Charlie Kirk, founder of Turning Point USA, an American nonprofit organization that advocates for conservative politics on high school, college, and university campuses, was assassinated on September 10th during an “American Comeback” rally at Utah Valley University in the American state of Utah. He was 31 years old. A young man has been arrested for the murder. Kirk’s supporters described him as respectful and willing to listen to people with different opinions. Over 90,000 people attended a memorial service for Kirk in the state of Arizona on September 21. On January 8, 2025, Kirk said during his online show that sign language interpreters should be removed from televised emergency broadcasts. He said that captions were “perfectly fine” and called the interpreters “a distraction.” Those comments angered the Deaf community.  The USA's National Association of the Deaf (NAD) wrote an open letter in response explaining that ASL is the primary language for many Deaf people, and that captions are not an adequate replacement. They also stressed that interpreters are vital in emergencies, ensuring clear and immediate access to critical information. Kirk later said Deaf adults at a Turning Point event had explained to him that sign language is the primary language of the Deaf and that he had a new understanding of the Deaf community. He also said later on his Facebook page that a conversation with a Deaf professor helped him better understand the role of ASL and that he had not intended to offend. He thanked the interpreters who supported his events.

Gallaudet University, the leading Deaf university in the U.S., will host The Deaf Way Film Festival from October 16 to 19. The festival is a major international event that celebrates Deaf filmmakers, Deaf stories, and Deaf culture. Both Deaf and hearing people are welcome. One goal of the festival is to help people unfamiliar with sign language learn more about Deaf life and communication. The event highlights the importance of sign language in making the world more accessible. The festival will feature films created by Deaf artists or Deaf-hearing teams. All the films will focus on Deaf culture, sign language, and Deaf experiences from many countries. There will also be panel discussions and workshops where creators can connect with Deaf professionals from around the world. Audience members will be able to vote for awards such as “Best Narrative Short” and “Best Documentary.” This event continues the legacy of Deaf Way (1989) and Deaf Way II (2002). The first event brought together 6,000 people, and the second attracted more than 10,000 participants from 120 countries. Gallaudet hopes this year’s festival will do the same - bringing the global Deaf community together to celebrate, strengthen, and empower.