Illinois Gov. JB Pritzker urges boycott, protest against outlets tied to Jimmy Kimmel suspension

Democratic Gov. JB Pritzker has called for boycotts and protests against broadcast outlets that are tied to Wednesday’s decision by the Walt Disney Co. and its ABC network to indefinitely suspend comedian Jimmy Kimmel’s nightly talk show, including against WGN’s television and radio stations and ABC-7 in Chicago.

It was part of a larger call to action by the two-term governor after ABC pulled “Jimmy Kimmel Live” following Federal Communications Commission Chair Brendan Carr’s threats that the agency would take steps against the network over comments Kimmel made about the assassination of conservative activist Charlie Kirk.

Two of the network’s largest affiliate groups, Nexstar Media Group Inc., and Sinclair Broadcasting, said they would pre-empt or suspend airing Kimmel’s show on their stations after Carr’s warning, which prompted ABC to pull the show off the air indefinitely.

Nexstar acquired WGN-TV and WGN-AM radio from the former Tribune Broadcasting Co. in September 2019. WGN-TV, which is not an ABC affiliate, is among more than 200 owned and partner stations under Nexstar, which also is seeking FCC approval to acquire Tegna’s 64 television stations.

—Chicago Tribune

US House Republicans stop time — again — to avoid votes on Trump’s tariffs

WASHINGTON — Instead of voting on President Donald Trump’s sweeping tariffs, U.S. House Republicans resorted this week to another arcane rules maneuver — all to prevent what could be politically uncomfortable votes for GOP lawmakers.

But in the process of basically putting the calendar on hold, we saw the first cracks in GOP support for those Trump import duties. Under federal law, once a president declares an emergency and institutes tariffs, Congress can quickly force repeal votes, with action required in 15 days.

But what happens if the calendar never moves? That’s the rules trick that House Republicans used again this week — freezing the calendar into 2026 so that tariff votes are never triggered. “Congress should be voting on these tariffs,” protested Democrats, including U.S. Rep. Jim McGovern, D-Mass.

For the first time, we saw some evidence of GOP concern about the lack of congressional action on tariffs. Six House Republicans refused to vote for the latest calendar change, forcing House Speaker Mike Johnson to set a new deadline of Jan. 31, 2026 — two months earlier than his original plan.

—The Atlanta Journal-Constitution

Mayor Adams says he will review NYC school bathroom gender policy amid federal pressure

NEW YORK — Mayor Eric Adams weighed in on the wedge issue of transgender identity and restrooms Thursday, saying he wants to review the city’s current policy that allows school kids to use the facilities that align with their identity.

The debate has become a rallying cry for many conservatives and some moderates. Trailing badly in the polls, the mayor, a Democrat running for reelection as an independent, was responding to a question from a reporter after he, unprompted, raised the subject with an attack earlier this week on front-runner Zohran Mamdani.

“We’re going so far away from common sense,” Adams said at an unrelated news conference outside the United Nations. “I don’t support girls and boys using the same restroom.”

Adams’ comments come as the Trump administration has threatened to withhold federal funding over city school’s gender-inclusive policies.

—New York Daily News

Ukraine hits 2 Russian oil refineries as strikes intensify

Two Russian oil refineries were attacked on Thursday as Ukraine stepped up strikes on its enemy’s energy infrastructure.

Gazprom’s Neftekhim Salavat petrochemical facility in the Bashkortostan region was set on fire after being hit by drones, local governor Radiy Khabirov said. The site is more than 1,300 kilometers (800 miles) from territory under Ukraine’s control, making it one of Kyiv’s deepest strikes inside Russian territory.

Ukraine’s Special Operations Forces also claimed an attack on Lukoil PJSC’s major Volgograd refinery in the Volga region. As a result of the attack, the facility, which has a capacity of around 300,000 barrels a day, halted operations, Ukraine’s Special Operations Forces said.

Bloomberg couldn’t independently verify the claim, and Lukoil didn’t immediately respond to an emailed request for comment. Since last month, Ukrainian military forces have intensified drone attacks on Russian energy infrastructure, including oil refineries, aiming to curb fuel supplies to the front lines.

—Bloomberg News