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ABC Pulls Jimmy Kimmel Show Over Charlie Kirk Remarks; Palestinians Flee Gaza City Amid Israel's Ground Assault; Federal Reserve Cuts Interest Rates For First Time Since December; Navalny's Widow Says Lab Tests Show Russian Opposition Leader Was Poisoned; Workers to Strike in France, Protest Over Government Budget Cuts; Meta Unveils New A.I.-powered Smart Glasses. Aired 2-2:45a ET

Aired September 18, 2025 - 02:00   ET

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.

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[02:00:37]

KRISTIE LU STOUT, CNN ANCHOR: Hello and welcome to CNN NEWSROOM. I'm Kristie Lu Stout in Hong Kong.

Ahead this hour, a late-night talk show host is suddenly pulled off the air in the U.S. President Trump calls it great news, but critics say it is a huge loss for the freedom of speech.

Israeli strikes pound Gaza City, but new images show Israel's ground invasion has not started yet. I'll speak with someone from an aid organization working on the ground there.

And we have new details about the death of Alexei Navalny. His widow says she now has evidence proving he was poisoned.

ANNOUNCER: Live from Hong Kong. This is CNN NEWSROOM with Kristie Lu Stout.

STOUT: And we begin this hour with a developing story about the growing influence of political power on the media in the U.S. Now, ABC is pulling the late night show "Jimmy Kimmel Live" off the air indefinitely following pressure from the Trump administration.

Now, the network's decision, it comes after the comedian's remarks on Monday about the assassination of conservative activist Charlie Kirk.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

JIMMY KIMMEL, HOST OF "JIMMY KIMMEL LIVE": We had 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.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

STOUT: Now, a source tells CNN, the Jimmy Kimmel show is not being canceled, but there's no timeline for its return. More now from CNN's Chief Media Analyst Brian Stelter.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

BRIAN STELTER, CNN CHIEF MEDIA ANALYST: President Trump is celebrating ABC's decision to sideline Jimmy Kimmel. But in pretty much every other direction, I am hearing widespread criticism. Even some Trump supporters expressing concern about free speech rights being infringed, although most of the condemnation is coming from the left and from moderates.

We're hearing from groups like the ACLU and other free speech groups, lots of Democratic politicians weighing in, also many fellow comedians blasting ABC with some saying the network is committing a cowardly act of capitulation.

Even the union that represents the musicians who perform on Kimmel's show have spoken out in the past few hours. That union saying this is, "State censorship and saying it's a direct attack on free speech and artistic expression."

The one person we've not heard from yet is Jimmy Kimmel himself. Kimmel was preparing to tape Wednesday night's episode of his late- night show when he found out that ABC was pulling the plug. This move by ABC came just a few hours after the Trump administration official responsible for licensing local stations publicly pressured the company to punish Kimmel.

And of course, that follows President Trump's lengthy criticism of Kimmel in the past, when CBS decided to pull the plug on the late show as Stephen Colbert over the summer, Trump publicly hoped that Kimmel would be the next to go.

Now, in this case, on Wednesday, at least two major owners of ABC affiliated stations said they were going to preempt Kimmel's show on Wednesday night, sparking speculation that the owners of those stations are trying to curry favor with the Trump administration. Those station owners currently have business pending before the Federal Communications Commission, the FCC, that's the federal agency that oversees radio and T.V. station licensing in the U.S.

Normally, that licensing process has been a pro forma sort of thing, not very controversial, not very newsworthy. For decades, if you owned a station license, if you had a station license, you would get renewed every eight years. It was incredibly rare to see any station license be revoked.

But on the campaign trail last year, President Trump talked about wanting to single out media companies for content and coverage he didn't like. He threatened these stations that were controlled by Disney by ABC, saying he would like to revoke licenses from networks like ABC.

So, flash forward about nine months now, we have seen Trump's FCC make a lot of noise trying to pressure media companies with public letters, by opening investigations in private as well. What we have not seen are Eleni (ph), licenses actually be revoked. It's a long and lengthy legal process.

But it seems that Trump's handpicked FCC Chair Brendan Carr has been using his public megaphone, his perch, in order to pressure companies like Disney very publicly. That's what he did on Wednesday afternoon, appearing on a right wing podcast and calling for Kimmel to be punished.

[02:05:14]

And now we've seen what the result is. We've seen ABC yank the show from the airwaves indefinitely. What we don't know is what ABC intends to do next, how it will replace Kimmel on late night T.V., whether the network will try to get Kimmel back on the air at some point, and whether Kimmel even wants to return at all.

Kimmel, for his part, has been a scathing critic of President Trump and the administration, and his contract is believed to be coming up in just a few months. So, it is possible that we've seen the last of Kimmel on ABC.

But the question swirling around Disney about why it made this decision and whether it really stands up for free speech, those questions are going to continue to swirl in the hours and days to come.

Because this is an issue that's ultimately bigger than Jimmy Kimmel. It's bigger than any one comedian. It's about whether media companies in the United States are going to stand up, are going to have a backbone, or whether they're going to capitulate to political pressure.

Brian Stelter, CNN.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

STOUT: Now, Anna Gomez is the only Democratic member of the Federal Communications Commission, and she spoke with CNN about this decision to pull Jimmy Kimmel show off the air.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

ANNA GOMEZ, FCC COMMISSIONER: So, I think we really need to make very clear that the First Amendment does not allow us, the FCC, to tell broadcasters what they can broadcast.

Personally, I'd rather not speak ill of the dead, but I understand Jimmy Kimmel is a satirist and a comedian. I saw the clip. He did not make any unfounded claims, but he did make a joke, one that others may even find crude.

But that is neither illegal nor grounds for companies to capitulate to this administration in ways that violate the first amendment. And we must be careful not to allow the government to punish critics simply because of content. This sets a dangerous new precedent, and companies must stand firm against any efforts to trade away First Amendment freedoms. (END VIDEO CLIP)

STOUT: Now, the U.S. president is calling his second state visit to the United Kingdom, "One of the highest honors of his life." This remark came Wednesday during an opulent banquet at Windsor Castle with the royal family.

And King Charles spoke of, "The enduring bond between our two great nations." Adding that the ocean may divide us, but in so many other ways, we are now the closest of kin.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

CHARLES III, KING OF UNITED KINGDOM: Our countries are working together in support of crucial diplomatic efforts, not least of which, Mr. President, is your own personal commitment to finding solutions to some of the world's most intractable conflicts in order to secure peace.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

STOUT: Now, when it was President Donald Trump's turn to speak, he said that the U.S. and the U.K. have done more good for humanity than any other two countries in history, and he said that they must continue to stand for the values of the English speaking world.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

DONALD TRUMP, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: The British Empire laid the foundations of law, liberty, free speech and individual rights virtually everywhere the Union Jack has ever flown, including a place called America. You know that place very well, don't you?

(END VIDEO CLIP)

STOUT: But meanwhile, 40 kilometers or that's about 25 miles away in London, there was no such love fest. Protesters making it very clear that President Trump is not welcome.

Pollster YouGov found only 16 percent of the British public has a positive opinion of him. The European Union's foreign policy chief says that the bloc is looking to send a, "Strong message" over the ongoing war in Gaza, and is now proposing new trade sanctions on Israel and far right Israeli ministers. There would also be sanctions on members of Hamas.

And if these measures are approved, the E.U.'s free trade agreement with Israel will be partially suspended, and Israel would lose its preferential access to the E.U. market. Now, the E.U. officials said that the aim here is not to punish Israel, but to improve the humanitarian situation in Gaza.

Now, inside the enclave, hospitals say nearly 100 Palestinians were killed in less than 24 hours, and Israeli tanks are said to be stationed on the edge of Gaza City, while the Israeli military says a ground operation has begun, eyewitnesses and satellite images reveal that tanks have not yet entered Gaza's largest urban area. Palestinians continue to flee Gaza City, with some seen heading south across a coastal area on Wednesday in vehicles and even on foot.

And joining us now from Amman, Jordan is Shaina Low, she's a communications advisor with the Norwegian Refugee Council. Shaina, thank you very much indeed for joining us here in CNN NEWSROOM. You have colleagues in Gaza City. You've been talking to them, tell us about what they've been witnessing and what has been the human impact of Israel's push into Gaza City.

[02:10:13]

SHAINA LOW, COMMUNICATIONS ADVISOR, NORWEGIAN REFUGEE COUNCIL: I've spoken to a number of colleagues. In fact, I was just messaging with one right before going live on air, and what they are describing is simply unimaginable, nights filled with shelling and bombardment. People are up all night and are amazed when they -- when the morning comes and they have not yet been killed. That is the terror and fear that they are living under as Israel continues to pound Gaza City, one colleague who two weeks ago told me that he would stay as long as he could, left on just yesterday after the towers in his neighborhood were targeted. The house was filled with smoke and dust. He said he simply could not see the fear in his children's eyes any longer, and that they needed to make the journey south.

Those that are moving to the south know that the conditions there are horrific, that there's no space for them. One colleague said the conditions there are not even suitable for animals, and yet, people are being forced to make these impossible decisions, staying under bombardment and siege in Gaza City, where famine was already announced one month ago, or making a perilous journey to the south, where they know that no aid will be there to support them because of Israel's ongoing, near complete siege, and that there simply is no space in the already overcrowded shelters.

STOUT: Shaina, your colleagues in Gaza City, they're describing nonstop shelling, nonstop bombardment of fear and terror that is constant, and they -- and residents in Gaza City are now in a position where they have to make this difficult choice, do they stay there, or do they make this dangerous and uncertain journey south? Should -- how many -- how many people are deciding to stay in Gaza City?

LOW: Well, still, hundreds of thousands of people remain in Gaza City, we have seen an increase in the number of people being displaced over the last couple of days.

But as I said, people know that there is no space, that there are no resources to support them, or very limited resources to support them, and so we anticipate that tens, hundreds of thousands could end up staying in Gaza City.

Of course, international law is clear. Protect -- civilians must be protected wherever they are. So, that means, despite Israeli orders to flee the city, people who are civilians who remain there should be protected. STOUT: And Shaina, for those who are civilians who are still in Gaza

City and living under the constant threat of violence and shelling, what are the living conditions like there? Do they have access to clean water, access to basic necessities? How much aid can get into Gaza City right now?

LOW: Well, no aid has entered through the Kim crossing in northern Gaza since last Friday, supplies were already limited. We heard earlier this week of a quad copter targeting water tanker, a water tanker that has led many organizations to suspend or pause their operations. We have paused our in-person operations in Gaza City for the last couple of weeks, as the bombardments increased and it became increasingly unsafe for us to send our staff out, people are living in intense and makeshift shelters. They are living in buildings though more and more people are being displaced, as the high-rise buildings in Gaza, which are hosting thousands of people are being destroyed, bombed and destroyed.

What we need now is the world to put an end to this. We need world leaders to step up and end this assault on Gaza City. End this assault on Gaza. Just this week, the U.N. Commission of Inquiry concluded that Israel was committing genocide in Gaza, that obligates states to act to prevent, to stop and to punish acts of genocide.

And we need to see the world step up. We need to see the international community step up and protect civilian lives.

Already, 65,000 people have been killed. Over 65,000 that's a gross underestimate, considering the bodies buried under rubble that have not yet been retrieved or identified, we need the world to put an end to this and to -- and to make way for us to bring find a way for us to bring in our aid and do what we're there to do, which is save lives.

Our staff in Gaza are committed to continuing to work, but need conditions that are suitable in order to do so.

STOUT: Yes. And amid the shelling and bombardment with Israeli tanks coming in, your colleagues remain inside Gaza City with the Norwegian Refugee Council. Shaina Low, thank you for giving us that update. Thank you and your colleagues. Take care.

[02:15:09]

LOW: Thank you.

STOUT: Now Israel's finance minister is describing Gaza is a potential real estate, "Bonanza" after the war ends. Foreign Minister Bezalel Smotrich says that Israel the United States are discussing how to divide up Gaza, including sharing profits from land sales.

It claims that there's a business plan sitting, "On President Trump's desk." Asked about those comments, a White House official says this, "Let's bring it up for you."

President Trump has long promoted solutions that would help the people of Gaza rebuild, however, Hamas must first agree to disarm and give up rule in Gaza.

Now, the U.S. Federal Reserve announced its first interest rate cut in months, and up next, how this could affect the wallet of Americans and also the global economy next.

Plus, the widow of Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny, claims that she now has evidence proving he was murdered.

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[02:20:31]

STOUT: All right, welcome back. You're watching CNN NEWSROOM.

And after, as expected, the U.S. Federal Reserve cut interest rates. Let's take a look at the global markets.

In Asia, it's somewhat of a mixed picture, only gains in Japan and in Korea, with the Seoul KOSPI and the Nikkei trading higher. And meanwhile, U.S. Futures, they've been indicating that they are in positive territory, and that is after markets ended mixed on Wednesday.

Again, early on Wednesday, the Federal Reserve as expected, but its first interest rate cut since December. This is also the first cut during President Donald Trump's second term. The central bank lowered its benchmark lending rate by a quarter point to support the job market. Listen to this from the Fed chair.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

JEROME POWELL, CHAIR, U.S. FEDERAL RESERVE: While the unemployment rate remains low, it has edged up, job gains have slowed and downside risks to employment have risen.

At the same time, inflation has risen recently and remains somewhat elevated. I think you can think of this in a way, as a risk management cut.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

STOUT: Jerome Powell there. Now, let's get some insight on the Fed's decision from Taimur Baig. He is the Managing Director and Chief Economist at DBS Bank Limited. He joins us now live from Singapore. Taimur, thank you so much for joining us here on the program.

So, as expected, the Fed has cut interest rates, and Powell also hinted at two more cuts to come. So, what does all this reveal about the health of the U.S. economy?

TAIMUR BAIG, MANAGING DIRECTOR AND CHIEF ECONOMIST, DBS BANK LIMITED: It does reveal much more about the dysfunctionality or tension within the Fed than much about the U.S. economy. I think the market had a very good sense of where the economy was headed long before the Fed met. It is really about the tension within the Fed, and you see it in the dot plots. It's even in the communication coming from the Fed. They're torn between supporting the labor market and trying to be vigilant on inflation. They have huge amount of political pressure coming from the White House.

It is a very difficult position for the Fed, and that's the interesting part. The U.S. economy is doing just fine. The labor market might be slowing on the margin, but stock markets at an all- time high, household corporate balance sheet in great shape. Lots of stimulus coming from fiscal side. That's not the problem. The problem is the politics within the Fed and the how it's reacting to Trump.

STOUT: We'll talk about the health of the Fed in just a moment, but one to ask you about the jobs picture, because Powell flag that immigration, not tariffs, is a big driver behind labor market dynamics. I want to ask you how significant is that?

BAIG: I think time will tell. The data that we have right now does not necessarily suggest that it is the immigration measures. It is about the aging of the population, changing attitude toward jobs, A.I. disruption in the workforce. Lot of things going on.

Immigration is a factor, not the factor in the worsening labor market outlook. If you think about it, labor market actually becomes tighter if there are less people to work. That means those who actually do working get higher wages. So, that cuts both ways.

STOUT: Interesting, Trump's immigration crackdown will really tighten the labor supply, especially at the low end that you mentioned in a recent report that was out. What does the Fed's actions in terms of easing mean for the rest of the world? You know, when will the global economy feel the impact of lower U.S. interest rates?

BAIG: So, the market was fully aligned with the Fed's actions. The Fed had telegraphed this very well, so all financial instruments fully reflected expectation of a 25-basis points rate cut. So, therefore, the developments overnight do not constitute any surprise for the market, and therefore there's very little ripple effect for the financial markets, whether it's stocks or bonds or credit for that matter.

What is the question for the market right now is it, can we really trust the Fed in its signal that it will cut by two more times this year and perhaps by as many as three more times or next year? That's the market expectation the Fed would want less of a rate cut to be priced in by the market.

And that tension, what the Fed wants to do, what the market thinks the Fed would do out of pressure from Trump, is the interesting story going forward.

STOUT: And that is the key question, isn't it, how much market trust is there in the Fed, given all the political drama over the people who make up the U.S. Federal Reserve, we have the pressure and the attempt to fire Lisa Cook, you got the confirmation of the Trump ally, Stephen Miran. How is all of this affecting the credibility of the Fed?

BAIG: This is worrisome, and the market and market observers are still hoping for the best, which is, once you're inside the institution, you do see the wisdom of consensus based policy. You do worry about your own legacy as a member of the Federal Open Market Committee, and therefore you cease being overly political. I think that's the hope that whoever Trump puts in, in the FOMC, in the Fed, would act in the best interest of the U.S. economy, and keep the Fed's credibility intact.

[02:25:26]

So, I think what is happening is worrisome. Could be damaging the Fed's credibility. But when we look at the futures market, when we look at the pricing, not just the short term, but also medium term. So far, these developments have not dented markets expectation of Fed credibility, so that jury is still out there. We're all sort of crossing our fingers and hoping for the best.

STOUT: And a final question for you, when you put all the pieces of data together, including the risk of further erosion of credibility at the Fed. What is your overall feeling about where the U.S. economy is heading?

BAIG: I think the U.S. economy is going through a once in a lifetime expansion based around a disruptive technology. So, the kind of spending that is happening around A.I. is transformational, and that alone could prop up growth for the next two, four, six quarters.

There are lots of macro dislocation happening on the debt market, on the fiscal policy path, on the way the US is carrying on tariff policy, those things complicate the outlook.

But overall, the household balance sheet, corporate balance sheet, in great shape, ample liquidity, record breaking equity markets, big tailwind from capex on the A.I. side. There are many good things happening in the U.S. It's really up to the U.S. to maintain that or mess it up through additional noise.

STOUT: And that's why you are, as you put it yourself, firmly in the no recession camp, a very rosy outlook indeed. Taimur Baig, thank you so much for joining us. Looking forward to speaking again next time. Take care.

BAIG: Thank you.

STOUT: Now, Russia's main opposition leader died in prison under mysterious circumstances, and now the widow of Alexei Navalny says she can prove that he was murdered. We have that story ahead.

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[02:31:39]

KRISTIE LU STOUT, CNN ANCHOR OF "CNN NEWSROOM": Welcome back. Now, the widow of Russian Opposition Leader, Alexei Navalny says that she has evidence he was murdered. Navalny died in a Russian prison last year. At that time, officials suggested his death was the result of a vague medical cause. And Navalny's family was denied access to his remains for days. And his widow now suggests that there was a reason for that. Melissa Bell has more.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

YULIA NAVALNAYA, WIDOW OF ALEXEI NAVALNY: Same conclusion. Alexia was killed. More specifically, he was poisoned.

MELISSA BELL, CNN SENIOR CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): The allegation by Alexei Navalny's widow is not new. What is, says Yulia Navalnaya in a video released on her X account, is the proof.

NAVALNAYA: In February 2024, we were able to obtain samples of Alexei's biological material and securely smuggle them abroad. Labs in at least two countries examined these samples independently of each other.

BELL (voice-over): How the samples were obtained and smuggled out of Russia is not explained. But Navalnaya does share images of her late husband's prison cell in Russia's Arctic Circle, with visible vomit on the floor. Also suggesting in the video that the labs located in two unnamed countries would not provide the full toxicology reports for political reasons.

NAVALNAYA: I demand that the labs that conducted the analysis publish their results. Stop pondering to Putin on account of so-called higher considerations. While you remain silent, he doesn't stop.

BELL (voice-over): For nearly a decade, Navalny was Vladimir Putin's most persistent domestic critic. In 2020, he was poisoned with a nerve agent, Novichok, but recovered. Speaking with CNN shortly afterwards.

ALEXEI NAVALNY, RUSSIAN OPPOSITION LEADER: It's impossible to believe it. It's kind of stupid. The whole idea of poisoning with a chemical weapon. What the fuck. This is why this is so smart, because even reasonable people, they refuse to believe like, what? Come on, poisoned? Seriously?

BELL (voice-over): Yet he returned to Moscow in 2021, where he was immediately arrested. After three years in a brutal Siberian jail, the 47-year-old died with Russian investigators blaming a sudden spike in blood pressure and chronic diseases. Thousands attended Navalny's funeral in Moscow despite the crackdown on public dissent that followed Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine.

Now, his widow says she wants the truth despite the inconvenience it might represent to those countries now hoping for peace.

NAVALNAYA: Alexei was my husband. He was my friend. He was a symbol of hope for our country. Putin killed that hope. We have the right to know how he did it.

BELL: Melissa Bell, CNN, Paris.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

LU STOUT: You are watching "CNN Newsroom" coming to you live from Hong Kong. And up next, Meta's latest glasses. Hope that this is the only screen you need. We will show you what these stylish news specs can do, after the break.

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[02:39:20]

LU STOUT: Welcome back. Now, as many as 800,000 workers across France are expected to go on strike and protest today over government budget cuts. Let's bring up some live video for you about the strike that is underway. The protests, they're set to include teachers, hospital staff, train drivers, a number of jobs from across a variety of sectors, and unions are calling on the government to spend more on public services, to reverse a controversial change to pensions, and to raise taxes on the wealthy. Now, France is the Eurozone's second largest economy and it is facing a political crisis as it tries to get its finances under control.

[02:40:00]

Now, Meta and RayBan, they're teaming up on another set of smart glasses, this time, embracing the power of A.I. Now, the new bottle, it's called 'Display' hopes to push users to ditch their smartphone and interact more with their immediate surroundings. Now, the glasses, they feature a tiny display. It's embedded in each of the lenses and through which, you can take photos, you could send messages. There's a live translate and more functionalities, and it's all controlled by simple hand movements read by a stylish wrist strap. Let's see how mainstream this is going to get.

That wraps up this hour of "CNN Newsroom." I'm Kristie Lu Stout in Hong Kong. I'm going to be back in about 20 minutes with your top headlines. "World Sport" is next.

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[02:40:45]

(WORLD SPORT)