Good morning and happy first day of fall! Autumn begins this afternoon at 2:19 pm Eastern. A hearty congratulations to all the Zodiac girlies and fans of pumpkin everything.

On a related note, the White House says it's worked out a deal to save TikTok. Americans will own a “majority” of the app, will control its algorithm, and will hold six of seven seats on the company’s board. Supposedly involved in this deal? Larry Ellison of Oracle, Rupert Murdoch of Fox News, and Michael Dell of, well, Dell.

SPEECH

💬 Who suspended Jimmy Kimmel?

There's an old adage that says, "Never interrupt your enemy while he's making a mistake." It can probably be modified for the FCC this week to read "Never open your trap while ABC is firing the guy you really want them to fire."

• The FCC is the Federal Communications Commission. Led by Trump appointee Brendan Carr, the FCC regulates the airwaves (aka: TV, radio, and the internet).

FCC Chair Brendan Carr caused a frenzy late last week when he threatened legal action against ABC in response to late-night host Jimmy Kimmel’s on-air comments about the Charlie Kirk shooter.

• Last Monday, Kimmel implied Kirk’s killer was a Trump supporter despite hefty investigative evidence to the contrary.

• During a conservative podcast on Wednesday, Carr said ABC should “change conduct and take action, frankly, on Kimmel, or there’s going to be additional work for the FCC ahead.”

• Yadda, yadda, yadda, ABC suspended Kimmel and his show indefinitely.

What action could the FCC take? ABC is an over-the-air broadcast network. There are only so many radio waves to go around, so their use is regulated. You can say pretty much whatever you want on cable. But that’s not the case for the old-school broadcasters.

• The FCC issues licenses to broadcast TV stations. Among the requirements for licensees? Operating your station in the "public interest."

• If the FCC thinks you’re failing in that duty, it could revoke your license.

So why was Kimmel canned? Two media companies, Sinclair and Nexstar, own around one-third of ABC’s 205 local stations. Following Kimmel’s comments, they told ABC they would refuse to air Kimmel’s show going forward. Losing that much ad revenue would kill the show, so ABC went ahead and pulled it … at least, that’s the official answer.

• The million-dollar question: Did ABC suspend Kimmel because of Carr’s threat or because its affiliates rioted?

Free speech: Either way, Carr sticking his nose in this issue has ignited a firestorm as people worry about government crackdowns on freedom of speech. Trump didn't help the situation when he remarked that "it’s no longer free speech" when a broadcast network's stories are all lopsided against one party or candidate (read: him).

• The charitable view of that is that it's a reference to the FCC's longstanding policy against deliberate "broadcast news distortion."

The First Amendment protects Americans' right to "freedom of speech, or of the press." That doesn't mean you can't be fired for saying something stupid. But it does mean the government can't do the firing. Unless, y'know, you work for them or something.

Related: Reporters covering the Department of Defense may no longer be allowed into the Pentagon unless they sign a note agreeing not to publish certain info that "poses a security risk.

GOVERNMENT

💳️ President Trump unveiled his long-promised immigration gold card on Friday. Wealthy foreigners who want to live and work in America will pay $1 million to be fast-tracked through the system. Trump expects to release 80,000 cards initially, with the potential for more in the future. The program is similar to existing programs in other countries. It will replace two current types of visas for people who provide "exceptional value" to the United States. The administration also began cracking down on the supposed overuse of H-1B visas, which are meant for specialty workers who are tough to find in America, by slapping on a $100,000 fee for new applications.

💉 The CDC’s Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP) — part of RFK Jr.’s rebuilt Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) — met on Friday. The panel voted unanimously to change the broad availability of COVID-19 vaccines, effectively forcing people who want the shot to check in with a healthcare provider beforehand. A vote on recommending that states require a prescription for the vaccine split 6-6. It failed after the committee's chair voted no, breaking the tie. The changes aren’t final yet and still need to be formally signed off on by the CDC director.

⚖️ The Trump administration has asked the Supreme Court to allow it to restrict sex designations on passports to "male" and "female" based only on biological sex. A 2021 Biden-era policy allowed people to change their gender if desired or list it as a generic "X." The Trump administration tried to dump that policy earlier this year, but a federal judge blocked the move. U.S. passports are issued by the State Department's Bureau of Consular Affairs and printed by the U.S. Government Printing Office (GPO).

POLITICS

🇺🇸 Tens of thousands attend packed Kirk memorial

The Secret Service arrested a man for impersonating a cop outside the stadium on Friday, but Charlie Kirk’s funeral at State Farm Stadium went off without a hitch on Sunday. The packed crowd at Phoenix’s 63,000-seat NFL venue gathered for a combination funeral, church service, and political rally.

Through tears, widow Erika Kirk told the crowd that she’d forgiven the shooter “because it was what Christ did, and it is what Charlie would do. The answer to hate is not hate.”

The event began with a Christian worship service featuring performers Chris Tomlin, Brandon Lake, Phil Wickham, Cody Carnes, and Kari Jobe Carnes. It continued with speeches from pastors, Turning Point USA (the group Kirk founded) activists, and nearly a dozen high-level government officials.

• President Trump argued Kirk's message is "stronger than ever before," while Vice President Vance praised Kirk as "a martyr for the Christian faith.”

• Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth called Kirk a "warrior for Christ,” and Rep. Anna Paulina Luna (R-FL) compared him to Martin Luther King, Jr.

• Health Secretary RFK Jr., no stranger to political assassination, said the young activist had “changed the trajectory of history” and “died with his boots on.”

Elon Musk attended. He sat with President Trump, UFC CEO Dana White, and House Speaker Mike Johnson. Musk and Trump appeared friendly in their first meeting since their spectacular breakup in June.

• Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro, a Democrat, didn't attend. But he did praise Kirk as "devoted to speech and debate." Shapiro was the victim of an arson attack in April.

October 14, 2025, will be a National Day of Remembrance for Charlie Kirk. Both chambers of Congress passed resolutions encouraging Americans to remember and honor Kirk and the "principles of faith, liberty, and democracy" that he championed.

• Resolutions aren't laws, so this isn't an official holiday or anything more than a way to honor Kirk on what would’ve been his 32nd birthday.

Elsewhere in the ugly world of political violence...

• A 22-year-old is in custody for allegedly threatening to assassinate New Hampshire Gov. Kelly Ayotte (R).

• A Texas man was arrested for "terroristic" threats against New York City mayoral candidate Zohran Mamdani (D).

• The Department of Justice is seeking a 30-year prison term for the person who tried to assassinate Supreme Court Justice Brett Kavanaugh in 2022.

TRIVIA

Jeff Zients, President Biden's former White House chief of staff, told Congress last week that Biden's mental state worsened during his time in office. Zients’s testimony came as part of a Republican-led investigation. Kamala Harris also rags on Biden in her upcoming memoir, so it’s not a great week to be Joe.

The White House chief of staff, sometimes referred to as the second-most powerful person in Washington, is basically the CEO of all 1,800 people who work directly for the president. In other words, she’s important. Today’s question is straightforward: Who is the current White House chief of staff?

Hint: Her initials are SW.

BRIEFS

● Palestine is three steps closer to full international recognition after Australia, Canada, and the United Kingdom all agreed to recognize it as an independent country. Israel and the U.S. oppose the policy and argue it will "endanger" Israel's existence.

● Three Russian fighter jets illegally entered the airspace of NATO member Estonia on Friday. On Sunday, German and Swedish Air Force jets were scrambled to intercept an unresponsive Russian surveillance plane flying over the nearby Baltic Sea.

● The Senate on Friday confirmed Mike Waltz as the new U.S. ambassador to the United Nations. Waltz served as Trump's national security advisor from January to May. He left after fat-fingering a reporter into a secret group chat on U.S. military operations.

● A new California state law bans law enforcement from wearing most masks on duty. The law is the first of its kind in the country and is directed at federal immigration agents, who say they have to cover their faces due to threats against their families.

● A federal judge on Friday threw out President Trump's $15 billion defamation lawsuit against the New York Times — for now. Trump's lawyers have 28 days to amend the 85-page complaint and refile a less rage-filled version that’s no more than 40 pages.

● Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-NY) is considering a run for president in 2028. Her stellar fundraising skills could be a big factor in getting a White House bid off the ground. AOC is also weighing a Senate run against longtime Sen. Chuck Schumer (D-NY).

QUOTE

ANSWER

Since Trump took office on January 20, Susie Wiles has served as his chief of staff. Wiles is a longtime political staffer who worked in Florida Republican politics for decades before co-managing Trump's successful 2024 campaign. She’s the first woman to serve as White House chief of staff.