NYC mayoral candidate Zohran Mamdani rejoins Town Hall after ABC reinstates Jimmy Kimmel
New York: New York City mayoral candidate Zohran Mamdani said Monday evening that he is once again willing to participate in a local town hall hosted by ABC’s New York affiliate, after the network announced it would reinstate late-night host Jimmy Kimmel.
Earlier in the day, Mamdani, the Democratic nominee, had pulled out of the WABC-TV event to protest ABC’s suspension of Kimmel. “Last week, Disney/ABC caved to Trump administration pressure. Millions of Americans helped them find their backbone. Whether you watch Jimmy Kimmel or not, today’s decision is a victory for free speech,” Mamdani wrote on X.
ABC suspended Kimmel last week following backlash over his comments on the killing of conservative activist Charlie Kirk. Nexstar and Sinclair stations had said they would refuse to air Jimmy Kimmel Live!, and FCC Chairman Brendan Carr threatened consequences if the network failed to act. Former President Donald Trump, who praised Kirk as a “great American hero,” applauded the suspension.
Kimmel’s remarks on his show had criticized those he said were seeking to “capitalize on the murder of Charlie Kirk.” The host has not issued a public statement since the controversy.
The suspension triggered an outcry over free speech, with more than 430 entertainment industry figures joining an ACLU-led letter denouncing the move as “a dark moment for freedom of speech in our nation.”
Mamdani, 33, had originally framed his withdrawal as a protest against corporate leadership, not local journalists, accusing Disney/ABC of “putting their bottom line ahead of their responsibility in upholding the freedom of the press.” After the reversal, he said his campaign was working with WABC to reschedule.
Mamdani will face former Gov. Andrew Cuomo, incumbent Mayor Eric Adams, and Republican Curtis Sliwa in the city’s November election.
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SC stays HC order restraining Tamil Nadu Waqf Board from exercising functions
New Delhi (PTI): The Supreme Court on Thursday stayed a Madras High Court order which restrained the Tamil Nadu Waqf Board from exercising any functions while observing that its constitution was prima facie not in accordance with the provisions of law.
A bench of Chief Justice Surya Kant and justices Joymalya Bagchi and Vipul M Pancholi issued notice to the Tamil Nadu government and others seeking their responses on the petition filed by the waqf board challenging the high court's January 8 order.
The high court had passed the order on a plea which challenged the constitution of the waqf board on the grounds, including that one out of the two persons as mandated in clause (d) of Section 14 of the Unified Waqf Management, Empowerment, Efficiency and Development Act, 1995, has not been nominated.
The plea before the high court also claimed non-compliance of the mandate that two of the total members of the Bar appointed under sub-section (1) of Section 14, excluding ex-officio members, shall be non-Muslim.
Section 14 of the Act deals with composition of board.
Before the high court, the counsel appearing for the state contended that constitution of the board is almost complete as majority of members have already been nominated or appointed and as far as other members are concerned, steps are being taken to complete the same.
In its order, the high court noted the mandate of second proviso that two of the total members of the board appointed under sub-section (1), excluding ex-offico member, shall be non-Muslim has also been not fulfilled.
"The constitution of the board as exists today, prima facie is not in accordance with the provisions of law," the high court said.
"In view of the above, the board cannot be allowed to exercise any powers and functions under the act. The board is hereby restrained from exercising any powers and functions," it said.
