By Brian Stelter, CNN

(CNN) — Stephen Colbert taped a “Late Show” interview with James Talarico, a candidate in the Democratic Senate primary in Texas, on Monday. But CBS lawyers intervened before the interview could air on TV.

“We were told in no uncertain terms by our network’s lawyers, who called us directly, that we could not have him on the broadcast,” Colbert told his viewers Monday night.

The shocking action seems to be a result of the Trump administration’s intensifying pressure against broadcast TV networks.

The FCC, which regulates local stations operated by broadcasters like CBS, recently issued new guidance about an old regulation known as the “equal time” rule.

The rule requires stations to give equal airtime to all legally qualified candidates for public office — if one is featured, his or her rivals have to be given time, too.

There are big exemptions for news coverage, and for the past two decades that exemption has also been thought to apply to late night and daytime talk shows.

But FCC chair Brendan Carr is rejecting that thinking. Last month, he said stations should no longer assume that shows like Colbert’s are exempted from the rule.

“If you’re fake news, you’re not going to qualify for the bona fide news exemption,” Carr said at a press conference in January.

The FCC threats against talk shows

As Carr’s use of the phrase “fake news” indicates, he is a staunch ally of President Trump. He has been harshly critical of talk shows like ABC’s “The View” that feature liberal political commentary.

But the FCC’s enforcement powers are limited. The lone Democratic commissioner at the FCC, Anna Gomez, said Carr’s claims were misleading: “The FCC has not adopted any new regulation, interpretation, or Commission-level policy altering the long-standing news exemption or equal time framework.”

A source at the FCC reiterated that point, saying, “Once again here, the threat is the point.”

“The point is to force shows and networks to second-guess their decisions in light of this ‘new’ guidance,” the source told CNN on condition of anonymity.

After Talarico appeared on “The View” earlier this month, Reuters reported that the FCC was opening an investigation into the possible “equal time” violation.

Gomez predicted that no meaningful action would be taken, though, and called it another instance of “government intimidation” against the media.

Colbert’s comments on Monday night indicate that he sees the same thing happening.

“Let’s just call this what it is,” he said. “Donald Trump’s administration wants to silence anyone who says anything bad about Trump on TV. Because all Trump does is watch TV.”

He also had pointed words for Carr: “Sir, you’re chairman of the FCC, so FCC you.”

‘Trying to control what we watch’

Colbert’s show posted the Talarico interview on YouTube as an “online-only exclusive” since the FCC rules don’t apply to streaming.

In the interview, Talarico called out the FCC’s conduct, albeit not by name.

Talarico said Republicans “ran against cancel culture, and now they’re trying to control what we watch, what we say, what we read. And this is the most dangerous kind of cancel culture, the kind that comes

By Terry Ward, CNN

(CNN) — Feeling deflated because your New Year’s resolution didn’t make it out of January without flopping?

Join the crowd whose 2026 goals have already been taken out with the trash.

The second Friday of January has earned the nickname Quitter’s Day, with many likely abandoned by then — and a majority of resolutions failing by mid-March.

You may need to tweak how you approach those resolutions, according to Dr. Michele Kehrer, a physical therapist and keynote speaker based in Cape Coral, Florida. As she writes in her new book, “Brave Shift: 30 Mindset Changes to Transform Your Life,” bite-size shifts in your thinking can go the distance toward creating the reality you hope to achieve in business and life.

A goal shouldn’t be about changing everything, said Kehrer, a four-time cancer survivor.

“It’s about changing a few things that change everything,” Kehrer said, referring to the 30 “rules” that helped her overcome everyday challenges that many face — including divorce, a business venture and big life moves.

In a conversation with CNN, Kehrer shared how small changes can help you reach your goals.

This conversation has been lightly edited and condensed for clarity.

CNN: Is there one reason why setting a goal sometimes sets us up for failure?

Dr. Michele Kehrer: Often, when people make a big goal, they don’t attach a reason to why they want to accomplish it. Having that reason is big because when you don’t want to do something that’s necessary to reach your goal, you can go back to your reason. That’s often enough to propel you forward.

When you have your reason or goal, you want to attach an emotion to it. Saying, “I want to lose weight,” doesn’t really mean anything because it’s not quantifiable. So, you could think more along the lines of something like, “I want to lose five pounds because I want to fit into this dress because I’m going on vacation.” That hits differently. It builds your own accountability — and it also builds pride in yourself and your accomplishments.

It could be something as simple as wanting to be in touch more often with the people you love. You could take a note and stick it on your refrigerator to remind you of the people you want to call every week.

CNN: You talk about using a “magic paintbrush” in your book to help shift your mindset. What do you mean by that?

Kehrer: I know so many people who write out their New Year’s resolutions starting with a laundry list of everything they think is wrong with them — or everything they’re doing wrong. That means you’re starting from a negative headspace and mindset instead of thinking about how you’d like to improve. Instead, think about how you want your life to be different.

One of the shifts in my book is to think of using a “magic paintbrush” to create the life that you want. Imagine painting yourself a picture of what you want your day and week and month to look like in your mind. And then start thinking about what you need to get there. That way, you’re coming at things from a positive mindset and a place of inspired joy instead of the opposite.

We have 365 days in a year. Start by thinking about the one thing you would feel best about if you accomplished it and use your magical paintbrush to go after that one thing.

CNN: You refer to the importance of “cleaning up your own mess.” What do you mean by that as a mindset shift?

Kehrer: