The Brief

Jimmy Kimmel returned to television tonight with a monologue that took aim at President Donald Trump and accused the federal government of trying to silence him.

The late night host was back on air less than a week after ABC suspended his show, Jimmy Kimmel Live!, over his comments about the assassination of Charlie Kirk, which prompted a not-so-subtle threat from the Trump administration that they might warrant regulatory action against ABC.

He addressed the controversy in his opening monologue, saying "to silence a comedian the president doesn’t like is anti-American."

“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 their job," he said. "Our leader celebrates Americans losing their livelihoods because he can’t take a joke.”

Kimmel's suspension has dominated political discussion for the past week, drawing praise from President Donald Trump and kicking off a firestorm of criticism and protests in Hollywood, where the show is filmed. Many accused the network of shutting down political speech, and some called for a boycott of Disney in response.

Under mounting public pressure, the Walt Disney Co., which owns ABC, announced Monday that it was bringing the show back.

It's a 180-degree turn from last week, when ABC pulled the long-running show "indefinitely" after facing threats from the head of the Federal Communications Commission.

"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 said.

Kimmel aired at 11:35 p.m. on the East Coast, and will air at the same time locally in California. His guests are Glen Powell and Sarah McLachlan. But the focus was on his monologue.

Kimmel wasn't back on all ABC channels. Broadcasting giants Sinclair Broadcast Group and Nexstar, which own several local ABC stations, still are dropping Kimmel in favor of other programming.

This mostly affects viewers outside California, where the only ABC Sinclair station is in Eureka. Nexstar doesn't operate an ABC station in the state.

The scene in Hollywood

On Tuesday afternoon, viewers lined up at the El Capitan Entertainment Centre on Hollywood Boulevard to see Jimmy Kimmel's first show back on air. The show typically tapes at 4:30 p.m., and audience members arrived well before then to get in.

One woman from Burbank said she'd gone online to get tickets last week after Kimmel's show was suspended, just in case it was coming back on air. Another audience member, Kristian Williams, said she'd requested tickets months ago and just happened to be viewing the show on its first night back.

"When he got suspended, I was very shocked. I wasn't expecting it and I don't think that his show should have been canceled for what he said," Williams said. "So I'm happy to see that he got it back."

Some showed up to cheer on Kimmel from outside the taping. Jessica Brown, a background actor who lives in Los Angeles, said she'd been coming to Hollywood Boulevard since the late night show was suspended, asking passersby to sign banners in support of the TV host.

"It was a very clear message that we cannot have free speech," she said. "That's very scary and that's detrimental for artists, for professional comedians. Not only is it our livelihood, but it's our rights."

The backstory

The controversy started last Monday, when Kimmel talked about Kirk's killing in his opening monologue, poking fun at Trump and commenting on the right's response to the assassination.

"We hit some new lows over the weekend with the MAGA gang desperately trying to characterize this kid who murdered Charlie Kirk as anything other than one of them and doing everything they can to score political points from it," Kimmel said.

FCC Chair Brendan Carr then went on a podcast and suggested that Kimmel’s comments might warrant regulatory action against ABC. Sinclair Broadcast Group and Nexstar quickly announced they would preempt Kimmel's show in favor of other programming. Soon after, ABC said it was suspending the program.

In a statement after Disney announced that Kimmel would be returning to air, Sinclair said it was in discussions with ABC and evaluating "the show’s potential return."

"Beginning Tuesday night, Sinclair will be preempting 'Jimmy Kimmel Live!' across our ABC affiliate stations and replacing it with news programming," said a company-issued statement posted on X.

Sinclair owns nearly 200 stations in 100 markets, including a CBS station in Bakersfield and Fox affiliate in Fresno. It's the second biggest TV operator in the U.S. with more than 30 ABC affiliate stations. Nexstar, which also plans to preempt the program, has more than 30 ABC stations.

In total, there are more than 230 ABC stations in the U.S.

L.A. protests

The suspension of Jimmy Kimmel Live! made waves in Los Angeles, where entertainment unions expressed concern about free speech and jobs.

Hundreds of actors, musicians and film directors signed a letter from the American Civil Liberties Union decrying the move. Monday morning, some of those unions, local politicians, and supporters gathered in Hollywood to protest ABC's decision to pull Kimmel off the air.

"This is not just about Jimmy Kimmel," said U.S. Rep. Laura Friedman, a California Democrat. "This is about a trend that we've seen of this administration threatening news sources and broadcasters that air speech that's critical of Donald Trump."

Kimmel tapes in the heart of Hollywood, across the street from the Dolby Theater and near tourist attractions like the TCL Chinese Theatre and Madame Tussauds.

Todd Doten was working in the area on Tuesday afternoon, handing out brochures for Hollywood tours. He said he spends his days on Hollywood Boulevard, and that most of the people he sees going to see tapings of the show are locals. Still, he said that their presence did help some of the restaurants in the area.

Max Calder, a stuntman and actor who showed up to support Kimmel, said threats to the show came at a time when the entertainment industry was already struggling.

"There's so many people's jobs on the line that are being threatened by the administration and I'm sure it's a trend that's going to keep continuing," he said.

Kimmel's show has been running since 2003.

This story first appeared on The LA Local.

Since 1977, Richard Santillan has been to every Opening Day game at Dodger Stadium. 

“The tradition goes from my father, to me, to my children and grandchildren. Some of my best memories are with my father and children here at Dodger Stadium,” Santillan told The LA Local, smiling under the shade of palm trees near the entrance to the ballpark Wednesday morning. He was there to protest the team less than 24 hours before Opening Day.

Santillan, like countless other loyal Dodgers fans, is grappling with his fan identity over the team’s decision to accept an invitation to the White House and owner Mark Walter’s ties to ICE detention facilities.

More than 30 people joined Santillan on Wednesday morning for a press conference held near 1000 Vin Scully Drive to convey a message directly to the team. 

“We are demanding the Dodgers stop participating in funding of inhumane treatment of families and do not go to the White House to celebrate with the criminal in chief,” Evelyn Escatiola told the crowd. “Together, we have the power to make a change.”

Escatiola, a former dean of East Los Angeles College and longtime community organizer, urged fans to flex their economic power by “letting the Dodgers know that we do not support repression.”

Jorge “Coqui” Rodriguez, a lifelong Dodgers fan, spoke to the crowd and called on Dodgers ownership to divest from immigration detention centers owned and operated by GEO Group and CoreCivic.

Jorge Coqui H Rodriguez speaks at a press conference outside Dodger Stadium on March 25, 2026, to demand the Dodgers not to visit the White House following their 2025 World Series win.

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J.W. Hendricks

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The LA Local

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In a phone interview a day before the protest, Rodriguez told The LA Local he did not want the Dodgers using his “cheve” or beer money to fund detention centers. 

“They can’t take our parking money, our cacahuate money, our cheve money, our Dodger Dog money and invest those funds into corporations that are imprisoning people. It’s wrong,” Rodriguez said. 

Rodriguez considers the Dodgers one of the most racially diverse teams and said the players need to support fans at a time when heightened immigration enforcement has become more common across L.A.

The team’s 2025’s visit to the White House drew ire from the largely Latino fan base, citing the Trump administration’s ongoing attacks on immigrants. 

In June, the team came under further scrutiny when rumors swirled online that federal immigration agents were using the stadium’s parking, which immigration authorities later denied in statements posted on social media accounts.

The team again came under fire after not releasing a statement on the impacts of ICE raids on its mostly Latino fan base at the height of immigration enforcement last summer. The team later agreed to invest $1 million to support families affected by immigration enforcement.

When he learned the Dodgers were pledging only $1 million to families in need, Rodriguez called the amount a  “slap in the face.” 

“These guys just bought the Lakers for billions of dollars and they give a million dollars to fight for legal services? That’s a joke,” Rodriguez said. “They need to have a moral backbone and not be investing in those companies.”

According to reporting from the Los Angeles Times, former Dodgers pitcher Clayton Kershawsaid last week that he is looking forward to the trip.

“I went when President [Joe] Biden was in office. I’m going to go when President [Donald] Trump is in office,” Kershaw said. “To me, it’s just about getting to go to the White House. You don’t get that opportunity every day, so I’m excited to go.”

The Dodgers have yet to announce when their planned visit will take place. 

Santillan sometimes laments his decision to give up his season tickets in protest of the team. His connection to the stadium and the memories he has made there with family and friends will last a lifetime, he said. On Thursday, he will uphold his tradition and be there for the first pitch of the season, but with a heavy heart.

“It’s a family tradition, but the Dodgers have a lot of work to do,” he said.

A local favorite mom-and-pop bookshop in Eagle Rock is facing displacement due to a steep rent hike. The owners say theirs is just one of several small businesses along Eagle Rock Boulevard struggling to keep up with lease increases.

Over the past 19 years, many in the neighborhood have come to love READ Books for its eclectic collection of used titles and shop dog Florence.

Co-owner Jeremy Kaplan said it’s been a delight to grow with the community over the years.

“Like seeing kids come back in, who were in grade school and now they’re in college,” Kaplan said.

But the building where Kaplan and wife Debbie rent was recently sold, and the rent increased by more than 130% to $2,805 a month, Kaplan said. He told LAist it was an increase his small business simply could not absorb.

Kaplan said he originally was given 30 days notice of the rent increase. After some research, assistance from Councilmember Ysabel Jurado’s office and some pro-bono legal help, Kaplan said he pushed back and got the 90-day notice he’s afforded by state law.

California Senate Bill 1103 requires landlords to give businesses with five or less employees 90 days’ notice for rent increases exceeding 10%, among other protections.

Systems Real Estate, the property management company, did not immediately respond to LAist’s request for comment.

What can small businesses do? 

Nadia Segura, directing attorney of the Small Business Program at pro bono legal aid non-profit Bet Tzedek said California law does not currently allow for rent control for commercial tenancies.

Outside of the protections under SB 1103, Segura said small businesses like READ Books don’t have much other recourse. And even then, commercial landlords are not required to inform their tenants of their protections under the law.

“There’s still a lot of people that don’t know about SB 1103. And then it’s very sad that they tell them they have these rent increases and within a month they have to leave,” Segura said.

She said her group is seeing steep rent hikes like this for commercial tenants across the city.

“We are seeing this even more with the World Cup coming up, the Olympics coming up. And I will say it was very sad to see that also after the wildfires,” Segura said.

Part of Bet Tzedek’s ongoing work is to advocate for small businesses, working with landlords who are increasing rents to see if they are willing to give business owners longer leases that lock in rents.

What’s next 

After READ Books posted about their situation on social media, commenters chimed in to express their outrage and love for the little shop.

While he looks for a new spot, Kaplan says he’s forming a coalition of local businesses and activist groups to see what can be done to help other small businesses facing similar displacement. He wants to address the displacement issue for businesses like his, which have made Eagle Rock the distinctive neighborhood that it is today.

Owl Talk, a longtime Eagle Rock staple selling clothing and accessories in a unit in the same building as READ Books, is facing a “more than double” rent increase, according to a post on their Instagram account.

Kaplan said he’s been in touch with the office of state Assemblywoman Jessica Caloza and wants to explore the possibility of introducing legislation to set up protections for small businesses like his, including rent-control measures or a vacancy tax for landlords. Kaplan said he also reached out to the office of state Sen. Maria Durazo.

By his count, Kaplan said there are about a dozen businesses within surrounding blocks that are at risk of closing their doors or have shuttered due to rent increases or other struggles.

When READ Books was founded during the Great Recession, Kaplan said he knew it was a longshot to open a bookstore at the same time so many were struggling to stay in business.

“It was kind of interesting to be doing something that neighborhoods needed. That was important to me growing up, that was important to my children, that was important to my wife growing up,” Kaplan said.

“And then somebody comes in and says, ‘We’re gonna over double your rent.”

Topline:

Frozen budget: Most of the city’s Bureau of Street Lighting budget comes from an assessment that people who own property illuminated by lights pay on their county property tax bill. The amount people pay depends on the kind of property they own and how much they benefit from lighting. A typical single-family home currently pays $53 annually, and in total, the assessments bring in about $45 million annually for the city to repair and maintain streetlights. Changing the amount the Bureau of Street Lighting gets from the assessment requires a vote among property owners who benefit from the lights.

Ballots: L.A. City Council’s vote gives city staff the green light to prepare and send out those ballots. Miguel Sangalang, who oversees the bureau, said at a committee meeting earlier this month that he expects to send out ballots by April 17. Notices about the ballots will be sent out prior to the ballots themselves.

Near unanimous vote: L.A. City Councilmember Monica Rodriguez was the only “No” vote Tuesday, saying she wanted to see a more current strategic plan for the bureau. Sangalang said the bureau developed a plan in 2022 that lays out how money will be spent. Councilmember Imelda Padilla was absent for the vote.

Vote count: Votes will be weighted according to the assessment amount. Basically, the more you’re asked to pay yearly to maintain streetlights, the more your vote will count. Ballots received before June 2 will be tabulated by the L.A. City Clerk.

How much more money: According to a report, the amount needed in assessments from property owners to meet the repair and maintenance needs of the city’s streetlighting in the next fiscal year is nearly $112 million.

Use of the money: Sangalang said at a March 11 committee meeting that the extra funds would be used to double the number of staff to handle repairs and procure solar streetlights, which don’t face the threat of copper wire theft. That would all potentially reduce the time it takes to repair simple fixes down to a week. Currently, city residents wait for months to see broken streetlights repaired. The assessment would come with a three-year auditing mechanism.