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Sometimes late-night television transcends its own medium. Becomes emotional. Becomes important.

Like when David Letterman summed up the feelings of a nation six days after the 9/11 terrorist attacks.

Jimmy Kimmel entered that territory when he spoke of his newborn son's life-saving heart surgery just hours after his birth.

For 13 minutes on Monday, the host of "Jimmy Kimmel Live" was heartfelt, honest and emotional. His story would terrify any parent and brought tears to the eyes of viewers. Even as his voice broke with emotion, Kimmel managed to get some laughs.

"We had atheists praying for us," he said. "And I hate to say it — even that son of a b—— Matt Damon sent flowers."

(The faux Kimmel-Damon rivalry is one of the funniest things in late-night television. )

But Kimmel went beyond just personal pain and addressed attempts by Donald Trump and congressional Republicans to repeal Obamacare:

"We were brought up to believe that we live in the greatest country in the world, but until a few years ago, millions and millions of us had no access to health insurance at all," Kimmel said. "Before 2014, if you were born with congenital heart disease like my son was, there was a good chance you'd never be able to get health insurance because you … were born with a pre-existing condition. And if your parents didn't have medical insurance, you might not live long enough to even get denied because of a pre-existing condition.

"If your baby is going to die and it doesn't have to, it shouldn't matter how much money you make. I think that's something that, whether you're a Republican or a Democrat or something else, we all agree on that, right?"

It was an amazing moment when Kimmel used his platform and his pain for a greater good.

That doesn't happen often.

C.J. Cregg's return • One of the best bits in Samantha Bee's "Not the White House Correspondents' Dinner" was at the top of the show, when Allison Janney appeared as "West Wing" press secretary C.J. Cregg and took on the real fake news — thinly veiled versions of Breitbart and other conspiracy-theory websites.

"If a morally bankrupt gang of racist bloggers, anarchists, radio hosts and rancid woman-haters want to call themselves journalists, no one can stop you," she said. "But you are part of the reason that no one trusts the real press.

"These journalists work day and night to find the truth, write it down or tell it to a camera. … They chase down stories, even when the stories put them in danger, and their phone batteries die because of all the Pepes tweeting abuse at them.

"And you pretend to be them, ruining their reputation — at least among people too stupid to tell the difference. You are the dregs of a free society. We have to let you exist, but we do not have to listen to you."

She hit the nail on the head.

Scott D. Pierce covers TV for The Salt Lake Tribune. Email him at spierce@sltrib.com; follow him on Twitter @ScottDPierce.