Popular Information, Washington D.C., DC (2025)

09/24/2025

Jimmy Kimmel’s late-night show returned last night, less than a week after ABC indefinitely suspended production in response to Kimmel’s comments about the assassination of Charlie Kirk. But Kimmel’s show was not broadcast on 66 ABC affiliates owned by Nexstar and Sinclair.

Nexstar said it would keep Kimmel off the air “pending assurance that all parties are committed to fostering an environment of respectful, constructive dialogue in the markets we serve.”

Sinclair said that “[d]iscussions with ABC are ongoing as we evaluate the show’s potential return.” Previously, Sinclair said that it would not consider broadcasting Kimmel’s show until the host personally apologized and made donations to both the Kirk family and Turning Point USA.

Read the full story here:

Jimmy Kimmel’s late-night show returned last night, less than a week after ABC indefinitely suspended production in response to Kimmel’s comments about the assassination of Charlie Kirk.

09/23/2025

In August, Skydance Media, a firm funded by Larry Ellison, an 81-year-old tech oligarch, and led by his son David, completed an $8 billion merger with Paramount Global, the parent company of CBS.

Now, the elder Ellison also has eyes set on TikTok, the massive social media app owned by a company based in China. Last week, Trump announced that Ellison would be among the group of American billionaires allowed to acquire TikTok's domestic operations to prevent the app from being banned in the U.S.

Ellison believes that humanity would greatly benefit from a surveillance society governed by an all-seeing system of artificial intelligence.

Read the full story here:

In the near future, Larry Ellison, an 81-year-old tech oligarch, could be in control of one of the world's most powerful media empires.

09/23/2025

Sinclair Broadcast Group, which owns dozens of ABC affiliates, played a crucial role in forcing late-night comedian Jimmy Kimmel off the air.

Sinclair pledged to "air a special in remembrance of Charlie Kirk… during Jimmy Kimmel Live’s timeslot." That program, produced by Sinclair's National News Desk, papers over Kirk's far-right political views.

It does not mention that Kirk called the Civil Rights Act a "huge mistake," supported public executions, and blamed a host of the country's problems on "Jewish donors." Instead, the Sinclair special depicts Kirk primarily as a religious and prophetic figure.

Read the full story here:

"Many Americans are standing shoulder-to-shoulder, believing God is still working and opening the hearts of a new generation."

09/18/2025

On Tuesday, the DOJ filed lawsuits against the states of Oregon and Maine. The lawsuits seek to compel both states to turn over the private data of every registered voter.

The federal government has never requested this kind of information in bulk before, as the Constitution establishes that the states, not the federal government, are responsible for administering elections.

The new lawsuits are part of a broader effort by the Trump administration to usurp this role and use the new authority to advance false claims about voter fraud and other election irregularities.

Read the full story here:

On Tuesday, the Department of Justice (DOJ) filed lawsuits against the states of Oregon and Maine. The lawsuits seek to compel both states to turn over the private data of every registered voter, including driver's license numbers and partial social security numbers. The new litigation is part of a....

09/17/2025

On Tuesday morning, President Trump sued the New York Times for $15 billion. The lawsuit alleges that during the 2024 election, the paper published "malicious, defamatory, and disparaging articles" that were "calculated to inflict maximum damage upon President Trump."

The action against the New York Times is the latest in a series of lawsuits that Trump has filed against media organizations over the past year. It is part of a broader campaign, spanning decades, to curtail press freedom.

To make sense of all this, Popular Information spoke with David Enrich, the deputy investigations editor for The New York Times.

Read the full story here:

Popular Information talks to David Enrich, who wrote the book on how powerful people exploit the legal system to silence journalists.

09/16/2025

In the wake of the senseless murder of right-wing activist Charlie Kirk, his political admirers are venerating him as a principled champion of free speech. Ironically, some of the same people are participating in an organized campaign demanding that anyone with a different view of Kirk's political legacy be fired.

Mobs of people, at the direction of elected officials like JD Vance and a constellation of right-wing influencers, are calling the employers of people who say negative things about Kirk online.

This effort has been extremely successful. Dozens of people have been fired for expressing opinions about Kirk that others deem unacceptable. Some have been fired for merely quoting Kirk or disagreeing with Kirk's political stances.

Read the full story here:

A coordinated pressure campaign has cost dozens of people their jobs.

09/16/2025

On August 22, Iryna Zarutska, a 23-year-old Ukrainian refugee, was fatally stabbed while riding the train in Charlotte. The horrific attack was unprovoked.

Decarlos Brown Jr., a 34-year-old with a long rap sheet and a history of mental illness, has been charged with first-degree murder and could face the death penalty.

In the wake of Zarutska's death, prominent Republicans — including President Trump, Vice President JD Vance, Attorney General Pam Bondi — have blamed Democrats. Trump and many others singled out former North Carolina Governor Roy Cooper (D), who is currently running for U.S. Senate.

This argument is completely unfounded.

Read the full story here:

A high-stakes race for an open U.S. Senate seat in North Carolina has gotten nasty very quickly.

09/12/2025

CBS News has hired Kenneth R. Weinstein as its new ombudsman, charged with receiving and evaluating "any complaints of bias or other concerns involving CBS."

Paramount pledged to create the position at CBS News when the Trump administration approved its merger with Skydance. Weinstein, the former president of the Hudson Institute, a right-wing think tank, has no experience producing or overseeing news coverage.

A Popular Information review of his public comments, however, reveals Weinstein has an extensive record of praising Trump and criticizing Trump's political adversaries.

Read the full story here:

CBS News has hired Kenneth R.

09/10/2025

Jared Kushner, who is being paid tens of millions of dollars in annual fees by the Saudi government and other Middle Eastern nations, has taken a central role advising Trump on Middle East policy.

On Monday, Kushner met in Miami with Steve Witkoff, Trump's envoy to the Middle East, and Ron Dermer, a top advisor to Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. At the meeting, the trio reportedly discussed a new proposal for a ceasefire and "day after" plans.

Two weeks ago, Kushner visited the White House with former British Prime Minister Tony Blair to advise Trump about potential post-war reconstruction plans in Gaza.

Advising the president while simultaneously accepting tens of millions of dollars from Middle Eastern governments would represent a conflict on any topic. But the future of Gaza is a key issue for Saudi Arabia and the UAE. Now Kushner, who is financially beholden to Saudi Arabia and the UAE, has a seat at the table.

Read the full story here:

Jared Kushner, who is being paid tens of millions of dollars in annual fees by the Saudi government and other Middle Eastern nations, has taken a central role advising President Trump on Middle East policy.

09/08/2025

In the United States, passengers are not entitled to any compensation if their flight is delayed or canceled.

That was supposed to change. Last week, however, the Trump administration quietly canceled plans to compensate U.S. passengers for delays and cancellations.

The decision to reverse the proposed consumer protections, which are very popular, came after an aggressive lobbying campaign by Airlines for America and individual airlines. The industry used its influence, cash, and flattery to get their way.

Read the full story here:

After a $62 billion federal bailout, the airline industry secures the repeal of a key consumer protection.

09/04/2025

In a new television ad, Virginia Republican gubernatorial candidate Winsome Earle-Sears criticizes her opponent, Democrat Abigail Spanberger, for saying "our LGBTQ neighbors have the same legal rights as everyone else."

The ad targets Spanberger's vote for the Equality Act, federal legislation that would have prohibited "discrimination based on s*x, s*xual orientation, and gender identity." The bill passed the House in 2019, but was never approved by the Senate.

Spanberger's views on LGBTQ rights are widely shared among the American public. It is Earle-Sears' opinions on LGBTQ people that are far outside of the mainstream.

Read the full story here:

Virginia's Republican gubernatorial candidate dishonestly links her opponent to a notorious s*x offender

09/03/2025

On Tuesday, Trump pledged to deploy the military in Chicago and Baltimore. In a post on Truth Social, Trump called Chicago "the worst and most dangerous city in the World, by far."

But in reality, Chicago has a lower violent crime rate than dozens of major American cities. In 2024, Chicago had 540 violent crime incidents per 100,000 people. This rate ranked Chicago 55th among American cities with a population of 250,000 or more.

Chicago is part of a nationwide trend of declining violent crime. Yet, most Americans believe Trump's narrative that crime is rampant. People form their beliefs largely on what they learn from the media. News reports often reinforce Trump's misleading claims.

Read the full story here:

On Tuesday, President Trump pledged to deploy the military in Chicago and Baltimore.

Popular Information

09/24/2025

09/23/2025

09/23/2025

09/18/2025

09/17/2025

09/16/2025

09/16/2025

09/12/2025

09/10/2025

09/08/2025

09/04/2025

09/03/2025

Address

Website

Alerts

Contact The Practice

Shortcuts

Share