So that’s why you never see “Know Your Current Events” on Letterman anymore.
Stephanie Birkitt,the 34-year-old former Late Show assistant whose diary entries were allegedly part of 48 Hours producer Robert Halderman’s extortion plot, used to be Letterman’s envelope girl on the Know Your Current Event comedy bits.
When Late Show writer Bill Scheft was in Toronto on a book tour earlier this year, I asked him why we never see Current Events anymore. Scheft said Letterman was tired of the bit and really wasn’t nuts about venturing into the audience any more. He said the writers even pitched it again at a meeting not that long ago but it was quickly shot down.
Birkitt used to wear an old college jacket and take part in the Friday night ritual (also known as “Know Your Cuts of Meat,” Know Your Supreme Court Justices,” etc.). She and the host would often call each other nicknames. (She got “Vicky” a lot). Sometimes Letterman would ask her to do her old boyfriend’s dance moves. To be honest, it always seemed way too inside for me.
Still, I loved Know Your Current Events. Can’t Biff deal the envelopes? Or Shaffer or even Reege?
Speaking of current events, Birkitt, who was living with Halderman and apparently walked out on him this summer, is currently studying law. She has made no public comment on any of this.

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