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Lightning Fill In The Blank

PETER SAGAL, HOST:

Now onto 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 is now worth two points. Bill, can you give us the scores?

BILL KURTIS: Again, Paul and Adam each have three. Helen has one.

SAGAL: OK, Helen, you're in third place, so you're up first. The clock will start when I begin your first question. Fill in the blank - on Wednesday, the Supreme Court ruled that the White House could temporarily enforce new restrictions on blank seekers.

HELEN HONG: Asylum.

SAGAL: Right.

(SOUNDBITE OF BELL)

SAGAL: This week, Republican Dan Bishop narrowly won a special election in blank.

HONG: North Carolina.

SAGAL: Right.

(SOUNDBITE OF BELL)

SAGAL: On Monday, California announced a new program to erase old blank convictions.

HONG: Marijuana.

SAGAL: Yes.

(SOUNDBITE OF BELL)

SAGAL: Police in Ohio say they're on the lookout for a man who broke into a local fairground and stole blank.

HONG: Conveyor belt cheese.

SAGAL: No, an entire roller coaster. On...

HONG: What?

SAGAL: It was a small one, towed it away. On Wednesday, Purdue Pharma reached a tentative settlement over their role in the blank crisis.

HONG: Opioid.

SAGAL: Right.

(SOUNDBITE OF BELL)

SAGAL: This week, the U.S. Trademark and Patent Office rejected...

(SOUNDBITE OF GONG)

SAGAL: ...Ohio State University's request to trademark the word blank.

HONG: The.

SAGAL: Yes.

(SOUNDBITE OF BELL)

HONG: I heard this one.

SAGAL: For decades, Ohio State University has demanded to be referred to as The Ohio State University, which is short for The Incredibly Pretentious Ohio State University. Recently, they went so far as to try to trademark the word the for exclusive use on T-shirts, hats and sweatpants. After the application was rejected, the university said they would appeal, taking it all the way to the Supreme Court if necessary, or as they'll be known if OSU gets their way, a Supreme Court.

(LAUGHTER)

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

KURTIS: Five right, 10 more points, total of 11 for the lead.

SAGAL: Very well done. All right...

(APPLAUSE)

PETER GROSZ: You got the lead.

SAGAL: All right, we flipped a coin. Adam has elected to go next. Adam, please fill in the blank. On Wednesday, the White House announced a proposal to block the sale of flavored blank's.

ADAM FELBER: E-Cigarettes.

SAGAL: Right.

(SOUNDBITE OF BELL)

SAGAL: To mark the 18th anniversary of blank, officials unveiled a new memorial honoring first responders at Ground Zero.

FELBER: The September 11 attacks.

SAGAL: Yes.

(SOUNDBITE OF BELL)

SAGAL: This week, the Trump administration said they would not grant temporary protected status to hurricane refugees from blank.

FELBER: The Bahamas.

SAGAL: Right.

(SOUNDBITE OF BELL)

SAGAL: On Tuesday, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu vowed to annex settlements in the West blank.

FELBER: Bank.

SAGAL: Yes.

(SOUNDBITE OF BELL)

SAGAL: This week, a pro-Putin rapper in Russia broke YouTube records when his new music video became blank.

FELBER: The worst selling YouTube video of all time.

SAGAL: So close, the most disliked video of all time.

FELBER: Most disliked, that's right.

SAGAL: Yes. On Monday, the NRA sued San Francisco over a citywide resolution naming the group a blank.

FELBER: Terrorist organization.

SAGAL: Right.

(SOUNDBITE OF BELL)

SAGAL: On Sunday, tennis great blank claimed his 19th career Grand Slam Championship.

FELBER: Rafael Nadal.

SAGAL: Right.

(SOUNDBITE OF BELL)

SAGAL: After sweeping through Florida, Hurricane Dorian left...

(SOUNDBITE OF GONG)

SAGAL: ...Thousands without power and also left blank on the shores of a beach.

FELBER: Old cannonballs.

SAGAL: No, a kilo of cocaine.

(LAUGHTER)

HONG: Ooh.

FELBER: I believe if you check the news the cannonball answer is also correct.

SAGAL: It might well be. But I was asking for the kilo of cocaine.

FELBER: All right.

(LAUGHTER)

GROSZ: Either way...

SAGAL: A brick of cocaine was discovered on Paradise Beach in Melbourne, Fla. by a man who was walking on the shore after the hurricane. Then he was running on the shore. Then he was dancing on the shore.

(LAUGHTER)

SAGAL: Then he was crying on the shore. And then finally, he was asking the shore if he knew where he could find more cocaine.

(LAUGHTER)

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

KURTIS: Adam, you did OK. Six right, 12 more points. Fifteen puts you in the lead.

SAGAL: All right...

(APPLAUSE)

SAGAL: ...How many then does Peter Grosz need to win?

KURTIS: Six to tie. Seven to win.

SAGAL: All right, Groszy (ph), this is for the game. Please fill in the blank. On Wednesday, President Trump said he would delay a tariff increase on goods from blank.

GROSZ: China.

SAGAL: Right.

(SOUNDBITE OF BELL)

SAGAL: On Monday, a majority of U.S. states launched a joint anti-trust investigation into online search giant blank.

GROSZ: Google.

SAGAL: Right.

(SOUNDBITE OF BELL)

SAGAL: Democratic candidates sparred over health care, immigration and gun violence in a 10-candidate blank this week.

GROSZ: Debate.

SAGAL: Right. On Wednesday, a Scottish court ruled that Boris Johnson's suspension of U.K.'s blank was unlawful.

GROSZ: Suspension of the Parliament.

SAGAL: Yes.

(SOUNDBITE OF BELL)

SAGAL: Organizers of a soccer game between France and Albania accidentally blanked.

GROSZ: Organized a soccer game between Spain and Morocco.

SAGAL: No, the organizers...

FELBER: (Laughter).

SAGAL: ...Of this match between France and Albania accidentally played the national anthem for Andorra. And then they got really embarrassed, so they apologized to the nation of Armenia.

(LAUGHTER)

HONG: Wow.

FELBER: Rough.

GROSZ: My second choice.

SAGAL: On Wednesday, scientists announced they discovered a planet with blank 110 light years from our solar system.

GROSZ: A Starbucks.

SAGAL: No, a...

(LAUGHTER)

SAGAL: ...How'd they do it again? A planet with water. On Tuesday, the husband of former vice presidential candidate blank filed for divorce.

GROSZ: Oh, Palin, yeah.

SAGAL: Yeah.

(SOUNDBITE OF BELL)

SAGAL: After causing thousands of dollars in damages to a small...

(SOUNDBITE OF GONG)

SAGAL: ...Town in Vermont, 250 pigs were lured back to their farm with blank.

GROSZ: A kilo of cocaine.

SAGAL: No.

(LAUGHTER)

GROSZ: It worked for Adam's thing.

SAGAL: A trail of hot dog buns. The loose pigs, or as they're more commonly known, pre-hot-dogs...

HONG: Oh.

SAGAL: ...Has caused almost $100,000 of damage across the town of Orange, Vt. Fortunately, they were eventually led back to their enclosure thanks to a trail of hot dog buns. The pigs just found the hot dog buns weirdly warm and welcoming.

HONG: Oh.

GROSZ: Oh, that is cruel.

FELBER: That is not right.

GROSZ: Come here, chickens. Here's some toasted buns and a pickle and some mayonnaise...

FELBER: (Imitating chicken).

GROSZ: ...A little cayenne pepper.

SAGAL: Bill, did Peter Grosz do well enough to win?

KURTIS: Five right, 10 more points, total of 13. And that means he is two short of Adam's 15.

SAGAL: Congratulations, Adam.

(APPLAUSE)

FELBER: Oh, thank you very much.

SAGAL: Well done.

FELBER: Thank you, Newark. Transcript provided by NPR, Copyright NPR.