at the University of Pennsylvania. “A question I ask: What is the public going to learn in this venue that it couldn’t learn elsewhere? And why does it matter? The answer: The president speaks for the nation.”

Biden will stand behind a lectern emblazoned with the presidential seal and point to a surge in vaccine distribution, encouraging signs in the economy and the benefits Americans will receive from the sweeping stimulus package. But plenty of challenges abound.

His appearance will come just a day after he appointed Vice President Kamala Harris to lead the government’s response to the situation at the U.S.-Mexico border, where the administration faces a growing humanitarian and political challenge that threatens to overshadow Biden’s legislative agenda.

In less than a week, two mass shootings have rattled the nation and pressure has mounted on the White House to back tougher gun measures. The White House has struggled to blunt a nationwide effort by Republican legislatures to tighten election laws. A pair of Democratic senators briefly threatened to hold up the confirmation of Biden appointees due to a lack of Asian-American representation in the Cabinet. And both North Korea and Russia have unleashed provocative actions to test a new commander in chief.

In a sharp contrast with the previous administration, the Biden White House has exerted extreme message discipline, empowering staff to speak but doing so with caution. The new White House team has carefully managed the president’s appearances, which serves Biden’s purposes but denies the media opportunities to directly press him on major policy issues and to engage in the kind of back-and-forth that can draw out information and thoughts that go beyond curated talking points.

Having overcome a childhood stutter and famously long-winded, Biden has long enjoyed interplay with reporters and has defied aides’ requests to ignore questions from the press. He has been prone to gaffes throughout his long political career and, as president, has occasionally struggled with off-the-cuff remarks.

Those are the types of distractions his aides have tried to avoid, and, in a pandemic silver lining, were largely able to dodge during the campaign because the virus kept Biden home for months and limited the potential for public mistakes.

Firmly pledging his belief in freedom of the press, Biden has rebuked his predecessor’s incendiary rhetoric toward the media, including Donald Trump’s references to reporters as “the enemy of the people.” Biden restored the daily press briefing, which had gone extinct under Trump, opening a window into the workings of the White House. And he sat for a national interview with ABC News last week.

Biden has also delivered a series of well-received speeches, including his inaugural address, and has shown that he can effectively communicate beyond news conferences, according to Frank Sesno, former head of George Washington University’s school of media.

“His strongest communication is not extemporaneous. He can ramble or stumble into a famous Biden gaffe,” said Sesno in a recent interview. “But to this point, he and his team have been very disciplined with the message of the day and in hitting the words of the day.”