Streisand Effect: Kimmel Is Back (well… mostly)

Jimmy Kimmel is returning to ABC’s flagship network stations. Two major affiliate groups (Nexstar, Sinclair) are signaling they won’t air the show, which reads less like programming strategy and more like spite—i.e., a masterclass in how to amplify something you oppose. If the goal was to quiet the clip, this does the opposite. Welcome back Jimmy!

• NYT: Kimmel returning
• NPR: Context on the suspension/return

Palestine, Hamas, and the Mirror Politics Game

Trump’s latest comments read like a reflexive counter to UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer’s stance on Palestinian recognition. My take hasn’t changed: durable peace requires deradicalization alongside political process—both inside Gaza and within Israeli politics.

• CNN (lite): Recognition updates & diplomatic context

No, Tylenol Didn’t “Cause” Autism

Trump’s tease of an “autism cause” tied to common acetaminophen (Tylenol) use is baseless. That’s not where the science is. Autism is a neurodevelopmental difference with complex genetic underpinnings; major medical bodies do not endorse the Tylenol claim.

• CNN: “Autism & Tylenol” claim debunked

Politics as Performance: The Immaturity Era Continues

From shutdown brinkmanship to weaponizing memorial stages, the posture remains grievance-forward and unserious about governance. That matters because tone signals priorities—and contempt corrodes democratic habits.

• NYT: Shutdown posturing
• NYT: Rhetoric at the memorial

Baseline principle: people who publicly glorify hatred toward opponents aren’t acting like participants in a healthy democracy.

Language Note: “Autistic people,” not “people with autism”

Media stylebooks are slowly catching up, but some outlets (hi, NYT) still default to person-first language. Many autistic self-advocates prefer identity-first (“autistic people”). It’s not fussy; it’s about respecting how communities name themselves.

• ASAN explainer: Identity-first language

Lindsey Halligan’s Résumé, Squinted At

The NYT’s look at Lindsay Halligan raises fair questions about experience and elevation-by-proximity. If the C.V. is this thin, the headline legal roles around Trumpworld keep telling a broader story about loyalty > competence.

• NYT: Halligan profile

Duggar Snark

• Kudos to Jana for blurring nieces/nephews whose parents keep them offline.
• Justin & Claire not on the trip; don’t spot Maddie or Jason either.
• Jordyn appears taller than Johannah now 👀.
• Jill/Derick and Jinger/Jeremy unsurprisingly absent.
• Jackson looks genuinely happy again—James less so.

• People: Jana’s Florida trip video

Where I land

• Deplatform theatrics fuel the Streisand effect. Kimmel’s return will likely be bigger because of the preemption drama.
• Deradicalization + political recognition are both necessary for any durable peace.
• Autism isn’t a scandal to be “solved” with junk science pressers.
• Democracies decay when hatred becomes a campaign plank—and when media ignores community-preferred language.