Media News Daily: Top Stories for 10/24/2025

Meta Cuts 600 AI Jobs Amid Shift to Superintelligence Lab Focus

Meta Platforms has confirmed layoffs affecting approximately 600 employees across its Fundamental AI Research (FAIR) unit, as well as other product-related and infrastructure AI teams. The cuts come despite continued hiring in the company’s new TBD Lab, which is working on advanced large language models such as Llama. According to Axios, a memo from Chief AI Officer Alexandr Wang encouraged affected employees to apply for other roles within Meta. The company’s open-source Llama system continues to trail behind rivals like OpenAI and Google in consumer adoption. (Read More) (AP News Rating)

ABC Passed on Jon Stewart for Jimmy Kimmel Due to Cost Concerns

Jimmy Kimmel revealed that he nearly lost his current late-night show spot to Jon Stewart, but ABC ultimately selected Kimmel due to lower costs. Stewart’s manager was reportedly close to finalizing a deal before Disney CEO Bob Iger decided to go with the more affordable option. Kimmel acknowledged Stewart’s superiority for the role, saying he would have hired Stewart “100 times out of 100.” The decision came during a transitional period at ABC after the departure of Bill Maher. (Read More) (The Hill Rating)

Court Upholds Block on FTC Investigation into Media Matters

A federal appeals court has upheld an injunction preventing the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) from investigating Media Matters, a media watchdog group. The 2-1 decision by the D.C. Circuit Court supports an earlier ruling that the FTC’s probe likely violated Media Matters’ First Amendment rights. The agency sought information tied to Media Matters’ reporting on ads appearing next to extremist content on X (formerly Twitter), which led to accusations of advertiser boycotts. Judges Patricia Millett and Robert Wilkins cited the possibility of “retaliatory animus” behind the investigation. The FTC argued the injunction harms its broader probe into ad boycotts, but Media Matters claims its actions were constitutionally protected speech. (Read More) (MediaPost Rating)