Today's Top Stories from NBC News

SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 20, 2025

In today's newsletter: Supporters of Jimmy Kimmel protest his removal from ABC as some Hollywood stars call for a boycott. The Senate rejects both parties' bills to avoid a government shutdown, leaving the next steps uncertain. And, a highly-watched CDC panel votes on who is eligible for this fall's Covid vaccine.

Here's what to know today.

▼ The Lead

Disney faces mounting pressure over Kimmel suspension

(Randy Holmes / ABC via Getty Images)

Disney, the parent company of ABC, has once again found itself at the center of a bitter political battle. The company now faces protests outside its studios, celebrities threatening to break ties, and political pressure from both Republicans and Democrats over its decision to pull late-night host Jimmy Kimmel off the air indefinitely.

The move to pre-empt "Jimmy Kimmel Live!" came hours after Federal Communications Commission Chairman Brendan Carr threatened to "take action" against Disney and ABC over Kimmel's Charlie Kirk comments, including by pulling licenses of ABC affiliates.

Sen. Ted Cruz was among the most high-profile conservatives to decry Carr's comments. The Texas senator said he hated Kimmel's remarks, but that Carr's threats to revoke licenses are "unbelievably dangerous."

Since Kimmel's removal, many actors, writers, and comedians have voiced their support for the late-night host, with some even calling for a boycott. Outside Disney's studios in Burbank, hundreds of people took part in a protest led by the Writers Guild of America and co-organized with the group Burbank Against ICE.

Damon Lindelof, creator of ABC's "Lost," said he would not work with the company if Kimmel's suspension was not lifted. Tatiana Maslany, who starred in Marvel's "She-Hulk: Attorney at Law," posted a call to her followers on Instagram to "cancel your @disneyplus @hulu @espn subscriptions!"

Many of Kimmel's late-night peers have also come to his defense, with Jon Stewart and Stephen Colbert — whose show was recently canceled — mocking Trump in relation to Kimmel's suspension.

Read the full story.

More news on Kirk and Kimmel:

Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro accused the Trump administration of "trying to stifle dissent" after ABC removed Kimmel from the airwaves.

In a vote that divided Democrats, the House passed a resolution honoring Kirk.

Russia and other foreign adversaries have pounced on the assassination of Kirk as an opportunity to spread propaganda aimed at aggravating U.S. political divisions.

Former federal agents fear the potential for other would-be assassins to seek out widely available, decades-old firearms that require only basic proficiency to hit distant targets.

The federal investigation into the assassination of Kirk has yet to find a link between the alleged shooter and left-wing groups.

The Senate voted to block dueling Republican and Democratic proposals to keep the federal government funded on a short-term basis, raising the chances of a shutdown at the end of the month.

What happens next is uncertain. Any bill to avert a shutdown and buy more time to strike a longer-term funding deal must be bipartisan to clear the Senate's 60-vote threshold. In a shutdown, mandatory services, such as Border Patrol, the Postal Service and Social Security, will continue, but federal workers, including the military, will go unpaid.

Both the House and the Senate are scheduled to be on recess next week. The House had planned to be back in session Sept. 29 and 30, but GOP leaders scrapped those days to put more pressure on Senate Democrats to swallow the House-passed bill.

Read the full story.

More politics news:

The federal prosecutor in charge of pursuing mortgage fraud allegations against New York Attorney General Letitia James resigned after Trump said he no longer wanted him to serve in the position.

Three Russian fighter jets violated Estonian airspace in a move the Baltic nation called "unprecedentedly brazen" and that appears to be the latest test of NATO's defenses.

Hundreds of thousands have fled Gaza's most populous area since Israel launched its new offensive, heeding Israeli leaflets and social media warnings to head south.

Trump said that he had made progress on several issues with Chinese leader Xi Jinping, including on the "approval of the TikTok deal."

The Trump administration has asked the Supreme Court to allow it to enforce a policy that would restrict sex designations on passports.

CDC panel votes to limit eligibility for this fall's Covid vaccine

A Centers for Disease Control and Prevention advisory panel unanimously recommended limiting the Covid shot to people 65 and older or those with underlying health conditions, based on an individual decision or with their doctor.

People under 65 are advised to consult with their doctor, the panel said, with "an emphasis that the risk-benefit of vaccination is most favorable for individuals who are at an increased risk for severe COVID-19 disease." The recommendation — if cleared by acting CDC Director Jim O'Neill — narrows the agency's earlier stance, which called for the shot to be offered to everyone 6 months and older.

The decision by the agency's Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP) comes after the panel moved to restrict access to a measles-mumps-rubella vaccine known as MMRV. The panel also postponed a vote on whether all newborns should get the hepatitis B shot.

Read the full story.

▼ Quiz Time

What major film festival did actor and director Robert Redford help create?

A. Tribeca
B. South by Southwest
C. Sundance
D. Telluride

Find out the answer and test your knowledge of this week's most-read stories. (The answer to the question is also at the bottom of this newsletter.)

Take the news quiz

▼ Read All About It

Singer D4vd canceled the remainder of his U.S. tour amid an investigation into the death of a 15-year-old girl, whose decomposed remains were found last week in the trunk of his Tesla.

The Stoughton police chief offered an apology in the death of Sandra Birchmore, who prosecutors say was killed by a detective who abused her for years.

Bullets struck a lobby window at the ABC affiliate station in Sacramento, police said.

Hong Kong police evacuated 6,000 people from a densely populated neighborhood after construction workers unearthed an undetonated World War II bomb.

Bella Hadid is struggling with Lyme disease, her mother said, after the supermodel posted alarming social media photos.

▼ Staff Pick

Perks of a being a sitting president

Since his inauguration, Trump has been fashioning a presidency aligned with his preferences, taking presidential diversions in new directions. He has taken about a third as many domestic trips to promote policy initiatives than last time around, while plunging into pursuits that one might consider, well, fun.

The dynamics of Trump's second term differs from his first, freeing him from certain obligations and opening up new ways to organize his time. White House reporter Peter Nicholas teamed up with White House researcher Megan Shannon to look at all the perks Trump has been relishing in during his second time in the White House.

– Christian Orozco, newsletter and platforms editor

▼ NBC Select: Online Shopping, Simplified

The NBC Select team asked a tailgater with more than 40 seasons under his belt for advice on the essential equipment for pregame – here are his recommendations. Plus, Home Depot's most prominent fall sales, Decor Days, has deals on furniture, house plants, home accessories and more.

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Thanks for reading the Morning Rundown. Today's newsletter was curated for you by Christian Orozco.

By the way, the answer to the quiz question above is C. Sundance.

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