“Despite the devastating loss of Charlie Kirk, my incredible husband… Caleb has persisted with the same grift,” said Erika Kirk while honoring a student named Caleb at Turning Point USA’s AmericaFest. An unfortunate flub to say the least. Realizing her mistake, Kirk said “gift” and finally landed on “grit” before blaming it all on it being a long day. Freudian slip for $200, Alex?

People, “Erika Kirk Accidentally Says ‘Grift’ Instead of ‘Grit’ About Her Late Husband Charlie: ‘Long Day’” December 21, 2025

“They were not deranged or crazed,” said Michelle Obama when describing her and her husband’s late friends, Rob and Michele Reiner. Appearing as a guest on “Jimmy Kimmel Live!” to promote her new book, Obama was asked about the tragic passing of the Hollywood producers. She followed up with praise for their character, describing the couple as “some of the most decent, courageous people you ever want to know.” That, of course, was not nearly as compelling a headline.

CNN, “Michelle Obama says Rob Reiner was not ‘deranged’ following Trump’s post” December 16, 2025

After eventually pleading guilty to conspiracy to commit wire fraud, aggravated identity theft and conspiracy to launder monetary instruments for helping North Koreans pose as American workers, Christina Chapman said, “I’m not the girl who’s ever dreamed of being part of an international spy ring, or whatever it is.” Watch the clip and determine whether you believe her to be an international woman of mystery or not.

Bloomberg Originals, “Christina Chapman on how she became a North Korean ‘laptop farmer’” December 18, 2025

Respect and civility with a touch of humor is just what the doctor ordered in these extremely partisan times. Representative Tim Burchett of Tennessee had the right idea in this interview. Between calling Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez “your friendly neighborhood Marxist,” and joking that his Democrat cohort in Tennessee, Steve Cohen, is “so far to the left and he’s so far to the right they’d meet on the other side (if they went out to dinner),” this clip is a must-watch example that exemplifies what our congressional leaders are supposed to be doing…passing laws and being civil despite ideological differences.

@buildersmvt, “Why Rep. Tim Burchett (R-TN) is friends with AOC and other Democrats” December 9, 2025

Daily Mail, “AOC strikes up oddest friendship in Congress with deep south Republican: ‘She’s a Marxist but she’s my buddy’” October 16, 2025

Surprise guest Nicki Minaj addressed the audience and made headlines at Turning Point USA’s AmericaFest when she said, “Dear young men, you have amazing role models, like our handsome, dashing president. And you have amazing role models like the assassin, JD Vance, our vice president.” In case you missed the firestorm that followed, Minaj referred to JD Vance as an “assassin,” the definition of the wrong thing to say to a widow of a man who was assassinated.

People, “Nicki Minaj Calls JD Vance ‘the Assassin’ Onstage with Charlie Kirk’s Widow Erika, then Goes Silent” December 22, 2025

“I’ve never seen her be disloyal to the president,” said JD Vance in defense of White House Chief of Staff Susie Wiles after a rather unflattering, in-depth Vanity Fair article was published documenting Trump’s first year in office. It prompted an inquiry from MS Now and many Americans — was Vance saying that her words were disloyal? The journalist, Chris Whipple, remarked that the White House’s pushback reminded him of “the good old days of Watergate, when Ben Bradlee famously said that the Nixon White House was making ‘non-denial denials.’” We always recommend avoiding denials. Case in point: another administration falling for the bait.

Associated Press, “JD Vance reacts to Susie Wiles’ Vanity Fair article: ‘Never seen her be disloyal’” December 16, 2025

MS Now, “‘Every word is on tape:’ Vanity Fair reporter pushes back on White House criticism” December 17, 2025

“Very sorry for the hurt I’ve caused & for taking lightly something so deeply injurious,” said actor BD Wong after deleting a racist comment on Instagram. This apology got a stamp of approval in our book because Wong took accountability and avoided the keyword “if.” Celebrities frequently pull the “if I hurt anyone” or “if I said something wrong” card. He knows what he did, and he’s owning it.

USA Today, “‘I do know better.’ Actor BD Wong apologizes for racist comment” December 2, 2025

Assembling the giant sections of Airbus planes comes down to surgical precision. The joints have a tolerance of 40 microns, to be exact. In a recent rerun of “Mighty Planes: Airbus A380” on the Discovery Channel, an Airbus executive put that precision into layman’s terms for the audience. It’s about the thickness of a piece of paper!

Mighty, “Mighty Planes: Airbus A380” March 26, 2025

Some topics, like ableism, can be difficult to approach when having conversations on improving the workplace. Haben Girma, the first Deafblind person to graduate from Harvard Law School and an award-winning author and advocate, transformed her painful job hunt into an opportunity to guide HR managers in real workplace change — and she does it through the power of humor. This communication tool not only keeps your audience engaged, but the message is far more likely to stick. Check out Girma’s keynote at the 2025 SHRM Linkage Institute.

Haben Girma, “Overcoming Ableism: Lessons from a Deafblind Keynote” December 17, 2025

New York has a new archbishop — and he’s a funny one! A native Chicagoan like Pope Leo, Ronald Hicks was recently appointed to serve as the archbishop-designate of New York and introduced himself with his “first controversial statement.” That’ll get your attention. After a professionally dramatic pause, he admitted, “I’m a Cubs fan, and I love deep dish pizza.” Humor is a great equalizer and an effective way to connect with audiences you might not be familiar with.

Live Now Fox, “New Archbishop of New York: Ronald Hicks Appointment” December 18, 2025

In other New York news, 2025 marked the end of an era for an American icon. And, sometimes, the best way to cope with change is through humor. As of December 31, 2025, patrons of New York public transit can no longer purchase a MetroCard. These little, yellow cards could often be found littering the streets of New York, and the M.T.A. decided it was time for a technological upgrade. Through partnerships with celebrities like Andy Cohen and the girl group Katseye and businesses like Carvel and Zabar’s, this campaign recognized the nostalgia and leaned into the humor to get passengers on board (pun intended).

The New York Times, “Goodbye (and Good Riddance?) to the MetroCard” December 22, 2025