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Lightning Fill In The Blank

PETER SAGAL, HOST:

Now it is time for our final game, Lightning Fill In The Blank. Each of our players will have 60 seconds in which to answer as many fill-in-the-blank questions as he or she can. Each correct answer - now worth 2 points.

Bill, can you give us the scores?

BILL KURTIS: Hari and Luke each have 2, and Negin has 3.

SAGAL: All right.

(APPLAUSE)

SAGAL: All right, we have flipped a coin. And Hari has chosen to go second, so that means Luke, you're up first. The clock will start when I begin your first question. Fill in the blank. This week, NBC fired "Today Show" host blank after allegations of sexual harassment.

LUKE BURBANK: Matt Lauer.

SAGAL: Right.

(SOUNDBITE OF BELL)

SAGAL: This week, The New York Times faced sharp criticism for its profile of a blank in Ohio.

SAGAL: Nazi sympathizer.

BURBANK: Yes.

(SOUNDBITE OF BELL)

SAGAL: This week, GM announced plans to bring blanks to American roadways by 2019.

BURBANK: Autonomous vehicles.

SAGAL: Yes.

(SOUNDBITE OF BELL)

SAGAL: A symphony orchestra in California kept playing despite being interrupted by blank.

BURBANK: An autonomous vehicle.

SAGAL: No.

(LAUGHTER)

SAGAL: After a woman who fell asleep and then woke up screaming.

(LAUGHTER)

SAGAL: Best-known for playing army mechanic Gomer Pyle, actor blank passed away at the age of 87.

BURBANK: Jim Nabors.

SAGAL: Yeah.

(SOUNDBITE OF BELL)

SAGAL: China's plans to sell a line of Chinese cars in the U.S...

(SOUNDBITE OF GONG)

SAGAL: ...Has hit a snag because the car name sounds too much like blank.

BURBANK: A lemon.

SAGAL: No. It sounds like Trump.

(LAUGHTER)

SAGAL: The most popular Chinese car brand is called Trumpchi.

NEGIN FARSAD: Oh, my God.

(LAUGHTER)

SAGAL: Trumpchi is a nonsense word, you know, that doesn't mean anything in practice, like Prius or democracy. But...

(LAUGHTER)

SAGAL: ...In Chinese, you know, it evokes the word for happiness. So they've considered changing the name for the U.S. market, where they finally want to export these cars. They did research on what's beloved in America. And just this last Monday, they finally settled on a name that they think is redolent of good cheer and warm feeling, the Al Franken 300.

(LAUGHTER)

SAGAL: Bill, how did Luke do on our quiz?

KURTIS: Well, he got four right, 8 more points, total of 10. And you move into the lead.

SAGAL: All right, that means, Hari, you're up next. Fill in the blank. This week, reporters from blank foiled an apparent sting attempt launched against them by Project Veritas.

HARI KONDABOLU: The Washington Post.

SAGAL: Right.

(SOUNDBITE OF BELL)

SAGAL: Thanks to a change in Wisconsin law, the state's Department of Natural Resources sold 10 hunting licenses to blank this year.

KONDABOLU: The NRA.

SAGAL: No, to babies.

KONDABOLU: Oh, God.

SAGAL: ...Who are in the NRA.

(LAUGHTER)

SAGAL: On Monday, dictionary.com named blank as its word of the year.

KONDABOLU: Oh, I can't think of any words right now.

SAGAL: I understand, yeah.

(LAUGHTER)

KONDABOLU: Google.

SAGAL: Complicit.

KONDABOLU: Ah.

SAGAL: This week, Activision, the company behind the "Call Of Duty"...

(SOUNDBITE OF GONG)

SAGAL: ...Video game series, sued blank for trademark infringement.

KONDABOLU: America.

SAGAL: No.

(LAUGHTER)

SAGAL: They're suing a dog waste removal company called Call of DooDee.

(LAUGHTER)

SAGAL: "Call Of Duty" is one of the most successful video game franchises of all time. So of course, they're going to protect their brand by suing Call of DooDee, an Illinois-based pet waste removal service because, just like dogs, you don't want to let those guys think they can get away with anything. Though the case has yet to go to trial, we hope it will end amicably with the agreement to make a video game where battle-hardened soldiers face their greatest enemy yet, a Great Dane who got into the bag of kibble.

(LAUGHTER)

SAGAL: Bill, how did Hari do on our quiz?

KURTIS: He got one right.

SAGAL: Hey.

(APPLAUSE)

KONDABOLU: That's great.

SAGAL: Thank you.

KONDABOLU: Thanks.

SAGAL: You did a wonderful thing.

KURTIS: That means he got two more. And with a total of 4...

(LAUGHTER)

KURTIS: ...He's running behind Luke - unless you want to give him some of yours, Luke.

BURBANK: He's not my side chick.

(LAUGHTER)

KURTIS: All right.

SAGAL: So how many, then, does Negin need to win?

KURTIS: Four to win.

SAGAL: Oh, Negin.

FARSAD: OK.

SAGAL: You can do this walking away. Here we go.

FARSAD: All right. Here we go.

SAGAL: This is for the game the game, Negin. Fill in the blank. This week, special counsel Robert Mueller met with former national security adviser blank's lawyers.

FARSAD: Michael Flynn.

SAGAL: Right.

(SOUNDBITE OF BELL)

SAGAL: On Monday, Trump took to Twitter to attack Democrat Doug Jones, who's running against blank in Alabama.

FARSAD: Roy Moore.

SAGAL: Right.

(SOUNDBITE OF BELL)

SAGAL: On Tuesday, the pope was criticized for calling for peace in Myanmar but not mentioning the blank by name.

FARSAD: Rohingya.

SAGAL: Right.

(SOUNDBITE OF BELL)

SAGAL: On Thursday, it was reported that the White House were considering replacing Secretary of State blank with Mike Pompeo.

FARSAD: Mike - Rex Tillerson.

SAGAL: Right.

(SOUNDBITE OF BELL)

SAGAL: On Monday, a football fan in Ohio got a legal permit to throw a parade if the Cleveland Browns blank this year.

FARSAD: Lose?

SAGAL: If they lose every single game, yes.

(SOUNDBITE OF BELL)

SAGAL: This week, cryptocurrency blank surged in price to pass the $10,000 mark.

FARSAD: Bitcoin.

SAGAL: Right.

(SOUNDBITE OF BELL)

SAGAL: With an eight total of nominations, including album of the year, Jay-Z leads the pack for the 60th annual blank awards.

FARSAD: Grammys.

SAGAL: Yes.

(SOUNDBITE OF BELL)

SAGAL: After being pulled over for driving an allegedly stolen...

(SOUNDBITE OF GONG)

SAGAL: ...Tesla, a woman in Utah told police blank.

FARSAD: That she's an alien.

SAGAL: No...

(LAUGHTER)

SAGAL: ...That she was a member of the Tesla family and Mr. Tesla himself had just loaned her the car.

(LAUGHTER, APPLAUSE)

SAGAL: Unfortunately, police didn't buy that excuse. And for some reason, they also refused to believe that the bag of stolen cash in the trunk was given to her by her father, Mr. Giant Sack Of Money With A Big Dollar Sign Drawn On It.

(LAUGHTER)

SAGAL: Bill, did Negin do well enough to win?

KURTIS: She did well. Seven right - 14 more points - total of 17.

(APPLAUSE)

KURTIS: Look who won.

SAGAL: Negin Farsad, champion this week. Bravo.

FARSAD: Thank you.

(APPLAUSE) Transcript provided by NPR, Copyright NPR.

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