Does Anybody Remember Laughter?

The Return of the Jedi

They say laughter is the best medicine. They’re wrong. That’s Tylenol. But laughter helps and we got a little of it back last night with the de-suspension of Jimmy Kimmel. As you might imagine, an attack on the freedom of expression by someone critical of the administation who interjects humor into the day’s headlines is of particular importance to me. But, given America’s slide toward the kind of authoritarianism that silences dissent, it should be of particular importance to everyone. As Kimmel explained: “This show is not important. What is important is that we get to live in a country that allows us to have a show like this. I’ve had the opportunity to meet and spend time with comedians and talk show hosts from countries like Russia, countries in the Middle East who tell me they would get thrown in prison for making fun of those in power. And worse than being thrown in prison. They know how lucky we are here. Our freedom to speak is what they admire most about this country.” We’re losing our collective grasp on a lot of America’s most admirable characteristics. Saving, at least for now, the voice of one late night talkshow host on broadcast TV might seem like a small win. But seeing artists, viewers, colleagues, competitors, and a massive corporation like Disney stand up for an American value is a big deal. It’s also proved to be a rare fight in which people across the political spectrum seemed to find some common ground. “I definitely don’t think that the government should be involved ever in dictating what a comedian can or cannot say in a monologue. That’s f-cking crazy.” That’s what I think. It’s also what Joe Rogan said. Maybe the combination of protests, pressure, and corporate spine-showing has the makings of a playbook that can be replicated. That’s the hope, anyway. I don’t know how this fight will play out. Maybe Kimmel’s return will mark one of American democracy’s last stands, or maybe it will be a meaningful step in a broader movement to safeguard democracy’s most precious attributes. That part isn’t up to Disney or Kimmel. It’s up to you and me. If we don’t rise to the occasion, well, then the joke will be on us.

+ “But when Mr. Kimmel returned on Tuesday, there was nothing shadowy or diminished about him. He did not apologize abjectly or rein himself in as a model for a chilling new form of tempered speech. Neither did he bound onstage and preen in triumph in a defiantly juvenile way. Instead he recognized every note that needed to be hit, and he hit them all with precision and impressive grace.” Jimmy Kimmel Rose to the Occasion.

+ Here’s the entire monologue, which as you’d expect, will grow to become the show’s most viral and viewed video ever. “As I was saying before I was interrupted...”

2

Science Fiction

It’s nice to have Jimmy back, but we’ve got bigger fish to fry. Actually, on our current trajectory, the ocean might fry them for us. “In a remarkable United Nations address, the president lashed out at wind turbines, environmentalists and allies around the world while dismissing the dangers of climate change.” NYT(Gift Article): Trump to World: Green Energy Is a Scam and Climate Science Is From ‘Stupid People.’

+ “Don’t take Tylenol,” Mr. Trump said standing next to Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. “Fight like hell not to take it.” ABC: ‘Highly concerning’: Major medical groups react to Trump’s claim that Tylenol is linked to autism. (Ironically, the only time I really need Tylenol is during press conferences when Trump discusses medicine.)

+ WSJ (Gift Article): Trump, Tylenol and the Plaintiffs Bar. “Why the sudden alarm, complete with a presidential presser? The Occam’s razor answer is the influence of RFK Jr., who is carrying water for his friends in the plaintiffs bar. A who’s-who of lawsuit shops are pushing the Tylenol-autism link in federal court.” (I imagine there’s some of this, along with a heavy dose of general quackery.)

3

America First (Degree)

“Stockpiles of food and medicine are running out here. Village health workers who used to provide inexpensive preventive care have been laid off. Public health initiatives like deworming and vitamin A distribution have collapsed. Immunizations are being missed. Contraception is harder to get. Ordinary people are growing weaker, hungrier and more fragile. So as months pass, the crisis is not easing but growing increasingly lethal — and because children are particularly vulnerable, they are often the first to starve and the first to die. It’s difficult to know how many children are dying worldwide as a result of the Trump aid cuts, but credible estimates by experts suggest that the child death toll may be in the hundreds of thousands this year alone — and likely an even higher number next year.” Nick Kristoff in the NYT (Gift Article): Trump’s Most Lethal Policy.

+ This is all about a very clear policy of ending foreign aid, right? Not exactly. Bessent Says U.S. Talking With Argentina About $20 Billion in Aid. “Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said the U.S. is in talks to provide Argentina with a $20 billion swap line to help contain financial upheaval and support President Javier Milei’s free-market overhaul.”

4

Strike That, Reverse It

“President Trump reversed himself on one of the key foreign policy issues of his presidency on Tuesday, abandoning his insistence that Ukraine give up land to strike a peace deal with Russia and instead declaring that Ukraine, with the support of Europe, was ‘in a position to fight and WIN all of Ukraine back in its original form.’ His turnabout on social media shortly after a meeting in New York with President Volodymyr Zelensky of Ukraine was a head-spinning pivot.” (Now we just have to find a way to make sure he doesn’t talk to anyone else about this issue until peace is secured...) NYT (Gift Article): In a Sudden Shift, Trump Says Ukraine Can Win the War With Russia. (Ukraine can win, but it will take more than words from America.)

+ Tom Nichols in The Atlantic (Gift Article): Why Trump Changed His Mind on Ukraine. “I hope I’m wrong. But Trump has a well-known tendency to agree with whomever he spoke with last, and his comments today may only reflect the immediacy of his meetings with Zelensky and Macron. The only way the world can know if the president meant what he said today is if he comes back to Washington and puts America firmly back on the side of NATO and Ukraine with money and materiel. Until then, it’s just talk.”

5

Extra, Extra

ICE Facility Shooting: “A shooter opened fire on a U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement facility in Dallas on Wednesday, killing two detainees and critically wounding a third, investigators said. The gunman died of a self-inflicted gunshot wound and left behind ammunition with what officials described as anti-ICE language.” Here’s the latest from CNN and NYT.

+ One Ring to Bind Them: Jamelle Bouie in the NYT (Gift Article): This Is About So Much More Than Lisa Cook. “In the view of the White House, it’s not just that Trump is vested with inherent authority to remove whoever he wants from office, but that as one of two officials elected by the nation at large — and the central person on the ticket — the president is also imbued with the will of the people. This gives him the sovereign authority to do as he pleases, so that he might fulfill that will. It is the responsibility of every agency, under this view of executive power, to ‘advance the president’s priorities,’ even if those priorities conflict with the law.” (And it sure seems like the SCOTUS majority is primed to agree with that notion.)

+ Making News: “The government and the press have tangled over the publication of secret information for decades, of course, most famously in the publication of the Pentagon Papers, which led to a landmark court fight that reaffirmed press freedoms. But the rules set out by the Pentagon under Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth seek to establish new constraints on journalists that news organizations consider unconstitutional and at odds with democratic norms.” NYT: The Pentagon, the Press and the Fight to Control National Security Coverage.

+ Give Him the Sack: “A restaurant take-out bag with $50,000 inside. A former (and future) government official. Allegations of a Department of Justice cover-up. It sounds like a Matt Damon movie, but it’s just another day in 2025. The Justice Department has halted the investigation of border czar Tom Homan, who MSNBC reported was caught on tape last September accepting a cash payment from FBI agents posing as businessmen seeking government contracts. But that won’t end the matter — nor should it.” Homan’s $50,000 Bribe Allegation Deserves a Thorough Probe.

+ Come Back! “The General Services Administration has given the employees — who managed government workspaces — until the end of the week to accept or decline reinstatement, according to an internal memo obtained by The Associated Press. Those who accept must report for duty on Oct. 6 after what amounts to a seven-month paid vacation.” Trump administration rehires hundreds of federal employees laid off by DOGE.

+ Short Sighted: Need a good book to read? Here’s a look at this year’s Booker shortlist.

6

Bottom of the News

The attack on carbs is getting real. The number one beer in America today is Michelob Ultra. At least until someone comes out with protein-infused beer.

+ Rodents prevail in rat race: New York City’s rat czar resigns from post.

+ Winners of the 2025 Natural Landscape Photography Awards.