Jimmy Kimmel makes emotional return, Disney hits millions with price hikes: Unbiased Updates, Sept. 24, 2025
Jimmy Kimmel is back on the air, and he didn’t hold back. After a weeklong suspension over his comments surrounding the killing of Charlie Kirk, Kimmel returned to his late-night show with an emotional monologue defending free speech.
At the U.N., Trump also caused a stir, abruptly changing his position on the war in Ukraine.
And Disney just delivered a September surprise for millions of subscribers. Prices are going up across Disney+, Hulu and ESPN bundles.
These stories and more highlight your Unbiased Updates for Wednesday, Sept. 24, 2025.
Jimmy Kimmel returns to late night, spotlights free speech battle
Jimmy Kimmel returned to late night on Tuesday after a week-long suspension that sparked a national firestorm over free speech. Kimmel walked onto the stage to a standing ovation and opened with a raw, 15-minute monologue.
He addresses his comments about the killing of conservative activist Charlie Kirk while taking aim at President Donald Trump and the Federal Communications Commission.
“I don’t think what I have to say is going to make much of a difference. If you like me, like me, if you don’t, you don’t. I have no illusions about changing anyone’s mind, but I do want to make something clear, because it’s important to me as a human, and that is, you understand that it was never my intention to make light of the murder of a young man,” Kimmel said. “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.”
Kimmel addressed freedom of speech, saying taking his show off the air is “dangerous.”
“Our freedom to speak is what they admire most about this country, and that’s something I’m embarrassed to say I took for granted until they pulled my friend Stephen off the air and tried to coerce the affiliates who run our show in the cities that you live in to take my show off the air. That’s not legal. That’s not American. That is un-American. And it’s so dangerous.”
The late-night host also addressed Trump and his comments on Kimmel’s removal.
“The president of the United States made it very clear he wants to see me and the hundreds of people who work here fired from our jobs. Our leader celebrates Americans losing their livelihoods because he can’t take a joke… You almost have to feel sorry for him. He tried did his best to cancel me. Instead, he forced millions of people to watch the show. That backfired bigly. He might have to release the Epstein Files to distract us from this now.”
Trump responded to Kimmel’s return on Truth Social, saying he was “not funny,” a ratings liabilty and accusing ABC of pushing “99% democrat garbage.”
Trump says Ukraine can retake all land in striking policy reversal
The president seems to be changing his tune on Moscow and the war in Ukraine. After months of suggesting Kyiv would have to give up land for peace, Trump now says Ukraine can win back all its territory.
He’s calling for NATO to shoot down Russian aircraft that violate alliance airspace.
The comments came as Trump sat down with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy on the sidelines of the U.N. General Assembly.
When asked about NATO’s response to Russian airspace violations, Trump was blunt.
A reporter asked Trump, “Mr. President, do you think that nato countries should shoot down Russian aircraft if they enter their airspace?”
He responded, “Yes, I do.”
Later on Truth Social, Trump declared that Ukraine, backed by Europe “is in a position to fight and win all of Ukraine back in its original form.”
He called Russia a “paper tiger,” saying the war is bleeding Moscow dry.
In Trump’s speech earlier in the day, he targeted some of the United Nations’ core priorities. He criticized global migration, called climate change “the greatest con job ever perpetuated,” and urged nations to put strong borders above U.N. goals:
“It’s time to end the failed experiment of open borders. You have to end it now, I can tell you. I’m really good at this stuff. Your countries are going to hell. In America, we’ve taken bold action to swiftly shut down uncontrolled migration. Once we started detaining and deporting everyone who crossed the border and removing illegal aliens from the United States, they simply stopped coming. They’re not coming anymore. We’re getting a lot of credit, but they’re not coming anymore.”
— President Donald Trump
The speech drew silence from much of the room and sharp criticism from European allies, who warned his views on immigration and green energy could weaken the West.
Typhoon Ragasa batters Taiwan and southern China
Dubbed as the strongest storm on the planet this year, Typhoon Ragasa is hitting parts of Asia with deadly force. The scenes are staggering: hurricane-force winds and torrential rain have triggered flash flooding across Taiwan.
Dozens are dead, more than 150 people are still missing, and entire towns are underwater.
In mainland China, nearly two million people have been evacuated as Ragasa barrels toward densely populated coastal cities.
The storm also disrupted life in Hong Kong, a global financial hub, where 100-mile-per-hour winds tore through high-rises and monstrous waves smashed into seaside hotels.
Ragasa is the ninth typhoon to strike the region this year, far above the average of six. Forecasters said its impacts could be felt for days as the system churns inland.
Trump admin seeks to rehire workers cut by DOGE
Hundreds of federal employees laid off when Elon Musk’s Department of Government Efficiency cut jobs are now being asked to return.
The Associated Press reported that the General Services Administration has given former staff who managed government workspaces until the end of the week to decide if they will return.
An internal memo, obtained by AP, said that anyone who accepts must report for duty on Oct. 6.
The GSA reinstatements are part of a larger effort to rehire staff across agencies affected by DOGE cuts, including at the IRS and the Labor Department.
Disney raises streaming prices amid Jimmy Kimmel backlash
Disney is making headlines this week not just because of Jimmy Kimmel’s return but also because it announced it is raising its streaming prices. The company announced Tuesday that starting Oct. 21, Disney+, Hulu and ESPN plans will all cost more.
The basic Disney+ plan will increase from $9.99 to $11.99 a month, and the ad-free version will increase to $18.99 per month. The Disney+ bundle with Hulu will cost $12.99 a month for the base plan and $19.99 a month for ad-free. And, the Disney+, Hulu and ESPN bundle plan will increase to $19.99 and $29.99 a month, respectively.
Millions of subscribers canceled their plans in protest after ABC — owned by Disney — suspended Kimmel’s show last week. Disney reversed course Monday, but the subscription boycott showed how quickly viewers can walk away.
The company said the price hike aligns them with competitors like Netflix and Apple.
New dinosaur discovered in Argentina, still holding crocodile bone
A fossil discovery in Argentina is attracting attention. It’s not just a new dinosaur species, but also evidence of its final meal.
Scientists have uncovered a newly discovered carnivore they have nicknamed the “Joaquinraptor.”
The fossil was discovered with an ancient crocodile’s leg still caught between its jaws. The predator belongs to a group of Cretaceous Period predators called mega-raptorians, known for their long skulls and huge, hooked claws.
Researchers said it’s one of the most complete skeletons ever recovered from the group, providing rare insight into these mysterious hunters.
The dinosaur is believed to have lived 66 to 70 million years ago, around the same time dinosaurs went extinct. Tests indicated it was at least 19 years old when it died.
More from Straight Arrow News:
Meta’s next step: Starting a company to buy and sell power for its data centers
Meta is taking another step into the energy industry. A new Meta subsidiary recently filed an application with federal regulators to trade wholesale power on the electric grid.
Atem Energy LLC, a company wholly owned by the tech giant that also owns Instagram, Facebook and WhatsApp, filed with the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission on Sept. 16. If approved, the company will be able to buy and sell electricity on the open market, allowing it to better manage its energy consumption.
As Big Tech grows hungry for power to fuel data centers that make artificial intelligence tools possible, Meta has already made big energy moves. The company has inked deals with nuclear power companies and signed contracts to buy renewable energy.
Three new gas power plants in Louisiana were approved by state regulators to power a Meta data center. With vast energy resources under contract, experts see Meta’s move into wholesale power trading as a logical next step. In an interview with Straight Arrow News, Paul Joskow, an economics professor at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, said Meta “realize(s) that they’re going to be big players in the electricity supply business,” and the move into wholesale power trading “gives them some flexibility.” Read the full story now >
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Ella Rae Greene, Editor In Chief
