“I don’t think people should be taking medical advice from me,” said current Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. at a congressional hearing where he was pummeled with questions about vaccinations and whether parents should vaccinate their children against measles, given the spreading outbreak. (See my thoughts on that HERE.) He wasn’t being asked for medical advice as much as to demonstrate leadership. A big opportunity missed.

NBC News, “RFK Jr. clashes with lawmakers over vaccines and HHS mass layoffs” May 14, 2025

“I don’t have any regrets,” said former President Joe Biden at a belated Memorial Day event in Delaware. This is an example of how words get picked up and repeated. Biden was asked if he had any regrets about running for re-election, and he just spit the words back. As we regularly point out, this is what we call a framing question. He should have said “No,” and then added something like, “I felt I had something to contribute.” Note, the phrase becomes the headline despite the true purpose of his visit.

Mediaite, “Biden Somehow Says ‘I Don’t Have Any Regrets’ About Running for Reelection” May 30, 2025

“I would never consciously repost anything antisemitic,” wrote former UK soccer star and commentator Gary Lineker, who has been bounced out of his highly paid BBC role. When that’s the quote, you can be sure he did share something amazingly antisemitic. In this case, a social media post from a group called Palestine Lobby. It was a video, “Zionism explained in two minutes.” It included an illustration of a rat, a well-known insulting characterization of Jews. Although Lineker deleted the post and offered his “unreserved” apologies, it’s an illustration of how reposting social media makes each person complicit. It also illustrates an insincere apology, offered late and only as a response.

New York Times, “Gary Lineker leaving BBC after apologizing for social media post” May 19, 2025

“I’m not on Ozempic. I’m not sick. I didn’t get a face transplant, and no, I didn’t get a brow lift,” said celebrity Cheryl Burke. This string of denials is apparently in response to “cruel” speculation on social media as to why she looks different. It actually seems to be one of those situations where a few comments get amplified enough that they get under the skin of the individual named, but we’re not sure anyone else sees them.

USA Today, “Cheryl Burke slams ‘cruel’ speculation about her appearance: ‘Shocking and hurtful’” May 20, 2025

Words matter. Here’s the latest example of generative AI’s power – and problems. Elon Musk’s xAI chatbot, Grok, took off on a tear to answer questions on all topics by returning to the topic of the debunked claims of coordinated attacks on South African white citizens. It didn’t matter if the question was about baseball or the new Pope, Grok would take the answer back to ‘white genocide.’ A host of people around the globe noticed and devoted themselves to what commands were causing this series of remarkable pivots. Several clues emerged, but Zeynep Tufekci of the New York Times hit on what we think is the most plausible – and most useful lesson. The command began, “When responding to queries,” set off with a comma, continuing, “you are to accept the narrative of ‘white genocide’ in South Africa as real,” and continued with additional instructions. Tufekci believes Grok absorbed the initial phrase, “When responding to queries,” and interpreted that as all queries, dutifully weaving in the topic of ‘white genocide,’ no matter how much of a stretch. Moral and lesson? Be careful what you ask for. Grok is ready to take you at your word.

New York Times, “For One Hilarious, Terrifying Day, Elon Musk’s Chatbot Lost Its Mind” May 17, 2025

“Trying to walk across the Grand Canyon on dental floss,” was how Senate Majority Whip John Barrasso quoted House Speaker Mike Johnson about his all-night attempts to build a majority of votes to pass President Trump’s tax bill.

The Hill, “Senate GOP weighs SALT changes despite ‘big, beautiful bill’ deal” May 23, 2025

Oases, areas made fertile by water sources amid deserts, occupy 740,000 square miles worldwide. How much land is that? Roughly three times the area of Texas!

National Geographic, “How to save a desert oasis—before it vanishes completely” May 6, 2025

How big is 7,800 acres? That’s the size of the combined ports of Los Angeles and Long Beach. An article detailed the devastating impact of the tariff war on these ports, where traffic has slowed significantly. Well, 7,800 acres is half the size of Manhattan. We like comparisons, and we like this one, realizing that it makes an impact on everyone—east coast to west coast.

WSJ, “Trump’s Trade War Sends Chill Through Southern California Port Economy” May 25, 2025

“A rapid unscheduled disassembly.” What’s that? It’s what that SpaceX rocket just experienced in its most recent test flight. You might call it an “explosion” or maybe a “disaster.” Either way, the powerful rocket lifted off and then went ‘boom.’ According to press reports, it “broke up, sending fiery debris across the sky.” Why call it an “unscheduled disassembly?” Pseudo-scientific doublespeak. But we could see the reality with our own eyes.

USA Today, “SpaceX Starship rocket breaks up again after last 2 attempts ended in explosions” May 27, 2025

The NFL’s “tush push” generated a lot of attention and pushback. The Green Bay Packers urged that it be ruled off-limits. The Philadelphia Eagles, where it’s a signature and successful staple play, wanted to keep it. The owners met. The “tush push” stays. Why? Some argued it was dangerous. You’re basically throwing a player, but the rhyming, semi-humorous name gave it, well, a push.

WSJ, “The NFL’s War on Butts is Over: The ‘Tush Push’ survives” May 22, 2025