CNN 9/22/2025

Jimmy Kimmel’s cousin Sal hints: ‘There are a couple bombshells still there’

By David Goldman, CNNMon September 22, 2025

Sal Iacono, Jimmy Kimmel’s cousin and a long-time writer and performer on “Jimmy Kimmel Live!” suggested Sunday that the show may not be coming back on the air after ABC indefinitely suspended the program last week.

On an episode of “The Bill Simmons Podcast” late Sunday night, Iacono said he was reluctant to talk about the future of the show out of respect for the staff whose jobs are on the line.

But he said significant news could come out this week, and he believed Kimmel will land on his feet no matter what the outcome is.

“I wish I could say anything. There are a couple bombshells still there,” Iacono said. “I’m feeling good. We’re going to be all right. Everything’s going to be just fine.”

Bill Simmons, who worked as a writer on the show two decades ago, agreed that Kimmel would find a platform if the show ended.

“He’ll be fine, whatever he wants to do,” Simmons said. “Hey listen, he might just want to be a pop-up chef and start making barbecue around the South Bay area. He’ll do a great job.”

“Jimmy Kimmel Live!” was abruptly and indefinitely taken off the air on Wednesday last week after Federal Communications Commission Chair Brendan Carr and networks of affiliate stations threatened ABC over comments Kimmel made in a monologue about the MAGA movement’s response to Charlie Kirk’s assassination.The show’s staff will continue to be paid for the time being, as discussions continue between Kimmel and executives at Disney, ABC’s parent company, over the show’s future.

Iacono called the past week “tumultuous,” so he said Kimmel and his family got together over the weekend. Iacono recalled that most of the family avoided discussing the elephant in the room, but his son was the first to broach the subject.

“My kids, I think they felt weird approaching him at first. And my middle guy, Jack, who is a junior in high school, breaks the ice and says in his deadpan way, says, ‘Hey, some kids at school say it’s not right what happened to you,’” Iacono recounted.

“And so Jimmy says, ‘Well, what did you say?’” Iacono said. “He’s like, ‘I said, “Yeah, I think you’re right.”’”

“And Jimmy’s like, ‘Well, next time tell them, “I’m not too worried about what happens; my cousin Jimmy is an excellent dancer.”’”

Iacono acknowledged that he held more information about the show’s suspension and its future than he was able to reveal, but he was unwilling to say any more on Sunday.

“That’s all I have to say right now. I can’t really say anything,” Iacono said. “You and I know too much. It’s very emotional.”

Simmons agreed that it was a topic of conversation best laid to rest.

”We both know too much,” Simmons said. “Not only our cousin, but all the people working for the show, and, it’s better if we’re not talking about this in any way.”

“When I can, I will,” Iacono said.

https://lite.cnn.com/2025/09/22/media/jimmy-kimmel-show-sal-iacono

(There very fact they can’t understand what happened, shows they should haven’t tried. The injustice culture is sickening.)

>>23637725 @realDonaldTrump We caught the Venezuelan Militia in training. A very serious threat!PN

This is in Erik Prince’s wheelhouse. He had lot of citizens there that wanted to kick out Maduro in VZ

FBI Director Kash Patel

@FBIDirectorKash

As the Director of the FBI, I am committed to ensuring the investigation into Charlie Kirk’s assassination is thorough and exhaustive, pursuing every lead to its conclusion.

The full weight of America’s law enforcement agencies are actively following the evidence that has emerged, but our efforts extend beyond initial findings. We are examining every facet of this assassination.

We are meticulously investigating theories and questions, including the location from where the shot was taken, the possibility of accomplices, the text message confession and related conversations, Discord chats, the angle of the shot and bullet impact, how the weapon was transported, hand gestures observed as potential “signals” near Charlie at the time of his assassination, and visitors to the alleged shooter’s residence in the hours and days leading up to September 10, 2025.

Some details are known today, while others are still being pursued to ensure every possibility is considered. Our primary focus is to complete this investigation and deliver justice. To protect the integrity of the investigation and subsequent prosecution, we cannot release every piece of information we have to the public right now. We will ensure every question is addressed at the appropriate moment.

Regarding specific details, such as questions about the plane that allegedly turned off its transponder after departing from an airport near the assassination site, we can share updates when answers are confirmed. After interviews with the pilot and consultation with the FAA, we determined the transponder was not turned off. Incomplete flight data in rural areas caused the apparent gap.

The entire FBI mourns the loss of Charlie Kirk. We will not rest until justice is served, and our investigation into this assassination will continue until every question is answered.

1:02 PM · Sep 21, 2025

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6.8M

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https://x.com/FBIDirectorKash/status/1969809385418555404

TikTok’s algorithm will be controlled by Oracle in the US after the sale is completed

By Clare Duffy, CNN Mon September 22, 2025

The White House has answered what had been one of the major outstanding questions regarding its pending deal to transfer TikTok’s US operations to a majority American ownership group:Under the agreement, the app’s algorithm will be operated in the United States and overseen by Oracle.

The detail was confirmed by a senior White House official in a call with reporters on Monday. If completed, the deal will transfer control of TikTok’s US operations to anew joint venture based in the United States, with majority American investors and run by a majority American board of directors, the official said.

Oracle and private equity firm Silver Lake will be among those investors, along with US and global firms who are already invested in TikTok parent company ByteDance and a number of new investors.President Donald Trump said on Sunday that tech and media leaders Michael Dell and Lachlan and Rupert Murdoch may also be part of the new ownership group. A source familiar with the matter clarified to CNN that Fox Corp. would be one of the investors, not the Murdochs individually.

ByteDance will retain a less than 20% stake in TikTok US following the deal. The full investor group has not yet been finalized, the official said.

The new information comes as the White House pushes ahead to finalize the TikTok sale, after Trump said he made progress toward the deal in a call with Chinese President Xi Jinping on Friday. The deal is still awaiting some formal regulatory approvals from China, the White House official said Monday, although US leaders have expressed confidence that the agreement will be completed.

“We are 100% confident that a deal is done,” White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt said on Saturday, adding that it would likely be signed “in the coming days.”

Trump is set to sign an executive order later this week stating that the deal constitutes a qualified divestiture as required by the ban-or-sale law that passed last year, the official said. He will also extend the pause on enforcing the law by another 120 days so that paperwork and regulatory approvals for the deal can be completed. At the same time, the official said, ByteDance is expected to sign an agreement laying out the framework of the deal with one or more of the new investors.

Trump last week extended the ban until December 16, meaning the deal is likely to be formally completed early next year. That would conclude the yearslong effort to place TikTok under American control, over US officials’ concern that its China-based parent company posed a national security risk.

The fate of the algorithm had remained a major question, because the content recommendation engine plays a big role in the app’s popularity but is also behind the national security concerns. US officials worried that ByteDance could be forced to manipulate the algorithm on behalf of the Chinese government to influence or generate dissent among Americans. The TikTok ban-or-sale law prohibits “any cooperation with respect to the operation of a content recommendation algorithm” between ByteDance and a new potential American ownership group.

Under the deal, Oracle will receive a copy of the algorithm code from ByteDance, review it, retrain it on US user data and continuously monitor how it’s pushing content to users, according to the senior White House official.

The new ownership group will control the algorithm only for US users — again raising the questionabout whether American users will have to download a new, separate app after the deal is complete.

The deal will expand Oracle’s involvement with TikTok, building on an existing partnership with ByteDance to store TikTok’s US user data domestically as part of an earlier effort to address national security concerns. Oracle Chairman Larry Ellison is also close with Trump.

In a surprise move on Monday, Oracle announcedthat its CEO Safra Catz will step down from her role, to be replaced by co-CEOs Clay Magouyrk, previously president of Oracle’s cloud infrastructure unit, and Mike Silica, previously president of Oracle Industries. Catz will become vice chair of Oracle’s board of directors. It’s not clear if the transition is related to the TikTok deal; however, the move could free up Catz, also a Trump ally, to take on a leadership role in the new joint venture.

The White House has not yet finalized whether it will take a fee for negotiating the TikTok deal, which is expected to be worth billions of dollars, according to the official. However, the White House will not have a “golden share” or other equity stake in the new company.

https://lite.cnn.com/2025/09/22/tech/tiktok-sale-oracle-algorithm

22 Sep, 2025 14:15

Maduro account removed from YouTube

The move follows weeks of escalating tensions between the US and Venezuela over the deployment of American warships to the Southern Caribbean

Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro’s YouTube channel has vanished from the platform amid escalating tensions between Caracas and Washington.

According to state-run broadcaster Telesur, the channel went offline on Friday. It has since disappeared from search results and is now inaccessible even via direct link.

“This page is unavailable,” reads the message where Maduro’s channel once appeared.

YouTube’s parent company, US-based Google, has not commented on the removal. Maduro’s channel, with over 233,000 subscribers, mainly featured his speeches and weekly TV show. YouTube says accounts are removed for “repeated violations” such as misinformation, hate speech, or interfering with “democratic processes.” Caracas has yet to comment on the takedown.

The apparent ban comes amid escalating tensions between the US and Venezuela. Relations soured when Washington refused to recognize Maduro’s reelection, but the rift widened with the recent deployment of American warships and fighter jets to the Southern Caribbean. Last month, the US sent at least eight Navy vessels, an attack submarine, and about 4,000 troops near Venezuela’s coast, saying the mission targeted drug cartels. Washington claimed the armada sank three Venezuelan boats but offered no proof those on board were criminals.

Venezuelan officials denounced the deployment as an assault on sovereignty and a plot to topple Maduro.Earlier this month, Maduro sent a letter to Trump, insisting Venezuela had dismantled trafficking networks and major drug gangs. He dismissed reports to the contrary as fake news and offered to hold direct talks with Washington on the issue.

“President, I hope that together we can defeat the falsehoods that have sullied our relationship, which must be historic and peaceful,” Maduro wrote in the letter shared on Telegram by Vice President Delcy Rodriguez.

Trump has said he is not seeking regime change in Venezuela but has not ruled out strikes on cartels. Last month, his administration doubled the reward for Maduro’s arrest to $50 million over a 2020 New York indictment accusing him of conspiring to traffic cocaine, charges he called a coup plot. Asked about Maduro’s letter on Sunday, Trump declined to confirm receiving it, saying, “We’ll see what happens with Venezuela.”

https://www.rt.com/news/625058-maduro-youtube-removed-us/

22 Sep, 2025 11:51

EU looks to ‘Le Pen-proof’ its budget – Politico

Brussels is concerned that French President Emmanuel Macron could lose power to the right in the next election

The EU leadership is trying to fast-track talks to reach a deal on the bloc’s new budget before the French presidential election in April 2027, Politico reports. EU officials reportedly fear it could be won by right-wing firebrand Marine Le Pen or one of her allies from the National Rally party.

The EU’s next seven-year budget is scheduled to come into force on January 1, 2028.The proposal by the European Commission currently being discussed amounts to €1,816 trillion ($2,136). It requires unanimous approval from all 27 member states to pass.

The risk of the right-wing forces defeating French President Emmanuel Macron in the election is the main reason budget negotiations are being accelerated, the outlet said in an article on Monday, citing five officials and EU diplomats.

The concern in Brussels is that the National Rally’s platform, which includes slashing Paris’ contribution to the EU budget and reducing military aid to Ukraine, could disrupt the already complex talks, it said.

Le Pen has been banned from running for public office after a French court found her guilty of embezzling European Parliament funds earlier this year. She has challenged the ruling. The National Rally’s second most prominent figure,Jordan Bardella, is also believed to be capable of winning the election, according to the article.

European Council President Antonio Costa is working to secure a budget deal in the council by the end of 2026, his spokesperson, Maria Tomasik, told journalists on Friday.

"At the European Council in December 2026, there will be blood on the walls,” a senior EU diplomat told Politico, referring to the negotiations.

There is “annoyance” over attempts to speed up the budget talks in countries including Italy and Poland, which argue that it leaves them less time to make changesto the proposal and benefits the Northern European nations, according to the outlet.

A poll by Ifop published on Saturday suggested thatMacron’s ratings have fallen to 17%, the lowest during his two-term presidency. Hundreds of thousands protested across France last week against government policies, including additional austerity measures proposed by newly appointed Prime Minister Sebastien Lecornu.

https://www.rt.com/news/625051-le-pen-eu-budget/

22 Sep, 2025 15:52

German Army expects 1,000 wounded per day in case of conflict with Russia

Officials in Berlin have repeatedly spoken about the need to prepare for a war, while Moscow has denied any aggressive intentions

The German armed forces would expect to suffer 1,000 wounded soldiers a day in the event of a conflict with Russia, according to the head of the Bundeswehr’s medical service.Moscow has repeatedly denied any plans to attack NATO nations, calling such allegations “nonsense.”

“Realistically, we are talking about a figure of around 1,000 wounded troops per day,” Surgeon General Ralf Hoffmann told Reuters on Monday, when asked about the Bundeswehr’s potential casualty rate. The military is looking at hospital trains and buses as it considers its potential needs, he added.

The Bundeswehr would also need German hospitals to allocate some 15,000 beds for it as soldiers would be mostly treated in civilian medical facilities after evacuation, according to Hoffmann.

Berlin has repeatedly spoken about the possibility of a direct military confrontation between NATO and Russia since the escalation of the Ukraine conflict in 2022. Germany’s chief of defense staff, General Carsten Breuer, had previously stated that the nation must be ready to confront Moscow by 2029.

Earlier this year, Kremlin spokesman DmitryPeskov warned that “Germany is becoming dangerous again” in response to a statement by German Defense Minister BorisPistorius suggesting that the nation’s troops were ready to kill Russian soldiers in the event of a confrontation. Peskov has also called Chancellor Friedrich Merz a “fierce apologist for confrontation with Russia.”

Merz had earlier vowed to make the Bundeswehr the “strongest conventional army in Europe.” He also labeled Russian President Vladimir Putin “perhaps the most serious war criminal of our time” and urged Kiev’s Western backers to pursue “economic exhaustion” of Russia.

Since the escalation of the Ukraine conflict in 2022, Berlin has significantly increased military spending and has become the second-largest supplier of arms to Kiev after the US. Ukraine used German Leopard tanks in its incursion last year into Russia’s Kursk Region.

(https://www.rt.com/news/625074-german-army-wounded-conflict-russia/

(Merz and the EU leaders that want with Russia are the new Hitler. Fortunately Trump will not get America involved.)

22 Sep, 2025 10:27

Pentagon tightens media disclosure rules

Updated policy for reporters limiting “unauthorized” revelations have sparked outrage from journalists’ groups

The Pentagon has issued a policy update for the media that contains awarning that reporters could be stripped of press credentials for making unauthorized disclosures. The update, first reported by The Washington Post and Politico, is outlined in a memo sent to media organizations on Friday evening.

=Journalists will henceforth only be allowed access to the Pentagon premises if they sign agreements restricting their movement in the building and stipulating that they will not obtain and do not possess unapproved materials, according to the document cited by the news outlets.

“DoW remains committed to transparency to promote accountability and public trust,” the memo reads, using the abbreviation for the newly rebranded Department of War. “However, DoW information must be approved for public release by an appropriate authorizing official before it is released, even if it is unclassified.”

=The National Press Clubcondemned the policy, calling it“an unacceptable infringement on the independence of the press and a dangerous precedent for access to public institutions.”(you shouldn’t have leaked so much.)

Responding to the backlash, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth said in a post on X:“The press does not run the Pentagon – the people do. The press is no longer allowed to roam the halls of a secure facility. Wear a badge and follow the rules or go home.”

The Pentagon recently took several steps tolimit direct communication between military personnel and the press. The measures are part of a broader effort to crack down on information leaks.

In April, the Washington Post reported, citing unnamed sources, that Pentagon employees were subjected to FBI polygraph tests in an attempt to identify leakers. Furthermore, Attorney General PamBondi announced that federal authorities may once again seek access to journalists’ phone records and require them to testify as part of investigations into unauthorized disclosures.

https://www.rt.com/news/625040-pentagon-censor-media-coverage/

KEK they deserve all punishment they can be given