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Funny How Life Works

Exceptionally gifted at combining story with thought-provoking life principles, Michael Jr. exhibits what it means to be a comedic thought leader. Using comedy and dynamic storytelling, he brings laughter and encouragement to audiences all over the world as he inspires audiences to discover and activate their purpose. This unique skill set has landed him on stages like The Tonight Show on NBC, Tedx Talks, and Jimmy Kimmel Live. You can find him in Sony Pictures' feature film War Room, as well as starring roles in Selfie Dad, Laughing On Purpose and More Than Funny.

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Comedian michael jr. on passion for helping others find god-given purpose, upcoming tour.

GRAPEVINE, Texas — For Michael Jr., comedy is more than making people laugh — it’s a way to share the Gospel, uplift audiences and motivate them to discover their God-given purpose. 

“I feel like God has given me an understanding on how to reveal to audiences what they need while giving them what they want,” the comedian told The Christian Post in a sit-down interview.

“Instead of just doing jokes, I listen in between the gaps while people are laughing and I’m asking, ‘What can I give to my audience? What do they need?’ While they’re laughing and having a good time, I hit them with some truth, encouragement and application.”

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From "The Tonight Show" to "Jimmy Kimmel Live," Michael Jr. has graced some of the country’s largest comedy stages. Driven by the belief that laughter can be a source of healing and inspiration, the father of five also shares his gift with those in homeless shelters and prisons.

Over the years, Michael Jr. said, he’s had “almost unbelievable” encounters with people, from a fugitive of the law who turned himself in after hearing the comedian’s message about “doing hard things” to a police officer who held a gun to his head after falsely accusing him of selling illegal drugs. 

“I’ve had some cool things happen and some not-so-cool things,” he reflected. “But as I look back at the stories in my life, and even things that are going on currently, I'm able to look at it differently and see how God can use it to help other people.”

In his latest book, Funny How Life Works , Michael Jr. shares 25 stories from his life with the stated aim of inspiring readers to embrace their God-given purpose — or, how he describes it, their “punchline.”  

“I try to articulate these stories in such a way where people can reflect on how to apply the outcomes to their life,” the “Selfie Dad” star said. 

The book is full of practical wisdom and spiritual principles hidden within humor — a strategy the comedian, who described himself as "pastoral," employs in his comedy sets. 

“We teach you about purpose in the book, we give you some homework, but because you're laughing, you don’t even know you're doing work,” he explained. “The brain cannot separate pleasure and laughter from the information that it's gaining. So after you're done reading, you'll still be attracted to information about your life's calling because your brain thinks it has gotten pleasure there.”

The book is also full of wisdom the comedian gleaned from his father. Fatherhood, the podcast host shared, is a topic he’s extremely passionate about. 

“The moment I saw my first kid, I knew that I wanted what's best for them. So ever since I started comedy, my desire has always been to help my kids be better. They are a significant influence on my comedy; I know God sent my kids, so I better be in line with what He's called me to do. He's the Father. I'm just a father trying to be the best I can for my children, including in my career," he added. 

Michael Jr., who attends Gateway Church in Dallas, is also gearing up for his upcoming tour , which kicks off July 11. The comedian said he’s excited to get back on the road and “mix both comedy and real-life stories" in front of an audience.

“With this tour, we’re planning to go deeper into Funny How Life Works and comedy at the same time, because tension is comedy’s best friend. So if I talk about something that's tension-filled and then go to the comedy, the comedy is even funnier but the stories are even better too.”

Whether he’s writing books or touring on the road, Michael Jr. said his walk with the Lord is the most important force in his life, driving his passion for God-glorifying comedy. By spending time in the Scriptures and in prayer, he strives to be obedient to the calling God has placed on his life. 

“I’m always trying to make sure He’s on the inside so I can hear Him, do what He says and see what happens,” he shared. “I really believe that whatever goes into your ear gate and your eye gate is going to be what goes into the heart and then revealed in your walk. I try to be very, very sensitive to what I am allowing to go into my heart, and then it just shows up on stage. It’s not a matter of trying to fix the output. It's a matter of being strategic with the input.”

Click here to learn more about Michael Jr.'s book and upcoming tour. 

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Michael Jr.

Bring the laughter: book comedian michael jr . for your event experience the unique comedy of michael jr ., a dynamic and engaging comedian who’s guaranteed to fill any room with laughter. his versatile talents extend to stand-up, sketches, short films, and more, ensuring a memorable event for everyone involved., travels from:, dallas, tx, usa, speaking fee:, $35,000 - $50,000, keynote topics:, comedian, actor, author, director & storyteller.

Through stand-up comedy, Michael Jr. takes you on a comedic journey in a way you’ve never experienced before. He has spent his career making laughter common in uncommon places like homeless shelters and prisons while inspiring fans through sketches, stand-ups, short films, and appearances in feature films. If you’re looking to book Michael Jr. for your next event, you’re in for a uniquely inspiring comedy experience.

No matter where you experience this man’s humor, on-stage, online, or one-on-one, you get the same Michael Jr. – at ease, conversational, a sly sense of mischief, with a grasp of real-life culture-current scenarios that create waves of comedy that inspires. Michael Jr. discovered his gift in a movie theatre in Grand Rapids, Michigan. A few laughs later, Michael Jr. transitions from the theatre seat to the theatre screen as a supporting actor in Sony Pictures’ blockbuster movie War Room. He recently released his latest comedy special in theatres: More Than Funny Michael Jr.

Wondering how much does it cost to book Michael Jr. or need help with Michael Jr. comedian booking? Keep reading to learn about the Michael Jr. booking fee and how you can bring his unique comedy style to your audience.

Michael Jr. has performed and appeared on dozens of TV shows, including The Tonight Show, Comedy Central, TV One, The Late-Late Show, Jimmy Kimmel Live, and many more. As a Christian comedian, Michael Jr.’s comedy is accessible to a wide range of audiences. From the Michael Jr. comedy tour to standalone shows, his captivating humor and wit make for unforgettable experiences.

With a diverse range of comedic styles, from his insightful stand-up to impactful on-screen performances, fans everywhere can’t get enough of the Michael Jr. tour. Combining his down-to-earth personality with hilarious anecdotes, it’s easy to see why comedian Michael Jr. is always in high demand.

Don’t miss your chance to experience the unparalleled talent of Michael Jr. comedy at your next event. Book Michael Jr. now and make your event one to remember!

Highlights of Comedian Michael Jr Tour

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TESTIMONIALS

What people are saying.

“At first glance, some might take Michael for a funny guy who can make light of any situation. While he is that — and you will find no lack of humor in these pages — he’s also so much more. Michael spreads joy everywhere he goes. Along with that joy is a message of deep faith in the Father who loves us unconditionally. In a time when we need hope and humor more than anything, Michael delivers both in droves.”

— Andy Stanley Author, communicator, and founder of North Point Ministries

“Michael’s stories, accumulated throughout his own unusual journey, reveal important truths you and I can absorb and apply to make our lives better, and to improve the lives of everyone around us. And of course, you’ll find yourself laughing out loud as you read.”

— John Maxwell Leadership Expert & Author

“Michael Jr. is exceptionally gifted at combining funny stories and spiritual principles. He will have you laughing and crying on the same page. If you are looking for spiritual inspiration or have a strong desire to make a difference, Funny How Life Works is the book for you.”

— Craig Groeschel Pastor of Life.Church & New York Times Best Selling Author

“Michael Jr. is one of the funniest dudes I know.”

— Terry Crews Comedian

Michael Jr Comedy Tour Photos

Ready to Bring Laughter to Your Event? Book Michael Jr. Connect with Michael Jr.’s unique comedic brilliance for an unforgettable experience by starting your Michael Jr. comedian booking process. Submit your event details through our booking inquiry form, and we’ll get back to you promptly with availability and pricing details.

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Who is the Comedian Michael Jr.? Comedian Michael Jr. is a talented performer known for making laughter common in uncommon places and inspiring fans through sketches, stand-ups, short films, and appearances in feature films like Sony Pictures’ War Room.

Where is Michael Jr. from? Michael Jr., a Christian comedian, is from Grand Rapids, Michigan.

How much does it cost to book Michael Jr.? Michael Jr.’s speaking fee is around $35,000 – $50,000. For inquiries about how much it costs to book Michael Jr., please submit your event details using the booking inquiry form. You’ll receive a response with availability and exact details about Michael Jr.’s booking fee.

How to book comedian Michael Jr.? Fill out the booking inquiry form with your event details to book Michael Jr. You’ll receive information about his availability and booking costs.

How do I contact Michael Jr.? To contact Michael Jr or make a Michael Jr. comedian booking, submit your details through the booking inquiry form.

Why Michael Jr.? Michael Jr. is the perfect choice for events because of his unique comedic approach that inspires and uplifts audiences. Experience his humor through his sketches, on-stage performances, and his recent comedy special, More Than Funny.

Why Team Talented? Team Talented is a group of change-makers and thought leaders who are passionate about helping others discover and unlock their purpose and flourish in all areas of life. We’re excited to help you find the best fit for your event. Learn more about Team Talented .

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Dallas Cowboys Mock: All-In on Drafting Dak Prescott Successor Michael Penix Jr?

Dak Prescott's contract situation with the Dallas Cowboys is delicately poised, but in CBS Sports' latest mock draft, the final nail to Dak's time in Dallas comes in the first round.

• Author: Adam Schultz

In this story:

The offseason for the Dallas Cowboys thus far has been underwhelming to say the least, with the franchise sitting on its hands as any attempts to make the roster better haven't been seen. In addition to that, the "lame duck" situation with coach Mike McCarthy and Dak Prescott is all building toward a perfect storm in 2024.

With Prescott's future with the organization murky at best right now, along with McCarthy and several other stars set to be out of contract after the 2024 season, the thought that the organization is set to "blow it up" in 2025 which was first brought up by our own Mike Fisher, feels like a distinct possibility.

But is there a saving grace in the upcoming NFL Draft? Dallas holds the No. 24 selection and the thought is that taking an offensive lineman is the avenue the team goes down with Tyron Smith and Tyler Biadasz both leaving in free agency.

But what if the Cowboys put the final nail in Dak's time as a Cowboy by drafting his successor while fighting for his career in 2024? In CBS Sports' latest mock draft, that is precisely what Dallas does, with Washington's Michael Penix Jr. coming to The Star.

"This feels like the last season for Dak Prescott as the Cowboys starter, and while Penix isn't necessarily a quarterback who needs a redshirt year, he'll likely get one in 2024," CBS Sports writes . "The upside is there -- even though he's an older prospect -- because of his big-time throw capabilities. Taking a swing at this game's most vital position is probably not the worst idea for the Cowboys now."

One can only imagine the media storm and headlines that would follow should the Cowboys draft Penix Jr. in the first round. With so many other needs that take priority over Dak's successor, at least this year anyway, it would be a clear message that Prescott's final year as a Cowboy is approaching.

Penix Jr. threw for 4,903 yards, 36 touchdowns and just 11 interceptions as he led Washington to an undefeated regular season, a Pac-12 Championship and a Sugar Bowl win before losing to Michigan in the National Championship game.

Jan 8, 2024; Houston, TX, USA; Washington Huskies quarterback Michael Penix Jr. (9) passes in the

Maria Lysaker-USA TODAY Sports

With Prescott under contract , Penix Jr. would likely sit for a year before taking over from Dak in 2025, which, coincidently, would also be the year that several veteran stars in Zack Martin, Brandin Cooks, DeMarcus Lawrence, Osa Odighizuwa, and KaVontae Turpin all come out of contract.

Given that the Cowboys were thought to have a Super Bowl-caliber roster in 2023, so to see the direction the organization is going during the offseason is certainly odd .

With so much unknown surrounding the franchise heading into 2024 and beyond, fans will know exactly what the organization's plans are if Penix Jr. is taken in the first round.

The Cowboys blowing it up and restarting in 2025 has never felt more real...especially if this mock draft selection comes to fruition.

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Israel’s Deadly Airstrike on the World Central Kitchen

The story behind the pioneering aid group and how it mistakenly came under attack..

From “The New York Times,” I’m Michael Barbaro. This is “The Daily.”

The Israeli airstrike that killed seven aid workers delivering food in Gaza has touched off outrage and condemnations from across the world. Today, Kim Severson on the pioneering relief crew at the center of the story, and Adam Rasgon on what we’re learning about the deadly attack on the group’s workers. It’s Thursday, April 4.

Kim, can you tell us about the World Central Kitchen?

World Central Kitchen started as a little idea in Chef José Andrés’ head. He was in Haiti with some other folks, trying to do earthquake relief in 2010. And his idea at that point was to teach Haitians to cook and to use solar stoves and ways for people to feed themselves, because the infrastructure was gone.

And he was cooking with some Haitians in one of the camps, and they were showing him how to cook beans the Haitian way. You sort of smash them and make them a little creamy. And it occurred to him that there was something so comforting for those folks to eat food that was from their culture that tasted good to them. You know, if you’re having a really hard time, what makes you feel good is comfort food, right? And warm comfort food.

So that moment in the camp really was the seed of this idea. It planted this notion in José Andrés’ mind, and that notion eventually became World Central Kitchen.

And for those who don’t know, Kim, who exactly is Chef José Andrés?

José Andrés is a Spanish chef who cooked under some of the Spanish molecular gastronomy greats, came to America, really made his bones in Washington, DC, with some avant-garde food, but also started to expand and cook tapas, cook Mexican food. He’s got about 40 restaurants now.

Yeah. And he’s got a great Spanish restaurant in New York. He’s got restaurants in DC, restaurants in Miami.

Come with me to the kitchen. Don’t be shy.

He’s also become a big TV personality.

Chef, are you going to put the lobster in the pot with the potatoes?

We’re going to leave the potatoes in.

Leave the potatoes in!

He’s one of the most charismatic people I’ve ever been around in the food world.

He’s very much the touchstone of what people want their celebrity chefs to be.

So how does he go from being all those things you just described, to being on the ground, making local comfort food for Haitians? And how does this all go from an idea that that would be a good idea, to this much bigger, full-fledged humanitarian organization?

So he started to realize that giving people food in disaster zones was a thing that was really powerful. He helped feed people after Hurricane Sandy, and he realized that he could get local chefs who all wanted to help and somehow harness that power. But the idea really became set when he went to Houston in 2017 to help after Hurricane Harvey.

And that’s when he saw that getting local chefs to tap into their resources, borrowing kitchens, using ingredients that chefs might have had on hand or are spoiling in the fridge because the power is out and all these restaurants needed something to do with all this food before it rotted — harnessing all that and putting it together and giving people well-cooked, delicious — at least as delicious as it can be in a disaster zone — that’s when World Central Kitchen as we know it today sort of emerged as a fully formed concept.

The first pictures now coming in from Puerto Rico after taking a direct hit — Hurricane Maria slamming into the island. And as you heard, one official saying the island is destroyed.

Shortly after that, he flew to Puerto Rico, where Hurricane Maria had pretty much left the entire island without water and in darkness.

He flew in on one of the first commercial jets that went back in. He got a couple of his chef buddies whose kitchens were closed, and they just decided to start cooking. They were basically just serving pots of stew, chicken stew, in front of the restaurants.

The lines got longer. And of course, chefs are a really specific kind of creature. They really like to help their community. They’re really about feeding people.

So all the people who were chefs or cooks on the ground in Puerto Rico who could wanted to help. And you had all these chefs in the States who wanted to fly down and help if they could, too. So you had this constant flow of chefs coming in and out. That’s when I went down and followed him around for about a week.

And what did you see?

Well, one of the most striking things was his ability to get food to remote places in ways the Salvation Army couldn’t and other government agencies that were on the ground couldn’t. You know, the Federal Emergency Management Agency, FEMA, doesn’t deliver food. It contracts with people to deliver food.

So you have all these steps of bureaucracy you have to go through to get those contracts. And then, FEMA says you have to have a bottle of water and this and that in those boxes. There’s a lot of structure to be able to meet the rules and regulations of FEMA.

So José doesn’t really care about rules and regulations very much. So he just got his troops together and figured out where people needed food. He had this big paper map he’d carry around and lay out. And he had a Sharpie, and he’d circle villages where he’d heard people needed food or where a bridge was out.

And then he would dispatch people to get the food there. Now, how are you going to do that? He was staying in a hotel where some National Guard and military police were staying to go patrol areas to make sure they were safe. He would tuck his big aluminum pans of food into the back of those guys’ cars, and say, Could you stop and drop these off at this church?

During that time in Puerto Rico, he funded a lot of it off of his own credit cards or with cash. And then he’s on the phone with people like the president of Goya or his golf buddies who are well-connected, saying, hey, we need some money. Can you send some money for this? Can you send some money for that?

So he just developed this network, almost overnight. I mean, he is very much a general in the field. He wears this Orvis fishing vest, has cigars in one pocket, money in the other. And he just sets out to feed people.

And there were deliveries that were as simple as he and a couple of folks taking plastic bags with food and wading through a flooded parking lot to an apartment building where an older person had been stuck for a few days and couldn’t get out, to driving up to a community that had been cut off. There was a church that was trying to distribute food.

We drive through this little mountain road and get to this church. We start unloading the food, and the congregation is inside the church. José comes in, and the pastor thanks him so much. And the 20 people or so who are there gather around José, and they begin praying.

And he puts his head down. He’s a Catholic. He’s a man who prays. He puts his head down. He’s in the middle of these folks, and he starts to pray with them. And then, pulls out his map, circles another spot, and the group is off to the next place.

And when Russia invades Ukraine, he immediately decided it was time for World Central Kitchen to step into a war zone. You know, so many people needed to eat. So many Ukrainians were crossing the border into Poland.

There are refugees in several countries surrounding Ukraine. So a lot of the work that they did was feeding the refugees. They set up big operations around train stations, places where refugees were coming, and then they were able to get into cities.

One of their operations did get hit with some armaments early on. Nobody was hurt badly. But I think that was the first time that they realized this was an actually more dangerous situation than perhaps going in after there’s been an earthquake.

But the other thing that really made a difference here is, José Andrés and World Central Kitchen would broadcast on social media, live from the kitchens. In the beginning, he’d be holding up his phone and saying, we put out 3 million meals for the people of Puerto Rico, chefs for Puerto Rico. It was very infectious.

And now, one of the standard operating procedures for people who are in the World Central Kitchens is to hold up the phone like that — you can see the kitchen, busy in the back — and talk about how many meals they’ve served. They have these kind of wild meal counts, which one presumes are pretty accurate. But they’re like, we served 320,000 meals this morning to the people of Lviv.

I mean, that scale seems important to note. This is not the kind of work that feeds a few people and a few towns. When you’re talking about 300,000 meals in a morning, you’re talking about something that begins, it would seem, to rival the scope and the reach of the groups that we tend to think of as the most important in the disaster-relief world.

Absolutely. And the meals — there are lots and lots and lots of meals. But also, World Central Kitchen hires local cooks. They’ll hire food truck operators, who obviously have no work, and pay them to go out and deliver the meals. They’ll pay local cooks to come in and cook. That’s what they do with a lot of their donations, which is very different than other aid organizations. And this then helps the local economy. He’s trying to buy as much local food as he can. That keeps the economy going in the time of a disaster. So that’s a piece of his operation that is a little different than traditional aid operations.

So walk us up to October 7, when Hamas attacked Israel. What does Chef José Andrés and the World Kitchen do?

Well, he had had such impact in Ukraine. And I think the organization itself thought that they had the infrastructure to now take food into another war zone. Gaza, of course, was nothing like Ukraine. But World Central Kitchen shows up. They’re nimble. They start to connect with local chefs.

Right now, they have about 60 kitchens in the areas around Gaza, and they’ve hired about 400 Palestinians to help do that. But getting the food into Gaza became the difficulty.

How do you actually get the food into the Gaza Strip? Large amounts of food that require trucks? You’ve got to realize, getting food into Gaza right now requires going through Israeli checkpoints.

And that slows the operation down. You might get eight trucks a day in, and that is such a small amount of food. And this has been incredibly difficult for any aid operations.

So World Central Kitchen, playing on the experience that they had in a war zone and working with government entities and trying to coordinate permissions — they took that experience from Ukraine and were trying to apply it in the Gaza Strip. Now, they had worked for a long time with Israeli officials. They wanted to make sure that they could get their food in.

And they decided that the best way to do it would be to take food off of ships, get it in a warehouse, and then get that food into Gaza. It took a long time to pull those permissions through, but they were able to get the permissions they needed and set this system up, so they could move the food fairly quickly into North Gaza.

And once they get those permissions, how big a player do they become in Gaza?

World Central Kitchen became a kind of a fulcrum point for getting food aid in to Gaza in a way that a larger and more established humanitarian aid operations couldn’t, in part because they were small and nimble in their way. So the amount of food they were moving maybe wasn’t as large as some of the more established humanitarian aid organizations, but they had so much goodwill. They had so much logistical knowledge.

They were working with local Palestinians who knew the food systems and who understood how to get things in and out. So they were able to find a way to use a humanitarian corridor to have permissions from the Israeli government, to be able to move this food back and forth. And that’s always been the secret to World Central Kitchen — is incredibly nimble. So —

Just like in Puerto Rico, they seemed to win over just about everybody and do the seemingly impossible.

Right. And World Central Kitchen says they delivered 43 million meals to Gazans since the start of the war. And I don’t think there was any other group that could have pulled this off.

Hey, this is Zomi and Chef Olivier. We’re at the Deir al-Balah kitchen. And we’ve got the mise en place. Tell us a little bit about it, Chef.

And then, this caravan, this fairly efficient caravan of armored vehicles, labeled with World Central Kitchen logo on the roof, on the sides — the idea was they head on — this humanitarian quarter, they head on this road. The seven people who went all in vests — three of whom are security people from Great Britain — you have another World Central Kitchen employee who has handled operations in Asia, in Central America. She’s quite a veteran of the World Central Kitchen operation.

And you have a young man who someone told me was like the Michael Jordan of humanitarian aid, who hooked up with World Central Kitchen in Poland. He was a hospitality student and had just become an indispensable make-it-happen guy. And you have a Palestinian guy who’s 25, a driver.

So this is the team. They have all the clearances. They have the well-marked vehicles. It seemed like a very simple, surgical kind of operation. And of course, now, as we know, it was anything but that.

After the break, my colleague Adam Rasgon on what happened to the World Central Kitchen workers in that caravan. We’ll be right back.

So Adam, what ends up happening to this convoy that our colleague Kim Severson just described from World Central Kitchen?

So what we know is that members of the World Central Kitchen had been at a warehouse in Deir al-Balah in the Central Gaza Strip. They had just unloaded about 100 tons of food aid that had been brought via a maritime route to the coast of the Gaza Strip. When they departed the warehouse, they were in three cars.

Two of the cars were armored cars, and one was a soft-skinned car, according to the organization. When the cars reached the coastal road, known as Al Rashid Street, they started to make their way south.

And what do we know about how much the World Central Kitchen would have told the Israeli military about their plans to be on this road?

Yeah. So the World Central Kitchen said that its movements were coordinated. And in military speak or in technical speak, people often refer to this as deconfliction. So basically, this process is something that not only the World Central Kitchen but the UN, telecommunications companies going out to repair damaged telecommunications infrastructure, others would use, where they basically provide the Israeli military with information about the people who are traveling — their ID numbers, their names, the license plate numbers of the cars they’ll be traveling in.

They’ll sort of explain where their destination is. And the general process is that the Israelis will then come back to them and say, you’re approved to travel from this time, and you can take this specific route.

And do we know if that happened? If the IDF said, you’re approved, use this route on this night?

So we heard from the World Central Kitchen that they did receive this approval. And the military hasn’t come out and said that it wasn’t approved. So I think it’s fair to assume that their movements were coordinated and de-conflicted.

OK. So what happens as this seemingly pre-approved and coordinated convoy trip is making this leg of the journey?

They started to make their way south towards Rafah. And the three cars suddenly came under fire. The Israeli army unleashes powerful and devastating strikes on the three cars in the convoy, most likely from a drone. The strikes rip through the cars, killing everyone inside.

Shortly thereafter, ambulances from the Palestine Red Crescent are dispatched to the location. They retrieve the dead bodies.

They bring those bodies to a hospital. And at the hospital, the bodies are laid out, and journalists start to report to the world that indeed, five members of the World Central Kitchen staff have been killed. And the Palestine Red Crescent teams were continuing to search for other bodies and eventually brought back two more bodies to the hospital for a total of seven people killed in these airstrikes.

And when the sun comes up, what does it end up looking like — the scene of these struck trucks from this convoy?

So early in the morning when the sun comes up, a number of Palestinian journalists headed out to the coastal road and started taking pictures and videos. And I received a series of videos from one of the reporters that I was in touch with, essentially showing three cars, all heavily damaged. One had a World Central Kitchen logo on top of it, with a gaping hole in the middle of the roof.

A second car was completely charred. You could barely recognize the structure of the car. The inside of it had been completely charred, and the front smashed.

And do we know if the strike on this convoy was the only strike happening in this area? In other words, is it possible that this convoy was caught in some kind of a crossfire or in the middle of a firefight, or does it appear that this was quite narrow, and was the Israeli army targeting these specific vehicles, whether or not they realized who was in it?

We don’t have any other indication that there was another strike on that road around that time.

What that suggests, of course, is that this convoy was targeted. Now, whether Israeli officials knew who was in it, whether they were aid workers, seems like a yet-unresolved question. But it does feel very clear that the trucks in this convoy were deliberately struck.

Yes. I do think the trucks in this convoy were deliberately struck.

What is the reaction to these airstrikes on this convoy and to the death of these aid workers?

Well, one of the first reactions is from the World Central kitchen’s founder, José Andrés.

Chef José Andrés, who founded World Central Kitchen, calling them angels.

He said he was heartbroken and grieving.

And adding the Israeli government needs to stop this indiscriminate killing.

And then, he accused Israel of using food as a weapon.

What I know is that we were targeted deliberately, nonstop, until everybody was dead in this convoy.

And he just seemed devastated and quite angry.

And so what is the reaction from not just World Central Kitchen, but from the rest of the world to this airstrike?

There’s, frankly, fury and outrage.

The White House says it is outraged by an Israeli airstrike that killed seven aid workers in Gaza, including one American.

President Biden, who has been becoming increasingly critical of Israel’s approach to this war — he came out and said that he was outraged and heartbroken.

Certainly sharper in tone than we have heard in the past. He says Israel has not done enough to protect aid workers trying to deliver desperately needed help to civilians. Incidents like yesterday’s simply should not happen. Israel also has not —

And we’re seeing similar outrage from foreign governments. The British Foreign Secretary David Cameron —

The dreadful events of the last two days are a moment when we should mourn the loss of these brave humanitarian workers.

— said that the airstrikes were completely unacceptable. And he called on Israel to explain how this happened and to make changes to ensure that aid workers could be safe.

So amid all this, what does Israel have to say about the attack — about how it happened, about why it happened?

The response from Israel this time was much different, compared to other controversial airstrikes on the Gaza Strip. Often, when we’re reporting on these issues, we’ll hear from the army that they’re investigating a given incident. It will take days, if not weeks, to receive updates on where that investigation stands.

There are instances where Israel does take responsibility for harming civilians, but it’s often rare. This time, the Prime Minister —

[NON-ENGLISH SPEECH]

— Benjamin Netanyahu comes out with a video message —

— saying that Israel had unintentionally harmed innocent civilians. And that was the first indication or public indication that Israel was going to take responsibility for what had happened.

The IDF works together closely with the World Central Kitchen and greatly appreciates the important work that they do.

We later heard from the military’s chief of staff. Herzi Halevi issued a video statement in English.

I want to be very clear the strike was not carried out with the intention of harming aid workers. It was a mistake that followed a misidentification.

And he said this mistake had come after a misidentification. He said it was in the middle of a war, in a very complex condition. But —

This incident was a grave mistake. We are sorry for the unintentional harm to the members of WCK.

He was clear that this shouldn’t have happened.

I want to talk about that statement, because it seems to suggest — that word, “misidentification”— that the Israeli army believed that somebody else was in this convoy, that it wasn’t a bunch of aid workers.

That’s possible, although it’s extremely vague and cryptic language that genuinely is difficult to understand. And it’s a question that us in the Jerusalem Bureau have been asking ourselves.

I’m curious if the Israeli government has said anything in all of its statements so far about whether it noticed these markings on these three cars in the convoy. Because that, I think, for so many people, stands out as making misidentification hard to understand. It seems like perhaps a random pickup truck could be misidentified as perhaps a vehicle being used by a Hamas militant. But a group of World Central Kitchen trucks with their name all over it, driving down a known aid corridor — that becomes harder to understand as misidentification.

Yeah, it’s an important question. And at this moment, we don’t know exactly what the Israeli reconnaissance drones could see, and whether or not they were able to see, in the darkness of the night, the markings of the World Central Kitchen on the cars. But what is clear is that when the cars were found in the morning, right there was the big emblazoned logo of the World Central Kitchen.

Mm-hmm. I’m curious how you think about the speed with which Israel came out and said it was in the wrong here. Because as you said, that’s not how Israel typically reacts to many of these situations. And that makes me think that it might have something to do with the nature of the aid group that was the target of these airstrikes — the World Central Kitchen — and its story.

I think it does have to do with this particular group. This is a group that’s led by a celebrity chef, very high-profile, who is gone around the world to conflict zones, disaster areas, to provide food aid. And I also think it has to do with the people who were killed, most of who were Western foreign aid workers. Frankly, I don’t think we would be having this conversation if a group of Palestinian aid workers had been killed.

Nor, perhaps, would we be having the reaction that we have had so far from the Israeli government.

I would agree with that.

Adam, at the end of the day, what is going to be the fallout from all of this for the people of Gaza? How do we think that this attack on World Central Kitchen is going to impact how food, medicine, aid is distributed there?

So the World Central Kitchen has said that it’s suspending its operations across Gaza. Because it essentially seems that they don’t feel they can safely operate there right now. And several ships that carried aid for the organization, which were sort of just on the coast — those ships ended up turning back to Cyprus, carrying more than 200 tons of aid.

So aid that was supposed to reach the people of Gaza is now leaving Gaza because of this attack.

Yes. And it’s also had a chilling effect. Another aid group, named INARA, has also suspended its operations in Gaza. And it seems that there is concern among humanitarians that other aid groups could follow.

So in a place where people are already suffering from severe hunger, poor sanitation, the spread of dangerous disease, this is only going to make the humanitarian situation, which is already dire, even worse.

Well, Adam, thank you very much. We appreciate it.

Thanks so much for having me.

We’ll be right back.

Here’s what else you need to know today. The magnitude-7.4 earthquake that struck Taiwan on Wednesday has killed nine people, injured more than 1,000, and touched off several landslides. It was Taiwan’s strongest quake in the past 25 years. But in a blessing for the island’s biggest cities, its epicenter was off the island’s east coast, relatively far from population centers like Taipei.

And the first patient to receive a kidney transplant from a genetically modified pig has fared so well that he was discharged from a Massachusetts hospital on Wednesday just two weeks after surgery. Two previous transplants from genetically modified pigs both failed. Doctors say the success of the latest surgery represents a major moment in medicine that, if replicated, could usher in a new era of organ transplantation.

Today’s episode was produced by Lynsea Garrison, Olivia Natt, and Carlos Prieto, with help from Asthaa Chaturvedi. It was edited by Marc Georges, with help from Paige Cowett, contains original music by Marion Lozano and Dan Powell, and was engineered by Chris Wood. Our theme music is by Jim Brunberg and Ben Landsverk of Wonderly.

That’s it for “The Daily.” I’m Michael Barbaro. See you tomorrow.

• April 12, 2024   •   34:23 How One Family Lost $900,000 in a Timeshare Scam
• April 11, 2024   •   28:39 The Staggering Success of Trump’s Trial Delay Tactics
• April 10, 2024   •   22:49 Trump’s Abortion Dilemma
• April 9, 2024   •   30:48 How Tesla Planted the Seeds for Its Own Potential Downfall
• April 8, 2024   •   30:28 The Eclipse Chaser
• April 7, 2024 The Sunday Read: ‘What Deathbed Visions Teach Us About Living’
• April 5, 2024   •   29:11 An Engineering Experiment to Cool the Earth
• April 4, 2024   •   32:37 Israel’s Deadly Airstrike on the World Central Kitchen
• April 3, 2024   •   27:42 The Accidental Tax Cutter in Chief
• April 2, 2024   •   29:32 Kids Are Missing School at an Alarming Rate
• April 1, 2024   •   36:14 Ronna McDaniel, TV News and the Trump Problem
• March 29, 2024   •   48:42 Hamas Took Her, and Still Has Her Husband

Hosted by Michael Barbaro

Featuring Kim Severson and Adam Rasgon

Produced by Lynsea Garrison ,  Olivia Natt ,  Carlos Prieto and Asthaa Chaturvedi

Edited by Marc Georges and Paige Cowett

Original music by Dan Powell and Marion Lozano

Engineered by Chris Wood

Listen and follow The Daily Apple Podcasts | Spotify | Amazon Music

The Israeli airstrike that killed seven workers delivering food in Gaza has touched off global outrage and condemnation.

Kim Severson, who covers food culture for The Times, discusses the World Central Kitchen, the aid group at the center of the story; and Adam Rasgon, who reports from Israel, explains what we know about the tragedy so far.

On today’s episode

Kim Severson , a food correspondent for The New York Times.

Adam Rasgon , an Israel correspondent for The New York Times.

Background reading

The relief convoy was hit just after workers had delivered tons of food .

José Andrés, the Spanish chef who founded World Central Kitchen, and his corps of cooks have become leaders in disaster aid .

There are a lot of ways to listen to The Daily. Here’s how.

We aim to make transcripts available the next workday after an episode’s publication. You can find them at the top of the page.

The Daily is made by Rachel Quester, Lynsea Garrison, Clare Toeniskoetter, Paige Cowett, Michael Simon Johnson, Brad Fisher, Chris Wood, Jessica Cheung, Stella Tan, Alexandra Leigh Young, Lisa Chow, Eric Krupke, Marc Georges, Luke Vander Ploeg, M.J. Davis Lin, Dan Powell, Sydney Harper, Mike Benoist, Liz O. Baylen, Asthaa Chaturvedi, Rachelle Bonja, Diana Nguyen, Marion Lozano, Corey Schreppel, Rob Szypko, Elisheba Ittoop, Mooj Zadie, Patricia Willens, Rowan Niemisto, Jody Becker, Rikki Novetsky, John Ketchum, Nina Feldman, Will Reid, Carlos Prieto, Ben Calhoun, Susan Lee, Lexie Diao, Mary Wilson, Alex Stern, Dan Farrell, Sophia Lanman, Shannon Lin, Diane Wong, Devon Taylor, Alyssa Moxley, Summer Thomad, Olivia Natt, Daniel Ramirez and Brendan Klinkenberg.

Our theme music is by Jim Brunberg and Ben Landsverk of Wonderly. Special thanks to Sam Dolnick, Paula Szuchman, Lisa Tobin, Larissa Anderson, Julia Simon, Sofia Milan, Mahima Chablani, Elizabeth Davis-Moorer, Jeffrey Miranda, Renan Borelli, Maddy Masiello, Isabella Anderson and Nina Lassam.

Kim Severson is an Atlanta-based reporter who covers the nation’s food culture and contributes to NYT Cooking . More about Kim Severson

Adam Rasgon reports from Israel for The Times's Jerusalem bureau. More about Adam Rasgon

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Fact or Fiction: Is Is Michael Penix Jr. a 1st-round pick in the NFL Draft? | NFL on FOX Pod

Dave helman welcomes carmen vitali onto the show to talk about the nfl draft within their discussion, the duo debate whether michael penix jr. will be a first-round draft pick in this year's nfl draft..

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"MJ" arrives in Denver, reviving Michael Jackson's iconic music and dance on stage

O ne of the most popular musicals on tour has arrived in Denver, as "MJ" the musical prepares to play the Buell Theatre through April 28. The show follows the journey of Michael Jackson's life, from childhood to his creation of The Dangerous World Tour. While the music shines throughout the two and a half hour performance, Jackson's iconic dance moves are also fully on display.

 Cast members, like Jamaal Fields Green, have the difficult task of trying to recreate Jackson's iconic dance moves on stage any given night.

"It is Michael Jackson, it is as important as it gets," Fields-Green said. "There's pressure for sure, with an icon as big as he was and still is."

Fields-Green and his peers learned how to imitate Jackson as best as possible thanks, in-part, to their opportunity to learn from Jackson's choreographers, Rich + Tone Talauega. The duo worked directly with Michael Jackson during some of his tours and were able to give their insight to those on the MJ cast to make sure audiences get a near-authentic experience to a Michael Jackson concert.

Directed and choreographed by Christopher Wheeldon, MJ brings Jackson back to life on stage.

JoJo Carmichael, swing and assistant dance captain, said she always aspired to dance with Jackson.

"I would have loved to be a tour dancer with Michael Jackson," Carmichael said.

Though Jackson died before Carmichael had the opportunity to complete her dream, she said she was thrilled to be able to share what she has learned with other younger generations.

"I think I definitely am carrying on his legacy. Teaching his moves does help carry on the legacy of Michael Jackson and MJ the musical," Carmichael said. "I don't take that lightly."

Carmichael and some of her fellow cast and crew from MJ get the opportunity to teach some of Jackson's moves to students around the country.

Ahead of the show's stop in Denver, Carmichael spent time teaching students from Salt Lake School of the Arts how to dance to Michael Jackson's hit song, "Smooth Criminal."

"To be able to share this gift, it is a dream come true," Carmichael said. "We learn Michael Jackson and his influences in his dance."

Teens like Shayne Souvall and Gray Henry never got to see Jackson perform live, but are still big fans.

"I grew up listening to Michael Jackson a lot. I used to choreograph dances to 'Man in the Mirror' in the backyard," Henry told CBS News Colorado's Dillon Thomas.

During an exclusive advanced preview, and behind the scenes tour, of MJ, Thomas was able to watch as Carmichael taught students one of the most rapid dances in Smooth Criminal.

"(Learning this from the cast) is super fun and crazy, because we don't get to meet the swings often," Henry said.

The students started out slow, learning the hand motions to the dance. Then, they slowly started learning the steps at a slowed down pace before trying it with music.

"I really like how upbeat it is," Souvall said.

"It was so hard and challenging," Henry said. "It was funny because we all laughed and were like oh, we didn't realize it was that fast."

Carmichael said it is just as difficult to teach the dance as it is to learn it.

"Whew. To do it is a challenge and a push in itself, and teaching it is just as hard," Carmichael said.

After watching the students learn the dance and perform it multiple times, the cast and crew of MJ offered Thomas the opportunity to learn the same dance.

"The dancing is super important to nail. A lot of practice, for sure," Fields-Green said.

Thomas, who has no educational or professional dance experience at all, agreed to give it a humble try. And, in doing so, was humbled by the difficulty.

"What would you say I am in for?" Thomas asked Henry and Souvall.

"A treat. A big one. A really hard fast treat," they collectively said.

"Just don't stick your body up really high. Stay really grounded, because the movement is fast. Move with efficiency," Henry said.

Dance Supervisor Justin Prescott joined Fields-Green in teaching Thomas all of the dance moves.

"I remember being five (years-old) and doing Smooth Criminal," Prescott said.

Though it took a while to learn the dance, Thomas eventually managed to get enough of it down to be able to say he did it. But, fortunately for the audiences, the professionals will be the ones doing the dance on stage.

But the students who learned the dances from MJ said they were inspired to keep pursuing dance and the performing arts.

"It really proves and shows us it is possible. It takes a lot of work and dedication and drive. But, it really is possible," Henry said.

"It shows you that you really can do it, you can achieve it. If you believe in yourself, anything is possible," Carmichael said.

If you would like to see MJ while it plays the DCPA, visit https://www.denvercenter.org/tickets-events/mj/

CBS Colorado is a proud partner of the Denver Center for the Performing Arts.  

NFL didn’t project Bo Nix, Michael Penix Jr. among top 15 to 20 selections

• Mike Florio ,
• Mike Florio

The NFL will have 1 3 incoming players at the draft. Not many more than that were invited.

The league wanted to keep it to no more than 15. The goal, per a source with knowledge of the situation, was to ensure that no one lingers too long in the green room in Detroit.

Toward that end, neither quarterback Bo Nix nor quarterback Michael Penix, Jr. was invited. The league didn’t have either, we’re told, on the projected list of the top 15 to 20 picks.

Both could still go in the top 15, given the number of teams looking for quarterbacks. As noted earlier, the betting markets have Penix as the favorite to go to the Raiders at No. 13.

It can’t be easy to get clear and reliable information about who will be picked and when from teams that will be inclined to keep their plans top secret. If the goal is to ensure that the invitees have limited stays in the green room, the challenge is to ensure that the invitations go to those players whom the league regard as can’t-miss first-round picks.

The league views quarterbacks Caleb Williams, Jayden Daniels, Drake Maye, and J.J. McCarthy (who didn’t respond to his invitation and had it basically rescinded) as clear and definite early picks. The league doesn’t have that same opinion as to Nix and Penix.

In 13 days, we’ll all find out how good the league’s intel on this was.