ABC World News Tonight, the YT of News

Yesterday, it was announced that US has weapons in space, no mention of that by ABC World News Tonight. Video of fireworks that caused an airliner to go around in Guatemala? They had that. Video of a ground-resonance helicopter crash in May (minor injuries of pilot and instructor? They had that.

It’s not as though a destabilizing national security move isn’t newsworthy. But since there’s no compelling video, no story. They couldn’t find a talking-head expert to talk about the risks of putting weapons in space?

Dumbing down things is only slightly less evil than the Bari Weiss Trumpification of CBS News.

But only slightly less.
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An update to this: Home heating oil is closing in on the $6/gal range in some local markets.

Dear Brendan Carr: FCC You

CBS, out of fear of that bald imittion of an ambulatory penis, ordered Stephen Colbert not to interview James Talarico or talk about it on the air.

So of course he talked about it.

Here is the interview:

May be time for an anchor pool to bet when he gets fired early by CBS.

Pro-Trump Censorship at CBS

Paramount hired Bari Weiss, a pro-Trump zampolit, to run CBS News. The day before it was due to air, she killed a story about CECOT, the notorious prison that Trump and Noem sent deportees to. Her bullshit excuse was that it needed "additional reporting." The piece had been chopped through the lawyers, the fact-checkers, the editors and both DHS and the White House had been offered a chance to comment and declined. But Weiss wants Discount Goebbels to make an on-camera comment and she'll hold the piece for him, and presumably kill it if he refuses.

The piece makes the Orange Sundowner and the Puppy-Slayer look bad. Remember that ICE Barbie had been happy to pose for a selfie in front of a cage holding men at that prison, they were so, so proud that it's a brutal prison, but now they're shying away from a piece about how bad the prison is.

Stories have run forever in press, and now on the air, with a "no comment" or a refusal to comment. Not airing a piece unless an official makes an on-camera comment is handing the government a veto.

CBS paid millions in disguised bribes to Trump and now they're spiking stories that are unfavorable to him. Weiss is turning CBS News into Fox Lite.

Weiss has, in a short period of time, wrecked any reputation for excellence that CBS News once had. Any reporter there who can should leave that rortting, sinking ship before their honor is irrevocably stained.

How to Tube a Career in Broadcasting

Forget that your mike is open. Like this guy did at a Flyers game.

Trump, Epstein and More

First off, it's coming out that Epstein and Trump were friends for a lot longer than Trump has said. Epstein was coaching Steve Bannon on a media campaign to support Trump in 2018.

Trump has no real friends, he never has. Every relationship in his life is transactional. He keeps people in his orbit for what they can do for him. When they can't do anything more for him, they're gone. That Epstein was in his life for so long speaks volumes.

Second, I want to pivot to Jimmy Kimmel, who lost his lifelong friend and bandleader, Cleto Escobedo III. Kimmel's taking a few days off, but he did his show the day Escobedo died. His monologue was a heartfelt eulogy to his friend.

On social media, I've read some pretty brutal comments, mocking Kimmel for showing his feelings and calling him all sorts of nasty shit. I'm not going to quote or link to them. But if that's you, check your head. You're showing what kind of character that you have and it's not flattering to you.

CBS: Who Needs Standards?

That's the viewpoint of CBS News's new boss.

There are growing concerns within CBS News that Bari Weiss could gut or even disband the network’s Standards and Practices team, with multiple sources telling The Independent that the new editor-in-chief has complained that the unit has “too much power” and she doesn’t see the point of keeping it around.
...
“The team is responsible for ensuring editorial standards are met on scripts and provides daily reporting guidance. They literally uphold journalistic standards,” one CBS News reporter said, adding that it would be “crazy” for the network to dissolve Standards and Practices.
...
“I’ve been hearing that standards will be eliminated or severely cut back. Bari has told people that she wants to get rid of standards and is shocked that they have so much power. She also asked openly, ‘What’s the point of standards?’” one CBS News insider claimed.

Weiss is on a quest to transform CBS from "the Tiffany network" to "the cracked plastic cup that a hobo fished out of a dumpster network". She wants to change CBS to Fox News 2.0, a news network that serves, not the American people, but the oligarchs and Donald Trump. But since CBS is now owned by an oligarch, that's to be expected.

There are plenty of other news sources, which you should think of pursuing.

The Death of CBS News

John Oliver has the deets:

In Case You Live in an Area Where Conservative Cowards Own TV Stations

He is Jimmy Kimmel's monologue from last night:

The one thing that is clear from the Kimmel mess is there are a lot of conservatives who have shown in the last week that their committment to free speech only applies to speech they agree with. Whether or not you continue to watch stations owned by Sinclair and Nexstar is up to you.

Kimmel May Not Be Back in Your Area

If your local affiliate is owned by Sinclair, they're not airing Kimmel's show. They're insisting that Kimmel pay tribute to Kirk's estate. That's not a surprise, the owers are serious far-right goons. Their news programs are notorious for being more propaganda than news.

If you have a station in your area that is owned by Sinclair, regardless of the network it airs, switch them off. If you want to do more, look up the station's address and send the manager a physical letter. If you have friends who feel the same way, ask them to do the same. Email is too easy to ignore. Hell, if they have a fax number, send them one, if you still have a computer with a built-in modem.

The Mouse Has Been Dragged Back To Its Feet

ABC will be putting Jimmy Kimmel Live! back on the air on Tuesday, less than a week after the show was abruptly suspended over comments made by its host.

I don't know how many people canceled memberships in Disney+, Hulu and cruises or stays in their parks, but I'm betting it was not a small number. And that may be why Disney has made Kimmel's "suspension" a short one.

Now we'll see if those amoral bastards at Nextel and Sinclair go along.

Pro Tip: If You Don't Want to Be Called a Nazi, Don't Act Like a Nazi

President Donald Trump has suggested some TV networks should have their licences "taken away".
...
"I have read some place that the networks were 97% against me, again, 97% negative, and yet I won and easily [in last year's election]," the president said.

"They give me only bad publicity [and] press. I mean, they're getting a licence. I would think maybe their licence should be taken away."

Remember this: Once a tool is added to the presidential toolbox, it is available for use by all future presidents. It will be interesting to see what happens when a Democratic president threatens the broadcast licenses of Fox affiliates. As the Political Golden Rule holds: I'll Do Unto You As You Did Unto Me.

Full props to ABC News, for they are not soft-pedaling their network's bowing to Trump's censorship demands.

In Solidarity With Jimmy Kimmel, I have One Thing to Say (Updated)

Fuck Charlie Kirk.

I don't know if, in his heart, Kirk was a bigot. But he was a performative bigot, slinging around racist, sexist, homophobic, xenophobic claptrap. If he played music, he would have been a classic shock jock, stirring up people in order to build an audience.

So yes, fuck him.

And fuck Sinclair and everybody who works for them.

And remember this guy?

Fuck him, too.

CBS News to Hire a Zampolit

Skydance has told the Federal Communications Commission that once its acquisition of Paramount Global is complete, it will initiate a “comprehensive review” of CBS to ensure that the network is operating in the public interest, and that it will hire an ombudsman that will report directly to the president of CBS News and “who will receive and evaluate any complaints of bias or other concerns” at the news division.

In short, they will hire a political officer to ensure that nothing goes on the air at CBS News that will annoy the Aged Orange Toddler. "The public interest", in this case means "Trump's interest."

The oligarchs are going to ensure that nothing airs that will upset their scheme of having an autocracy that serves their interests.

If you are a journalist at CBS News, your certification as a gutless quisling will be sent in the mail.

The Craven Broadcasting Company Bends Its Knee, Again

CBS is canceling “The Late Show With Stephen Colbert” next May, shuttering a decades-old TV institution in a changing media landscape and removing from air one of President Donald Trump’s most prominent and persistent late-night critics.

Thursday’s announcement followed Colbert’s criticism on Monday of a settlement between Trump and Paramount Global, parent company of CBS, over a “60 Minutes” story.
...
In his Monday monologue, Colbert said he was “offended” by the $16 million settlement reached by Paramount, whose pending sale to Skydance Media needs the Trump administration’s approval. He said the technical name in legal circles for the deal was “big fat bribe.”

So, CBS cancels the number-one show in its timeslot and says that it's a "business decision".... yeah, right. Tell me another one. Things haven't changed at that cowardly network since they canceled the Smothers Brothers Comedy Hour.

The Administration of the Syphilitic Felon has been politicizing the supposedly independent FCC; CBS is so afraid that the World's Oldest Toddler will have a fit of pique and mess with the Paramount-Skydance deal because he doesn't like what Colbert says each night.

Look for Comedy Central to engage in similar acts of political purity to try and stave off the childish wrath of the Demented Führer.

Also, this:

The #1 way to explain America working properly is by saying “comedians can make fun of he President on TV.” A good way to explain fascism is “the President forces companies to fire those comedians as a condition of allowing them to conduct business.”

— Ken Tremendous (@kentremendous.bsky.social) July 17, 2025 at 9:07 PM

They might as well run the local news at 11 (or 10), play the National Anthem, show the T-38 flying to a recitation of "High Flight" and then go dark until it's time for the farm report at 4am.

Caturday

The Diabetes Cat:

Don't Tune In Tonight

Don't watch the SOTU speech by the Felonious Agent Krasnov tonight. The one thing he craves is an audience and, if his ratings suck, he'll feel it.

The Whole World Wasn’t Watching

The TV ratings for Trump the Sequel collapsed.

Anticipatory Compliance

HBO Max pulled The West Wing.

I have no doubt that they are afraid that a tale of a competent president who cares about something other than stuffing his wallet would not find favor with the Odious Orange Shitbag.

Speaking about corrupt and ignorant fucks, Shitbag's pet judge is doing his bidding, again.

My recommendation wouold be for Jack Smith to release his unredacted reports to media outlets around the world and then accept a blanket pardon. But I don't see that happen. Some way or another, the incoming obese autocrat will find a way to bury the reports.

Because It's Friday

And for fun:

Another Day, Another Stupid Pick by the Senile Old Fuckwad

President-elect Donald Trump on Tuesday tapped Dr. Mehmet Oz, a former television talk show host and heart surgeon, to head the agency that oversees health insurance programs for millions of older, poor and disabled Americans.

Dr. Oz's talents included running a TV show where he pushed all sorts of medical quackery. And he carpetbagged himself over to Pennsylvania to run for senate and got beat by a guy who was having a stroke.

But there is a near-constant: The Doddering Old Fat Felon seems to like to surround himself with people whose one real talent is appearing on television. Sort of like himself, in that regard.

When Mark Burnett dies, may he burn in Hell, forever. For without his stupid show, Cadet Bone Spurs would have spiraled into backruptcy and prison ages ago.